“Thisismeant to be, isn’t it?”she asked.“Wearemeant to be together?”
Relief coursed through his veins.A tiny part of him had been uncertain.Even now.Even while they were sharing their bodies.Their hearts.Their souls.He’d fallen hard for her.And he feared that she might not feel the same way.That she might abandon him again.
“Aye,” he said, meaning it.“I’m sure of it.”
Eve knew it had to be true.Otherwise, why would it feel so right?
It wasn’t as if she was turning her back on God, was it?After all, a person could serve God in other ways.One didn’t have to be a nun.
Perhaps she would reform Adam.Turn him from an outlaw into an upright member of her clan.That would be a godly purpose.
Or together they could go out into the world to right injustices, like holy mercenaries of His will.
Or maybe they would make lots of children who would grow to serve the church.
She grinned at the thought.It seemed an absurdly simple task, for she thought she could easily couple with Adam every day for the rest of her life.
They sank onto the soft ground.She snuggled against Adam’s chest and twined her bare legs around his.For a long while they nestled together in silence against the rock, peering out at the firth washing against the shore.
Eventually they’d need to leave.But for now, she thought she could happily exist in the arms of this wayward rogue until the sun crossed the sky and the stars lit up the eve.
She smiled, murmuring, “Eve.”
“What?”
“My real name.”
“Your real name is Eve?”
“Aye.”
There was silence.And then she was rocked by the movement of his low laughter.
She turned on him, annoyed.“What?”
“Then we’re definitely meant to be together.”
“Oh.”She’d forgotten about that.“Adam and Eve.Aye, I suppose we are.”
She wouldn’t tell him the other part.That she was not just Eve.She wasSisterEve.Now that she’d decided to change her fate, perhaps that revelation was unnecessary.Perhaps she could quietly leave the convent and never again mention her former calling.Keep her past a secret and avoid a lot of awkward exchanges.
Her father, of course, would be disappointed when he learned she was no longer a nun.He liked having a representative of his clan in a holy order.Though he oft complained that Eve didn’t have a suitable temperament for the convent, he figured marriage to the church was more attainable for her than finding a bridegroom who would put up with her wild and impulsive nature.
But she’d show him.She’d found Adam.He was everything she could hope for in a husband.Honorable.Kind.Strong.Brave.Generous.And, except for the minor detail of his profession, everything her father would find acceptable in a son.
In time, she knew, the two of them would have to meet.
The fact that they’d expressed their devotion and consummated their love meant they were as good as wed.But even as the youngest daughter, Eve felt compelled to seek her father’s permission for marriage.
Eventually she’d have to reveal her true identity to Adam.She’d tell him she was the daughter of a wealthy merchant.That would probably come as a troubling shock.He’d likely prefer she were his equal.A commoner.And an outlaw like him.
“Shall we dress,” Adam said, nudging her from her thoughts, “before rumors arise about the pair of terrible archers trystin’ outside the gaol?”
She snickered.
As they slipped back into their clothes, she wondered again how her satchel had come into the possession of Lady Feiyan.
“What did ye do withmysatchel?”She already knew the answer, but she wondered what he’d tell her.
