“William?”
“Aye.”
She shrugged. “Nothing, at least not tae me,” she said. “But Jordan says I’m never going back. She says I need tae remain here and marry an English knight.”
“Is that what you want?”
She struggled not to grin, lowering her gaze but he swore he could see a flush to her cheeks. “There are those who seem taethinkit is what I want.”
He thought her blush was rather charming and he sat down beside her on the bench, though he was several inches away. It wouldn’t do to get too close to her because, quite honestly, the more he saw of her, the more he liked. She was sweet and delicious and gentle, everything that made a woman irresistible in his eyes. Moreover, she had a figure that he just knew would feel good pressed against him.
With his arms around her…
He shook himself from increasingly passionate thoughts.
“Do I sense lads who need a sound thrashing?” he said, a glimmer of mirth in his eyes. “Tell me immediately, my lady. Who is harassing you?”
Her blush deepened. “They’re not harassing me.”
“Annoying?”
“Nay.”
“Frustrating?”
“Nay.”
She was giggling now and War found himself caught up in a game he rarely played– the art of the gentle flirt.
With a Scots, no less.
“You must tell me who is menacing you,” he demanded, though it was done in fun. “It has been a while since I have beat a man soundly and if I do not have a victim soon, I might do something regretful.”
She covered her mouth because she was giggling so. “Like what?”
He cocked his head thoughtfully. “I might have to harass you,” he said. “And annoy you. And menace you.”
“Ye wouldna!”
“Then tell me immediately who is making demands of you so I have something to focus my appetite to pummel on.”
She burst out laughing. “Appetite to pummel?” she repeated slowly. “God’s Bones, that sounds painful.”
He was enjoying her laughter greatly. “It is,” he said. “Forthem. My lady, you do not seem to understand.”
“What do I not understand?”
A smile spread across his lips as he looked at her. “You saved my life,” he said, suddenly dropping the tone of his voice. “That means I have a debt to repay, any way I can.”
Her hand came away from her mouth. “So that’s why ye want tae champion me? Because ye’ll repay a debt?”
That wasn’t what he wanted her to think, not in the least. The lightness of the conversation transitioned into something else at that moment, something warm and curious. Gone was the jesting.
Attraction had made an obvious appearance.
“Nay,” he said quietly. “That is not why. It is because I want to and any debt, imagined or otherwise, has nothing to do withit. You are a lady worth defending, even by someone as unworthy as me.”
Annaleigh could see the light of warmth in his eyes and it made her heart quiver like nothing she’d ever experienced. She simply didn’t think it was possible that he should think as highly of her as she thought of him, but his words said otherwise.
