“Dinna fash yerself, dear one, I swear to kiss away all the hurts.” He bit his lip, wishing he hadn’t reminded himself of the velvety softness of her inner thighs and the perfect slipperiness between. God’s beard, if he kept this up, he’d not be able to walk for his tent-pole of a cock. “Just a wee bit farther,” he whispered to himself. He smiled as a horse’s snort echoed up ahead.
“What?” She wormed her way higher, nearly crouching atop his shoulders.
That possibility made him harder still. He had to get his mind off her bare arse and the other tempting niceties exposed every time the tail of her oversized léine flapped in the wind. “I asked what happened to the fine leather trews Hendry found for ye?”
“I have no idea.” She hugged her cheek against his head and adjusted again, looping one long, lovely leg over his shoulder while the other wrapped around his front. “This is worse than enduring your touch across the wounds on my back. Pray, let me down. I will walk.”
“Ye have no boots either, m’love.”
“I am well aware of all that I do not have.” Lifting her chin as he lowered her to her feet, she forced a smile that he barely saw in the darkness. “What I choose to dwell upon is all that I do have.”
“And what is that, m’love?”
“I have my freedom.” She paused long enough to stir doubt within him. “And I have my Scottish bear.”
“Yer Scottish bear wishes for another kiss from his lady love,” he said as he took care to pull her into his arms without touching her back.
“Your lady love,” she repeated, looking up at him as though she couldn’t believe her eyes. “AGallóglaighwho believes in love?”
“Aye,” he whispered. “Ye have conquered me, my fearless woman of the north.”
“We have much to do before we do this.” The strain in her tone revealed she needed him as much as he needed her. “Use this fire in battle, mighty Thor.” She drew back, and even in the cloaking darkness, he saw the glint in her eyes. “I promise you will be well rewarded.”
“I shall hold ye to that.” He offered his arm to her.
She took it. “Somehow, you do not make me feel weak or…less when you do such things.”
“I would never purposely do such.” He was not a man of words, but the need to say more tightened like a band of iron around his chest. “I admire you, Adellis, and…”
“And?”
“And I care.”
She made an amused sound, a lilting hum, as if she laughed with her mouth tightly closed.
“Ye think my words foolish?”
“No. I think you are the first man who has ever cared whether I lived or died and…”
The way she paused made him hunger to hear the rest of her thought. “And?”
“And I like that. Very much.”
Chapter Eight
Adellis wiggled hertoes in the makeshift boots Hendry had fashioned from a spare weapons tote Tasgall had donated. The pliable leather felt odd lashed around her feet and calves, but he had doubled the material across the soles so rough terrain no longer pained her. She was grateful for the knave’s talent at creating something out of nothing. Fighting barefoot always resulted in wounded feet.
Someone had found her a pair of trews as well. She smiled at that. Thorburn hadn’t wished her to be a distraction to his men. Or so he said. His possessive squeeze of her bottom as he gave the order revealed his jealousy. A treat she had never known before. It felt both strange and wonderful.
A belt with loops held bolts and arrows for the bow she had procured from Alrek’s tent. A dagger, long enough to be considered a small sword, had also been found. Most of the men considered that weapon too womanish, preferring their heavy spears, axes, and massive two-handed swords. She didn’t care that her blade seemed small to them. When she slit her brother’s throat, she preferred to be close enough for a good look into his eyes. She wanted Alrek to know without a doubt who had killed him.
A subtle shifting in the saddle did little in finding a more comfortable position without Thorburn noticing. While she agreed that traveling by horse would get them to the castle ahead of Alrek, she had yet to decide if she enjoyed riding. Perhaps, it would nay be so trying if she still wasn’t expelling the remains of Alrek’s poison at every half mark of the hour.
“Do ye need to stop again, lass?”
“I fear so.” She huffed out her shame. Never had she pissed so much in all her life. Gerdy assured her it was because of the kelp poultice and brew she kept making her drink. The girl also told her she should be glad of it. All Adellis knew was they didn’t have time for all these incessant stops. “Forgive me,” she said as he lowered her to the ground.
“Gerdy said it is a good thing. Helps ye heal. Therefore, it must be so.” His understanding smile made her feel even worse.
