3rd March 1103

Alexis wandered into the stables to saddle up a horse only to be greeted by the all too agreeable sight of Mistress Elmvarn. Her face was flushed a delicious pink from the cold air, her ebony hair come loose from its braid and tumbling around her face in luscious curls. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, her sumptuous pout turning up into a warm smile.

He had intended to go for a ride but this was all the better. Perhaps he still would.

“Why Nyawe, what a great pleasure it is to see you on this fine morning. Have you just been for a ride?”

He knew she had, her tangled, windswept locks, the light bristles of horse hair scattered over her cloak, the slight sheen of sweat on her neck. Not long before Nyawe, the irresistible steward’s wife had clamped her warm, soft thighs around a rippling muscled beast. Alexis felt a hot throb just imagining it.

“I certainly have,” she purred with a grin, “and I can’t say I would be averse to another.”

Her gaze slid from his face, down his chest where his heart was beginning to thump, over the fine folds of his cloak and further. She stared shamelessly and he felt himself growing painfully hard.

She flicked her eyes up to his, dark and hot beneath the bobbing curls that were plastered in places to her moist skin, “What do you say?”

Good Lord she was beautiful. The steward had to be a flaming idiot to let things lie for this long. Either that or his preferences tended in another direction. Alexis could not have lain beside a woman like this for an hour without touching her, let alone months.

He lunged at her with a throaty growl, ramming her into the wooden pillar, his body pressing up against the warm, soft front of hers in all the right places. He leaned his hips against hers and she moaned, her eyes growing bleary with desire, her pouting lips opening for him.

His mouth found the salty skin of her collar bone, covering it with kisses, biting and nipping at it hungrily. He kissed his way up the groove of her pale neck, his mouth finding hers and he could not suppress a groan at the feverish intensity.

They both came up gasping for breath, panting , his chest grazing against hers.

“Well, that certainly was a kiss and a half,” she murmured with a smile of childish gratitude, “have you got anything else up your er… sleeve?”

“I certainly do, but I most certainly don’t hide it in my sleeve. Would you like me to show you?”

“Oh, I think I might have some inkling, you see, something has been poking me in the thigh all this while. Could that possibly be your something else?” she giggled.

“I think you’re getting warmer.”

She began to slide her hand down the front of his cloak, her small, pink fingers rubbing against the thick material.

“Warmer… warmer… hmmm really rather warm there…”

“Hot,” he choked as her hand found its target.

“God, it’s been so long,” she growled throatily, pawing at him, fumbling trying to undo his belt.

So it had, he thought suddenly serious. And the last time had been painful and frightening for her. He pulled away gazing somberly into her wild, green eyes.

“I promise to be gentle Nyawe, I won’t hurt you like your husband did,” he murmured.

She pulled away from him as though scalded.

“What the hell did you say?” she spat, “What the hell do you know about that?”

Suddenly her face was ugly and hard, her eyes screwed up as though he had struck her, her mouth curving up into a nasty sneer.

“I’m sorry, I, your husband told me what happened,” Alexis felt his ardour subsiding as he stared at her shocked at the transformation from purring kitten to enraged tiger.

“That is, ah, he confessed to me.”

“That filthy bastard! How dare he discuss that with anyone. Lying, cheating son of a bitch. I suppose he told you who the splaylegged slut he’s been fucking is. I suppose you’ve probably been fucking her too. Tell me, who is the feculent trollop? Who is it?”

Alexis was shocked and confused by her fury, she had drawn herself up, her shoulders raised like a hissing cat puffing up to appear more menacing. Alexis was certainly menaced.

“I don’t know what you mean Nyawe. He only told me that he forced himself on you and had been doing penance for that. I suppose I shouldn’t interfere but the old lad really does seem sorry about it. I don’t think he meant to hurt you.”

Alexis was burning his own bridges, but he did feel a little sorry for the old boy and he wasn’t sure anymore if he was ready to tangle with this furious wench.

“Forced himself? Penance?” she stared at him incredulously, “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

She darted out of the room, leaving Alexis in the company of nickering horses.

“Well ladies, I suppose I will be wanting a ride after all,” he sighed.

Good Lord, well that sounded rather naughty didn’t it, he thought.

“Ahem, you know, a gallop, a canter and whatnot.”

He really wasn’t making it any better was he, “Oh whatever, you know what I mean.”

Elmvarn, Hwratar