Trust Ch. 05

With respect and awe, the men parted for him. Kieren disappeared down the passageway leading to his rooms. Only after he was out of sight did the men begin to speak again. Some began with "Did you see how..." Others just roared and hit each other on the back.

Iona noticed Gunner sitting at a table in the far corner of the room. Looking satisfied, he raised his mug to her with a rare smile. She glanced over at Russ, feeling sorry for him as he went to claim the knife still stuck in one of the large poles supporting the Longhouse. When she looked back at the still smiling Gunner, he then winked at her. It looked odd and left her perplexed.

"I think Russ has learned his lesson," Brenna said turning. "That was an interesting one."

"That's a cruel way to teach someone," Iona snapped.

"Oh it could have been much worse. No bones were broken. Well, it may have cracked his pride. It is good for Russ, The Great Long Sword, to get his handsome rump beat every once in a while. He learns better that way."

"Brenna?" Iona could not believe what she was hearing.

Brenna walked away with a hardy laugh.

"And, who does Kieren learn from?" Iona asked from behind her.

Brenna turned to the girl and searched her face with censored curiosity. She grabbed Iona by the chin and raised her face as if examining her. It reminded Iona of the first time they had met. Iona almost expected Brenna to ask her to show her teeth.

"Apparently, you," The old woman concluded, releasing the girl and laughing as only she could.

Starting toward the kitchen, Brenna added, "You look a little tired and heavily rode."

Two young girls giggled and followed Brenna.

Once again, Iona thought, Brenna had proven to be ill-mannered. She wanted to be mad, but the look the girls gave her made her face grow warm. She was blushing and glad to be of a darker type, so that the girls could not tell.

Bewildered, Iona now had a decision to make. Should she go to her room? Should she go to Kieren's? Would that be appropriate? Would he summon her? Should she instead concentrate on her chores? She decided instantly that she definitely was not going through the kitchen.

The men closed around Russ, removing him from her view. It would be inappropriate for her to go to him.

She knew what she wanted, although uncertain as to whether it was a smart idea or not. She wanted to be near Kieren. Despite the range of emotions she had just experienced, her body still felt the strong effect of his. Iona felt no shame in wanting to at least be in his vicinity—to be available. There was no shame in her feeling incomplete without him.

When she stepped into his room, he was nowhere. Deciding to stay and wait for him in his bed, she closed the door.

From behind, Kieren lifted her up by the waist. Iona panicked and fought to free herself.

"Calm down," Kieren laughed, letting her finally stand.

She turned to him and started hitting his bare chest with the flat of her hands.

"You are not amusing," she declared.

Enjoying the feel of him, Iona's hands soon slowed and appreciated the curves of his chest with admiration.

"You are sweaty," she told him, trying to appear serious as she looked up into his eyes.

The Gods should not have made such beautiful eyes, she thought.

Kieren kissed her deeply as he maneuvered her backwards. When the back of Iona's legs felt the bed, he left her no choice but to sit. He lowered himself so that they were eye to eye.

"What is this you are wearing?" Kieren inquired as he slid the edge of her linen skirting up her thighs.

His voice was sensual, yet serious.

"I am wearing what's worn by the women of this village," she returned, a bit nervous.

Under his encouragement, she lifted herself just enough for the materiel to be pushed up and her under skirting slipped beneath her bottom so that it all bunched up above her waist.

"Were the things I acquired not beautiful enough?" He removed her foot coverings one at a time as he spoke and let his hands smooth over the back of her calves.

"Yes, extremely beautiful". She loved the feel of his hands.

"Extremely beautiful, what?" he mocked.

Iona looked at him, confused.

He raised an eyebrow and Iona thought he had to be joking.

"Extremely beautiful...Sir," she surrendered finally.

Kieren laughed and began pulling her under clothes down her legs agonizingly slow, his skin touching hers in the most tempting of ways. Then he brought his attention back to her eyes.

"Thank you is my preference. Why do you not wear them?"

The smile had now left his lips.

Iona's voice wavered. ''They were too grand and too colorful. I wished to no longer stand out."

He tossed her underthings over his shoulder.

