Across the Ages: Book One Ch. 05

"We ought to call it a night as well. You've had a very long day," he whispered as he gently pulled her to her feet.

He was right; she could feel her strength fading and knew she would sleep soundly that night. Rene allowed him to lead her to their tent where he then left her to undress while he stoked the fire one last time.

Blake returned a moment too soon, catching a glimpse of Rene's slight frame in the darkened tent before she slipped into her warmest sleeping gown. Her back was still bruised, wrapping around from the painfully larger bruise on her front. Blake still had to calm himself when he thought of the dreadful dinner with the king; but in the same, he could not help but cherish that morning after. It was the first time he awoke to her beautiful face just inches from his own.

"My apologies, my lady," he said, retreating out of sight and quickly averting his eyes to distract himself from his fantasy. This daydream in particular was becoming ever more frequent as their journey progressed. Her slim, feminine figure called to him in a way he never thought to be possible.

"There is no need to apologize," she stated simply. "I trust you. Besides, I'm decent now anyways." She smiled, turning around their short camp of a room. For once, she was glad of the dim lighting because he couldn't see the blush that had reddened her cheeks once more.

"Your side looks to be fading a bit. Are you sure you're not in pain?" he ventured as he ducked through the flap.

"Blake, if I can't handle the pain you will be the first to know. But I refuse to coddle myself. My arm is nearly healed, thanks to you; and as you pointed out, my chest is mending as well. I must learn to cope without the help of your herbs."

The smile never left her lips while she spoke because, honestly, she took pleasure in his concern for her. And as tempting as it was for her to dull the aches with his medicine, Rene needed to wean herself off of them. She did not want her last weeks of freedom to be filled with fuzzy memories.

Blake smiled half-heartedly. He knew from the training session earlier that she was lying, that she was still having fits of throbbing in her chest as well as her scarred arm. But he knew her well enough now that he relented his persistence. Sitting on the blanket covered ground, he removed his boots and set them outside the tent before buttoning it up.

Darkness surrounded them, the only light came from the dwindling fire as it shown through the thick covering. Rene crawled between the layers of wool, shivering in the chilly air. Blake began to unbutton his shirt, his physique silhouetted by the firelight behind him. Tossing it to the side, he undid the front of his trousers and let them fall slowly to the ground.

Rene was transfixed by the sight of his naked body bathed in the light of a fire that was so often reflected within him. Her breathing became heavy. A blazing warmth grew within her own body radiating from her middle. She couldn't help herself as she took in every inch of the God-like warrior that stood before her.

Her eyes traveled over his flesh, pausing in places that made her breath catch. His shoulders were broad, strong and sturdy. The blades of them had rippled the muscles in his upper back when he'd removed his clothing a moment before and chills had traveled up her spine, escalating her body's excitement. Even with his back to her in the poorly lit tent, she could see each hard muscle move beneath his tanned skin and she longed to feel them under her fingers.

She felt herself blush as she let her gaze linger on his buttocks. Thinking back to their first night in the castle made the warmth in her belly continue to spread. Even then, she had relished the feel of him sleeping soundly beside her, cherished the protection that his arms offered her; and her feelings had only continued to grow.

Many times during their sparring, she had found herself wishing to feel his hands caress her skin; to feel his strong, heavy body atop her as he layered her skin with passionate kisses. It had made it very difficult to push him off of her when all she really wanted to do was pull him closer. Her dreams had now become daydreams, distracting her from her life as it spiraled into a nightmare. Blake was everything she had ever wanted and everything she could not have. It just wasn't fair. Turning away from her ever-growing temptation, she snuggled deeper into the covers.

Unbeknownst he was being marveled at, Blake made no haste to don his undergarments. He was deep in thought, trying to cool his growing need for that which he should not want. It was becoming increasingly difficult every day he spent getting to know her and even more so every night he spent with her wrapped in his arms. He knew he needed to fasten a strong leash on his inner beast; but curse the heavens, he wished he had no need to.

