The Rose Red Bride JK2 Read online

  Anthony cleared his throat. “If I might remind you, my lord, the treasury of Kinfairlie is not as blessed with coin as it might be.”

  “It fares better now,” Alexander said mysteriously. Vivienne saw only the flash of his smile before he looked back at the chamber. “Indeed, this will suit very well.” Then he granted Anthony the confident smile which usually made the sisters suspect that he had a scheme. Before Vivienne could wonder at its cause, Alexander strode down the stairs, calling to the elderly castellan to hasten himself.

  Vivienne was left alone, opposite the chamber that contained a portal to some other realm. Though she was sorely tempted to enter it immediately, instead she slipped down to the hall again. She complained to her sisters of a fierce chill and summoned a shiver most readily. She loosed her sneeze and her three sisters were quick to pronounce her in heed of a hot posset.

  Once Vivienne had the steaming cup in her hand, she returned to the sisters’ chamber and retrieved her favorite boots. They had been a gift from her Aunt Rosamunde and their red leather was lavishly ornamented with embroidery just below her knees. They were also lined with rabbit fur and very warm. Her finest chemise of sheer linen was an obvious choice, as she wished to impress her fairy lover with her finery. It was cut full and gathered at the neck on a drawstring, as was typical, but was distinguished by sleeves fitted from elbow to wrist and secured with dozens of tiny buttons made of shell.

  It was no small feat to don the chemise without the aid of one of her sisters or their maid, but Vivienne managed the deed.

  She then donned her favorite kirtle, also a gift from Rosamunde, which was wrought of silk woven in two shades of emerald. The sleeves were slit from the shoulders to reveal the chemise and trailed to the ground, while the hem pooled upon the floor. The hem and neckline and sleeve edges were all graced with intricate golden embroidery. The men in her family had called it a most impractical garment, while her sisters openly coveted it. Vivienne then made a bundle upon her pallet, so that her sisters would think she had burrowed deep into her covers.

  For luck, she flung her fur-lined cloak over her shoulders, for Madeline had taken that same cloak and worn it on her adventure. Madeline’s journey had ended well, and Vivienne liked the notion of the cloak bringing good fortune to its wearer.

  It was always thus in old tales.

  As prepared for a quest in the realm of fairy as she could be, Vivienne took her posset and a lantern and climbed the stairs.

  The key shone in the lock of the portal where Alexander had left it. The massive door opened with the barest touch of Vivienne’s hand; the hinges did not so much as squeal. The chill fingers of the wind swept around her, and the night sky was visible through the three large windows on the opposite wall. Vivienne blew out the flame on her lantern, letting the stars light her path. She had a flint and would save the oil in case she had dire need of the light.

  Vivienne took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. She closed the door behind herself and leaned back against the door. She could hear the sea and smell its salt on the wind, and might have been alone on a precipice. The familiar sounds and smells of the keep were lost behind her, as if she were far above the concerns and realm of mortals. She could easily believe that this was a place between two realms, that this hushed chamber was a threshold to adventure.

  Though she considered each of the three windows lingeringly in turn, she could not discern which one was different. In truth, part of the issue was that she could not bring herself to draw near any one of them. Vivienne had never had any tolerance for heights, she had never been able to leap from the tallest step, or jump into the sea with her siblings. She knew the height of this tower too well to risk so much as a single downward glance from its windows.

  Vivienne sat down on the pallet, sipped her posset and studied the windows more intently, even as she willed the erratic pace of her heart to slow.

  * * *

  It was a moonless night, the perfect night for a nefarious deed. The hidden man shifted his weight off his damaged leg by force of habit, ensuring it would be as rested as possible when the moment came to move, and remained still and silent. His scheme was perfectly wrought.

  Despite his resolve, guilt pricked at him as he waited. It was not in his nature to deceive, or even to wreak vengeance, though circumstance had driven him to do both.

