Do you trust me?

Rhiannon stared up at Baudwin's handsome face, mulling the words over. She'd trusted very few people in her life, and those she had turned out to be the wrong ones. And yet... She trusted him. Without a doubt, she knew he would never hurt her. At least not intentionally.

When she nodded, he let out a breath. What did he want? The possibilities both enticed and terrified her.

"What did you have in mind?"

He cupped her face between his hands, a small smile playing on his lips. "Well... I was hoping you'd let me take care of you."

She frowned. "Meaning?"

"Everyone deserves to let go once in a while." His thumb slowly caressed her cheek as he spoke, making her skin tingle. "I know you prefer to be in charge, but I would like to pleasure you, without you having to do anything."

"I'm not sure..." It did sound inviting, but she'd never allowed anyone such control over her, and she wasn't sure she could.

"You might find that you enjoy it." A dark twinkle in his eyes made her insides flutter. "You will still be in complete control. A single word from you, and I will stop whatever I'm doing."

When she didn't immediately answer, he let go of her and walked towards the imposing four-poster bed that dominated the room. Her husband truly was a fine specimen of a man. Broad-shouldered with a flat, muscular chest covered with a dark dusting of hair. The tantalising trail travelling from his bellybutton and into the breeches caught her eyes, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. As if he knew the effect he had on her, Baudwin grinned while his hands moved to the towel wrapped around his waist.

"All right," she heard herself say. "I'll try. What do you need me to do?"

A slow, wicked smile spread over his face and it was surprising her legs didn't buckle from the spear of excitement that shot through her. Excitement mixed with a small amount of trepidation. But she trusted him. Trusted that he would stop if she asked him to.

"Take your clothes off and lie down in bed," he ordered her.

Happy that she was wearing a dress she could remove herself, she quickly divested herself of her clothes and got into bed. It didn't escape her notice that Baudwin watched her every move, and she smiled inwardly, loving the fact that he was so spellbound by her. Lying in the middle of the big bed, the chilly autumn afternoon air made her skin break out in goosebumps. Or it might have been the look on her husband's face as he removed his towel and joined her.

Any hesitation she felt vanished when Baudwin's mouth covered hers for a slow, drugging kiss that made her insides melt. When he hoisted himself above her, she felt a stab of panic at being trapped between him and the bed, but looking into his eyes her gut reaction to flee subsided. He waited, as if to make sure she was all right, and she nodded jerkily to let him know she was. With a twitch at the corners of his mouth, he bent his head and captured one of her nipples between his teeth, making her gasp as pleasure rushed through her.

Threading her fingers through his chestnut-brown hair, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to give in to the pleasure every touch evoked. When he moved to the other breast, the newly abandoned nipple hardened almost painfully when the damp skin met the cool air, the contrast to his hot mouth palpable. As he alternated licks, nips and sucking, rivulets of pleasure lapped at her like waves at the beach, and while his imposing body above hers should have made her panic, it made her feel safe instead. Safe. And loved.

Coming back up to give her another slow, sensual kiss, he gently pushed her arms up above her head. He didn't trap them, but she knew he wanted her to keep them there, so she did, curious what his plan was. Smiling when he noticed her compliance, he sat back, kneeling between her legs, and placed his hands on her knees. She swallowed. He looked very sexy right there with a wicked smile playing at the corners of his mouth and his hair an unruly mess.

Slowly, he slid his hands down her legs to her hips, and she felt a stab of disappointment as they returned to her knees. The next foray was a tantalising tickle of his fingertips against the insides of her thighs, making her bite her lower lip as her skin tingled from the sensation.

When he didn't reverse this time, but continued on to where she craved his touch, she couldn't hold back a low moan. With his smile blooming from her reaction, Baudwin gently caressed her, fuelling her desire as she writhed beneath him. She gasped when he lowered his head to place a soft kiss on the inside of her knee, then followed the same path his fingers had just taken.

Tensing for a moment, she stared down at him as he kissed a trail down the inside of her thigh. This was not something she had ever allowed anyone to do to her. It was such an intimate act, and required full abandon, something she had always struggled with. But she trusted him, and any inhibitions she might have had vaporised the moment his mouth touched her. Closing her eyes again, she grabbed fistfuls of the bedsheets as his tongue slowly stroked her intimately, finishing with a teasing flick at her most sensitive part.

His arms wrapped around her thighs with his hands on her hips, holding her in place without restraining her, while he continued his sensual assault, building up her pleasure slowly, but surely. The world could come crashing down around them at any moment, but right then, all she cared about was the sensations his touch evoked. Warmth spread through her every limb, like being soaked by a warm summer rain, any tension or fear washing away under his touch.

The heat converged in a very specific spot, and she desperately wanted his attention focused there, but he wickedly took his time, stoking her desire more and more, until she wasn't sure where she ended and he began. When she couldn't take it any longer, she grabbed fistfuls of his hair and guided his mouth to the spot that craved his undivided attention. Never slow on the uptake, Baudwin immediately followed her directions.

Rhiannon moaned, his lips and tongue making her feel as if caught in a summer storm, and her hips bucked, making him tighten his grip slightly to keep her still. It should have made her panic, but she was too lost in the pleasure to do so. Keeping one arm around her hips, he seemed to sense her urgency and slid a finger inside of her, stroking her while his tongue lapped at the apex of her desire. The action made her world burst into a million pieces as waves of pleasure washed over her. But instead of releasing her, Baudwin prolonged the waves by gently riding them out with her, his mouth still on her, until she could no longer take it and gently pushed him away, her body heavy and languid.

He placed a soft kiss on the inside of her thigh before lying down next to her and gathered her in his arms. Satisfied and tired, her limbs feeling weak, she nestled into his chest, the hair tickling her nose.

"How was that?" he asked with his mouth against the hair at the top of her head.

"Amazing," she murmured. "It was not something I'd ever done before, but with you I felt safe enough to let go."

She could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, "I'm glad."

Tilting her head back so she could look at him, she lifted a hand to touch his short beard. "But what about you?"

He chuckled. "I can wait."

The chuckle stuck in his throat as she slid a hand down and grabbed the part of him that seemed less keen to delay. Stroking him, she smiled teasingly. "If you prefer to wait," she said, trying to sound non-committing. "But I'm ready if you are."

With a growl, he pulled her closer for a passionate kiss, his mouth urgent on hers. Smiling against his lips, she slid her arms around his shoulders. She wasn't stupid. It wasn't as if he would ever have said he preferred to wait. But she wanted this as much as he did. Maybe more. While he had satisfied her perfectly with his mouth, she wanted all of him for as long as she could. With Ailla growing more restless about finding the Godstone, and the threats of open rebellion from her stepfather, she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay and keep them both safe. So, for now, she wanted as much of him as she could have.

When she rolled onto her back with Baudwin hovering above her, there was only the barest hint of panic for a moment, quickly expelled by their heated kisses. The desperation in her touch seemed somehow mirrored in his, but probably for far different reasons. Their touches urgent and their breathing laboured, it was not long before she felt Baudwin enter her in a long stroke, and her world felt complete. In that moment, there was no threat to their lives. No enemies to hide from. There was only them.

Her.

And him.

The man she loved.

~~~~~~