Page 19 of Ravager
It was hard to hide the shock on her face. “How do you know?”
His cock twitched with the memory of the morning. He lowered his voice, “Because no virgin would give herself so easily to me. No virgin would know her body like the way you know yours. You’re entirely at peace with your primal desires. No wonder you came so quickly.”
She gave him a look of disgust, but Erik knew there was a facet of truth in there. “That is none of your business. And I gave nothing to you. You took it.”
“Fair enough.”
“And to say such crude things to a lady.”
“You’re not a lady, Cherine.”
She looked down at her hands and muttered, “Right. I am but a peasant.”
“No,” he said roughly and reached for her face. He caressed her cheek with his knuckles, and she closed her eyes in response. “You are a woman. A very beautiful, dragon-hearted woman. And you’ll make a man very happy one day.”
He just didn’t know what man.
After they finished their meager snacks, they both settled down into the blanket. The forest was filled with the late-night camaraderie and snores of the men, but still, they hadno problem with falling asleep. It wasn’t raining, which was fortunate, since they didn’t have a canopy over their heads. It wouldn’t have mattered to Erik, who was used to weeks at sea on deck, with only animal skins to protect him from the elements.
It was in the middle of the night that Erik awoke with a start. He had been sleeping on his side, between Cherine’s back and the log, and in the dying light of the fire, he could see a silhouette lurking by her legs.
Erik sat up. “Who goes there?”
Cherine awoke at the sound of his voice and, upon seeing the shadowy man, she leaned back into Erik, who had wrapped a protective arm around her. The rest of him was ready to pounce.
He heard the high, humorless laugh and knew it was Ross.
“Ross. Get out of here before I stake you.”
“Stake me?” Ross said, swaying a bit on his legs. “You’d never get away with that.”
“Like hell I wouldn’t.” Erik stared hard at the man, knowing Ross could see his face in the flickering light.
Ross leaned over and ran his hand up Cherine’s leg. Erik could feel her twitch, trying to get away from his touch.
“You walk away now, Ross. Walk away, and I won’t kill you.”
Ross laughed again. He was drunk off his tree, which wasn’t unusual. Erik could barely stand the deviant bastard when he was sober, and that wasn’t often.
“She’s not yours,” Ross slurred. “Why should you get to hold on to that whore?”
“I know she’s not mine,” Erik said, his voice cold as steel. “She’s Rolf’s.”
“Then seeing as Rolf likes me as much as he likes you, he wouldn’t mind if you passed her my way.”
Erik tightened his grip around Cherine, grateful she couldn’t understand a word of what was being spoken.
“Should I take it up with Rolf? I bet he won’t mind,” he continued, baiting him.
Erik didn’t bite though he feared his next words. “Go ahead.”
He could feel Ross’s hidden eye bearing down on him. There was a moment’s pause as he thought it over. Finally, he said, “You should be careful. This new role as hero doesn’t suit you…Erik the Axe.”
Ross gave Cherine’s leg one last squeeze before turning around and stumbling past the embers and into the woods.
“Are you all right?” he whispered into her hair.
She nodded. “I am.” She sounded so small in the night.