There was something about her, something he couldn't manage to put his finger on, that made her irresistible to him. She was strong-willed and stubborn, confident in herself. Yet there were moments when her vulnerability was so overwhelming, even to him, that he could no longer resist the urge to comfort her. And she was so devastatingly beautiful. She had no idea what she could do to him without even trying. A flip of her hair to get it out of her face could distract him, the sway of her hips as she shifted her weight could destroy him. The way she had patiently rubbed the tips of her fingers together as she waited for him to attack had nearly sent him over the edge, and he had no idea why.

He felt like a young squire again, wishing and dreaming of women that were way out of his league. The irony of that statement hit him like a horse. He obviously hadn't changed much.

Finally calming his hunger, Blake pulled on and tied his short breeches before clambering into bed next to Rene. The princess shivered again at his touch, her entire body quaking with desire. She sucked in her breath as his hand slid across her stomach with agonizing slowness. A lustful whimper escaped her lips when his hand momentarily dipped below her belly button. Rene silently reprimanded herself for her weakness but could not stop the yearning that was mounting with each passing moment. She sucked her lip between her teeth in a feeble attempt to qualm its quivering.

Blake propped himself up on his elbow, his other arm still draped around Rene. Slowly, she turned to look at him.

"Are you alright? You're trembling." Even without seeing him, Rene could envision the same lines of concern she'd seen before etched upon his face. For one brief instant, she considered the truth. Oh how she wished she could tell him! She wanted him. She wanted him with every fiber of her being. And she could see in his eyes that he wanted her too! Fate truly has a cruel sense of humor, she thought to herself.

"I'm just cold," she answered plainly, turning away from him once more. That was the wrong thing to say. Blake sighed and snuggled his solid, half-naked body close to hers. His body was warmer than any fire, except perhaps the one kindling within her own. Rene could feel his breath upon her neck, smell the sweet spices from the mead. She knew he wasn't quite ready for sleep because his breathing wasn't yet steady. It seemed quickened like her own.

Suddenly brazened, Rene began to pull her hand from her side. Little by little, she traced the muscles on his forearm making her way to the hand he had sprawled across her abdomen. Her palm lingered atop his wrist before her dainty fingers leisurely stretched between each of his. Rene curled her digits beneath his hand while her thumb lazily traced circles on the back.

Blake's breathing came in spurts. She was barely touching him and yet she had the whole of his attention acutely focused. Her soft skin felt like velvet running across the hard-working roughness on his palms. His entire body was attuned to her every movement. The thin fabric of his breeches soon became tight and confining against his body as he fought to keep control.

The pace of their ragged breathing matched time perfectly and soon the hand across her stomach began to draw circles of its own. He contracted and relaxed his fingers in the rhythm she had set: slow, sensual, seductive.

The tugging on her nightgown caused a tantalizing ripple from the place where his fingers sketched their imaginary lines. Rene closed her eyes to the sensation. She longed for his hands upon her bare skin again. Nothing could compare to the torture she was feeling now. If only their duties did not separate them from each other! Rene's inner fury fueled her courage again; this time she turned his hand over in her much smaller one.

His hands fascinated her. How could such a gentle man have such strong hands? Then, how could such a strong man use his hands so gently? It was a beautiful antithesis.

Rene looked down at their interlaced fingertips and a deep pining grew within her. She had always seen the peasants walk through the village hand-in-hand with bright smiles on their faces. She envied them.

The princess was returned to her senses when Blake's hand began to explore hers in turn. He skimmed his fingers over and around her own, barely touching her at all. The thin veil of air between their skin was even more tormenting; to be so close yet still apart was too much for Rene. She grasped Blake's hand firmly, willing him to cease.

Sighed loudly, Blake exhaled into her thick hair. Rene shivered at the breeze on her neck from his breath, and she turned her body towards him again.

Lifting herself, she looked down upon his hazy outline. His hand instinctively cradled the delicate curvature of her back, tenderly caressing her spine from top to bottom. Every nerve in her body begged, pleaded to be touched by him. In contrast to his soothing hands, she could feel his body tensing in anticipation. She knew he wanted her desperately, the evidence of his desire was pressing against her thigh, solid and pulsing with heat. Her whole body felt on fire, every inch writhing in delicious flames.

