Eleanor Ch. 07

"Kate?" Ragnar murmured, into the quiet of the evening.

"Mmmm?" Kate replied, snuggling deeper into the warmth of Ragnar's chest, relishing the feel of his hard body so close to hers. She would never grow sick of cuddling this man.

"Can you turn over for a bit? The baby is kicking me relentlessly." Ragnar said apologetically, he didn't want to disturb her, but he was due up in an hour for taking command of the night rowers, and needed some sleep. And currently his child was kicking through his lover's belly and into his ribs.

"Uhhhgg!"

Kate hefted herself over onto her side, snuggling her bottom against his hips, smiling as she heard his groan at the action. Ha, she thought, serves you right for making me move.

Cuddling closer to him, Kate knew she was playing with fire, she should let her grumpy man sleep, but this was too much fun. Gently moving against his hips, Kate felt him grow hard beneath his trousers, and her delicate shift, his involuntary twitches arousing her as well as him as he slowly began to meet her movements.

Kate's breath shallow, eyes closed as she savored the feel of his arms cradling her back to his chest, his rough fingers teasingly brushing over her nipples, her breasts heavy and tender, each pass of his hand felt like exquisite torture.

Ragnar thought he had died and drifted to heaven. He had not been able to lay with Kate since the morning of their sailing since her body had taken a while to get used to the roll of the sea, and was dealing with the uncomfortable state of her pregnancy, but as she ground against him once more, his conscience taunted him. He could not take her just now; he could risk starting her labor, something they could not contend with right now. It was not the safe environment he had wanted for his future wife to be in such a condition. Backing his lower half away from her tormenting hips, Ragnar swallowed Kate's quiet mewls of protest with his gentle kiss.

"We cannot risk it." He whispered against her neck as he sat her up removing her shift, and lay her beautiful naked form back against the matress. Kissing his determined path over her flushed skin, Ragnar worshipped every inch that he loved, his lips brushing her breasts, careful not to cause her pain. He smoothed his hands over her swollen belly, marveling that a child could indeed fit in such a dainty bump.

Spreading her legs before him, he continued his quest to at least sate his temptress' needs, brushing fleeting licks of his tongue against her, driven near to madness by the taste of his Kate, liquid heat flowing down his throat as he drank deep, rubbing the swollen pearl that brought her hips off the bed. Grasping her hands as she bucked against him, Ragnar quickened his pace, his tongue driving her mad, driving her closer as she struggled to quiet her cries of pleasure.

Grinding his painful erection against the edge of the bed, Ragnar was dying, needed to escape to release himself, with a final lick through her centre, he suckled hard, and had to hold her steady as she found her release. Pulling the blankets over her heated body, Ragnar wiped the sweat from his brow, and licked his lips for the reminants of her delicious taste. Attempting to stand, Ragnar looked to the door wondering if he could make it.

"Ragnar, come here." Kate purred. As Ragnar edged closer to his sated lover, she reached for the tie to his trousers.

"Kate, no. It is fine." Ragnar grimaced as his erection disagreed with him and jumped against the fabric as she bared it to her gaze. Its swollen head purple with desperation, a pearlescent drop forming from its top, it jumped as her cool hand tried to wrap itself around it.

"Kate..." Ragnar began, as she begged him to silence. Her hand gently pumping over him, Ragnar's breath quickened, he was not going to last much longer if she kept going. He had just gathered enough energy to leave, as her hot mouth closed around him, and he was lost to her.

Bracing his hands against the wall above her, Ragnar's hips rushed forward as he began to come, shuddering as he spilled into her welcoming mouth. His senses coming back online, he pulled away quickly, dropping to the matress to check if he had hurt her.

"Kate, I'm sor..." Silenced by her beaming smile and her gentle kiss, Ragnar marveled at his temptress, as he kissed her good night, and left to take over for Bruni.

"We have to do that again." Kate laughed into the empty room.

