CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Blake fought to keep the smirk off his face at Reyna’s startled question. He’d been waiting for her to break her angry silence, and now that she had, they could have a conversation and start to address the hurts between them.
She had a right to be angry over what he’d done to her brother. But he’d apologized and earned Finlay’s forgiveness. She had no right to demand more.
And no matter how worried she’d been, she was the one whose impatience had gotten them into the straits that had led to their wild flight in the first place. She might be angry that he’d insisted on taking her on his horse, and to Sinclair instead of Gregor lands, but even Finlay had known he was in the right about Sinclair clan’s greater defensibility, and he’d be damned before he let her keep acting angry over every decision he made to keep her safe.
He was tired of her shutting him out every time she got vaguely offended, while demanding everything from running away with her, to helping her with her foolhardy plans to rescue her brother at the turn of a leaf.
And that was without considering the way she’d seduced him and asked him to give her pleasure, without any consideration for what he might need, or the dangers of such actions. He could admit he’d been far from strong-willed in refusing her, but she wasn’t going to demand such devotion, then turn away and deny him even basic courtesy when she was in a temper.
She’d wanted him to treat her like a lover. She’d talked of the feelings she harbored, and he’d shown her full well that he felt much the same. But if this was going to work, then she was going to have to learn that she couldn’t slap him away like a hound that had disappointed her every time the whim took her.
She was still staring at him in shock, her cheeks rosy with color that didn’t come from the fire. Blake offered her a lazy smile. “I’m preparing tae bathe. We rode hard, and we started the journey covered in cobwebs, dust, and dungeon filth. I’d like to get clean.”
“Ye... have ye nae modesty?” her color deepened.
Blake smirked. “Why should I? Even if I were the type tae be concerned, I ken well enough I’m nae so bad looking. I also ken that ye’ve seen me at least half-naked afore now, and ye certainly felt enough o’ me tae make modesty a wee bit pointless between us.”
Reyna scowled. “That was afore I kent ye were the bastard that kidnapped me braither!”
Quick as a thought, he stepped close to her, so he could whisper in her ear. “That’s as may be. But like it or nae, that’s a matter o’ honor between yer braither and I, nae me and ye. And yer braither has forgiven me and given me his hand and his trust, as well as trusting ye intae me care. All that being the case, and given all I did tae try and aid ye in his rescue, what right have ye tae hold it against me any further?”
She jerked back with a glare. “Ye lied tae me about it.”
“And I’m sorry fer it. But what was I supposed tae tell ye? Ye’ve run hot and cold since we met. If ye’re nae after hating me fer something I did, or ye think I did, then ye’re declaring feelings fer me and demanding I stand beside ye, even when yer dead set on making a mistake. It might have been a mistake tae tell ye an untruth, but be honest with me, Reyna lass – would ye have ever let me tell the truth or even try tae mend things with ye if I’d spoken the truth tae ye in that field?”
He didn’t give her a chance to respond, knowing that any continue argument would only make her more determined to cling to her anger. Besides, her proximity was doing uncomfortable things to his manhood. He stripped off his kilt and leggings and dove into the loch.
The cold water sent bumps over his skin and made him shudder with the shock of it, but at least it cooled the heat in his blood. He swam until his head was clear and he was on the verge offreezing, then stomped out of the water to dry himself off with a length of now useless Murray tartan.
Once he was dry and had a length of tartan wrapped around his waist, he crouched to build the fire up further, and to take stock of what supplies they had.
They’d two horse blankets, and one thin blanket. Neither of them had much in the way of spare clothing. Neither of them had a cloak and the temperature was already turning chilly, so the night promised to turn cold.
He was pondering what to do about the matter when Reyna came around the fire and crouched beside him. “Let me take a look at that wound o’ yers, since yer determined tae prance around unclothed. I wouldnae want me hard work tae go tae waste.”
Reyna tried to keep her attention on his shoulder as she unwrapped it. It was difficult, with so much of him on display.
She’d spent the whole time while he was swimming trying to watch him and avoid being caught watching him all at the same time. It had been even worse when he emerged from the water and began to dry himself. It had taken everything she had to keep her eyes on the fire, and perhaps his calves, instead of letting them drift upward to see the source of the bulge she’d felt during their activities the night before.
Then she’d got the idea to tend to his shoulder, and now she was regretting it, as she fought to keep her eyes from drifting downward. She knew he’d put a wrap around his loins, but she wasn’t sure how much it really covered, and she couldn’t help blushing at the stray thoughts that passed through her mind – especially the ones about how easy it would be to find out exactly what he was hiding.
She finished unwrapping the bandage and studied the wound. It was more than half-healed, an angry red slash that was still sealed well by the thick crust of scabbing over it. It would likely scar, but she suspected he’d have full range of motion within a fortnight, if not a seven-day.
“It’s clean and healed enough tae leave open tae the air. Twill be well soon enough.” She applied a little bit of healing paste to be sure, then started to turn away, only to pause as the firelight on his bared torso caught her gaze.
The flickering flames danced enticingly over the well-defined muscles, and the mostly smooth skin, marked here and there by faint scars. It begged for her to touch him and sent shivers through her that were not entirely from the cold.
Blake smirked at her. “Ye ken, if ye’re cold… there’s nae many blankets, and we might be warmer tae sleep taegether. Especially if we dae so without our clothing, so we can share body heat.”
Reyna huffed in exasperation and shoved herself away from him. “Ye brute!”
Blake chuckled, a low dark sound that made something inside her clench in desire. “Nae anymore. Me name is once again Blake Sinclair, nae Brutus.”
With a sniff, Reyna ignored him and bent to grab her blankets. The night was getting cold, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her react to it. She huddled as far from him as she could without losing the warmth of the fire. She pointedly ignored him as he laid out his own blanket and sprawled carelessly close to the fire, giving her a full view of the fire on his bared skin and his face, peaceful in slumber.
She wrapped herself in her blankets and closed her eyes, but sleep was elusive. The night air made her shiver, and her thoughts wouldn’t leave the matter of Blake, her brother, and everything else that lay between them.
