Bryan waited for her to reply. He could see the surprise on her face when he asked her if she wanted to stop. Katrina was a beautiful woman who deserved better than him. As the Queen’s lady, she had spent her days surrounded by men who could provide her with a home and servants. Bryan could give her a home, he would protect her and Arthur with his life, but she could have so much more.

When Katrina slid from his lap, he put his head down and realized she had chosen to stop. The wave of disappointment that hit him would have knocked him off his feet if he were standing. When he felt her hand slide into his and tug gently, he looked up at her and saw a faint blush on her cheeks as she smiled down at him.

“Are you sure, lass?” Bryan asked, almost afraid of what she would say.

Katrina nodded, biting her lip, and he stood up then bent down to carry her to the bedroom. He knew that they would have to be quiet since Arthur was sleeping in the room, but he didn’t care. He had thought about her naked and under him almost every night since she had awakened from her fever. When he put her down, he reached up to undo the laces in the front of her gown before stepping behind her to undo the string back there.

With her dress loosened, he watched as she shrugged letting the dress fall from her body and pool around her feet. He noticed how she stiffened a bit and he smiled while kissing her shoulder. “You are beautiful.”

Katrina glanced over her shoulder at him, the gold in her brown eyes reflecting the light from the fire. Bryan turned her in his arms, brushing his lips back and forth across hers. When he felt her relax, he tried to give her a reassuring smile. Even though she responded to his kiss, he could tell she had little to no experience, and he wanted to make sure that even though there would be some discomfort the first time, she would still find pleasure.

“If you ever want to stop––” he started to say when she silenced him with a kiss.

Katrina wrapped her arms around him and a moan escaped when he felt her tongue come out and touch his lips. She was taking control and Bryan loved her boldness mixed with innocence. Her tongue tentatively entered his mouth and slid across his tongue causing him to tighten his hold on her. His tongue dueled with hers and he let her set the pace, pushing when she thrust. When she broke the kiss, he moaned and she smiled, a pretty blush staining her cheeks.

“I trust you, always,” she whispered against his lips.

With that she took a step back, and he watched as she slowly removed the rest of her clothes. He noticed how Katrina kept her eyes averted and never looked at him and as soon as she was naked she quickly slid into the bed, pulling the blankets up to cover herself.

One day, hopefully soon, he wished to enjoy the sight of her naked body by the firelight, but right now he would just take advantage of being able to touch her. While kicking off his leather boots, he pulled his shirt up and over his head and tossed it to the side then reached up to undo the tie on his pants.

Not wanting to embarrass her, he quickly removed his pants, but before he could get into bed, he happened to see Katrina staring at his groin with a look of curiosity. He could feel himself getting harder under her widened gaze, and she released a small gasp of surprise while her cheeks reddened even more.

Bryan got in bed. Going under the covers, he bit his lip to keep from smiling. He noticed how her eyes had widened and her muscles tensed. She reminded him of a frightened deer about to dash. Brushing her hair back from her face, he leaned over and kissed her. He kept it light, waiting for her to relax before deepening it. When he heard her soft moan, and felt her lips part under his, he deepened the kiss. When she moved closer to him, he felt he’d won a small victory.

Once she was totally relaxed against him, he pushed her onto her back. Bryan slid his hand from her shoulder to cup her breast, brushing his thumb back and forth against the sensitive nub, which hardened against his touch. When she arched her back, he released her lips and bent his head to suck on her nipple.

Katrina cried out and he felt her hands slide into his hair. Despite the fact that he could feel her body still tense under him, she responded to his touch with a passion that made him want to please her more.

Bryan teased each of her breasts until her body was squirming under his. He pulled back to look down at her. Katrina’s face was flushed, her eyes closed, and her lips swelled from his kisses. “Beautiful,” he whispered.

When she opened her eyes and met his, he saw that they had darkened with desire. Bryan tentatively rocked his hips, his cock sliding between her folds, teasing her as he rubbed on her. “Bryan,” she whispered, as her hips moved against him.

