Chapter Seventy-nine

Enid woke gasping, her hands reaching to clutch at the arm wrapped around her shoulders, each one of her racing heartbeats sending a new wave of burning heat up from the pit of her stomach. Ivar laughed, a soft, low laugh that rumbled against her as he held her closer, and then he turned her around, lying her on her back, his lips pressed against hers, somehow so soft, somehow so fierce and strong all at once. Enid gasped again when he finally let her go, her chest heaving and her cheeks hot and burning. His eyes shone in the dim candlelight, piercing and blazing as he looked down at her, and then his hands reached, tugging at his trousers and lifting her skirts.

"No, Ivar, wait…" she whispered, but that was all she could say before those lips crashed into hers again, his fingers in her hair, pulling and holding her so tightly.

"I know, Enid," he whispered.

"I can't, Ivar. It's a sin."

"It doesn't matter," Ivar said, his eyes suddenly sharp, suddenly pinning her in place. "None of that matters," he said, his voice soft yet stern. "You and I are fated to be together. I know that better than I know you're there in front of me now. And whether your God sends you to Heaven or Hell, I'll come and get you myself. I'll come with all the warriors from Odin's hall and I'll take you and bring you home to Valhalla, and you'll stay there with me until the gods die and the world ends, so let me love you, Enid, let me show you…"

She stared up at him, her cheeks flush, her breath hitching in her chest, and then he slid into her, but this time he was the one to gasp as he buried his face into her neck and moaned. Enid felt that burning, felt her cheeks growing hotter, something inside her melting as he pressed deeper and deeper inside her, but when he moved there was something sharp, something that sliced and cut through that sweet heat and had tears springing to her eyes.

"Ivar…" she whispered.

"I know," he breathed, holding her tighter and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "It'll get better," he whispered, grabbing the back of her head and lifting her lips to his neck. "Bite, Enid, I'll share your pain. I promise it's the last time you'll feel it."

She felt his skin against her lips and for a moment she couldn't do it, for a moment she didn't want to hurt him, but then she felt that slice, that terrible mixture of heat and pain and she bit down hard. Ivar grunted against her shoulder, sending a big burst of hot air all down her back and holding her tighter, and then she tasted blood, thick and like iron, but somehow so warm, somehow so sweet. A few thrusts later and he shuddered, letting out a deep, low rumble from his lips that tickled the skin on her neck, and then he kissed her so softly, his fingers trailing through her hair and smoothing her cheeks as he smiled at her. She kissed him back, her heart still racing, then only that heat building in her stomach as she felt him inside her, and when she woke, her skin was sticky and glistening, her hands clutching at the pillows under her head as she gasped. Ivar lifted the furs off of them, his finger still inside her, his eyes flicking to look at her one more time before that tongue dove for her again.

"Wait!" Enid breathed, and he stopped, those sky-blue eyes back on her face and his hand gripping her thigh.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, and Enid stared at him, not knowing what to say, not knowing if that tingling in her stomach was pain or just that heat again, and then she shook her head. He smiled at her, leaning to kiss at her thighs, his beard tickling her skin and making her shiver as he knelt, his hands reaching for his trousers and pulling her closer, and then Enid wanted to tell him to wait again, but suddenly she had no voice. So slowly he slid into her, his eyes never leaving her face as he held onto her hips. "Does it hurt?"

Enid shook her head, not trusting her voice, not knowing if she could do anything else but gasp and moan. So gently he moved, waiting to watch, his eyebrows raising as their eyes met, and then Enid shook her head again, feeling only that heat and nothing that sliced or cut, and his every move left her breathless. He leaned for her, wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and pressing into her deeper and faster, making her skin burn, her breath come out short, loud stutters as he moved quicker and quicker, each meeting of their bodies feeding that fire in her stomach until all she could do was close her eyes and moan.

She wasn't ready for that heat to burst. It came to her so quickly, leaving her gasping, leaving her face scrunching up in a wince and her mouth gaping as he held her tighter and tighter. So long he kept her floating there, drifting on that sweet, warm wave until his shoulders went stiff and his breathing heavy as he grunted in her ear, and Enid could feel it this time, like there was a sudden weight deep down in her stomach that left her throbbing and aching, small, hot aches as he pulled out of her. He laid down beside her, his chest heaving, his fingers trailing all the way up from the tops of her thighs to her cheeks and they both smiled, soft smiles as he kissed her, soft smiles that lingered on their faces as they held onto each other and sighed.