Their Lady Gloriana Read online

  Died. Rowan could have died. Thomas had trouble absorbing the news. He pushed the thought aside for now. He needed to go after his wife and the man he loved. He needed to see for himself that they were all right. And he needed to hold them both. “Where have they gone?”

  “Rowan wanted to go to Montrose.” When Thomas started to move back toward his horse, Gavin stopped him. “You should know that he wanted Gloriana to stay here. I think he believed it might be best if he—”

  Thomas rounded on him, anger flaring within him. “I know what he would have thought. Foolish man!” He blew out a ragged breath. “I ask that you keep James here while I go settle matters with my wife and Rowan. We will come back for him as soon as possible.”

  Gavin nodded, although he looked uncertain about Thomas’s plan.

  Thomas didn’t want to leave James again. He’d worked hard to make what little progress he had with his son. But what if more danger lay waiting for Rowan at Montrose? They had not expected anything to happen here at Abernon, other than possibly having to make war against his brother-in-law to regain his son. What if someone at Montrose were of like mind to those who had attacked Rowan here? Not the men he and Rowan had battled beside, men they both trusted with their backs. But there had been some men at Montrose that were new. What if… No. He must check out the situation before he took his son into such a possibly volatile situation.

  Feeling yet another heavy burden on his shoulders, Thomas said with determination, “I will talk to James. I will make him understand that I am not abandoning him again. I will come back for him. Soon.”

  ***

  Rowan paced his bedchamber, stopping to look out the narrow window at the people below in the bailey. More men than normal were working out in the practice field. Montrose soldiers and Middlemound soldiers. The Middlemound soldiers should have been waiting at Abernon for Thomas’s return with James. But when Rowan had insisted on coming here to Montrose to heal from the attack, Gloriana had insisted on coming with him. Which meant that her husband’s soldiers insisted on escorting her. He didn’t want all of these people around. He wanted to get over his wounds and deal with the attack on his own. It hadn’t been the first time someone had attacked him for his sexual habits. But it had been the first time he’d actually come close to being killed. As much as that bothered him, it worried him more that his choices would one day bring harm to Thomas or to Gloriana. He could not live with himself if anything happened to either of them. He needed to end this between them. Somehow.

  Gloriana. God’s teeth, she was a stubborn woman. She’d barely left his side in the two days they been here. If she wasn’t fussing over one of his wounds, she was trying to talk to him. She wanted to make sure he was all right, emotionally as well as physically. Women didn’t understand that men didn’t talk about their feelings. He knew she meant well, but he was going crazy. She needed Thomas and James to worry over, not him. His stomach was beginning to growl, a sign that he was finally healing. He’d eaten very little since his arrival here. Another matter which upset Gloriana. She had insisted he needed to eat to regain his strength, but his jaw had been too sore to chew. She’d wanted him to eat broths then. Even with that he’d struggled. He couldn’t open his mouth wide enough for the spoon. Actually the efforts had been wasted anyway. He’d been nauseous until only this morn. Now he could move his jaw better, and the smells of cooking beef and fresh bread drifting up through the keep made him hungry.

  Rowan heaved a sigh of frustration. Hungry or not, he was reluctant to leave this chamber. He didn’t want to see the sympathetic looks on the faces of Thomas’s men again. He didn’t want pity. But staying here until the bruises fully faded in mayhap two weeks was a foolish idea. He was not a coward. It was time to forget his wounded pride and find the strength to bend enough to pull on his braies. Damn ribs. Even climbing from the bed to walk around or to use the chamber pot hurt like Hell.

  Before he could turn from the window to seek his clothes, there was a familiar tap on his chamber door. Gloriana. He froze, caught standing naked. From experience, he knew she didn’t have much patience. She would knock once more and then she would walk into the room. She didn’t put up with his attempts to ignore her.

  He gingerly started toward the bed. “Come back later, Glori,” he called out.

  “Nay, you are not going to send me away again.” He’d done so already twice this morn and she hadn’t been happy about it. “I have brought you some honey mead.” “Glori—“ But she shoved the big wooden door open and his words faded away as she gaped at him.

