took her with him, dragging her to her side so that they lay cuddled together, panting and trembling chest to chest, their injured sides up.
Evina was just starting to catch her breath again when Conran suddenly released her and rolled away to sit up on the side of the bed and then stand. Eyes opening, she peered at him with concern, wondering if she’d done something wrong as he crossed quickly to the table. Her worry eased though, and became curiosity instead, when she saw him pick up one of the clean scraps of linen Rory had left behind and dip it in the water pitcher there. When he then used it to clean himself up, Evina was suddenly aware of the cooling liquid seeping out between her legs.
She was just considering joining him at the table to clean up as well when he rinsed out the cloth, wrung it again and then started back toward the bed. Evina watched him approach, her eyes dropping over his body with appreciation. He was a gorgeous man, his body strong and hard, his muscles beautiful in movement. And then he was climbing back into bed next to her and kissing her.
Evina smiled against his mouth and then kissed him in return, only to gasp in surprise and pull back when he slid the cold damp cloth between her legs.
Conran grinned at her startled expression, but continued what he was doing and quickly and gently cleaned away the liquid gathered there.
“Are ye hungry?” he asked as he finished and dropped the used scrap of cloth on the floor next to the bed.
“Aye,” Evina admitted, shifting to sit up next to him.
Conran’s eyes slid down over her breasts as she did, drinking in the naked flesh on view. It was enough to almost make her pull the fur up to cover herself, but Evina resisted the urge. He was completely naked. Besides, he’d touched and licked nearly every patch of skin presently on display. It seemed silly to try to hide it now.
“Do ye want to eat here in bed, at the table or on the fur by the fireplace?” he asked, lifting his gaze back to her face.
“The fur,” Evina decided at once. She didn’t want to get crumbs in the bed, and eating at the table meant shifting everything that was presently on it. The fur would be comfortable and easy, she thought.
“The fur it is, then,” Conran said lightly, and stood to find and don his shirt. Evina watched the material drop to cover all that male beauty, and then sighed and slid out of bed to look for her tunic as he collected the tray from the bedside table. Spotting the thin gown in a pile on the floor, she snatched it up and donned it as she followed him slowly to the furs.
“Are ye warm enough? Or should I make a fire?” Conran asked as they settled on the fur with the tray between them.
“I’m fine,” she said a little breathlessly. “’Tis actually warm tonight.”
“Aye,” he murmured, and turned his attention to the food on the tray.
Evina glanced down at the offerings. There were cold capon pasties and crisps, and two trenchers filled with cold roasted chicken, and cheese. There were also a couple of peaches for after that looked ripe and sweet.
After all day without food and their activities, they were both hungry and ate in a comfortable silence, gobbling up every bite of food that had been provided. When she was left with just the peach, Evina picked it up, but then glanced toward the table and the tray that sat there. She knew the food Tildy had brought up earlier was probably no good after sitting out all day, but wondered if there was more fruit on that tray and got to her feet to go look.
Evina bit into her peach as she surveyed the missed meal the maid had brought up, and then stilled and glanced down. The peach was definitely ripe; its sweet juices had rushed out and run down her chin and neck to her chest the minute she bit into it. Chewing and swallowing the piece in her mouth, she reached toward the trail making its way down her chest between her breasts, only to glance up with surprise when Conran was suddenly there, catching her hand.
“Allow me,” he murmured, and bent to catch the rolling liquid with his tongue just before it disappeared beneath the neckline of her tunic. He didn’t