Cum For The Viking 6 (The Final Seduction) Read online

  “I understand.”

  It had been kind of her to give me my parent’s room, but I would share it, nonetheless. I preferred sleeping with someone, as it helped to warm the bed. I followed her into the house, glancing at the walls, which had once held tapestries that had been in my family for decades. My grandmother’s favorite had been taken, and this further angered me. So many of our possessions had been pilfered by the Norsemen.

  I had hoped the weather would hold, but as the afternoon disappeared behind a wall of clouds, the heavens opened up and rain fell. Helen and I sat in the solar by the fire, working needles through material, creating intricate designs.

  I glanced at her. “Have you been contracted in marriage?”

  “I was. He died.”

  “I’m sorry. When did this happen?”

  “Several weeks ago.”

  “During the invasion?”

  “No. He was ill. He was never truly healthy.”

  “What will you do now?”

  “Pray for another husband, I suppose.”

  “I’ve been married for years. Rupert had been fighting in a crusade.”

  “As so many of our young men.”

  “I thought we would be together.” I stared into the flames. “Yet, here I am, alone again.”

  “Not entirely. I’m here.”

  “Yes.”

  She smiled. “He’ll return before you know it. Maybe even tonight.”

  “I hope so.”

  After hours of needlework, Helen and I prepared for dinner. I was able to manage my hair with Gertrude’s help, and she arranged it neatly, twisting the blonde strands into a pleasing bun. She readied Helen’s hair as well, although she wore a wimple, which hid the handiwork. Being with Helen had improved my mood. She was charming and witty, keeping the conversation on pleasant topics such as her memories of feasts and festivals where minstrels had entertained.

  We took the stairs together, as candles lit the great hall, giving off a muted glow. The table had been set for only four people, and Helen’s parents were already seated. The informal gathering allowed me to relax and enjoy the company of people I hardly knew. Lord and Lady Lambert were polite and accommodating, focusing on small talk. I drank perhaps a little more wine than I should have, but the more I imbibed, the better I felt. We were without music tonight, the flutists having returned to the village.

  “This infernal rain,” complained Lady Lambert. “When will it stop?”

  “Not soon enough.” Helen picked at her duck, grasping a chunk of meat.

  “I wish to go for a walk tomorrow,” I said.

  “That sounds heavenly.” Helen held up her pewter mug. “Here’s to sunshine and fresh air. May we have both tomorrow.”

  I tapped hers with mine. “Indeed.”

  The wine left me buzzing with pleasure and wishing Rupert were near. I wanted to be with him tonight in the privacy of the solar. I had only just begun to taste the pleasures of him, and then he had been called away.

  “She’s missing her husband again,” said Helen. “I’m beginning to recognize that look now.”

  “Wait until you have one. Then you’ll know what it means to yearn for someone.”

  “How do you know I don’t already?”

  Chapter Four

  Helen’s cryptic response left me wondering, and, after we quit the table, I turned to her. “Who do you yearn for?” We sat before the fire in the solitude of the solar.

  “I have met someone whom I love, but…it was not meant to be.”

  “Was this before the invasion?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was he your betrothed?”

  She shook her head. “No.” Her look was considering. “I’ve felt the pull of attraction. You know what that is, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you meet someone and there’s an energy there, something indefinable. I had that once.” She gazed into the flames.

  “What happened?”

  “We were so young.”

  “Yes?”

  “I was at my grandmother’s house in Bridport, and it was summer. The person I speak of was a family member. We were nearly the same age and together often. It was slightly magical, actually. There were woods nearby, and we would wander there…pretty fields of wild flowers.” She sighed, her features softening. “We shared a kiss and other things.”

  “How romantic.” The vivid picture she painted danced in my mind. “I wish I could’ve had a summer fling. Our family wasn’t as sociable. We’ve traveled some to visit relatives, but we never stayed an entire season.”

  “It was the best time of my life.”

