Late Night Snacking
Lori tossed and turned in bed, restless, unable to get a single wink of sleep. It was late. Really, really late. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago but she couldn’t sleep now. She'd passed out earlier, but now that she was awake, she knew she'd be up for hours. Really, after the day she’d had, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t stayed passed out from sheer exhaustion and ridiculous alcohol intake. But here she was, in the wee hours of the morning, completely and utterly awake.
And starving!
They’d thrown a celebratory feast in her honor. Everything from roast pig, to roasted chicken (and every possible animal that could be eaten in between) was served. Along with all the meat there were heaping bowls of mashed potatoes, creamed vegetables of every color, sweet breads, cheeses, fruit, ale, wine and veritable crate load of other foods Lori didn’t readily recognized but people dove into with vigor. There was an entire table overloaded with a myriad of desserts, overflowing bowls of cream, and other sugary concoctions that looked like cavities on a plate. There was so much food in the dining hall she was sure Christmas at the White House didn’t have such a spread.
When she’d walked into the room with Des, everyone stood including Eric himself, and clapped so loudly she imagined she felt the stone walls vibrating with the sound. It was beyond surreal to be the central focus of such attention, but she would lying to herself if she didn’t admit to basking in the glory of the moment.
Naturally, she’d been saved the seat to Eric’s right and as she made her way to the high table, men and women alike were giving her hugs and hearty handshakes, congratulating her on her tournament performance.
Once again Lori found herself lost to the charm of the people of Wolfgard. She thought perhaps some might be angry with her for not bowing down and losing, but nothing could have been further from the truth. In a matter of minutes she was relaxed and laughing easily with everyone, while inwardly chiding herself for even thinking of staying locked up in her room. It had been a brief moment of irrational fear, one that Des had refused to let her wallow in.
As she reached her seat, Eric bowed gallantly before standing upright and offering his hand. When she took it, he raised it above her head, signaling to the gathered attendants that he considered her the champion of their day’s competition. The assemble guests cheered louder and longer, which she would have thought practically impossible at this point.
He held her hand a moment longer than was absolutely necessary. He looked down at her, eyes dark and smoky, a sexy smile playing at the corners of his mouth. When he spoke, it was innocent enough but it sent butterflies the size of vampire bats circling inside her lower belly, “You have won the hearts of me and my people this day, my lady. It would appear more than a few of my own men have grown tired of my untarnished legacy.”
Lori laughed, looking around at the elite guard. A few of them winked and gave her a raised fist, which seemed to be their version of a thumbs-up. Removing her hand as she took her seat she laughed, “I think you might be right, lord Eric.”
“True right. The gods alone know I was sick to death of all his winnin',” Aiden hooted as he plunked down a large bag of winnings in front of her, “and you my dear lady have won me quite a bit of silver. By right half belongs to you, lass.” he winked, the corner of his eyes crinkling in good natured humor as he motioned towards the full sack of money.
“That’s half?” she asked in disbelief.
“Aye. Not many warriors convinced you’d get through the first round, my lady. I won that half when you didna withdraw.” he waved at the sack.
“Never doubted me for a second then, captain?” she teased.
“Not for an instant, my lady,” Aiden affirmed, giving her another flirty wink, “that competitive spirit of yours is mighty strong, lass. Stubborn as an old goat as well. I knew you’d best my cousin or grow roots into the ground ‘til you did.”
She laughed, unable to help herself. Lori reached over and picked up the sack of money and placed it next to her empty plate. After all, silver was silver anywhere right? She may be able to use her winnings to pay off her rent for the next oh…decade!
“Well, I for one am glad you showed our lord never to underestimate the will of a determined and properly riled up female.” A plump woman Lori had been introduced to as Bertie, the head cook at Wolfgard, announced. She set down a large platter of roast pig in front of them.
Eric turned and stared at Bertie in disbelief. According to Cynn, Bertie had practically raised Eric since his parents had been killed in the last of the Immortal Wars. She’d wanted to question Cynn more about immortals actually dying but didn’t want to seem like she was prying.
“Doona tell me you were cheerin' for the lass as well, Bertie?” Eric asked a look of mock hurt on his face.
