Part 16 (1/2)

”Meeting you. Touching you. Loving you.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips. ”Most definitely, you, denai.”

When he pulled back, she could not help but smile. ”Who would ever have thought that you could be such a romantic man?”

”Do not tell my brother or Jalen.” Renn gave her a mock scowl. ”I shall never live it down.”

Tierra laughed, almost feeling giddy. ”I'm pregnant? With child? Your child?”

”Yes, denai.” Renn's expression grew more grave. ”I offer apologies for the circ.u.mstancea”but I repeata”I feel nothing but joy at the knowledge. Are you...happy to have my baby?”

Warmth splashed Tierra's heart as she realized the big warrior looked vulnerable againa”almost more vulnerable than when he asked her to marry him. Her hand covered her belly protectively, and she felt a fierce thrill. Pride, protectiveness, joy.

Renn's tense expression doubled, then tripled.

Tierra reached out and brushed his cheek. ”Even with Zanden at our gates, to know you love me, to know we will be wed, and to know your seed grows within mea”I could live ten lives and never feel more joy than I feel this day. ”

With a sensual growl, Renn lowered his mouth and gently moved his firm lips over hers. A slow, erotic kiss that she felt all the way to her soul. He eased his tongue through her lips, tasting her, teasing her, bringing her such warmth and love.

This fine dark warrior would be her husband. The father of her child.

He was hers.

With gentle hands that belied his incredible strength, Renn removed the Elvin clothing she wore. He eased off her lace-up boots, one at a time, then drew off her breeches. Finally he helped her to sit up and carefully pulled her tunic over her head.

As he undressed her, Tierra found she could easily picture this man as a father. And herself as a mother. He could be gentle and caring, yet a fierce lover and protector.

After he slipped off her tunic, Renn removed his own boots. Then, still in his breeches and tunic, he sat on the bed behind her and removed the tie from the end of her braid. He combed her hair out with his fingers 'til her tresses hung loose around her shoulders. She s.h.i.+vered at the sensual feel of his touch, loving the way his hands and finger felt on her scalp, at her neck, everywhere.

”You have the most beautiful hair,” he murmured and rubbed his face in the silken strands. ”Everything about you is beautiful.”

She turned in his arms, so that she was on her knees on the bed, facing him. ”You are, Renn. You are beautiful.” She put her hands around his neck, pulled his head down to hers, and kissed her man.

When she gently bit at his lower lip, a groan rumbled through his chest. His calloused hands rubbed her back from her shoulder blades, down to her b.u.t.tocks and back up again.

Tierra pulled away, her skin raw from the scratch of his stubble, her lips swollen from his kisses. She clenched her hands in the material of his tunic. ”I want to feel your skin next to mine. I need to feel you.”

He helped her pull his tunic over his head, revealing his ma.s.sive chest. He started to reach for the ties of his breeches, but she halted him by placing her hand upon his. ”Wait.” She rubbed her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of his solid muscles beneath her palms, exploring him, memorizing every inch of his body.

Moving behind him, she continued kissing and loving him. When she trailed her fingers down the scar across his back, Renn said, ”Are you healing that scar, too?”

”No.” She kissed his shoulder. ”It is a part of you and I love you just the way you are.”

Tierra's touch was so exquisite, every moment Renn was sure was his last. He had died and gone to the G.o.ds' heaven to be loved by his woman.

She moved from behind him and said, ”Lie back.” When he did, she straddled his waist and leaned forward so that her fiery tresses fell across his chest. They brushed across his skin like the finest of silk as her mouth found his nipple and she flicked her tongue across the tiny nub.

The ache increased in his already painfully hard c.o.c.k and he gripped her shoulders with his hands. ”Denai, you are torturing me.”

”No.” She laved his other nipple. ”I am loving you.”

That magic tongue of hers worked its way down his taut abdomen to the waistband of his breeches. With deft fingers she untied them and then lightly stroked his c.o.c.k as she pulled the breeches lower. He arched up, helping her ease them over his hips, and then she scooted down the bed 'til she had taken them all the way off.

”Perfect,” she murmured. She moved back up his long frame 'til she was straddled over his waist, his c.o.c.k against her wet quim.

Tierra caught her breath as Renn rolled her over onto her back in a quick movement. His weight felt solid between her thighs and in her arms, right where he belonged.

With a gentle hand he brushed hair from her face and smiled. ”How could the G.o.ds have favored me with one such as you?”

She laughed. ”As oft as I ran away from you, and you consider yourself favored?”

He gave her a roguish grin. ”The chase was half the fun.”

”Oh?” Tierra raised a brow. ”But what will you do with me now that you've caught me?”

”Love you.” Renn reached down and placed the head of his erection at the entrance to her core. ”Forever.”

With that he slid his c.o.c.k into her channel and she gasped. How could such words of commitment bring her even more excitement than the teasing and games had?

His thrusts started out slow and easy, but became more and more powerful. Tierra met his every plunge, her heart and soul blending with his, her cries mingling with his groans 'til their pa.s.sion exploded into fireworks of her scream and his shout.

”I love you, Renn,” Tierra murmured as he rolled to his side and brought her tight against his chest. ”I will always love you.”

Tierra woke to the soft glow of suns.h.i.+ne on her eyelids and an urgent knock on the door. Still sleepy, she shook the fog from her mind. When she saw that the Renn's place beside her was empty, she felt a momentary sense of loss that he was not there with her. She so enjoyed waking up with him at her side. And now that they were to be married, it was even more thrilling to know that she would wake with him every morning.

She could not help but smile. Renn would be her husband. And she would be his wife.

The knock sounded again, vanquis.h.i.+ng the last of her morning stupor. She clutched the blanket tight to her chest and called out, ”Come in.”

Liana and Ranelle both rushed into the room wearing expressions of mingled fury and concern.

”They left us,” Liana said, her sea green eyes wide with disbelief.

”What?” Tierra sat up in bed, still holding the blanket to her.

”Jalen, Aric and Renn.” Ranelle fisted her hands. ”They posted guards throughout the castle so that we cannot leave.”

Tierra gritted her teeth, anger rus.h.i.+ng over her in a hot, furious wave. ”They what?”

Liana's hair swirled around her shoulders as she spoke. ”They have gone to fight Zanden without us!”

”Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.” Tierra climbed out of bed, dropping the blanket to reach for her discarded Elvin clothing. ”Like h.e.l.l they're going to do this without us. Like h.e.l.l.”

Chapter Fourteen.

Blood thrummed through Renn's veins as he rested his hand on his sword hilt and waited on the Mir Plains, just behind the front battle lines.