  “He must have been very special. It’s shocking that you were left alone together.” And I had to wonder about the “other things” she spoke of.

  She gave me a strange look. “I’m not referring to a boy.”

  Stunned, I stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”

  “My affair was with a woman.”

  Never in my life had I been as scandalized. “You jest?”

  “No.” Her lips thinned. “I wouldn’t lie about this, and I hope you’ll not repeat it. This is a dire secret. If anyone were to find out, I would be ruined.”

  “You kissed another woman?”

  “I did.”

  Now I worried. I was alone with someone who enjoyed sexual perversions. How would I sleep knowing this? She seemed to sense my misgivings.

  “I’ll not attack you, if that’s your concern. You needn’t worry.”

  “I…it’s…strange. I’ve never heard of this.”

  “Oh, come now. There’ve been stories throughout history of female lovers. I’m sure you’ve read about the Greeks. I’m not the only woman who has ever delighted in the flesh of another woman. It’s not as sinful as you might think.”

  “I shouldn’t judge you. I’m sorry.” I reached for a bottle, pouring wine into a cup. “Let’s talk of other things.”

  “Don’t you want to know what happened?”

  “I…suppose.”

  “She married a man who beat her. It was dreadful. I remember seeing her months later, and she was bruised and battered. I’ve never felt so helpless and angry. There was nothing I could do to save her. Her family turned a blind eye to it all.”

  I swallowed hard. “Then what happened?”

  “He killed her. She died from her wounds some months later.” Tears filled her eyes. “If I had been a man, perhaps I could have done something. I could’ve taken her away. We could have lived in the north and been free.”

  This sad tale was a surprise. I hadn’t been expecting such candor. Helen’s honesty was astounding. Scooting nearer, I placed an arm over her shoulder. “That’s truly horrible.”

  “She was the only one who I ever loved. We shared so many things that summer. It was as if I had never been alive until I met her. To think that her life ended in such terror, it makes me…hate men.”

  “Her husband was cruel and unusual. My father’s never beaten my mother. I was held hostage by the Viking—” I hadn’t meant to divulge this bit of information, and now that it was hanging in the air; I regretted my words. “I mean; I’ve heard they were terrible.”

  “So you were taken?”

  “I…you mustn’t say anything.”

  “I told you about my true love. If people were to know, I’d be ruined.”

  I stared into my lap. “I…yes, I was taken.” I examined my fingers carefully.

  “Then you were forced into intercourse. Did they hurt you?”

  “Um…no, not exactly.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was held hostage, my sister and I. A Viking lord kept us in this very house and used us for his pleasure.”

  She gasped. “How awful.”

  “It was…interesting.” I met her gaze. “It wasn’t like what your friend endured. I never was beaten. Emma wasn’t beaten. We were,” I whispered. “Seduced.” Her eyes widened. “We were forced to submit, but they w
ere kind to us. It was pleasurable.” Now I had revealed my shame. The words hung in the air between us, heavy with scandal.

  “Oh, I see. I’ve heard horrors, my dear. I’ve seen some things. The Vikings raped women in the street.”

  “I’ve seen that as well, but they were kind to us.”

  “You were lucky.”

  “I cannot bear it, if my husband were to find out.”

  “He must suspect.”

  “I’m sure he does.”

  “From what I’ve seen, Rupert seems like an understanding sort of man. He did not strike me as the wife-beating type. I can smell them from a mile away.”

  “What will you do now? Your betrothed has perished, and you’re fast becoming an old maid.”

  “Yes, I know. Perhaps, I shall live with my mother or go to a cousin.”

  “But that would be a shame, such a waste. Don’t you wish to have children? I yearn for them and a home of my own.”

  “I envy you.”

  That was a surprise. “Why?”

  “You love your husband, and you’ve survived the Vikings. You’re fortunate.”

  “I have no dignity, Helen. I’ve done things…unspeakable things.”

  “With the Vikings?” I nodded. “What sorts of things?”

  “Sins of the flesh.”