  He was normally not a shy man in front of a woman, but this was their Glori. This was different. She wasn’t seeing him at his best. He watched her eyes tear up as she looked at his battered body. His bruises were better each day. His jaw less swollen. But he had a new bend to his nose. He was dealing with it, had dealt with much worse. Gloriana had nursed him and seen all of his injuries, but it still bothered her tender heart to see him like this. He knew this because she’d admitted it time and again.

  When her gaze shifted downward to his abdomen and then moved even lower to the bandage on his thigh, he had a problem. She’d barely glanced at his semi-hard cock before it had sprung to attention.

  “You should have come back, Glori,” he grumbled and slowly walked to the bed. He carefully sat down and pulled the bed linen over his lower body. It tented over his erection.

  Heat spread up her face, but she stepped into the chamber and pushed the door closed with her hip. “You have nothing today that I have not seen before.” She marched across the room and handed him the mug of mead. “Tis good to see you up and about. Would you like me to help you dress? You could mayhap go downstairs for the nooning meal.”

  Rowan shook his head. “Nay, you will not help me dress.”

  Now that he was healing, he didn’t think he could stand having her touch him in any manner again. She smelled too good, like she’d taken a bath this morn and used that flowery soap she favored. She looked too good, slim and yet her plump breasts nearly spilled from the low neckline. He wanted to cup them with his hands. He wanted to put his mouth over the nipples. In truth, he longed to strip her of the green gown and see her naked body. And he wanted to feel that lusciously, soft naked body moving over him.

  “You need to leave. While you can.” His breaths were becoming ragged, which made his tender ribs hurt. “It has been too long since…” Since his body had found relief. Since Thomas had taken him and since he’d feasted on her.

  She watched him, cocked her head and her long braid swung to one side. “You are not healed enough for too much movement, Rowan. Even were Thomas here, I could not allow you to take him…or him to bend you over to drive into your ass.”

  Now that she’d given him the image, he desperately wanted to bend over the bed’s edge or go to all fours on the bed. He ached to have Thomas fill him with his long, thick cock. But she was right; such positions would cause him great pain. His ribs were far too unhealed for that. Nor could he bend Thomas over and ram into his ass. These were all depressing thoughts. Yet his cock remained hard.

  “I could give you relief,” she said quietly. “I do not like to see you suffer.”

  He followed her gaze to where his cock had pushed aside the bed linen, to where it boldly waved at her. As much as the idea intrigued him, he was still uncomfortable with the thought of any kind of sex with Thomas’s wife. At least without his lover’s permission.

  Rowan reached to encircle his shaft with one hand, stroking it. “I can take care of my problem, my lady.” But he ached to feel her sweet lips on him now. He stroked his shaft again. It was not the same as having someone’s warm mouth working over him. He gave a small sigh of disappointment.

  To his surprise, she walked determinedly toward him. “Thomas would not like to see you suffering. Or have me suffering, either.” She held his gaze.

  “I need to touch you.” He saw how her eyes had darkened, how her nostrils flared as she drew in
the scent of his arousal. “But I know you are resistant to being inside my body without Thomas approving. I love you even more for your loyalty to him.”

  She loved him? Aye, he knew that was true, had seen it in her gentle ways with him, in her insistence on caring for him. But he also knew she was in love with Thomas, no matter how he’d hurt her with his attitude about having a baby. And she was his legal wife. They could be lovers, but only with Thomas present and being a part of what they did.

  “I love you, too, Glori.” His hand stilled on his shaft. His pulse raced as she drew closer. “I love Thomas as well, this you know. I would never hurt him.”

  “Nor would I. There is much to work out between him and me, but it will be done. I can be patient with him for now.” She had almost made it to the side of the bed when the door opened. Thomas stood silently for a long minute in the doorway. Rowan tensed.

  What had he heard? What did he see now? A friend who was struggling not to betray him with his wife? A wife trying not to betray her husband?

