Her eyes flew wide, as did her mouth and he wished dearly for Duncan’s kerchief to stuff between her lips.
He released her hands and jumped to his feet to put distance between them, afraid of what he might do in his fury.
How dare she turn him into this…this ungrateful son who could speak so casually about his father’s life? A father whose death he might have prevented if he hadn’t wanted the glory of being at Malcolm’s side when he finished off Macbeth. It would eat at him forever that he’d been celebrating while his father bled his last drops less than a league away.
But if Leith MacPherson were there now, he would chide Tearloch for thinking a father’s life worth more than a king’s. At least their rightful king.
She was a fool to question Malcolm’s honor in the face of his champion. If she weren’t the king’s sister?—
But she was. And he’d promised to deliver her whole…
CHAPTER TWENTY
Iwas right. This man does have the power to hurt me, and now he has.
Could she willingly lay with Tearloch now? The idea of it made her heart leap and her stomach turn simultaneously. Judging just by the kisses he’d pressed to her neck, she believed he could light a fire that would consume her like a handful of dried leaves dropped into the flames. There would be nothing left of her afterward.
Sitting upright on the blanket now, she wrapped her arms tightly around her knees and held her gown in place, as if Tearloch might return and try to rip it away.
The idea of Duncan coming to her bed, demanding payment, had frightened her. The thought of Tearloch doing the same made her chest hurt, made her angry and sad and lonely at the same time. That power he had to hurt her? She’d never consideredhow many timeshe could do so.
With her mind reeling, her body took over. And she ran.
In his fit of distemper, he should have known better than to go so far. When he finally turned back, she’d already lured the horses closer. Her own beast was still nervous and shied away, so she scrambled up onto his mount instead. When she urged itaway from the field, she turned to see how close he stood stock still, his arms crossed.
“Trust nothing he does,” she warned herself, then slapped her heels against the animal’s sides and urged it toward the road. It had finally gotten up to a canter when a shrill whistle sliced the air. The beast veered to the left and made a wide circle back to its master, happily lifting its feet, certain it knew where it was expected.
The arrogant man reluctantly held out his arms to help her down, then released her and gestured back toward the indentation in the meadow where the blanket waited. “I believe I will accept that payment now.”
His voice was gruff, not from his earlier emotions, but with distain. She knew it well. She and distain were old friends.
She shook her head just once. “After The MacPherson is dead.”
His jaw clenched and she could not stomach the look in his eyes, so she studied her filthy feet.
“I will take it now,” he growled. “If we reach Lochahearn before nightfall, ye may find someone else to hire.”
She could not imagine lying in his arms this way. She was so exhausted by all the betrayal—from him, from the other men, from her own body.
“I could not pay you now. May…mayhap when it is dark?—”
“When it is dark, we will be home. I’ll take you now.”
And with that, he took the plaid from behind his own saddle and walked back to the spot where it had all begun. She stood frozen to the spot while he lifted both blankets and spread them out together.
He pulled her by the arm and stood until she knelt. He didn’t look like he wanted to do this any more than she did, so she tried to distract him. Surely, he would reconsider, given enough time.
“Has someone you loved ever died?” She could not call him by his name. Not now. Not when he was forcing her to do this. The quick look he gave her said he knew her game, but he knelt beside her anyway.
“Aye.”
“Then you understand.”
“Understand what?” he said absentmindedly while he reached for the ties to the side of her gown.
“Revenge.” It was hard to speak now. Breathing was difficult even though her clothing was loosening.
His fingers paused. Then his hands fell away from her.