She had to be going crazy. There was no sense to what she was preparing to do. She took a deep breath.

"I want you to kiss me." Her voice was soft and tender, a sweet sultriness had taken the place of her typical timbre.

Blake said nothing. A million emotions filtered through him in a matter of seconds. Shock followed immediately with relief. Exuberance. A twinge of fear. He slowly raised his hand to run his fingers through her smooth, chocolate waves. She melded her head to his palm, delighting in its perfect contour, in the radiant warmth. Blake placed one hand firmly at the base of her neck and the other in the small of her back. In one quick decision, he rolled the pair of them.

Rene gasped, her breasts rising and falling more quickly down. He was now suspended above her, his hand still wrapped in her hair, his arm still clutched around her body. She reached for his face, for the lightly golden locks that fell loosely around his masculine features. She loved the way the curls wrapped themselves lovingly around her fingers, a honeyed possession of her hand.

Blake could see the dim light shimmering in her eye, and he smiled. The same untamed hunger he possessed was reflected in her dark, sexy eyes. Untangling his fingers from her silken strands, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. Rene's lips parted, beckoning to his own. His eyes locked on her mouth, her lips so full and pink and unimaginably kissable. For a moment time stood still. They were the only two people in existence. Surely this is what dreams were made of.

Inch by inch, Blake advanced towards the woman he'd dreamt of kissing since the minute he laid eyes on her. She had caught him by surprise when she shot an arrow so near to its mark. He smiled again. There were few people in the world that could surprise him, let alone a princess. Their mead-sweetened breath mingled between them as he hovered mere millimeters from her lips.

Blast!

She was a princess. He, a knight. He was taking her to meet her betrothed, the Prince of Spain.

Curse it all!

Blake removed his hand from her face, clenching it as he dismally pounded the padding beneath them. He lay his forehead against her own, his eyes scrunched shut to the logic he did not want to hear. But he could not deny it.

"Rene," he began, "we cannot... I..." The words would not form the way he wanted. His internal struggle played in his voice, making it strained yet deep and alluring. He sighed again and planted a single kiss upon her forehead. When he tried to pull away from her, she held him steady.

"Blake-" she whispered.

"No, Rene," he interrupted firmly. "I'm sorry. We should sleep." He left no room for negotiation with his tone.

He knew he had ended their conversation impolitely, mostly out of frustration for the mix of opinion in his head. What was he doing? Leading her on? They could not be together. It was impossible, forbidden. So why was he acting the way he was around her? It had to end. He had to be the one to end it. She deserved better.

Without another word, he retracted his body from hers. Biting his tongue against the relentless yearning to touch her again, he rolled so his back lay facing her. His arms felt empty. His skin felt cold. It felt wrong. Every inch of his body screamed in protest. But he had made his choice, not that he had much of one.

Rene lay still for a moment, still trying to take in what just happened. When he had pulled his arms away, she chilled instantly. He had almost kissed her, hadn't he? Why did he stop? She had been about to ask when he turned his back. The finality of that action could not be mistaken. She had been wrong, foolish, blind. He didn't want her.

Pursing her lips, a visual habit of her utmost displeasure; Rene turned her back to him as well. She allowed a single tear to roll from her eye before wiping it away. But the flow would not stop, and for the first time in a long time, she cried herself to sleep.

As Blake lay listening to her quiet weeping, he mentally kicked himself. Maybe he was mistaken, maybe there was some room for hope. But he had his duty. Surely, it was better this way. He had never been so torn between love and honor in his life. Haunted by the irreparable damage he may have caused, Blake slowly drifted into a disturbed sleep.

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Blake and Rene had been too lost in their respective thoughts to pay any heed to the quiet rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs. Alexander signaled silence with a devilish grin, a heap of blankets dangling from his arms. He took hold of Brianne's hand and led her far into the wood. Quietly as they could, they left the dwindling light of the fire behind.