"You are not like everyone else." He ran his hands down her thighs as he spoke. "You were meant to stand out."

Iona was confused and at an unusual loss for words.

Kieren spread her legs apart and she felt the air hit her dampness.

"Don't you want to know why?"

"Why?" she returned, getting that lightheaded feeling again.

He shifted to his knees and directly between her thighs.

"You are mine," he whispered.

With relief, she mumbled her response. "I wanted the others to consider me fondly. I meant no insult."

Kieren's nearness made it impossible for her to think with any speed

"Is it not better to be respected than considered fondly?" he said before forcing her to lie back. "Why should you care for the thoughts of others in regards to my gifts? I am the only one that you should consider."

His mouth watered as he looked at what was revealed before him and he licked his lips.

Iona rose up on her elbows to look at him. But, the look he gave her made her return to the position he had put her in. An opening in his roofing had been propped so that the sunlight shown across her body.

She felt his two fingers spread her open, and sighed.

Kieren thought that the now exposed lovely flash of deep pink would forever now be his favorite color. Her pussy was a thing of beauty. He moved his head close and licked from bottom to the top of her gift with the flat of his tongue.

Iona gasped.

He pulled back and blew air across her sensitivity.

Iona squirmed a little.

Moving his lips closer again, he said, "I wish you to wear what I give you."

She felt the heat of his breath against her as he spoke, it was not a request.

When the tip of his tongue met the face of her clit, she jerked and said loudly, "I shall."

"Good girl," he said, licking her again--several times. "Will I ever have to reiterate my request?"

He then latched on to her firm nub and sucked.

Iona began shaking her head.

Kieren pulled back to look at her. She need not have looked at his face to know what he wanted.

"No," she said without hesitation, breathing hard.

Kieren returned his attention to the task at hand, licking and sucking. He pumped one finger, and then two inside of her—without his attention ever leaving that collection of fine nerves that was driving her mad. She was delicious.

Iona came two times before he made love to her.

When she opened her eyes this time, she found him not only there but resting on one arm watching her. There were no covers to hide behind. His beautiful body lay naked beside hers. Iona attempted to hide behind her hands.

"Of all the things revealed to me, you try to hide your face." Kieren kidded.

"How long have you been watching me?" she said embarrassed. "Do you ever tire?

"Not with you." His voice was smooth and tempting.

It was the way he had spoken to her last night and earlier. Nowhere did it sound similar to the voice that disciplined Russ.

"Hiding does not save you. For I have etched every detail of your face to memory, as I have your body." Kieren pulled her hands away.

He then began to tease an extended nipple with his forefinger. The effect made her body prepare to receive him once more. Iona was not sure if that was a good thing, she was a bit sore down there. But she knew that he could create ways that could make her forget that. She could not tell if she was disappointed or pleased when he stopped and began to play with a gathered strand of her hair.

He examined several before asking, "You placed some of these in my brother's hair?"

She could not tell by his voice what he was thinking. She truly hated that skill of his, to seem both interested and uninterested.

"Just a few," she returned, trying to be equally unreadable.

"Your heart has sped up," he stated calmly.

For that, Iona had no response.

"Do I make you nervous Iona?"

He used her name. The way he used her name made Iona a little scared and she narrowed her eyes. It amazed her how she could want him so and fear him simultaneously. Russ could possibly be a dangerous topic. Not being able to read his mood was not good.

Honesty was the only way to deal with this moment, she decided.

"No," she returned defiantly.

That, of course, was a lie.

"Come to it," she thought to herself. She hated how he took so long to reveal the result of things.

"I find the placement of these to be an intimate undertaking."

She wished he would stop playing with her hair and pulled away.

"Of course," he surmised, dropping his hand, "I could be wrong."

She still did not know what to say.

"I am however," his smile was roguish, "rarely wrong."

"Everyone is human," she finally said in a low voice, "and therefore fallible."

"Repeat this," he told her. "I did not hear you solidly,"

Iona knew that there was nothing wrong with his hearing, but said it again much louder.

"Yes, everyone is," he agreed, "some more than others."

Once again, she had no response as he picked up another twisted strand of her hair.

"Some are human and deceitful. That is a dangerous combination. Would you not agree?

