A Knight for Loving

by Ellen Margret

Sir Robert Hardford had always loved Leonora. When she disappeared with her brothers it left him devastated. When they returned and accused him of crippling the younger brother, he was astonished. He convinces Leonora of his innocence, and their love is rekindled. However, Sir Morven stands between them and happiness.

Excerpt

“Robert, why do you look at me so?”

He tore his eyes away from her cleavage and deliberately stared at the floor. Then she suddenly touched his arm with her hand.

“I think you are a wonderful man. Perhaps you are the most wonderful man in the world.”

He forced himself to keep looking at the floor. “Oh, there are better men than me, methinks. Now, I think I should leave you alone. I merely wished to see how you were.”

“That is because you are kind and thoughtful. You just called me, your lady.”

“I am sorry, I shall nay do it again.”

“But, I liked the sound of it. I like you, Robert. We used to be so close when we were younger.”

He sighed. “Aye, we were close.” He looked at her hand as she squeezed his, far larger, hand.

“Stop looking down. Look up into my eyes.”

“Nay.”

“Why not? Are they so horrible?”

He looked into her eyes then. “God, nay, they are beautiful. I told you that years ago but you thought I was teasing you.”

She smiled. “You are good and kind. Morven is bad and cruel. Robert, I want you to undo the harm that he has done to me. I want you to erase him from my mind and body. Will you do that for me?”

His brows drew together. “Leonora, what are you asking me to do?”

“I am asking you to love me. I want you to couple with me.”

His jaw almost dropped to the floor. “I can nay do that to you. You are sick and vulnerable. What sort of a man would that make me?”

“I am not sick. I am just a little bruised. I beg you, do this for me. Robert, do you care for me?”

“Aye, I care greatly about you.”

“Good, because I care for you too.”

She put her arms around his neck and her, partially exposed, breasts pressed against his chest. She was the most adorable creature and he desired her so much, but he knew he should not take her.

“Love me tonight. Your love will be the balm to my bruised body and battered soul. Come the morn, I shall be healed and I shall shed no more tears.”

“But, Leonora.”

“I prefer Leona.” She pressed her fingers to his lips. “No buts, Robert. I need this from you. Please, do not let me down.  I want you to couple with me, and I want you to love me.”

Robert was torn between his conscience and his heated desire for Leonora. For a long while, he just stared into her eyes, but then she moistened her finger with her tongue and ran it over his lips. That tiny little action was so sensual.

“Your lips look so much harder than they really are. They are soft to touch. Robert, will you kiss me?”

He swallowed. “Can you not see that this is wrong? You will hate me if I do this, and the last thing I want is for you to hate me again.”

“That is nonsense. I shall not hate you. Truly, I shall thank you, and I ask only that you do it once.”

“You ask too much for I...” His words dried up as she suddenly knelt up in bed and pulled her night-shift over her head.

Robert felt his throat go dry as he stared at Leonora’s naked body. Her breasts were enticingly large whilst her waist was slim and her belly flat. He frowned at the assortment of bruises, wishing again that he had been able to kill Morven.

Her face fell. “Oh, dear, you do not like what you see.”

Shaking his head, he reached out with his right hand and gently stroked the purple tissue on her belly. “He hurt you, Leona. I wish him eternal damnation for that.” She placed her hand on top of his hand and smiled.

“Robert, my flesh will heal faster than my mind, methinks, but you can aid my recovery by loving me.”

“I may hurt you. God, you are covered in bruises.” He ran his left hand over her breasts. “He even hit you here.”

“Your touch takes away the pain.”

“You should never have to feel pain.”

“Pain is a part of life. A woman feels pain when she pushes a child from her womb. Sometimes, ‘tis necessary.”

“That was nay necessary,” Robert said, staring at the worst of the bruising on her belly. “Morven is a sadistic bully who needs punishing.” She leant forward and kissed him on the lips. His restraint was crumbling rapidly to dust.

“I caused you awful pain. I stabbed you with a very dirty sword.”

“Aye, you did, but I forgive you.”

“Will you show me your wound? I wish to see if ‘tis healing well.”

Robert stood and tugged his shirt over his head. Staring at his torso, Leonora got off the bed and stood before him. Her hands began to stroke the powerful muscles of his chest. “I thought you wished to look at my wound.”

“Nay, I just wanted to see you without a shirt on. ‘Twas a ploy, and it worked.”

He chuckled. “What a conniving woman you are.”

“I can be, when I want something, and I want you.

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