When they reached a small clearing by a stream, Alex threw the mass of bedding on the ground and pulled Brianne close to his body. He lifted her off her feet and began to spin in tight circles. His balance was flawless. Soon, Brianne began to laugh and she stretched out her arms. It felt like she was flying. He had done the impossible and given her wings. Alex slowed to a stop and lowered Brianne to her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling sweetly as she looked up into his moonlit face.

Earlier that day when Blake and Rene were busy training, Alex spent time asking Brianne about her life. He was eager to know everything about this woman. But if someone were to ask him why he was so curious, he knew he would have no logical response.

He learned her mother had died giving childbirth when she was five; and the baby girl had died as well. That's when her father started drinking, and two years later he sold her to the palace to settle his debt. She had a brother three years older, but she hadn't seen him since she was bartered. Rene was less than a year older than she; and when she arrived in the castle, they instantly became friends. They had been together ever since and Rene had always been more like the sister she never had.

All in all, she had had a rough life, and Alexander intended to lessen her burden if he could. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones as a child. It is a nightmare that never goes away. But to have lived most of her life with no family at all, save the princess, that was a lonely existence he would not have wished on anyone. And looking into her midnight blue eyes, it nearly shattered him to even consider.

Brianne stood a head shorter than Alex, but she liked how he towered over her and held her protectively. It seemed that he had taken it upon himself to protect her, just as Blake had with the princess. She liked the sound of that. She'd never had anyone to care for her before. Especially not anyone like Alex; strong, honest, honorable, handsome beyond her wildest dreams. Her smile widened.

Alex returned her grin and brought his hand to her face. He ran his fingers through her shining blonde hair and kissed her tenderly. The feel of his lips on hers was electrifying. No one else had ever made him feel the way she did. He had stolen kisses from her every night, every morning, every moment he could. Already, he was addicted to the sweet taste of her soft flesh. He had yet to ask for anything more, and neither had she.

But kissing her made everything feel right in the world. When he was with her, he forgot about his pain and was left only with the pleasant memories of his past. He cherished that about being with her, determined to never take it for granted. She was his angel, the saving grace he never knew he needed.

Breaking their kiss, he peered down at her face. It was a well-lit autumn night, the moon and stars gleaming brightly. The twinkling of the heavens refracted in her eyes, and the moonlight shining on her hair created a perfect halo.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, his breath rising in the air between them. She smiled shyly and dropped her gaze. The sincerity in his voice had once again taken her by surprise. Her arms were still raised about his neck, and she twirled a finger in his hair as she returned his fiery gaze.

"Thank you," she replied timidly as she continued to toy with his curls. Brianne slid her other hand down across his shoulder to rest on his rigid chest right above his heart. Though the temperature was dropping, with his body against her own she felt no chill from the cold.

She rose on her tiptoes to reach his lips. His arms tightened around her slender frame and their kiss intensified. Alex moved his tongue against the press of her lips, finally requesting what he had torturously denied himself. He was met with no resistance.

Brianne's shyness quickly faded, leaving only passion in its place. She gladly opened her mouth to his quiet demand, eager for more. Their tongues danced in a rhythm all their own, their hands frantically trying to bring their bodies closer together. Brianne moaned into his mouth as he devoured her; no one had ever kissed her like this, and she never wanted him to stop. She clung to his shoulders, infuriated when she had to pull away gasping for air.

His chest heaved as he sucked in the cool night. Alex kissed her quickly and released her, turning to the pile of blankets on the ground. He laid them out on the soft grass and took off the belt that housed his sword. He dropped it, letting it clatter to lay in the grass, and sat upon the covers.

Quickly untying his boots, he pulled them off and tossed them aside. He began to rise again, but he found himself frozen as he looked up at Brianne.

She had removed her apron and was now slowly untying the back of her dress. Alex could see where it was loosening, beginning to fully release her to him. He swallowed, hard. When she looked at him with those crystal blue eyes, holding her dress to her bosom with one hand; he couldn't stop the audible moan that escaped him.