"Please stop playing with my hair," she screamed in her head.

As if hearing her thoughts, Kieren leisurely pulled one twisted strand up in the air only to watch it drop.

"A person like that is consistent in their behaviors and one must be consistent in their mistrust of that person."

She watched him and he moved to his back to watch the beams of the ceiling.

"Have you ever encountered a person of this type Iona?" he said.

Iona slowly nodded her head.

Kieren sighed with disappointment.

"Yes," she then said.

"I seem to encounter those of that nature far too much in my life. Sometimes I ponder the idea that there must exist something within me that draws this type. What do you think Iona?"

Iona could bear it no longer. She sat upright.

"I shared a moment of weakness with your brother," she blurted.

"A moment of weakness, what exactly does that consist of?"

He did not change his position in the slightest and spoke with little urgency, a pure indication to Iona that he was quite aware of things.

She panicked.

"I was caught off guard. I was improper. We were improper." Putting her hands to her face, she began to cry. "I am regretful. Deceiving you was never my goal. You must forgive me. I am so ashamed of myself. That it was with your brother is more of an offense. It only happened once. I know that is no excuse. And, I..."

She continued to stumble in search of the right words. Surely she could make him understand? What must he think of her? She began to feel ill.

Finally she stopped babbling but continued to cry—prepared to receive her punishment. Life was consistently cruel. She had expected too much. And now, he was too angry to speak. Maybe he would beat her. After all he was a man and she nothing.

After a while, on the verge of hyperventilating, she dared look back at him through her fingers. He was watching her, but laid there looking bored.

Kieren wondered when she would stop prattling on. This was not how he expected the conversation to progress.

Iona dropped her hands, confused. Kieren then looked both irritated and amused. She was not sure if she should be humble or angry. His reaction left her dumbfounded.

"This is entertaining," he said dryly, suppressing a smile. "There is rarely anything that anyone would classify as appropriate when it comes to the behavior of my brother and I dare to wonder what you would define as inappropriate."

Iona narrowed her eyes at him and scoffed. "I am a joke to you?" she demanded before trying to make her way out of the bed.

To contain her, he locked her in his arms. Of course she attempted to break loose.

"Be still woman."

Iona managed to, somewhat, calm down.

"You truly present a convincing show of emotions with little prompting," he laughed. "Russ has already made me aware of your moment of weakness; we share all. It provokes no anger within me."

"You do not think less of me?" She was shocked.

"Why would I?"

She could think of many reasons why. Iona wondered what exactly had his brother said, but she could not hope for a better outcome. So, she was smart enough to know to let that be.

"Why did you feel the need to entrap me?" she conceded. "I would have confessed."

"Despite the fact that you have honed the act of lying, I am more than aware of its use when it comes from you."

"I am not a deceitful person, like the ones you mentioned," she amended.

"You are worse," he said in a much more sobered tone. "You are the most unpredictable among mankind and animal."

With that he let her go and repositioned himself, sitting up with his back resting against the massive headboard.

He placed a hand behind his head and crossed his feet.

She turned to him. Whether smiling as he was now or deadly, she had never seen a man so fine-looking. Her desire for him increased. She reminded herself though; she must focus on the task at hand.

Reading her thoughts, his smile grew wider. Iona felt heat sweep across her face.

"You are a woman of great beauty." He gently let the curve of his for fingers tease the skin of her back.

"You are also a survivor," he announced.

The way he said it, Iona thought, did not sound complimentary.

She suddenly rose up and straddled his lap. She placed her arms on his shoulders, letting her fingers play with the hair at his nape.

"I think that quality attracts you," she baited.

He squeezed her firm bottom.

"Maybe," he smiled, looking down between them. "Maybe it is another quality that attracts me."

Something occurred to her and her eyes grew wide.

Amused, he braced himself.

"You care not that we betrayed you?" She was stunned.

"I do not consider betrayal your purpose."

"Am I so unimportant that you share me with no emotion or consideration?" She placed her hands on his chest.

"How old are you?" he announced, complete in his amusement. "You plead for my forgiveness as if you were innocent. Next, you anger when I unburden you of anxiety in regards to the matter."