“Aye I was,” she replied, giving him a curt shake of her grey head. Placing both hands on her hips she admonished him openly, “Serves ye right. Each time some warrior or Were comes here to challenge ye, he loses and goes runnin' back to his clan with his tail betwixt his legs. Then ye walk around here like a proud cock fer days. ‘Tis a shock your head even fits inside this keep most days, my lord.”
Lori choked as she tried hard not to laugh outright and Aiden snorted into his wine cup, while Eric glared at them both. Bertie continued, nonplussed, “Truly ‘tis a good thing Lady Lori here got the best of ye today, my lord. Good fer your soul and all.”
Eric looked back at Lori. She batted her eyelashes and gave him her most angelic smile, “Here that…good for your soul,” she teased in a high octave.
“I doona think ‘tis my head that is gettin’ too big,” he muttered under his breath, as he took a swallow of wine.
Lori pretended not to hear that last bit as she flipped her hair back annoyed. She hardly ever wore it loose, but Des had insisted she wear it at least partially down tonight, “Don’t be such a sore loser,” she said before turning back to listen to Aiden gave a play by play of her victory.
“Sore is all I have been since you arrived, my lady,” he whispered. Desmond, seated a few seats down, made sure the words made it to Lori’s ear alone.
She blushed but kept her tongue as she did her best to focus on Aiden even as she felt Eric’s eyes all over her. What was wrong with her? Why did her resolve seem to weaken every time she got close to him? Maybe dancing with him on the tournament grounds hadn’t been the best idea. His presence was becoming a little too thrilling, it was getting under her skin and that could spell trouble. Just the thought of never getting home made her reach for her wine glass. She made it a point to speak mainly to Aiden and the people around her as much as possible, while only looking over at Eric when she absolutely had to.
Unfortunately, the man was not making it easy on her in the slightest. He smelled like everything she’d ever craved; sunshine, fresh mowed grass, leather and a hint of man. The combination sent her hormones into overdrive.
And she was pretty sure he knew it.
Whenever she caught a whiff of him he’d lean in closer, casually brushing himself against her. At first it was his fingers, then his hand. Then, his thigh had brushed hers and sent the fire inside her body through the roof.
When all the food had been served, Aiden stood and raised his cup for silence. When that didn’t work he bellowed for all of them to shut up. Everyone laughed but quieted down.
“I know I doona speak only for myself when I say I didna think to ever live and see the day when our mighty lord would be matched on the tournament field,” as he spoke, everyone around the table shouted their agreement, “much less witness such a dauntin' feat accomplished by a bonny lass, with an arm like a warrior!”
At this everyone cheered, even Eric himself.
Aiden held his hand up for silence as he looked down at Lori, “Truly, I doona know how you managed it my lady, but I for one am glad to have lived to see this day finally come to pass…” he raised his glass up high, “a toast to you brave and beautiful Lori. You have shown us the competitive spirit of humans, and have also shown our proud lord to never overestimate the effect of his naked chest!”
Everyone cheered uproariously at Aiden’s toast. As “Here, here’s” were echoed around, Lori drained her glass to the shouts of everyone in attendance. It wasn’t long before everyone seemed to be toasting her win and she’d lost count of the number of wine glasses she drank in honor of herself. The more she drank, the less she felt like eating and even when Des warned her the wine was sweet but potent, she didn’t ease up. It tasted fabulous and did wonders for her nerves.
It struck her hard and fast. When the room began to spin crazily the last thing she wondered as she looked up into eyes the color of a perfect Scottish field, was whether the lips that belonged to those eyes were every bit as delicious as they appeared.
* * *
Tossing fitfully in bed Lori tried to push away her latest lustful thoughts on the fine lord of Wolfgard, but it was no use. She kept seeing those flecks of gold in Eric’s eyes flashing at her as they caught the light. It made her wonder what it would feel like to be at the center of such desire on a constant basis. Or while he pumped into her while she was lying flat on her back.
“Oh!” she let out an exasperated breath, kicking off the covers, refusing to lay there a second longer as triple-X thoughts of Eric danced in her head.