He bent down and nuzzled her cheek as he continued to rock against her enjoying the sensations when she moved back against him. “Do you want me to stop, lass?”

Her breath came out in small pants and she shook her head while whispering, “No. Don’t stop.”

Taking it slow was killing him, but he knew if he rushed it tonight, he would hurt her. Katrina trusted him, and he was determined to make sure she enjoyed her first time. Bryan slid one hand from her breast, down the rounded curve of her stomach, past the dark curls that covered all her secrets and slid his finger between her folds.

Bryan felt Katrina’s thighs tighten at first touch. “Relax for me. Open for me,” he whispered against her neck.

She nodded and he grinned and felt her tighten more when he brushed the hard nub at the top of her core. Up and down, he stroked slowly, deepening the pressure until he felt Katrina’s muscles relax and her legs part giving him better access to all of her bodily secrets.

Bryan claimed her mouth with a kiss, thrusting his tongue as he pushed his finger into her. His mouth swallowed her soft cry and he felt her pull back, her legs tightening on his hips. He waited for her to adjust to the intrusion, before he began to move his finger slowly in and out of her, mimicking the action of his tongue as he kissed her.

When Katrina started to move her hips, he slowly inserted a second finger. Stretching her and getting her ready for his body, as he kissed her. His cock was painfully hard, and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her.

Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her, and when he withdrew his fingers from her core, he couldn’t help but feel the swell of male pride as she whimpered in protest. Bryan positioned the head of his cock at her entrance. When she blinked open her eyes, he brushed the hair from her face. “Bryan…” she whispered his name curiously as if wondering why he waited.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as he pushed into her. Her body was so tight, and it felt like her muscles were contracting around him in protest. When he felt the barrier of her innocence give, he heard her cry of pain and felt her nails dig into his back.

Once he was deep inside her, he held still, waiting for her to adjust to his size. He could feel beads of sweat forming along his body, as his muscles began to shake. When he felt her move slightly under him causing him to slide deeper into her, he groaned wondering if it was possible to die from holding back.

Katrina moved under him again, but this time she didn’t feel the same searing pain as before but instead felt a stirring. She moved again and felt a pleasurable sensation that caused her to moan in pleasure.

Katrina looked up at Bryan and noticed the fine shine of sweat and the way his jaw was set so tight. She moved again, his growl vibrating along her chest as he watched her. “Are you okay?” he asked between gritted teeth.

She nodded, moving again. “Bryan, is there more?” she asked feeling oddly unsatisfied and wishing they could go back to the kissing part.

Bryan smiled down at her and he pulled out before pushing back in. This time the feeling was pleasant and that sensation she felt earlier started to stir. “So much more, lass.”

With that, he kissed her again as his hips kept a slow pace of pulling out before thrusting back in. Katrina moaned as her pleasure began to build again. His movement started slow, and she found herself wanting more. Unable to catch her breath she broke the kiss holding on to his shoulders. “Bryan,” she panted.

His hand slid from her hip to her breast where he gently cupped it, teasing it with his fingers pinching it, rolling it between his fingers causing a stirring sensation from her breast to her core. Each tug, each flick, causing her pleasure to build.

When she felt her world stop, the pleasure rising to the point of almost being painful, she heard Bryan whisper in her ear, “Let go, Katrina, I’ve got you.”

Katrina didn’t understand what he meant, but the next thing she knew a wave of pleasure seemed to explode, and she screamed into the crook of his neck. The sound muffled so she wouldn’t wake the baby. Wave after delicious wave rolled through her. When she heard his grunt and felt his hard thrust inside her, she wondered if he felt as good as she did. She also wondered why no one had ever told her that it would be so pleasurable.

When they both finally caught their breath, she felt Bryan shift and whimper as he slipped from her. She cupped his cheek and he looked down at her and said, “Did I hurt you?”

He raised an eyebrow when she said no, so she shook her head and admitted, “Only for a moment.”

Katrina reached up and pushed his hair back behind his shoulder. She was touched by his obvious concern. “I promise I’m okay.”

