Ibernia was terrified. Not only was Rowan going to take his pleasure with her, but he intended to take days at the task. She did not know how she would survive—indeed, what intimacy she had endured had lasted but moments and left her in pain for a long time afterward.
If he were as thorough as he threatened, she might never walk in comfort again. All the same, Ibernia knew that whatever Rowan demanded of her, ’twould be small in comparison with whatever Baldassare believed his due.
She would not question her faith in that, though she hoped hers was not some misguided optimism.
Or impulsiveness. She closed her eyes and cursed impulsiveness soundly.
Rowan had already discarded his hauberk, the clatter of its fall to the floor making Ibernia jump. She watched through her lashes as he shed