  He had told Alexander the truth, though he had not confessed all of it by any means, and the truth was not all his own. And indeed, not all he had said was the truth. He had no ambitious cousin, for example, though his brother was ambitious enough for an entire family. He had no intent of wedding Vivienne before a priest and witnesses on the following morning.

  He did, however, have need of a son.

  The bells of the chapel in Kinfairlie village rang, then tolled the hour. Midnight. He tensed as he listened, fearful that all might not be as Alexander had pledged.

  But it was. A hue and a cry was raised on the far side of the keep, and he heard the sentries race to that point.

  With nary a moment to lose, he stepped out of the darkness and flung his grappling hook skyward with practiced ease. It caught and held on the parapet on the first try, and the scratch of its movement across the roof was lost in the din of Alexander’s distraction.

  He took a deep breath and swung himself into the air, wincing as his left boot collided with the wall. He grit his teeth, ignored the pain, and climbed, his heart thudding with trepidation.

  For truly, the most difficult part of his task lay ahead of him. He had seduced no woman but his late wife, and Beatrice had been willing.

  Vivienne might not be willing. After all, the man who scaled Kinfairlie’s tower, unobserved on that moonless night, was not Nicholas Sinclair.

  And the woman he meant to bed and kidnap this night was the only person in Kinfairlie who knew the truth.

  * * *

  Through the haze of dreams, Vivienne heard the bells in Kinfairlie village toll midnight. Her posset had put her to sleep, whether due to its heat or its ingredients, she could not say. She was warm within her cloak and comfortable upon her pallet and she spared only the barest sleepy glance at the windows.

  And then he came.

  She sensed his presence, like a prickling along her spine. She knew he arrived, knew with a certainty that should have been alarming for its vigor. She turned and opened her eyes and saw his silhouette against the window. He was wreathed in starlight, his fair hair gleaming with an unnatural light.

  He had come for her. Vivienne did not dare to breathe.

  He paused for a moment, the night sky framing his silhouette within the frame of the window, against the greater darkness of the chamber. She knew his gaze grew accustomed to the shadows, she knew he sought some hint of her location, or even of her presence. He was large, larger than her brothers, larger than any man she had ever met.

  She liked that he was tall. Vivienne was tall herself and did not find comfort in standing beside a man shorter than herself. It was petty, to be sure, for a man’s measure lies in his spirit, but still she was glad to find her destined partner taller than she. She liked that his shoulders were broad and his hips were lithe. She liked that he was wrought lean but muscular, and she liked the golden glint of his hair.

  Nicholas had had blond hair, Nicholas who had so cruelly cast her aside when she refused to surrender her all in exchange for another of his empty promises.

  Perhaps she had found Nicholas alluring because she had known her destined lover would have hair like spun flax. Perhaps some knowledge of her fate had led her so close to making a fool of herself.

  It did not matter, not any longer.

  Vivienne stirred without intending to do so and the straw of the pallet rustled. He pivoted, listening, and she felt the weight of his gaze as keenly as a touch. No doubt he could see clear through to her pounding heart, for fairies were said to have uncommonly keen vision.

  No matter, for Vivienne had nothing to hide.

>   “Vivienne?” he asked, his voice low and rich.

  She shivered in delight that he knew her name, that he had anticipated her presence. He must have spied her through the portal between the realms. Her skin tingled with new awareness, her other senses awakened in the darkness that foiled her sight. The night was as velvet against her skin, the fur lining of her cloak was soft against her chin.

  “I have awaited you,” she whispered, her voice uncommonly hoarse. She reached for the lantern and fairly spilled the oil in her haste, then fumbled with the flint.

  He was beside her in the blink of an eye, the warmth of his hand covering her own. “Strike no light on this night,” he urged. His hand was strong, far larger than her own, so large that her fingers were fairly swallowed in his grip.

  Yet his clasp was gentle. His heat loomed beside her, the scent of his skin making Vivienne’s pulse quicken. His thumb slid across the back of her hand in a caress and Vivienne was certain her heart could pound no louder.

  “It is the flint and the rasp,” she guessed, barely able to reason beneath his disarming touch. In every tale she knew, fairies spurned metal. “You cannot bear its presence, of course.”

