Later that evening after she had brought her new armor back to her room, she went looking for Aragorn. Kitra wandered the stone halls of the keep, her footsteps echoing softly on the worn flagstones. The late afternoon sun slanted through the narrow windows, casting a warm golden glow. She had left her new armor carefully laid out on the bed in her chambers, the polished steel gleaming in the light.
As she turned a corner, she spotted Aragorn striding toward her down the corridor, his gray eyes lighting up as they met hers. Kitra felt her heart flutter at the sight of him. The Ranger looked handsome as always in his travel-stained leathers, his dark hair tousled and a few days growth of beard shadowing his jaw.
"My lady," he greeted her with a warm smile, reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips. "I was hoping I might find you."
Kitra returned his smile, reveling in his touch as his fingers twined with hers. "And I you, my lord. Walk with me?"
"It would be my pleasure," Aragorn replied, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as he turned to stroll alongside her. They meandered through the keep's ancient halls in comfortable silence for a time, simply enjoying each other's presence.
As they passed through a secluded courtyard, Aragorn halted and turned to face her. He reached up to gently caress her cheek, his calloused thumb tracing the delicate line of her jaw. Kitra's breath caught at the tenderness in his touch. She leaned into his palm, savoring the warmth of his skin against hers.
"Thank you for the armor." She said, giving him a look.
Aragorn's eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile broadened. "You are most welcome. I am glad you like it." He stepped closer, his other hand coming up to frame her face. "I want you to be safe, Kitra. To know you are protected when we ride into battle."
Kitra's hands drifted to his waist, her fingers curling into the worn leather of his tunic. "I know. But you need not worry so much. I am quite capable of taking care of myself, you know."
"Oh, I am well aware, my lady." Aragorn's voice was low and rough with emotion. "You are the fiercest, bravest, most magnificent woman I have ever known." He told her with a cheeky smile on his face. Even though he was joking with her she knew that his words were sincere.
Kitra felt a blush rising to her cheeks at Aragorn's heartfelt words. She ducked her head shyly, a smile playing about her lips. "Flatterer," she accused teasingly, lightly swatting his chest.
Aragorn chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her palm. "It is no mere flattery if it is true," he murmured against her skin, his breath tickling her sensitive flesh.
A shiver raced down Kitra's spine at the sensation. Aragorn's gray eyes had darkened, smoldering with barely restrained desire as they met hers. Slowly, deliberately, he placed her hand over his heart. Even through the layers of his tunic and undershirt, Kitra could feel the steady, powerful beat beneath her fingers.
"Do you feel that?" Aragorn asked softly, his voice rough with emotion. "It beats only for you, Kitra. You hold my heart in your hands."
Kitra's breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at Aragorn, his heartfelt declaration causing her own heart to race. She could feel the heat of his skin even through his shirt, the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat matching her own.
"As you hold mine," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly with the depth of her feelings. "I love you, Aragorn. With everything that I am."
The Ranger's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he pulled her tightly against him. "And I love you, my fierce, beautiful Kitra," he rasped, lowering his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss.
Kitra melted into him, her arms twining around his neck as she returned his passionate embrace. Aragorn's hands roamed her back, pressing her body flush against the hard planes of his own. A low moan escaped her as his tongue delved into her mouth, stroking and teasing.
They clung to each other desperately, the kiss turning wild and hungry, until the need for air finally forced them apart. Aragorn rested his forehead against hers, both of them panting harshly.
Aragorn's darkened eyes burned into Kitra's, the heat of his gaze sending shivers racing across her skin. "I want you," he rasped, his large hands gripping her waist possessively. "I need to be with you, to feel your skin against mine."
Kitra nodded breathlessly, desire pulsing through her veins. Her words were caught in her throat but he understood the look in her eyes.
With a low growl, Aragorn swept her up into his arms and carried her swiftly through the keep's winding corridors. Kitra clung to his broad shoulders, her face buried in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar, masculine scent.
Moments later, they reached Aragorn's chamber. He kicked the door shut behind them and strode over to the large, carved wooden bed, gently laying Kitra down on the fur coverlet. She reached for him eagerly as he stretched out over her, his hard, muscular body pressing her into the mattress.
Their lips met in another hungry, desperate kiss as their hands roamed, tugging impatiently at the barriers of clothing between them. Aragorn made short work of Kitra's dress, unlacing it swiftly and pushing it off her shoulders. His warm, calloused hands skimmed over the smooth skin he exposed, caressing her curves reverently. Kitra gasped as his fingers brushed the sensitive undersides of her breasts before cupping them fully in his large palms.
"So beautiful," Aragorn murmured against the column of her throat, his lips blazing a trail of hot kisses down to the hollow between her breasts. Kitra arched into him with a soft moan, her hands fisting in his dark hair.