  A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “But you enjoyed these.”

  “Shush. I shouldn’t even speak of it. Forget I said anything.”

  She leaned closer, and the light scent of roses teased my nose. “You were forced to endure their advances. You mustn’t feel guilty. You know what pleasure is, and…that’s an experience you can share with your husband.”

  This nearness had an unusual effect on me. There was something comforting about Helen’s presence, in the way she spoke, the gentleness of her voice, and the strength of her conviction. She had seen a great deal of the world in her short life, and our circumstances were comparable.

  “I suppose I should look at it like that.”

  Her mouth was near my ear. “You and I are alone tonight.”

  Now I understood my reaction to her. A burst of tingles erupted in my tummy, a surefire sign of arousal. She intrigued me; her past was slightly sordid, as was mine. We were similar creatures, but what would happen next, or dare I ask?

  “I could show you another type of pleasure,” she breathed.

  The thought that I would even consider such a thing was outrageous. “I…should have more wine.” I held the pewter cup with trembling fingers, bringing it to my mouth.

  Her look was peculiar, and, after I had taken a sip, she took the cup from my hands. “You look petrified. You’ve faced a contingent of Vikings, and you’re frightened of me?”

  “I’m not frightened. I think perhaps…you’re a bit perverse, if I might be so blunt.”

  “And you don’t think forcing a woman into a seduction is perverse? What else happened with the Norsemen?”

  “I cannot speak of it.” I had already revealed far too much.

  She brushed away a piece of lint from the bodice of my tunic. “You’re not as shy as you let on, Charlotte. You needn’t pretend with me.”

  “I don’t even know you.”

  “Does that really matter?”

  “I’m not sure what you’re implying.”

  “Oh, fine. You’re not really this obtuse. We’ve an entire evening and nothing to do. You miss your husband, and I miss my lover, whom I shall never see again. Why might we not seek a little pleasure in the meantime?”

  She wanted to have sex with me. “What have you in mind?”

  “This.” Her lips touched my cheek. “You needn’t fear me. Perhaps, soft love might appeal to you.”

  “Soft love?”

  “Yes, like this.” She held my face, smiling, as her lips approached, capturing mine in a delicate, yet persistent kiss. The approach was soft and featherlike, but she trembled slightly. “It’s been forever since I’ve kissed a woman.”

  “I’ve never done it.”

  Her lips quieted whatever else I had been about to say, while a slinky tongue entered my mouth. I didn’t want to give in to her, especially when I thought about how sinful such a thing was, but my body responded of its own violation, my fingers resting on her shoulders, tangling in her hair. She pressed herself against me, breathing raggedly, as if it were the greatest effort in the world to keep the kiss chaste. But, the embrace was anything but wholesome, and, as she drove her tongue deeper, I felt my resolve slipping away; the idea of sin seemed to be a distant memory.

  “Oh, you’re marvelous,” she murmured. “Let’s take these things off. I yearn to feel your skin against mine.”

  I could only gape at her with my mouth open, anxious and dazed.

  Chapter Five

  “What if we’re seen?”

  She shot to her feet. “I shall block the door.” The chair behind the desk held her attention, and she grasped it, pushing it against the wood. “That should do it.” A naughty gleam shone in her eye. “We needn’t worry about discovery now.”

  “Perhaps.” I wasn’t really considering having sex with a woman, was I? “Now what?”

  Helen grasped the wimple, flinging it to the floor. “I shan’t be needing that.”

  I watched as she divested herself of her tunic and under dresses. The clothing lay at her feet, while a pale, shapely form was revealed. Her skin was blemish free and smooth as porcelain. Long, golden locks hung over her shoulders and fell to her breasts, which were smallish, yet perky. Tiny pink nipples stood erect in the center of each mound. I never thought much of what other women looked like, although I had seen my sister naked on several occasions. This time, the way I felt was bothersome, and I struggled to set it aside. I longed to run my fingers over her supple-looking skin.