She watched him. He looked right back at her, his eyes questioning.

"Are you a woman or a child?" He finally said, smiling. Once again she was reminded of how handsome he genuinely was. She imagined that as a boy he must have been extremely mischievous. As a man she knew him to be deadly, she had heard the stories and seen what she had seen of him. She would not lie, she found that too attractive—what woman would not find pleasure in knowing they had attracted the ultimate of protectors. This playful side of him was her most favored.

Well, maybe not the absolute most.

"You thought me very much the woman a while ago," she returned, looking down at the divine example of how much a man he was. Even relaxed, it lay heavily against his solid thigh like some sleeping serpent.

"This is true." His smile broadened. "Now it occurs that I possibly assumed wrong."

Iona attempted to dismount him when he pulled her back to him by the hips.

"If you are shared with anyone, it would be by your choice only. It would also reveal a major lack of concern for your chosen other partner. I am a selfish man at heart. What is mine, I have and I keep." As he spoke, his amusement disintegrated and his voice grew more serious. "Be assured, I would end his life."

There was silence between them as there was no need for Kieren to say more or Iona to reply. She had heard all is words, but the one "mine" left her mesmerized. She was his.

"Besides," he finally returned to his amused state, "I mistreated you and you had need for affection. Why should that need not have been answered? I am quite sure that my brother was very accommodating."

Iona looked into his eyes and there was truly no malice. This drew more love from within for him. With his face between her hands she kissed him deeply.

But a thought crept across her mind and she suddenly pulled away.

"And you, where did you fulfill your needs?"

Kieren smiled devilishly. Then he caught her wrist as Iona's made a meager attempt to slap him.

"How this conversation has shifted," he mused with sarcasm. "You fulfilled your need, am I not given the same consideration. After all, I am a man with many appetites."

"Maybe you should have stayed where your needs and appetite were fulfilled," she spit out.

"I plan to," he returned bluntly, wrapping his arms around her and making her surrender to his lips. "You shall never be rid of me."

"This is like a dream to me," she confided.

"Well then," he teased, "be certain that it is only I that you dream about. Next time I may not be so forgiving. My brother can prove very convincing when mood hits. Russ shall be Russ."

"I am truly only yours," she said with girlish sincerity.

"I have no fear that it will happen again, my little survivor. You are no fool. I am the teacher here. He is the student.

"Your arrogance is unmatchable as well," she slipped him a smile, shaking her head.

"As is all of me," he said taking her hand in his, kissing her palm and guiding it to encircle his substantial and demanding staff.

Iona could make comparisons when it came to the beauty of his cock, but she had never actually touched one. And Kieren's was so intimidating. The sight and feel of him made her swallow hard, but she closed her eyes and let herself relax into the guidance of his hand. His hand caused her to squeeze him firmly while moving up and down his shaft. When he removed his hand and left her to her devices, her eyes immediately flew open to find him watching her curiously and placing his hands back behind his head.

She suddenly became aware of her inexperience with pleasure and fearful of disappointing him. She could feel the color flood her cheeks.

"I," she said shyly, "am not a virgin, but..."

"What need do I have for virgins," he said gently.

"Well," she began, flushed.

He gave her a look of alert weariness, misunderstanding her alarm. This was not the time to discuss what she had seen of him, or for her to assume what he wanted from her based on the things seen.

"I, this body that sits here before you," he began, putting his forehead to hers and cupping the side of face with one hand and the back of her head with the other, "as damaged as it is, am yours."

His voice rasped with emotion, sounding low and deeper than ever. "I am only yours and you are safe with me. This between us is between only you and me. I care for no other woman. I remember no other. You are mine to discover and explore as I am yours to discover and explore. We will learn each other in a way we have not taken time to do before."

Kieren's kiss reemphasized his words.

This moment, this closeness was another feeling entirely new. To have him say those words and see the ocean in his eyes, to feel this with another person—especially this person, made her heart open even more. Iona closed her eyes, kissed him deeply in return and firmly wrapped the fingers of both her hands around his cock. The sound he made inflamed the growing warmth that had begun building inside of her, giving her a tingling sensation. Then she felt him jerk in her hands and she jumped, letting it go.