Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
His body stiffened.
“My touch causes you discomfort?” she asked, though did not move her hand away, liking the silky feel of him.
“Nay, the opposite. It brings me immense pleasure.”
“This is good,” she said, instinctively stroking him, “for it is amazing how your shaft can feel so hard, so powerful, and yet so soft to the touch.”
“Your touch very much pleases me, but I fear if you continue to stroke me this night will end much quicker than I had hoped.”
She turned innocent eyes on him. “But I wish to touch all of you to see not only how it makes you feel but how it makes me feel as well.”
Torin groaned, realizing this night was going to be far different than he expected and far more satisfying than he expected as long as he could keep control of his incessantly throbbing shaft to enjoy it.
He captured the back of her neck in a gentle grip and brought his lips down on hers to kiss her into submission, though it was not necessary since she responded with a demand of her own.
He ripped his mouth off hers breathless when the kiss demanded more, and he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bed.
An agonizing moan ripped through the room halting his steps and he hurried his wife to her feet and shoved her behind him expecting to see someone come through the door. No one did and when he turned, it was to see his wife hurrying to snatch up her garments.
“We must hunt the sound down and see where it came from,” she said, slipping her shift over her head.
Torin cursed the ghost ten times over as he dropped his shirt over his head and quickly wrapped his plaid around him before yanking on his boots.
“Your shoes and wool tunic, the keep is cold,” he ordered.
She nodded and hurried to do as he said then hurried to the door, her husband grabbing her arm and stopping her.
“You will stay behind me and do as I say or I will remove you from the keep. Is that clear, wife?” he asked, seeing how eager she was to investigate and not trusting what her curiosity might get her into.
The moan came again.
“We must hurry. The ghostly sound is fading,” she urged.
“When we find him, I am going to make sure he stays dead,” Torin said, angry that the ghost had interrupted the night with his wife.
“Perhaps that is why he moans, he wishes to go where death refuses to take him,” Flora said and pulled her arm free of her husband’s grasp and headed for the door.
Torin shook his head intending for the ghost to feel his wrath and grabbed his sword before leaving the room.
Flora stood still outside the bedchamber door, listening. “It is coming from above,” she said when her husband joined her. “I have not explored that area yet. What is up there?”
“My mum’s solar and the bedchamber I once occupied.”
“Anything beyond that?” she asked, and he hesitated to respond. “What is it?”
“The tower room but it was sealed off,” —he thought a moment— “My great-grandfather had it sealed off, but I do not know why.”
Flora headed for the stairs, Torin shaking his head and stopping her with a hasty grab of her arm before she could put her foot on the first step.
“Remain behind me,” he reminded firmly.
The moan came again but not as loudly.
“Aye, but hurry,” she urged, stepping aside.
Torin grabbed a torch from a sconce nearest to him and issued his wife orders before taking another step. “Stay close to me.”
It was then Flora spotted the sword. “Your weapon will do no good against a ghost.”
“Aye, but it will if the ghost proves to be of flesh and blood.”
Torin took the stairs cautiously not knowing what to expect around each curve and annoyed with himself for not even thinking that he should have ordered his wife to remain safe in their bedchamber. Or would she be? He had no idea of what was causing the strange sound in the keep and it was better he kept his wife with him than left her on her own. She would somehow manage to get into trouble.
When they reached the next landing, they heard the moan once again.
Torin had never explored the sound when it happened. He had been too busy seeing that people got safely out of the keep. And after a while, he simply had let the ghost lay claim. Now, however, he would tolerate no more and that was thanks to his wife and her tenacity.
“It still sounds like it is coming from above,” Flora said.
“You are cold,” Torin said, seeing his wife shiver.
“It grows colder as we go up,” she explained but paid it no mind. “Let’s have a look in the room to make sure nothing is there.” A quick glance proved no one hid there. “I will have it cleaned and life brought back to it.”