She tugged impatiently at his own shirt, desperate to feel his bare skin against hers. Aragorn obliged, leaning back to yank the garment over his head and toss it aside. Kitra's hands immediately went to his muscular chest, exploring the defined planes and ridges as he shuddered under her touch.
Their remaining clothes were shed in a flurry of impatient hands and urgent kisses until at last they were skin to skin. Aragorn's weight settled over Kitra as he nestled between her thighs. Kitra gasped at the exquisite feeling of Aragorn's naked body pressed against hers, his hair-roughened chest rubbing deliciously over her sensitive nipples. His hardness nudged insistently at her entrance, making her ache with need.
"Please, Aragorn," she breathed, wrapping her legs around his lean hips to urge him closer. "I need you."
With a groan, Aragorn reached between their bodies, gripped himself, and guided himself to her slick opening. He paused, his stormy gray eyes staring intently into Kitra's violet ones, silently seeking permission. She nodded, her hands clutching at his broad shoulders.
Slowly, carefully, Aragorn pushed forward, sheathing himself fully inside Kitra's welcoming heat with a guttural moan. She gasped at the blissful invasion, her body stretching to accommodate his impressive girth. He stilled once he was fully seated, allowing her to adjust, showering her face with tender kisses.
After a moment, Kitra experimentally rolled her hips, making them both groan at the exquisite friction. Taking
Aragorn began to move then, withdrawing slowly before surging forward again, gradually building a steady rhythm. Kitra rose to meet his every thrust, her hips undulating sensuously beneath him. The Ranger covered her body with his own, holding her close as they moved together in perfect synchronicity.
"Aragorn," Kitra keened, her head falling back as he hit a particularly sensitive spot deep inside her. Aragorn took advantage, fastening his mouth to the slender column of her throat and suckling at her racing pulse.
Their bodies rocked together in a timeless dance of love and passion, hands caressing and mouths tasting every inch of bared skin they could reach. Aragorn lavished attention on Kitra's breasts, his hands and lips and tongue driving her wild with need.
Kitra scored her nails down Aragorn's muscular back, feeling his body flex and surge above her as his strokes grew harder and deeper. The coil of tension low in her belly wound tighter and tighter, her thighs starting to tremble where they gripped Aragorn's pistoning hips.
Aragorn's thrusts grew more powerful and urgent, driving Kitra closer to the edge with each fierce stroke. She could feel the tension coiling tighter and tighter in her core, her inner muscles fluttering around his surging hardness.
"Let go, my love," Aragorn rasped in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. "Let me feel you come undone for me."
As if on command, Kitra's body seized up, her back arching like a bow as ecstasy exploded through her veins. She cried out Aragorn's name, her fingernails digging into the flexing muscles of his back as wave after wave of intense pleasure crashed over her.
The rhythmic clenching of her silken walls was too much for Aragorn to withstand. With a hoarse shout, he buried himself to the hilt one final time, his member pulsing as he spilled his hot seed deep inside her.
They collapsed together onto the sweat-dampened furs, chests heaving and hearts pounding in unison. Aragorn gathered Kitra close, cradling her against his chest as the aftershocks slowly subsided. She nuzzled into him, savoring the feeling of his strong arms wrapped securely around her.
The soft glimmer of sweat on their skin caught the flickering firelight, casting a golden glow over their entwined bodies. Aragorn's dark hair was tousled from their passionate encounter, and he gazed at Kitra with a look of pure adoration in his eyes. She gazed back, her heart full as she traced the contours of his handsome face with her eyes.
"We should tread lightly, unless you have plans to start a family." Kitra's words were laced with humor, but there was an underlying concern in her tone. She couldn't help but worry about the possibility of getting pregnant before their journey came to an end. The thought of bringing new life into such a chaotic world weighed heavily on her mind, and she hoped they could continue to tread lightly and avoid any unnecessary risks.
Aragorn chuckled, the rich sound rumbling beneath Kitra's ear where it rested against his chest. "Perhaps not quite yet," he replied, his hand lazily stroking the silken skin of her back. "Though the thought of your belly swollen with my child is not an unpleasant one."
Kitra's heart flipped at his words, a flush rising to her already heated cheeks. She propped herself up on one elbow to meet his gaze, studying the chiseled lines of his face in the dancing firelight. "Someday," she murmured,
They lay twined together for a long while, trading gentle caresses and whispering words of love and devotion. Finally, the need for sleep began to overtake them. Aragorn pulled the furs over their cooling bodies and gathered Kitra close once more.
"Sleep now, my love," he rumbled, pressing a tender kiss to her brow. "I will guard your dreams."
With a contented sigh, Kitra nestled into Aragorn's protective embrace and allowed her eyes to drift shut. Secure in the warmth of her beloved's arms and lulled by the steady beat of his heart under her cheek, she slipped into a deep, peaceful slumber.
Outside, the stars twinkled brightly in the clear night sky, standing witness to the unbreakable bond of love between the Ranger and his lady. No matter what challenges they may face in the