Page 80 of Wed By Proxy

“Messengers have come bearing bad news. They rode through the night.” Immediately Mathilde’s thoughts leapt to her mother, to her old nurse in Aphrany. She sat up. Oh gods. “Lord Allworthy has died,” he said flatly.

“Lord Allworthy?” Oh.

“Julia’s husband,” he explained tersely. Mathilde kept her eyes steadily on him as he spoke. “She needs to return back home.

“Naturally she does,” Mathilde agreed coolly. “One might wonder at her leaving home in the first place.”

She saw a spark of irritation in Guy’s eye. “I need to escort her back to her husband’s estates,” he said grimly.

“Why? What of her brother?” Mathilde asked in a brittle voice.

Guy’s expression darkened. “He’s disappeared, typical of Tristan. He can never be relied on and Julia refuses to tarry.”

“Oh, does she?” Mathilde said bitterly. “Well, if the Lady Julia won’t wait, then obviously you must jump to her bidding.”

“Her husband has just died,” Guy gritted out. “Can you not find it in your heart to find some sympathy for her plight?”

“If she had any regard for her husband, she would not have left him when he was so close to his end!” she snapped, almost shocking herself.

Guy swallowed and seemed to have no answer for this. “What’s the point in going over this?” he asked rawly. “It’s not for us to fight over. I’m simply doing my duty as a neighbor and host.”

Mathilde glared at him. She did not speak the words that came to her lips, though the cynicism probably showed in her eyes. You have not been her neighbor in years! Kerslake castle is naught but a few scattered stones!

“I don’t have time to stand and debate this with you,” Guy said tightly. “The sooner I go, the sooner I can return.”

“If you go…” she started direly.

“Yes?” he said setting the candle down with a thud and sitting down on the bed. “Let’s hear it,” he said. As if unable to stop himself, he grabbed her upper arms, yanking her forward so she was practically in his lap. “If I go? What will you do?”

“Don’t bother looking for me on your return, that’s all,” said Mathilde. “For I won’t be here.”

“You’d leave me? You’d dare to…” he broke off his words as she nodded at him mutinously. He stared at her a moment. “Would you indeed?“ he said grimly, and suddenly his mouth was on hers in a punishing kiss, that gave no quarter.

Mathilde drew back her hand to push him away, but at that instance, he slid one hand into her hair and groaned roughly against her mouth. She melted. Gods, she had missed this so much. The physical connection with him. Guy shoved her back onto the pillows, dragging her blankets down and bunching up the shift she had taken to wearing to bed. Mathilde gazed up at him, her lips parted, her breathing shallow and fast.

“Tell me now, if this isn’t what you want,” he bit out, but his eyes were focused not on her face, but between her legs. She held her breath a moment. What did she want? Slowly, Mathilde lowered her knees. His gaze snapped to hers, and he went very still. “Mathilde,” he whispered, and suddenly he was there, pushing her thighs further apart, his mouth between them, hot and ravenous.

Mathilde whimpered, arching her back, grabbing handfuls of his hair as he pleasured her with consuming strokes of his tongue.

“Oh gods!”

He was relentless, using his knowledge of her body to bring her to a shatteringly fast orgasm, and then lapping and sucking her right the way through it, wringing every last drop of pleasure from her. When he sat up, his eyes were glittering. He dragged the back of one sleeve across his mouth.

“Well, that should keep me going while I’m gone,” he said shakily. Mathilde lay boneless and limp, surveying from under her drooping eyelids. His eyes, she noticed, despite his words, were roving over her like a starving man. “When I get back—” he started, but Mathilde cut him off.

“I can’t wait till then.” She held out her arms for him.

He froze. “What are you—?”

“Please Guy. I need you now!”

“What the hells are you trying to do to me woman?” he demanded, his whole body tense. “You know full well, I’m leaving shortly. Even now they’re waiting for me in the courtyard below!”

“Then she can wait,” Mathilde flung at him, lifting her chin.

Her words seemed to rob him of speech for a moment. “So, that’s why you tell me now,” he said harshly. “The words I’ve wanted to hear from you this past week!”

He curled his lip, his tone hard and angry, but Mathilde wasn’t fooled. He hadn’t moved from the bed, and she could see his gaze was hot as molten lava. She shrugged, lowering her arms, and went to turn from him. Immediately, he pounced.