Getting up gingerly since her head was still pounding, Lori moved across the room and opened her door quietly and checked to make sure the coast was clear. She was only wearing a sheer nightrail, left out on her bed by a thoughtful maid. The fabric felt satiny against her skin, but was as transparent as fine gauze. Thinking running into someone would be beyond embarrassing, she stopped to look around for some kind of robe. She didn’t find one anywhere, not even in the large wardrobe courtesy of her “brother.” For a second she thought about getting back into her dress, but the stupid thing had been so hard to get off, she didn’t want to bother with it.
Resigned, she turned back and checked the hallway again. When she was satisfied it was indeed empty she ventured out, careful to make as little noise as possible. Thankfully, the dark castle was well lit with soft glowing lanterns. She padded down the hallway in her bare feet, the cold stone floor sending goosebumps down her arms and legs. She knew Des was close by, but by the looks several of the women at dinner had been throwing him, she didn’t think he’d be around to bother with her tonight. She made her way down the stone steps, crossing through the main dining hall, making a beeline for the kitchen.
Maybe she could find a nice kitchen maid to help her warm up some milk or give her enough food to put her into a carb-coma. Maybe then she could get some damn sleep. It had always seemed to work for her as a child. Except when she was younger her brother would stir in strawberry Quik or chocolate syrup into her milk, and they’d stay up watching the Honeymooners or Star Trek gorging on peanut butter sandwiches until she finally fell asleep. Fighting the pain that threatened to overtake her whenever she thought of Michael she pushed open the kitchen door and came face to face with Eric.
He was leaning over a large wooden block in the center of the kitchen, naked and eating some kind of apple dessert in heavy cream. She’d passed the dish over at dinner and now just watching him eat the creamy concoction was enough to throw her body into maximum overdrive.
A sharp gasp escaped her throat as she realized her poor, sheltered mind had lacked the imagination to create a realistic image of Eric’s naked form. The man was complete and utter perfection. She shivered as she took in the full sight of him. His tattooed arms and shoulders bunched with muscles so powerful she immediately understood why Desmond had felt she needed to be stronger. And they weren’t the manufactured muscles one saw at a 24-hour gym. Oh no. He wore them like one wore their skin, as a part of him, honed and sculpted as was the nature of his species.
His wide chest, which she’d tried to ignore earlier today, was highlighted beautifully by the ambient moonlight filtering inside the room's bare windows. The sight of it was still tempting as sin, flowing down to abs so tight Lori wanted to run her tongue along the deep grooves of his six-pack; then she wanted to follow the light brown line of hair that started beneath his navel all the way down to where it ended.
Her breasts grew tight at the sight of all that naked flesh just beckoning a woman’s touch. Her only saving grace was that he wasn’t actually standing straight up. Thankfully she was saved the sight of seeing him in all his naked glory. She wasn’t sure her knees would be able to handle another inch of such hard-bodied perfection.
Unable to breathe or move, she stood frozen as Eric stared at her, licking the heavy cream off a wooden spoon, his face breaking into a wide grin, “Evenin' Lori. Did you come in search for somethin' to eat as well? Perhaps somethin' to satisfy that voracious appetite of yours?” his voice was husky, sending goosebumps running up and down her skin. He was smiling at her like he knew every lewd thought that was flying inside her head and wanted to explore every single one in slow, excruciating detail.
She knew he was fully aware of the effect he was having on her, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away anymore than she could get her stubborn feet to move. She closed her eyes, fighting desperately to regain some control over her raging libido. It didn’t help. She could feel his overwhelming power all around her – it was like a living essence, wrapping itself around her, drawing her in, daring her to get just a little closer.
She tried for a withering tone but only managed a breathless sort of whisper, “Do you always prowl around the kitchen at night naked?”
“Nay, not always.”
She opened her eyes. He’d straightened up to his full height and was staring at her like he was ready to pounce at any moment. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. She focused on keeping her eyes above his waist.
“In the kitchen, that is...” Eric drawled, shifting his weight. Lori breathed in sharply and dropped her gaze like he’d hoped. She made a small sound in her throat, satisfying his male ego and causing him to flash another wicked grin.