Bryan nodded, giving her a gentle kiss before moving off the bed. She missed his heat when he left and watched as he grabbed a cloth, wetting it with water that was in the basin. She watched as he approached the bed.

Katrina felt her cheeks heat up when she realized what he was planning. As he moved the furs away from her, he began to gently clean between her thighs. He cleaned himself up before joining her back in the bed.

Bryan reached out and put an arm around her, pulling her close and forcing her to lie on his chest. Katrina kept her head down, sighing when she felt his thumb brush back and forth across her cheek. She looked up at him and felt her heart do a small jump at the way he looked at her.

“You and Arthur are going to stay with me,” Bryan finally said, breaking the silence.

Katrina was stunned by his words. She had thought about going back to her home country but knew she would probably never make it to the port with all of Morgana’s men out there. Bryan raised an eyebrow and she realized he was still waiting for her to agree.

“We will put you in danger,” Katrina said, feeling guilty because she knew if he pushed she would stay.

Bryan made a snort giving her a look that said he was obviously not scared, “You’ll stay. I’ll keep you both safe.”

His tone was firm, and she blushed, nodding. “We’ll stay with you.”

Bryan nodded, and he reached, up sliding his finger along her jaw whispering, “You should sleep now.”

Katrina giggled as she put her head down on his chest. When she closed her eyes, she found all the excitement and events from the day catching up to her. The sound of his strong heartbeat and the feel of his hand stroking up and down her back, lulled her into a deep sleep.

As she stretched awake, Katrina felt a tightening between her thighs reminding her of the night before. She opened her eyes, surprised to find the bed empty next to her. The amount of light coming in from the window let her know she had slept in later than usual. Surprised that Arthur had let her sleep in, she got up from the bed to check on him.

Not finding Arthur in his bed she listened, smiling when she heard Arthur making cooing noises from the living room. Getting dressed quickly, she used the brush on Bryan’s chest. Katrina left her hair down, using a leather strand to tie it back.

Before she stepped from the room, she blushed thinking about what they’d done last night. She had given herself to him. Afterwards, he had told her he wanted her to stay with them. Bryan never mentioned love or wanting to marry her. Maybe he meant to keep her as his mistress.

The idea that he wanted her just as a mistress made her a bit sad. The dye had already been cast he had already taken her body and Katrina realized that she was falling in love with him. Bryan not only rescued her but was also kind enough to take care of a newborn baby and nurse her back to health. Not to mention that he had rescued and raised wolves. She had no idea what the future held, but she knew Bryan would take care of her. She had trusted him with her body.

She stepped from the room and walked into the living room, smiling when she found Bryan sitting in the chair holding Arthur to his chest, feeding him from the bladder. With Bryan so big the baby looked tiny in his arms. Where Katrina grew up, men very rarely took the time to hold their babies, so watching Bryan do it with such ease had often surprised her.

When Bryan caught her watching him, she smiled, her cheeks heating up and she knew she was blushing. He gave her a wink that made her heart flutter in her chest before he spoke up. “I thought I would let you sleep this morning and take care of him.”

Katrina took the few steps to him and saw Arthur eating happily in his arms. Arthur must have sensed her watching him. Katrina knew she was doing what her friend would want, keeping her son safe. But she couldn’t help but feel guilty when she realized her friend might be dead and might never be able to see her son, watch him grow, or hear him call her mama.

She didn’t even realize she had shed a tear for her friend until she heard Bryan say, “Are you thinking about his family?”

Katrina nodded, reaching down and tracing his cheek with her finger. “I grew up with the Queen. We were best friends and now I don’t even know if she’s alive or not. The King’s thought to be dead and I have her son, who’s being hunted by both Morgana and his uncle. Both will have him killed the moment they find him.”

She watched as Bryan looked down at Arthur, “Well lass, we’ll just have to make sure they never find him. We’ll keep him safe.”

She believed him. He would keep Arthur safe and protect her from whatever came their way. On impulse, she bent down and brushed her lips against his. When she stood up straight, she noticed how his eyes had darkened with desire causing a small shudder to run down her spine.