  “Thomas, I…” He didn’t know what to say.

  Thomas’s expression filled with anger. He stepped into the room and firmly closed the door behind him, locked it, shoving the bar across the doorframe. As Gloriana stood very still and breathing shallowly next to him, Rowan waited for the feel of Thomas’s fist to his tender jaw. He deserved whatever the man gave him. He’d found him naked in the room with his wife, granted it was Rowan’s room and she was fully dressed.

  “You will not remove yourself from our lives! Certainly not without discussing it first.” Thomas strode right in front of Rowan and glowered down at him. “What happened was terrible, and I would kill the men given the chance. But it is not so terrible that I want you out of my life.” He glanced toward his wife. “Or out of Glori’s. She loves you. I love you. We love you.”

  Rowan felt relief wash over him. “I will not bring harm to you and your family.” Even as he said the words, he couldn’t stand the idea of not being with them.

  “You are part of our family,” Thomas gritted out as he leaned down. He gently cupped Rowan’s face and kissed him. He deepened the kiss until Rowan heard the rapidness of his breathing before Thomas pulled away. “Do you understand now?” His cut lip ached from the pressure of Thomas’s mouth against his. And as his heart pounded beneath his bruised ribs, he didn’t care about the pain. “Aye.”

  Thomas turned to Gloriana and pulled her against him. His large hands smoothed over her braid. For a second he seemed content just to hold her. Then he kissed her with every bit the passion as he’d kissed Rowan.

  She looked a bit dazed when Thomas released her. Rowan knew that feeling. Thomas was one hell of a kisser. His cock throbbed and he stroked it, drawing Thomas’s attention. The anger in his expression was gone now, replaced by concern.

  “Are you all right now, my friend?” Thomas asked, studying every inch of Rowan’s body that he could see, including the way he stroked his cock.

  Rowan decided to be honest. “I will be in time.” Thomas nodded his understanding. He watched Rowan’s hand on his shaft and turned to Gloriana. “He needs relief, as you said. But he cannot find it as we normally do. I cannot allow him to risk further injury.”

  “I can…” She began and then blushed. “Well, I can do what I have seen Rowan do to you. Or at least I can try.”

  “And I will take you, wife, as you please Rowan.” He looked heatedly at them both. “Rowan, lie back in your bed. Glori, you will remove your gown and your chemise.” With a smile, she gave him her back and said, “You will untie my laces, my lord.” She focused on Rowan. “You are all right with this plan? You trust that I will not hurt you with my inexperience?”

  Rowan’s chest ached from the way his heart continued to pound with his desire. He was pretty sure there would be some pain for him as they moved over him on the bed, but he didn’t care. He would have her sweet, warm mouth on him. He would have those plump breasts rubbing against him. And he could watch his lover drive into her body.

  He looked from her to Thomas and knew his friend understood his thoughts. When he gave a small nod of approval, Rowan relaxed even more. “You will not hurt me, my lady. This I trust.”

  It took him a few minutes to ease back to the mattress and recover enough so he could breathe right. During that time, he watched them undress. A sight he would remember for a long time.

  Gloriana trembled with excitement at the thought of what they were about to do together. This would be so much more than last time. She would get to actively participate. Yet as she watched Rowan carefully ease back onto the bed, she worried about him. Should they really be doing this now? While she’d been considering only moments ago giving him relief this way, now she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know what she was doing. Would she hurt him more?

  She glanced uncertainly back at Thomas, who took her breath away just looking at him. All of that scarred but otherwise perfect man belonged to her. His hair was loose and she really wanted to touch it, run her fingers through the dark, thickness of it. His eyebrows were slightly pinched. She knew without him saying anything that he was distressed over what had happened to Rowan, concerned about how stiffly his friend moved, how bruised and battered he still looked. She wanted to smooth a finger along those eyebrows and along his brow, as if that could take away some of his worry. And, my oh my, she longed to press her body against his and kiss him. She wanted him to kiss her back like he’d done a few minutes ago. Only for far longer.