Lori’s mind tried to process what she was seeing but she didn’t seem to be getting enough oxygen to her brain. She’d never seen anything so big in her life. Her mouth went dry and she wondered crazily if she’d ever seen anything so perfect and terrifying at the same time. Her insides turned to liquid at the idea of all that male hardness getting anywhere near her.
Eric’s nose flared slightly and his body jerked, the movement snapping her attention back up.
“Well, I’d hate to interrupt your late night snack,” she waved weakly at the dessert standing forgotten on the counter.
His lips turned up slowly, no hint of the good humor of earlier that evening on his face. Now, his smile was a weapon of pure seduction, “You, sweet Lori, would be far more satisfyin' than any dessert in this entire kingdom.”
Letting out a small gasp, her body finally sensed the danger she was in and unfroze. She wheeled around and tried to head back through the kitchen door but Eric was faster. He was on her in less time than it took to blink, his hand reaching over her head and slamming the door shut just as she’d opened it. Ducking low and under his arm she barely managed to avoid getting pinned between him and the door. She ran to the other side of the large kitchen block, knowing it was nowhere near enough protection against the immortal king.
“Not leavin' so soon are you, angel?” he asked, stalking around the table like the predator he was. His eyes roamed over her barely clothed form, his sharp vision picking up every inch of skin as if she were as naked as he was. He ached to run his tongue over the hardened flesh of her nipples, to feel the soft mounds in his mouth as he discovered what other lovely sounds she could make. “You haven’t taken what you came down here for.”
Her very presence had driven him crazy most of the night. His inner warrior had grown restless as she tried to keep some distance between them at dinner. He’d only managed to soothe the insatiable hunger growing inside him by stealing a few touches, grazing her skin so his warrior’s soul would allow him a quick reprieve. He’d inhaled the addictive aroma of her skin, feeling his soul preen as she reacted to his own scent, feeling her arousal caress his insides allowing him to think again.
When she’d passed out at the table, it was only by the slimmest margin that he’d kept himself from bringing Lori to his room and getting into bed with her. It was dangerous to fight his inner warrior, disastrous for the balance within him, but she was human. She wouldn’t understand the powerful nature of the mating ritual. The warrior in him would stop at nothing to claim, to possess her totally as she gave herself over to him. The man understood she would have to be wooed. His soul had little patience for such things. It wanted her, even if she wasn’t immortal. She was his mate. It was only a matter of time before she was his.
Eric had managed to keep himself from stalking into her bedroom, deciding to gorge himself on food until he made himself sick. It had started as a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, growing into a full blown craving as the night drew on. He’d hardly ever felt the need to get up in the wee hours of the morning to eat, but it was as if he’d been drawn into the kitchen. It seemed he was not alone in his restlessness this night.
Lori was here with the scent of her arousal thick in the air. His warrior would not be denied. The golden hue in his eyes flashed, almost burning out all of the purple, another indication that his warrior was in total control. Eric watched Lori move away from him but he’d already seen her next four moves, and he knew he’d have her in three.
“Uh, no…that’s ok…really,” she said looking around quickly, trying to figure a way past him, “I’m not really hungry after all.”
Eric watched her, that dangerous gleam never leaving his eyes, “Maybe not for food, but you hunger for somethin' else, lass. I can smell it. Would you like to hear what it is?”
“No thanks. I think I’ll pass if it’s all the same,” she replied breathlessly and moved another step to the right. She needed to get out of the kitchen; it was getting way too hot in here.
He took two steps around the block closing the gap between them, “But ‘tis not all the same. Not to me. You see, as your host ‘tis my responsibility to fulfill your every desire to the best of my ability.”
“You really don’t have to bother on my account.” Lori took another two steps to the right. She was going to have to go for it.
Eric stopped moving, as if sensing her change in tactic. He crouched down, lowering his stance. His eyes never left hers as he warned her, “You’re not quicker than me, Lori. You will only excite me further by runnin'.”
Her eyes lowered down his body, “I don’t think that’s possible.”
He smiled, “You have no idea.”
“You’re stimulating my fight or flight instinct.”
“You’re stimulatin' somethin’ a hell of a lot more interestin’ than that for me, angel.”
She ran.
He pounced.