She cocked her head thoughtfully. “I’ve seen many a man succumb tae a swift and terrible fever with a wound,” she said. “But ye dinna. And I think yer wound was worse.”
“It was,” he said. “But the reivers were using blades dipped in poison. That’s what’s killing him.”
Annaleigh knew that because she’d heard Kieran and Christian speaking of it when they first started bringing the wounded into the hall. She thought of Talus burning with fever brought on by a terrible poison, feeling increasingly guilty that she’d run from him.
But she would make amends.
“Off with ye, my handsome lad,” she said, a weary twinkle in her eyes. “Eat and rest. I will see ye after ye’ve done both.”
War smiled at her. She was too close, too tempting. That beautiful face was upturned to him, the eyes glimmering. He knew he should not touch her in any fashion but he simply could not stop his hand from moving to hers. The moment he touched the soft, warm flesh, he knew he had to taste it. Gazing into Annaleigh’s eyes, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“You will most certainly see me after I’ve done both,” he said softly. “You are going to be seeing me, quite frequently, for some time to come.”
Annaleigh’s voice was caught in her throat. No one had ever kissed her hand so sweetly. In fact, no man had ever shown her such consideration and gentleness, at least a man whose attention she welcomed. She could feel the fire in her cheeks spreading to her belly and her entire body began to tremble.
This was all so new and wonderful and exhilarating.
She wanted to take her hand away. She didn’t want to take her hand away. War had been correct; if Jordan saw them, shewould probably take a club to him. But his lips were still on her flesh and she could feel the stubble of his face. She could feel his hot breath against her skin. She was so consumed by the sensation that she couldn’t manage to move her hand. Awe and fascination were all she could manage to feel.
And War seemed to know it.
He was pleased when she did not pull away. An impulsive gesture on his part had come to mean everything, as if his entire life and future with her hinged on this moment. He didn’t know how she would react, but he wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d yanked her hand away. It was improper what he’d done.
But she hadn’t pulled away.
He could see that she was staring at his mouth and chin, an astonished expression on her face, so he kissed her hand again just to see how she would react.
He heard her sigh raggedly.
“Have you never experienced such a thing, Annie?” he asked softly.
Annaleigh didn’t even notice that he called her by her nickname. “Not really,” she murmured. “Not from someone that I wanted… that had my attention.”
He grinned. “Then I do have your attention?”
“Ye have all of it.”
Somehow, he’d pulled her closer and then he was holding both hands. He held them up to his face, her palms on his cheeks, gazing at her as he’d never looked at a woman in his life.
“Tell me again,” he whispered.
Annaleigh could hardly breathe. The man’s hot, scratchy flesh was against her palms and she found herself fingering his skin. That graduated to stroking his cheeks, acquainting herself with the feel of him.
For Annaleigh and War, the journey had begun.
War felt her caresses and he lost all of his self-control. It was ash, blowing upon the wind, completely vanished. He put his enormous arms around her and pulled her against him, his lips slanting over hers carefully so he wouldn’t startle or frighten her. With utter tenderness, his lips claimed her own.
For an instant, Annaleigh was surprised, but that quickly vanished as she collapsed against him. There was nothing in the world but War at that moment, the all-consuming embrace that went beyond delight. Beyond comfort. It was a world where she could lose herself and did quite happily as his lips suckled hers with incredible gentleness. He kissed her mouth, her chin, scratching her face with his stubble. Giddy, warm sensations filled her body, flowing through her veins, and her breath began to come faster and faster.
It was a kiss beyond imagination.
Annaleigh wasn’t entirely sure how long they’d been in a heated embrace when they began to hear voices down the stairwell. War’s head shot up, his lips red and chaffed, and he quickly released Annaleigh and put his finger to his lips in a silencing gesture, indicating for her to go back into her chamber. He pointed to the bed and she quickly made her way to it as he closed the door. Breathlessly, she climbed into bed and pulled the coverlet up just as she heard voices near the top of the stairwell, louder this time.
It was Jordan as far as she could tell.
Her door swung open.
“Annie?” Jordan said as she scurried into the chamber. “Are ye ill, lass?”
