Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
He slapped his hand against the stone wall. “Stop thinking about it.”
He pushed himself away from the wall and for a moment, a sheer moment, he thought of returning to her and consummating their vows. It was inevitable that they would do so, why not now?
“Not the right time,” he mumbled to himself and hurried off before he changed his mind, though he worried he would have to find a private place to relieve himself if his shaft did not shrink soon. That annoyed him even more and he continued to mumble as he quickened his steps and rushed away.
Leora could not take her eyes off the door. She was not sure if she worried that he would return or worried that he wouldn’t return. The kiss had left her befuddled and her body aching strangely.
Passion.
Elsie had strongly expressed how much she loved coupling with her husband and how the passion between them was remarkable and memorable. She had said she felt lucky since she had heard some women complain about a wife’s intimate duty. Elsie had no such complaints. It was a benefit of marriage she quite enjoyed. Could Leora feel the same? Would she find the benefits to her liking? From Noble’s kiss, the second one, she would think her wifely duties might not be as bad as she had thought they might be.
Leora sighed as she adjusted the blanket over her. She was glad she had talked with her sister about the intimacy of marriage, though she would have preferred more detail about the act itself. Elsie mostly spoke about how wonderful it was but gave little detail. With it being such a private act, Leora had not wanted to intrude into the deeply personal side of it. Now, however, she wished she had.
She yawned, the tiredness she had felt creeping up on her once again. She had intended this time alone to be one of contemplation. Time for her to think over her situation, gather some thoughts as to how best to help Sky and think over her marriage, but the kiss had changed everything. Now all she could think about was the kiss. She yawned again and sleep soon claimed her.
Leora was hungry the next morning, having missed supper and feeling far better than she had in days. She had been shocked to wake and discover that she had slept until dawn. She had no idea if her husband had joined her in bed or not, though since she had not woken once during the night, she assumed her husband had not returned to their room. He also did not join her at breakfast, leaving her to sit with Mother Abbess while he sat talking with Ross and Finley. She wondered if he purposely avoided her and if so, why?
The thought that she had done something wrong had entered her head, but she had quickly dismissed it. After all, what did she know about kissing? She had never been kissed, therefore, she could not be expected to know how to respond, though instinct had taken hold. She would not be averse to having her husband kiss her again so she could learn more and become proficient at it. As soon as she had a chance, she would speak with her husband about it.
Her chance came not too long after she bid Mother Abbess goodbye and they were on their way, her husband not objecting to her riding her horse.
Her husband rode up alongside her. “You slept well?”
“Aye, I did. Why did you not join me as you said you would?” she asked.
“I looked in on you several times and you slept so soundly I did not want to disturb you.”
He spoke the truth though he did not share his concern that if he did join her, he worried neither of them would get any sleep.
“That was thoughtful of you, husband,” she said, smiling.
The gray clouds parted just enough for the sun to peek through for a moment and Noble swore beneath his breath that it was his wife’s stunning smile that forced the clouds to give way so the sun could return her smile, if only briefly. He also caught smiles on some of his warriors’ faces that looked his wife’s way, though the smiles quickly vanished when their eyes met his.
“I wanted to speak to you about our kiss,” she said as if it was a natural conversation for them to have.
“Not here, not now,” Noble ordered, noticing the heads of the warriors closest to them turning slightly to listen.
“But—”
“That is a private matter to be discussed in private, wife,” Noble said, his eyes darting to the warriors around them.
Leora was ready to protest, impatient to discuss the matter, but his quick glance at the surrounding warriors made her realize he was right. Though she could not hold her tongue completely.