Ensnared (Knights of Brethren #3)(21)
Now she sat quietly in a chair by the hearth, her eyes closed. I’d explained she didn’t need to stay, that she could go to bed as she usually did while I finished the evening routine with the two girls. But she’d insisted on being present in the room when Gunnar was there.
“I can tell you a tale.” I brushed back the pale strands of Rena’s hair.
“We’ve heard all your stories already.” Riki stuck out her lip petulantly. At six, she was developing a stubbornness that I prayed I could yet curb.
“Then perhaps you can tell one to me tonight?”
Riki hesitated, but before she could give me an answer, the door swung open, and Gunnar stepped in, brightening the room immediately with his confidence and charm. His grin, his swagger, and his debonair garments only added to his attractiveness.
As Riki and Rena sat up, they watched him with an awe and excitement that reflected mine.
“How are all my favorite girls?” Gunnar’s gaze landed upon the two in bed first before hopping to me then Nanna, who was now sitting forward, eyes open and smiling at the boy she’d raised.
Gunnar strode directly to Nanna, holding something behind his back. “I have something for you.”
She sat forward. “I don’t need anything but your sweet presence, Gunnar-boy.”
He removed one hand and held out a small bowl filled to the brim with rich custard and drizzled with a purple sauce.
I gasped at the beauty of the sight.
Before Nanna could protest, Gunnar placed the bowl in her lap. “For you.”
Then he turned his attention upon me and pulled his other hand out from behind his back to reveal a dish identical to the first.
I couldn’t contain a second gasp or the delight that rushed through me. Riki and Rena mimicked my gasp, peering at Gunnar with an adoration that would have made me laugh if I hadn’t been so stunned.
He wasted no time in crossing to the bed and delivering the second bowl to me. “And this is for you.”
For me? Surely not. The mound of fluffy cream topped with what appeared to be a sugary plum sauce was the kind of food served to nobility and royalty, not a poor bondservant like me. “How? Where? I can’t—”
“Torvald and I had no appetite for the dessert.” Gunnar looked from Nanna to me, his happiness contagious. “I wanted you both to have them.”
He fumbled in his doublet pocket before pulling out two spoons.
“This is very generous of you, Gunnar-boy.” Nanna accepted the spoon but hesitated to put it in.
When Gunnar distributed the spoon to me, I had no such hesitations. I delved in and scooped up a mound into my mouth. As the delicacy flowed over my tongue, I closed my eyes and released a half-sigh, half-groan of pleasure.
I savored the soft texture, the tartness of the sauce, and the sweetness of the custard. When the bite melted and was gone, I opened my eyes to find Gunnar watching me with such stark wanting that my stomach did a strange and unexpected flip.
I slowly removed the spoon from my mouth and dipped it into the custard with more reservation this time. All the while, Gunnar watched my lips, causing my insides to somersault several more times.
“We’ve been waiting for a story, Uncle Gunnar.” Riki kicked off her covers and started to scoot over, dragging Rena to make room for Gunnar next to them.
Gunnar finally tore his attention from me and glanced at the little girls as if he’d forgotten they were in the room. “Story?”
“Yes, for bedtime.” Riki patted the spot beside her.
“Methinks we have all the entertainment we need watching Mikaela eat her custard.”
Spoon in my mouth, I sucked every morsel from the second bite and held back another groan. I was making a spectacle of myself, but I didn’t care. I’d never had such a treat before, and I wanted to relish every second of it.
Nanna cleared her throat loudly. She glanced between Gunnar and me, lines grooved into her forehead.
The look seemed to act like a prod to Gunnar’s backside, and he stepped up to the bed. “I promised a story, and a story I shall deliver.”
I stood, fighting the desire to crawl in next to my charges and let Gunnar tell me a tale too.
“Is that a good idea, Gunnar-boy?” Nanna had yet to take a bite of her custard.
I was nearly face to face with Gunnar.
His gaze affixed upon the spoon trapped between my lips. “I promise I won’t stay long. My story is short.” A smoldering in his eyes made my breath snag. What was this happening between us? Was he thinking about my lips? About kissing me? Surely not.
“Let’s make it very short.” Nanna’s voice was thin with worry.
It was becoming clearer by the second that Nanna didn’t want Gunnar in the room. Was that why she’d waited here with me? So she could chase him away as quickly as possible?
My spine stiffened with the need to show her that we had nothing to fear from Gunnar, that he was a blessing to us. But I respected Nanna too much to defy her in any way.
I ducked my head and skirted around Gunnar.
“The story is for you, too, Mikaela.” His tone was tinged with teasing, as though he sensed my inner conflict and knew I was putting distance between us. “It’s about a daring knight who came upon a beautiful huldra in the forest.”
Was he insinuating that he was the knight and I the woodland fairy? I didn’t dare turn around and subject myself to any more of his charm and read an ulterior meaning in his expression. My heart was already beating too fast. If I looked at him again with his winsome smile and beckoning eyes, the pace of my heartbeat would surely send me into a faint.