“No.” He set his axe down, appalled that she would even consider it. “Don’t go near a place like that. Not even with Davin.”
“It’s the only place I haven’t looked. If there’s even a chance of finding him . . .”
She didn’t seem to understand his meaning. “Women like you don’t belong there.”
“Like me?” Her mouth drew in a line. “I’m not afraid of the markets.”
“You should be. They target beautiful woman like yourself. Sell them across the sea to be concubines.” He’d seen it happen, time and again. And the men at the slave markets wouldn’t hesitate to defile or hurt her. The thought sickened him.
She paled, finally understanding him. “Then what else am I to do?”
He lowered the axe. “Ask Davin to go on your behalf. It is his responsibility.”
Her eyes misted with sadness. “He doesn’t want to find Aidan.”
“Why?” Kieran couldn’t understand it. Clearly, this was important to her. What did it matter that she’d borne another man a child? It was her son.
She shook her head slowly. “I know he loves me, and he’ll be a good husband. But he wants to leave the past buried.”
“What about the child’s father?” Kieran shifted the log to his other shoulder, adjusting the weight.
“Murtagh chose a different path. He’s joined a monastery and is happy with his life there.”
Kieran detected a note of resentment beneath her voice. “Does he know about the child?”
“Yes.” She turned away, staring off into the distance. “And he made his choice to leave us.”
He didn’t know what to say. No words would heal her hurt feelings. A man who would abandon his betrothed and unborn child didn’t deserve a woman like Iseult MacFergus.
For a brief moment he paused, as if adjusting the weight of the log. Without looking at her, he shrugged. “You’re better off without him.”
“I didn’t think so at the time. But it was several years ago.” She trudged beside him, pushing her way past the branches that blocked their path. A few strands of hair had worked their way free from the braid, and she tucked them behind one ear. The innocent gesture disquieted him, for he couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. He wanted to tangle his hands in that hair, feel the softness of her body against his.
She hadn’t shoved him away, like she should have. Though he’d shocked her, she’d responded to him, sweet and wild.
So damned beautiful. And she belonged to Davin.
Frustration gouged at his sense of honor. It had been a grave mistake to come out here alone with her.
When they reached the opposite side of the forest, Kieran shifted the wood again. Iseult walked alongside him, and she kept her gaze fixed on the trees.
Her cheeks were flushed from the walk, her full lips tempting. He wanted to drag her against a tree and ravage that mouth until she moaned. For him.
Near the outskirts of the forest, she stopped and faced him. “Did you find what you needed?”
No.“Yes.” He needed far more than the oak and yew, but never would he reveal that to her. He had no right to even look upon her face, much less allow his imagination to dream of her.
“If you need to return, I can escort you again,” she offered.
He wanted to laugh. Was she truly that innocent? He lowered the oak log to the ground, stretching his shoulders. “Don’t come with me again, Iseult. We can’t be friends, and well you know it.”
“I’ve done—“
”—nothing wrong?“ he finished.
Her eyes flashed with an anger he’d never seen. “I’ll admit that I shouldn’t have kissed you back. You took me by surprise. But we’ve both agreed that it won’t happen again.”
“Is that what we agreed?” He took a step forward, waiting to see if she’d run from him.
