Free Kathleen Kirkwood & Anita Gordon - Heart series by The Defiant Heart Page A

bearing a fluffy knob of wool, and returned to Ailinn long enough to thrust it into her hands. She then snatched up a shallow basket — one Ailinn recognized from yestereve as having held the supper’s fish — and quit the house. Thora’s voice sounded outside as she presumably informed Hakon of her departure.
    The moment drew out. Stillness descended upon the house. Silence.
    Ailinn sank beside the hearth, alert, observant, her ears strained for the slightest sound. She fingered the wool, then absently began to twist the fibers to begin a thread as she glanced about the empty hall. Abruptly Ailinn stayed her hands and dropped her gaze. Thora had provided her no spindle. The Norsewoman never intended that she should work the wool.
    Just then the room darkened as though the sun had escaped behind the clouds and had been momentarily blotted out. Fine hairs raised along the back of Ailinn ’s neck. Her gaze drew to the door to behold Hakon framed within its portal.
    Ailinn ceased to breathe. Hakon ’s eyes smoldered deep in their sockets, two burning coals. She prayed he had come for naught but the ale and would quickly slake his thirst and be gone. Her hopes withered as Hakon stepped inside and passed the barrel, sparing it no interest.
    He came to a halt. Tunic in hand, he wiped the sweat from his bare chest, then threw it to the side-floor. Eyes never leaving her, he continued forward.
    Ailinn rose on watery legs as Hakon uttered something in his Norse tongue and closed the distance.
    “ I do not understand.” Her grip tightened around the distaff, and she edged -backward.
    Again Hakon spoke, these words different, though as incomprehensible as the first.
    “N’ on digná tu. I do not understand. Leave me be!”
    The ankle cuff bit into her flesh as the chain jarred to its end and held fast. Still, she strove to draw back, straining against the bonds, her leg and the linkage stretched tight.
    Hakon bridged the narrow space in an easy stride and clamped iron fingers about her arms. Terror sheared through Ailinn as he hauled her against his rock-hard chest. Frantically she thrashed and pitched within his hold but gained no advantage. A slim hope glimmered — a single word. Yet, as the name of her grizzled protector rose in her throat and reached her lips, it was crushed beneath Hakon’s bruising mouth.
    Ailinn cried against the assault, her pleas stifled beneat h his ravaging kiss. Desperate, she angled the distaff and stabbed for his side.
    Hakon snarled and wrenched back as the stick caught him low across the waist. Knocking the piece from her hands, he thrust Ailinn to the floor, then dropped to cover her. But she rolled from under him and clambered to gain the side-floor. Hakon aided her efforts as he grasped her about the waist and tossed her up onto fur throws.
    Pain tore at Ailinn’s leg as the chain jolted against its limits once more. In the skip of a heartbeat Hakon flung himself atop her. Pinning her arms, he pressed her into the pelts. She felt the hard length of his ravenous passion as he ground his hips against her.
    Yanking at the folds of her skirt, he bared her leg and swept his roughened hand upward over thigh and hip to capture her buttock. Forcing her against him, Hakon seized her lips in a brutal kiss.
    Ailinn writhed beneath him, each breath hard won, the air pressed from her lungs. Just when she feared she might suffocate, he shifted. Grasping the fullness of her breast, he coarsely caressed her. Ardor blazed in his eyes. Impatient, Hakon fisted the gown’s neckline and tore it free.
    Crippling fear overtook Ailinn as the fabric r ipped. The sound of it filled her ears, then changed and swelled in volume to an earsplitting roar. Just as cool air touched her breast, Hakon’s weight abruptly left her. He catapulted backward by an unseen force, and Ailinn next found herself staring up through open space at the rafters.
    Twisting, she caught sight of Skallagrim as he hurled Hakon across the