************************

"Bruni, I can take over." Ragnar said, approaching his friend.

"Shhh"

"What is it?" Ragnar asked, bemused.

"She is singing." Bruni said. He had been checking his maps when he had heard the quiet tinkle of her voice.

Lying on her back on the raised platform at the aft of the long boat, Eleanor was gazing at the clearest sky she had ever seen, singing a song she and Kate had learned as children from the old man of the Kirk, it was about the beautiful Goddess Freya, granting love to the worthy. She knew not why she chose to sing it now, but as she watched the sparks of falling stars, and the swirls of colours in the midnight sky, Eleanor felt it right to sing to celebrate something so beautiful.

Mindful of her volume, Eleanor sang in a whisper, unwilling to be the cause of waking such hard working men, unknowing that all on deck were straining to hear the gentle lilt of her voice.

"You had best get her below deck, or we will never make it to the north point by morning." Ragnar whispered, as quiet as his words were, his ten oarsmen still glared death at him for the imminent loss of her voice.

"You are right, the night is chilling. See you in the morning Ragnar." Bruni spoke, moving up the platform to the prone Eleanor.

The sight of the giant appearing in her view of the faultless sky, Eleanor jumped slightly, and realised just how cold she was, when her shivering muscles protested the movement.

"Eleanor, we had best get you below." Bruni spoke softly, offering her his hand.

"Yes, I think I should have gone down a while ago, it is so cold!" Eleanor clamped her jaw shut, a desperate attempt to cease her chattering teeth.

Taking Bruni's hand, Eleanor was surprised how effortlessly he lifted her from the platform, not a sound of effort escaping him; an event Eleanor was completely unused to being so tall in comparison to the Scot's girls. Jumping down from platform, the thump of his boots hitting the deck sounding thunderous in the still night; Bruni reached for her, his large hands securing gently around her waist as he lifted her slowly from the platform, her arms laced around his neck as his body fought his brain to put her down.

Feeling her soft body beneath his fingers stirred his blood to boiling point, he heart beating rapidly against his chest, as her lips came close to his, her sweet breath tickling his cheek and her storm green eyes wide with uncertainly. Closing his eyes as he exhaled, Bruni's head fell forward slightly, brushing her trembling lips gently, before he placed her on the deck.

Their bodies still leaning against one another, gazing unhurriedly into each other's eyes, Bruni was about to lean forward to her soft lips once more when the call came up.

"Gaul Lands straight Ahead sir!"

Containing his curse to rage inside his head, Bruni reluctantly turned from Eleanor's warm, soft body, and turned to Thorod's call, both infuriated and slightly relieved for the distraction from temptation to break the contract, consequences be damned. Reaching Thorod, Bruni looked towards the horizon, seeing the rise of the Northern Hills.

"We will be there in about three hours Ragnar, if the tides stay with us." Bruni said, relieved that they would soon be able to turn about and head home. Saddened because he was too soon going to see betrayal in her beautiful eyes.

Turning from his men, he wrapped her shawl tighter about her shoulders, and escorted her below deck. Maneuvering between the sleeping men in their hammocks, Bruni opened the sliding door to the private beds, slightly bemused by the way Ragnar's pregnant female Kate managed to take up the entirety of the bed.

"We shouldn't really disturb her." Eleanor said quietly.

"I shall sleep in the hammocks." Bruni said, a little too bluntly he realised as she flinched slightly. Walking out of the door, he closed it over and jumped into the spare hammock leaving her standing where he left her.

Shivering at his abruptness, Eleanor jumped under the blankets and curled them around her, in desperation to gain some heat in her trembling form. Closing her eyes, Eleanor tried to ward the cold away with a sleep that would not come to her. She had not been able to sleep this past week on the boat, at first she had thought it to be the constant kicking of Kate's unborn child against her in the night, yet here she was alone.

