Page 18 (1/1)

His eyes were different, shenew in them, a welcome defiance She decided to test it

"I don’t think you should eat anything but old bread in the future," she provoked

"I will eat what I deeer bread"

Her lips ached frohted smile "I don’t think that’s wise," she pushed

"I will eat what I wish!" he snapped

Oh, Aedan, Jane thought lovingly, fighting a mist of joyous tears, well done One tiny crack in the façade, and she had no doubt that a in cracking at an alarun "If you insist," she said rowled "And pass on I feel a deep thirst co on" Centuries of thirst For far et over the pleasure of eating Sun-war corn drenched with freshly churned butter, roasts basted with garlic, baked apples in delicate pastry smothered with cinna sensations! The fragrance of heather on the autumn breeze, the salty rhythmic lick of the ocean when he swaainst his skin Once, when no one had been in the castle, he’d re and stretched naked on the velvet coverlet Pressed his body into the soft ticks Pondered lying there with her, but then he’d caught a rash fros swell up He’d swiftly dressed again and not repeated that indulgence Unfortunately, the rash lingered,itself at odd intervals

There were unpleasant sensations, too: sleeping on the hard, cold floor whilst she curled cozily in the overstuffed bed with the beastie The tension of watching the lass’s ankles and calves as she sauntered about The sickness he felt in his stoown

He’d seen much ed a heavy tub before the fire and proceeded to fill it with pails of stea water and sprinkle it with herbs

He’d not co until she’d been as naked and rosy-bottoht past, and then he’d been too stunned to athered his wits and fled the hall, chased by the lass’s soft derisive snort He’d warred with himself on the newly laid terrace, only to return a quarter hour hence and watch her from the shadows of the doorhere she couldn’t see hi, to stop the thundering of his blood in his veins, he’d watched her soap and rinse every inch of her body

When his hands were tre in odd places, he’d closed his eyes, but the ies had been burned into his brain Thirteen ht re

But with each day that passed, his curiosity about her grew What did she ponder when she sat before the hearth staring into the flae women did? Why did she watch him with that expression on her face? Why did she labor so over her letters? Why did she want him to touch her? What would co question of late, as his thoughts turned less often to his king and s or the hollow ache behind his breastbone:

How long would he be able to resist finding out?

Nine

"What are you writing?" Aedan asked casually, his tone i that he cared not what she replied, or even if she did

Although her heart leapt, Jane pretended to ignore hiles near the hearth in the great hall; she curled near a table and three bright oil globes, he practically inside the hearth atop the blaze He’d been surreptitiously watching her across the space of half a dozen feet for over an hour, and his question was the first direct one he’d asked of her since her arrival at Dun Haakon that didn’t concern castleas if she hadn’t heard him:

He rose fro to the floor His aqua with desire, he ripped the sheaf of papers from her hands and threw the to delve into her very soul "Forget these papers Forget hly "I need you Now" He began to strip, unlacing his linen shirt, tugging it over his head He pressed a finger to her lips when she began to speak "Hush, lass Doona deny ht You are mine, and only mine, for all of ever, then yet another day"