  “It is the light,” he murmured. “I would discover you with keener senses than mere sight.” And he kissed her then, claimed her lips with a demand that startled her with its vigor. Vivienne gasped and her hand fluttered against his chest.

  Of course, he had yearned for her. He had watched her from across the threshold, his passion running higher with each glimpse. She was not a stranger to him, as he was to her. Though she was far from experienced in such deeds, Vivienne opened her mouth beneath his even as she trembled.

  And then his manner changed. It was as if her uncertainty had softened his desire, as if her cautious response awakened a tenderness within him. Indeed, he then courted her response. She felt it in his kiss, how he waited for her to become accustomed to the press of him against her, how he waited for her to respond before he deepened his kiss again.

  Vivienne was charmed. Only a lover true would command his passion so that his lady was not afraid.

  His fingers slipped into her hair, cupping her nape so that he could feast upon her lips. He drew her to her feet and the cloak she had only cast over her shoulders fell to the floor. He caught her against him before she could feel the chill of the night and she heard the thunder of his heart so close to her own.

  She felt his other hand trail over her, touching her curves with a feather-light touch, as if he found her to be the marvel. Her heart raced when his fingertips trailed down her throat, her nipple beaded when his hand swept over her breast, her belly tightened when his hand rested upon her waist. Something hot and unruly awakened within her, something Vivienne had the wits to recognize as desire. There was dampness between her thighs and hunger in her kiss, and she knew precisely what she desired of him.

  It mattered little whether they loved first or wed first, for both would be achieved in time. It could be no other way, for they were intended to be together.

  When he broke their embrace, she was breathless but anxious for more of this new pleasure. She thought she could see the glint of his eyes and she smiled at him, wondering whether he smiled back. “That was wondrous,” she said.

  “More wondrous than any had the right to expect,” he said, though Vivienne could not understand fully what he meant. Was lovemaking between destined lovers more potent? He cast off his cloak, letting it swirl in an arc before he cast it across her rough pallet with a graceful gesture.

  When he reached for her again, joy rose within Vivienne. She could do naught but acquiesce, for this was the grand passion that she desired beyond all else.

  It was Vivienne who stretched to her toes to demand more of him, Vivienne who let her hands cup his face to draw him closer. His jaw was smooth, like that of a mortal man who had just sheared his whiskers. Fairies, Vivienne knew, were eternally young. Perhaps their men did not even have whiskers.

  Her questing fingertips found the pulse at his throat, and she was shocked to find it racing as quickly as her own.

  “Surely you cannot be afraid of me?” she asked.

  He paused, as if regarding her, though Vivienne could not discern his face in the darkness. “How could I have expected such a welcome?” His words were so hoarse that Vivienne felt her breath catch in her throat.

  “How could I not welcome you fully?” Vivienne touched her lips to his and reveled in his gasp of surprise. She let her hands slide over him, as he had moved his over her, and knew that she had surprised him once again. He caught her close, and Vivienne let her hands slip into the silky thickness of his hair. She arched against him, bold in her newfound passion, and heard his sharp inhalation.

  He whispered something, then caught her up in his arms. He held her captive against his chest for a heady moment, and their kiss left Vivienne dizzy and hot. He knelt on one knee then, with her weight cradled in his lap, and his hand slid beneath the hem of her chemise and kirtle.

  Vivienne gasped into his kiss when the warmth of his hand landed upon her knee. His tongue danced with hers, fairly sending sparks along her veins, and Vivienne nigh forgot the weight of his hand.

  Then his hand slid up her thigh, his fingertips against her bare flesh, though his kiss did not cease. She gasped when his fingers moved in the heat that none other than herself had ever touched, then she moaned at the sensation. He nibbled at her ear, he kissed her earlobe, he traced a burning path of kisses down her throat, and Vivienne was lost.

  The sensations that assaulted her were magical, were surely beyond that savored by mere mortals, were the gift from him to her. Vivienne accepted all he granted and yearned for more.