  “Your turn.”

  “Um…I’m not sure.”

  “You mustn’t be coy, Charlotte.” She approached, stalking towards me like the predator she was. I grasped my tunic, holding it for security, as she knelt before me. “You’ve tasted Viking cock. You know how to please a man. You’ve taken your pleasure from them as well. We needn’t be shy.”

  “You’re a woman.”

  “Indeed,” she laughed. “It’ll take some getting used to, but you’ll understand soon enough.” She seized my belt. “Let’s do away with this first.”

  I felt helpless, letting her divest me of clothing. She ignored my objections, grasping the tunic, as I struggled slightly. The first dress had left my person. I didn’t want to allow this, but I was strangely powerless against her. The expression on her face was eager, lustful, and determined. Once I was naked, I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “Now then. More wine?” She poured a splash of reddish fluid into the cup and brought it to her lips, taking a lengthy sip. “It’s delicious. Have some.”

  I drank from the cup, while eyeing her, wondering what would happen next. The feel of her hand on my thigh was startling. “You mustn’t.”

  “Shush. You aren’t in your right mind, Charlotte. Let me do all the thinking.”

  The wine had warmed me considerably, but not as much as the carnal gleam in her eye. The hand on my thigh was not idle, as it began to creep over my skin, massaging gently. I tingled wherever she touched me; the sensation wasn’t unpleasant in the least. I knew what she was about, and, as she grazed my mound, I suppressed a shudder. Her lips touched mine, a tongue sliding into my mouth. The seduction took a drastic turn then, mostly because my resistance melted at once and I kissed her in return, marveling at how soft the embrace was. I was used to the rough quality of a man’s beard and their thick, demanding tongues. This kiss was gentle, soothing, and utterly intoxicating. I lost myself, forgetting whom I was kissing and not caring in the least when I remembered. The hand on my thigh now delved between my legs, entering the sodden grotto of my sex.

  “You’re so wet, Charlotte,” she breathed. “I can’t wait to taste you. I love feasting on a woman.”<
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  I gasped. “You…are naughty.”

  “I am,” she laughed. “What better way to pass the time? Has anything ever been so pleasurable?”

  “I’ll pretend you’re my husband.”

  “Bah! Who needs men?”

  “I do.”

  Her lips closed over mine. Then she drew away, whispering, “Lay back, my dear. I want to taste you.”

  I shivered, my body reacting to the lustful request in a way I hadn’t anticipated. “If you must.” There were several large pillows before the fire, and I fluffed one, reclining on it. “Are you happy now?”

  “Almost.” Her focus was on my pussy, and she stared as if she were starving, licking her lips. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I am too.” She leaned over me, spilling hair upon my chest. “I’m not ready to eat yet. I have other ideas.”

  I wanted to deny that I wasn’t intrigued by her, but that would have been a lie. If she needed to seduce me, then far be it from me to stop her. As I reclined, feeling the warmth of the fire, I buzzed from within, a need registering that I knew would be assuaged in the most pleasurable way.

  She touched my breasts with her hair, which fell across my chest. “God has been generous.”

  “I doubt it was God.”

  “No, you’re right. These are sinful.” She took a nipple between her fingers, hardening it instantly. “How lovely. Look how stiff I made it.”

  I wouldn’t answer that, preferring to stare at her. Her features were nearly perfect, the line of her jaw, the angle of her cheekbones, and the plumpness of her lips. Lowering, she pressed her face against my breasts, inhaling, while rubbing against me. She seemed to luxuriate in this, leisurely caressing and exploring. I held her, wrapping my arms around her back. She grasped the abundant mounds, pressing them together. Then each nipple was taken and sucked, until both were incredibly sensitive. With each nibble, I felt a pull of need in my womanhood.

  “Oh, this surely is wickedness,” I murmured.

  “No doubt. Why are men only allowed such pleasures? I envy them, the brutes. This is wonderful. I do so love the female form.”