She thought of Bruni, thought of him lying top and tail with Ragnar on the bed on the other side of the hanging fabric. She had woken early one morning, and been meaning to go up on deck for privacy, but had been halted in her tracks by the sight of the sleeping giant. One arm flung up behind his head, his rough fingers curled and uncurled in his sleep, his face relaxed as his even breathing caused his muscled chest to rise and fall in a mesmerizing dance before her eyes.

Her own breathing had grown shallow, as her gaze had followed the ridges of muscle over his stomach, to the resting place of the blanket low on his hips. Eleanor had left quietly, blushing as she crept past the sleeping men, as she needed the cool air to fan the flames that licked at her skin. She wanted that sleeping giant protecting her, as Kate's Ragnar did. Wanted those arms to snake around her waist as they had tonight.

She had been entranced by those moments after he had lifted her from the platform, his warm hard body pressed so intimately against her own, his strong arms holding her close, and the brush of his surprisingly tender lips against her's was still sending shivers through her body. The pain of her shivering and the chill in her bones became more than she could bear, and Eleanor crept from her bed and opened the door quietly.

Walking silently up to his giant form, hanging precariously in the hammock, Eleanor placed her frozen hand on his arm.

"Bruni?" Eleanor coaxed.

Bruni kept his eyes shut, not wanting her to lose her nerve for her reason for approaching him, and waited for her to ask her question.

"Bruni, please sleep beside me." Eleanor whispered quietly, her voice barely audible to those around her, yet it was whispered close to his sleeping ear.

By Odin, Bruni inwardly groaned as her warm shaky breath tickled his ear, hardening him slightly as he remembered brushing against those lips.

"Bruni, please?" Eleanor pleaded, as the giant's eyes opened, and he nodded.

Stepping carefully from the hammock, Bruni ushered Eleanor ahead of him, closing the sliding door behind him. Pulling two more furs from the box in the corner, Bruni draped Kate in one, and wrapped the shivering beauty in front of him in the other. Running his hands up and down her bare arms, Bruni tried to think neutral thoughts as her skin warmed beneath his fingers, he little sighs driving him crazy. Lying down by the wall of the boat to take most of the chill, Bruni pulled the frozen female in beside him, pulling the fur back up around her shoulders and interlocking his legs and feet with her own to warm her.

Wrapping her in his arms; he pulled the final blanket over them, smiling as she settled against his chest as he felt the heat returning to her body.

Snuggling against him, Eleanor had never felt so safe, turning her chilled nose to the V in his tunic, Eleanor inhaled.

Oh heavens he smells divine!

A woman could get lost in the scent of a real man, the spice of his skin a soothing aroma, as Eleanor could no longer keep her tired eyes open, and drifted off to sleep.

Stroking her pale blonde hair, Bruni sighed to himself, knowing now he was in terrible trouble. He wanted her desperately, wanted to be the one she was married to, the one who got to take her to his bed, see her body swell like Kate's with their child. Grow old beside.

Yet he would instead have to watch her married to his brother, watch her loneliness in a keep by herself for months, even years as Nikolas went away on more of his excursions. A life where her body may never be worshipped. The thought of her wasting away in Nikolas' home chipped away at his resolve to obey the contract.

Time was running out. In the morning light, they would be docking on dangerous lands, gathering Nikolas' and his wayward men, and returning to Bergen hopefully in time for Kate to deliver on dry land. So much to do, in such a limited timescale.

Bruni realised he had two choices. He could follow the contract, tell both Eleanor and Nikolas about it, and that it was time for it to be fulfilled and take them home to Bergen, facing three weeks of hatred in eyes he only wished to see pleasure reflected.

Or keep three weeks of tormenting himself, sleeping by her side, desperate for her kiss, only to reach port, and the hatred to follow once more.

Kissing her beautiful head, Bruni's heart actually hurt. He had to keep the contract.

Had to keep his honor.

But Eleanor would hate him.