  His fingers moved, tempting, teasing, making Vivienne squirm with desire. He untied the lace of her kirtle and chemise with his teeth, he pushed the fabric aside with his nose and his tongue. His hair fell across Vivienne’s skin like a soft curtain, and she moaned that his fingers coaxed her to greater heat with every stroke.

  He kissed her pert nipple gently, then laved it with his tongue. Vivienne cried out softly and he chuckled. Vivienne smiled at his delight, then moaned when he suckled her. His fingers dove within her heat in the same moment, his thumb moving against her so surely that she clung to his shoulders. Some tumult rose within her, growing in intensity beneath his embrace. Vivienne rode the crest of desire, uncertain where it led.

  And suddenly, a thousand lights flashed in her mind’s eye, a heat of pleasure raged through her, singing her from temple to toes. Vivienne cried out in pleasure at this new sensation, until he swallowed her shout with his kiss.

  Though she was breathing heavily, though she knew her flesh must glisten with perspiration, her lover granted her no respite. He laid her upon the pallet, removed her garb gently as she caught her breath, then cast his own chemise and chausses aside. Vivienne moaned and buried her face in the thick fur of his cloak, when he knelt down and tasted of the deluge he had just created.

  Desire stirred again as he caressed her with his tongue. She twisted and turned, but he held her fast, allowing her no escape from the pleasure he was determined to grant. Vivienne writhed, the climax coming more quickly this time, she grasped fistfuls of the cloak for her lover was out of reach. She knew the moment was come, she bit down into the fur to stifle her shout of release, she knew she locked her knees around him and shook like a leaf in the wind.

  This was what had made Madeline smile, she knew it well.

  He was stretched out beside her before the erratic pace of her heart had slowed and Vivienne caught him close. She ran her hands over him as possessively as he had touched her, exhausted but wanting him to share in the pleasure he had granted to her. She felt the muscles beneath his smooth flesh, felt again the strength he held in check.

  “Lady mine,” he murmured, even as he bestowed a kiss within her ear.

  Vivienne reached down, knowing full well what she would find, and let her hand close around his erect
ion. She wanted to return his caresses in kind, though she was surprised when he gasped at her bold touch. He eased her grip upon him and she moved her fingers as he indicated, liking that she roused the same tension of desire in him as he had in her. Indeed, she felt her own passion kindling as his breathing changed. It was potent, to be able to grant such pleasure to him as he had lavished upon her, and she reveled in his every caught breath and moan of pleasure.

  Vivienne felt him shiver, saw the glimmer of intent in his eyes, felt his muscles tense. His breathing quickened and she laid her cheek upon his chest to hear his racing heart. She touched him with greater surety, learning quickly what he liked best, savoring her effect upon him.

  He muttered something and caught her waist in his hands. The strength of his hands nearly encircled her, making her feel small and feminine. He eased her to her back, and then he was atop her. He braced his weight upon his elbows, and the hair upon his chest tickled her breasts. His golden hair touched her cheek and Vivienne inhaled the scent of him, the taste of the wind that clung to his hair. She felt the length of him against her, his flesh so different from her own, and stretched out beneath him, arching against his heat.

  He laced his fingers with hers and she thought she saw his smile before his mouth claimed hers once again. His kiss was tender yet possessive, he kissed her thoroughly and with a languid ease. Tears pricked Vivienne’s eyes, for she had never expected such sweetness between her and her mate, and surely not so soon.

  He settled between her thighs as he kissed her, the heat of him pressing against her. Vivienne parted her legs, knowing full well what had to happen. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was not as painful as rumor hinted, and willed herself to welcome her lover true.

  He eased into her with a care that told her he had heard the same rumors. Vivienne caught her breath at the size of him, then gripped his shoulders as she became accustomed to this new sensation. But the pain was only fleeting.

  Indeed, as he moved, she was awed by a sudden sense that they two were as one. She learned his rhythm and matched it with her own, even as she felt the heat rising within her once again.