  Breathing unsteadily, her gaze moved to the powerful rod standing tall and proud. Soon, blessedly soon, he would drive it inside of her. She really, really wanted that. When he’d left her that horrible morn at Abernon, he’d been so angry with her. She’d been angry and hurt, too. So much had happened since then. She’d learned things she wished he would have shared with her so she could have understood him better. But her husband knew far more about how to war than how to love or how to share himself. She would teach him.

  “Glori, are you all right?” Thomas finally asked. He cupped the side of her face, and she saw the concern in his eyes. Heat seared her from where he touched her to her woman’s place. Her heart fluttered as did everything within her. “I do not wish to hurt Rowan. What if I do something wrong?”

  Thomas’s eyes darkened in desire and in tenderness. “Trust your instincts, my love. This is a precious gift you give our Rowan.”

  “Mayhap we should not do this,” Rowan protested and drew their attention.

  “Aye, we should.” Thomas gave her an encouraging look and turned her toward the bed. “She loves you enough to do this.”

  Still a little nervous, Gloriana crawled slowly over the bed and between Rowan’s slightly spread legs. He watched her, gave her a tiny nod of approval. She focused on his shaft and her heart fluttered even faster. Impressive, like Thomas’s. Big, thick, tempting. Her mouth watered and warmth built low in her body.

  “Thomas is right. I do love you. It pleases me that you allow me to do this for you.” She touched his cock lightly with her fingers. The skin was soft, yet the thickness hard. She tapped her fingers ever so slowly up the length and smiled at how it jerked beneath her touch. Then she put her fingers around him, Rowan sucked in a breath. Immediately she looked up and found his face strained. “Have I done something wrong? Have I hurt you?”

  “Nay, Glori.” She sensed Thomas moving behind her and grew tense as well. As he put his hands on her bare buttocks, she quivered with awareness. Her hand tightened around Rowan’s rod.

  Rowan gently chastised, “Have a care, my lady.”

  Gloriana eased up, blushing. “Sorry. Tis Thomas’s fault.”

  Thomas ignored her comment, instead saying, “Touch your tongue to the side of Rowan’s shaft. Lick slowly along the veins.”

  Her whole body shivered at the huskiness in his tone yet she obeyed. As her tongue touched Rowan, he tensed, except for his shaft, which pulsed within her hold. She drew her tongue slowly along the side of the sh
aft, hearing his indrawn breath. But it was hard to concentrate on what she was doing. Thomas had reached a hand between her legs and started dragging a long finger over her swelling lower lips. She shivered from it.

  “Put your mouth over the head of his cock,” Thomas instructed huskily. “Swirl your tongue around it.”

  With a glance at Rowan to be sure he was still all right, Gloriana held the shaft near the base and opened her mouth wide enough to put it over the head. She inhaled the scent of his arousal, heard his groan of “Oh God!” and took in the wonder of the experience.

  She’d barely dealt with that wonder when Thomas’s finger slipped into her body, and then a second finger. Her body adjusted, wanted more. This time, his thumb found her pulsing bud and lightly flicked it.

  “Ohhhh!” she gasped and pushed back, wanting still more of the pleasure swirling through her.

  “You are ready, wife.” Thomas announced, sounding pleased.

  He put a hand to her back and gently pushed her lower, caused her bottom to lift higher. Then he guided his rod to the place so desperate for him. Again he gave her instructions; again his voice was thick with emotion. “You will take Rowan’s shaft into your mouth as much as you can. Move it up and down his length. Massage him with your cheek muscles. Do whatever you are comfortable with.”

  She pulled her mouth free for a second to look back at her husband. The sight of him holding her hips, seeing that his rod was between her legs, and feeling it nudge at her entrance had her whole body trembling. “You will pound into me at the same time? As you do with Rowan?”

  “Nay. Rowan is tougher and can take a fierce pounding.” She watched Thomas’s chest shudder, saw the tension in his face. “I will drive into you, but with more gentleness.” Gloriana frowned. “Mayhap I would like more than gentleness.”