“Nicholas—”
“But that would be the end of the House of York. Everything I have fought for my entire life.”
“Yes,” she said in a low voice. “I understand. We should be getting back.”
No. Back to what? Richard? Reg? Eating alone in his solar? He closed his arms around her waist. “What is the hurry, Kestrel?” He didn’t wait for her answer but lay her across the crook of his arm and bent over her. “You are the only person with whom I care to spend my hours.” His lips descended on hers in a kiss that curled her toes and set both their hearts to healing.
Chapter Fourteen
Kes let herselfrelax against Nicholas’ chest and closed her eyes on the way to Old Walter’s. She knew the merchant probably hadn’t found anyone to help them yet. She just wanted to go and have another look at everything. She also wanted to ask him how he came about owning such rare treasures.
It was a wonderful day for letting the wind carry them, as Nicholas had suggested.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, drenching Nicholas’ dark hair in light.
What better way to travel than in the crook of the rock-hard arms of a handsome knight, resting on his solid thighs and broad chest? She was tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming all this. It was dangerous, sure, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from exploring whatever she could.
Was she ready to explore the heart of a warrior? Nicholas was offering it to her. Did she accept it along with loyal love to her alone? She didn’t think he would cheat. If it had taken him his whole life to reach out for her, he wasn’t going to reach out to anyone else anytime soon. And that was what she wanted. What she thought she would never find.
He’d opened up to her and let her comfort him—and then he’d kissed her senseless. Oh, he made her want to climb upon him and drive him mad with desire. But she finally had a guy who didn’t push, didn’t force. She didn’t want to have sex with him…yet. She wanted to do things differently this time…since she had been given the chance. She wanted to get to know him first. And he seemed fine with that.
She was falling in love with him and ignoring all the red flags and warning alarms going off in her head. She heard nothing but the deep cadence of his voice. She thought of nothing and no one else but him whether she was eating, sleeping or convincing the scullery maids to demand gloves to protect their skin when scrubbing the floors.
But five days wasn’t long enough to know a person.
Still, she knew he harbored hatred for Richard. In terms of fighting though, he didn’t fight for Richard. So, none of this would change anything.
“I can almost hear you thinking,” he said behind her. “Is it something you wish to speak about?”
She smiled like a satisfied cat. “How is that a scarred and hardened warrior would take note of such a thing and say something so thoughtful?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “If the men of your time cannot do something so simple as lend an ear, then you should leave them.”
She smiled at his suggestion. “And go where?”
He bent his lips to her neck. “Stay here with me.”
“But Nicholas, we hardly know each other.”You don’t know that I’m a Lancaster.
“What do you want to know about me, Kestrel? You know my pleasant moods and my darker ones. Ah! Here is something you don’t know. I want to stop fighting soon and live out my life with a wife I love.”
She leaned up and looked at him. “There you go talking about marriage again,” she quipped.
“I must,” he explained. “I see my children in your eyes.”
How could this be real? How could this man exist here and not there? What if she never made it back. Would being married to Nicholas be so bad? She wanted to laugh. Um, no.
“How many children?” she asked warily.
“Six. I do not know. Eight!”
“Ha! You’re nuts if you think I’m going through childbirth six to eight times with nothing to ease the pain but whiskey. We’d have to live in the future for that.” She grew quiet and thought about it. She did want a lot of kids. “Would you travel to my time with me, Nicholas?”
“We do not even know if you can get back—”
“But if we find a way, would you come with me?”
“Aye… if you left, but living among millions of people does not sound suitable for happiness and raising children… Let us see what Walter says, aye?”