Page 111 of The Knight’s Reward

His cries mingled with her own until he exploded, shuddering with her in one powerful moment that he’d remember for the rest of his life no matter how often they made love.

And they would. Often.

Collapsing and rolling her on top of him, Neill gathered her close, his hands resting on her buttocks. Her hair tickled his chest until she finally lifted her head. Pulling out, he groaned again and watched her expression as it turned from pleasure to wonder.

“Now that,” he said, “is exactly what I was aiming for.”

She tried to prop herself up, but Neill wouldn’t let her. He wanted to feel her breasts against his chest. Feel every bit of her body pressing on his.

“Am I your prisoner?” she asked, turning her head to look up at him.

“Aye.”

“Good.”

He smiled, pulling her even tighter against him. They lay that way, listening to the waves, to each other’s heartbeat.

“I would stay right here forever,” she said finally.

“I love you,” he murmured into her ear in response.

“And I love you, almost as much as . . .”

She lifted her head, Neill suddenly anxious about what she was going to say.

“Almost as much as?”

Kathryn glanced down between them, and then back up at his face.

“Almost as much as that.” A wicked grin spread across her face.

“Worth waiting for?”

She nodded. “Aye. Very much so.”

Much to his surprise, he agreed.

Epilogue

They arrived at the inn just as the sun set, the smell of freshly baked bread wafting out through the open shutters. A familiar smell, and one Kathryn had missed. Kenshire’s baker was as fine as any, but Magge made the inn’s bread herself. She’d always bragged of it, saying an inn without good ale or bread would close its shutters before long. And as the third-generation owner of The Wild Boar, she would know better than most.

Kathryn and Neill had been married less than a fortnight, and he’d not wanted to leave Kenshire Castle so soon. But she had insisted on coming here to see Magge. To tell her she was safe and say goodbye properly. So they’d agreed to a visit to Brockburg with a stop at The Wild Boar on the way.

Kathryn took a deep breath as she stepped inside, immediately wishing she hadn’t. While the smell of bread wafted out through the kitchen windows, the stench in the hall was one she’d gladly forgotten. No matter how often they changed the rushes or attempted to keep the floor free from bones and spilled ale, The Wild Boar had always smelled like any other inn.

A not entirely pleasant scent.

“Kathryn!”

Although Magge sounded overjoyed to see her, true to her nature, she sidled up to Neill first. The ladies at court could learn something of flirting from the aging innkeeper.

“Come here,” she said, reaching for her next.

Kathryn tossed her arms around the woman who had harbored her, protected her, and squeezed tight.

“’Tis good to see you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry we did not send word sooner.”

Magge let her go, stepped back, and looked at her from top to bottom.