He suddenly felt the need to get blind drunk.
Chapter 11
Lily did not sleep well. After a restless night in the rickety, lumpy bed, made worse by her constant thoughts of a certain red-haired Scotsman, she was woken just before dawn by the sounds of the waking city just outside her window.
She cracked her eyes open and lay for a minute listening to the sound of people arguing, children crying, dogs barking, and a whole host of other noises. Add in the honking of car horns and the growl of engines, and it could have been a modern city outside her window instead of a fifteenth century one.
She stared at the ceiling. Unbidden, memories of last night came crowding into her mind. Oskar had kissed her. Kissed her! And it had been...amazing. She could not deny that she’d wanted it. She’d been worried about him when he’d been gone from the townhouse, and the way her heart had soared when he’d returned was a testament to her growing feelings for him. And then...oh God, and then!
Her toes curled and heat grew inside her as she remembered his lips on hers, the hardness of his body, the way his fingers had tangled in her hair. She had lost herself a little, had given in to the sudden need for him, a need that she’d been denying for so long...
And then he’d rejected her.
The heat in her belly cooled, replaced by hurt and not a small amount of confusion. He’d wanted her, she knew he had. Whatshe’d felt from him was real. So why had he pulled back? Why had he said the things he did?
I canna do this, Lily.
What was he not telling her? She sighed, thumping the mattress in irritation. This was all so god-damned confusing. She should be lying here trying to figure out a way home, not thinking about how much she’d enjoyed Oskar kissing her, of how much she’d like him to do it again—
Stop it!
She sat up, wincing as shots of pain slid down her spine. She should have done her exercises before sleeping last night, but she’d been so flustered by what had happened with Oskar that she’d slipped straight into bed. She had a feeling she was going to pay the price for that now.
Tentatively, she wiggled her foot, unsurprised when hot lances of agony shot up the back. She gritted her teeth and kept up the movements, just like her physio had taught her, until the pain began to subside. Then she did the other foot, grimacing.
Gripping the edge of the bed, she managed to pull herself to her feet in a slow, carefully calculated series of movements. She winced as she stretched, every muscle protesting the movement, but as she moved through the practised routine, her aches slowly began to recede. Finally, she got dressed, then descended the wooden staircase, the steps creaking.
At the bottom, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. She didn’t know what she would say to Oskar. Better to get it over with. She pushed open the door and found him in the kitchen, seated on a stool in front of the fire, staring into its depths. He seemed deep in thought, but looked up as she entered. A mixture of emotions flashed across his face, quickly subdued.
“I didnae expect ye up yet,” he said gruffly. “It’s barely dawn.”
“But you’re already up,” she pointed out. “And have been for some time by the looks of it.” The fire was roaring heartily and a platter on the table held the remains of some food.
“Aye, I couldnae sleep.”
You weren’t the only one,she thought.
She glanced at the table where a pottery bottle stood. It smelled of whisky, and Oskar looked a little bleary-eyed.
She lowered herself onto the bench. “Oskar, about last night—”
He stood abruptly. “I have to go out. The Order is meeting with the king’s justiciars today. I need to be there.” He strode to the door, but paused and looked back at her. “Stay here until I get back. Dinna open the door to anyone but me, aye?”
Lily smiled wryly. “Aye, captain.”
