Lady Thief - By Rizzo Rosko Page 0,42

servant, but that does not mean I have not put an insolent child in her place.”

She bristled at the insult. “I am not a child.”

He closed his mouth over hers, quickly to keep her from saying anything else. She clutched his shoulders with sharp fingers, hoping for something akin to the kiss he presented her with the night before, and he complied and gave it to her without asking. Or perhaps she did ask when her body pressed closer to his and her mouth opened without her say.

Was this proper kissing? Her entire body filled with tingles and vibrated happily. His hands ventured down the whole of her torso and waist she thought that it must be. Kissing could be no other way if it could make her lose herself.

When his mouth left hers his hands left her waist and found her southern regions, lazily kneading the thick flesh of her bottom through her gown. Somehow that made her body tingle more, and her arm went about his neck.

His breath was hot against her face, and she leaned closer to that too. “You need not fear that I view you as a girl, ‘tis very obvious that you are indeed a woman.”

With one last squeeze of approval he released her and walked out of the stable, leaving her alone. She panted, searching for air that fled the stables while leaning against the stall for support.

While calming the heat in her cheeks she wondered how he could make her go from an angry fool to a wanton puddle like he did, and her cheeks heated again with the smile that brightened her face.

Whether he knew it or not, there was something between them, whatever that feeling was, she could not believe a man could do that to his wife without feeling something.

Chapter Nine

William did not sleep that night. Despite his claim that he would take his wife to bed and have her, he had business to attend to a day’s ride from his castle. Bringing Marianne along for a possible romp was not a possibility. Should he have brought her strictly for her company on a road thick with muddy craters from the recent rains and oncoming cold, she would only be as uncomfortable and irritable as himself.

Highly unsuitable for loving.

He’d been eager to finally have her and expose her to the secrets of the bed, and after so long of torturing himself only to go without again brought an ache into his loins that was difficult to ignore.

When Benedict came to a much needed stop in front of the vast house that had once belonged to sir Holton, sir Ferdinand himself stood waiting outside the colorless structure.

Ferdinand approached William with a number of armed men, and he took notice of his mood as he stepped down from his horse.

The man’s eyes traveled up and down William’s tired form and wrinkled clothes as though searching for weaknesses to exploit. The aging eyes predictably stopped at the hilt of William’s sword, and then finally took notice of the men William had brought with him, which was hint enough for Ferdinand to take his eyes away.

“Milord,” Ferdinand nodded to him, “You will forgive me for not bowing, but with my back and all—”

William let Robert take the horses to the stables, several of his knights followed to protect those horses along with the valuables packed.

Despite how unapologetic Ferdinand was in his voice and manner, he overlooked the insult in favor of a speedy bargain and retreat.

“Yes, yes. I am not staying here long, I have business with you.” William made no effort to mask the hostility in his voice, his hand resting on the handle of his blade. He would have liked to stay and play the bothersome houseguest for the sheer amusement of it had he not thought for sure the man in front of him would poison his wine.

William prayed that Ferdinand had not sold off all the servants yet.

Ferdinand nodded his head and made a show of turning slowly back towards the house, keeping a long wrinkled hand on his lower back for support William was sure he did not need.

His voice bellowed strong when he commanded the men with him. “Back to your posts, all of you!”

William certainly had never seen servants or men at arms move so quickly, not even at his own keep now that Marianne was there to keep them in place.

He mumbled jealously under his breath and followed, walking at an equally sluggish pace beside