Without skipping a beat, Melissa turned on her heels and lifted her skirts, running at full speed in the opposite direction.
His raucous laughter reached her ears before she heard the sound of his boots gaining on her. Feeling his arms around her waist, she felt herself being stopped and lifted into the air. He swung her around a few times.
“Fail…” Daniel laughed and put her back on her feet before turning her around until she was facing him once again. “Remember, dinnae take yer eyes off yer adversary. That includes turning yer back on them.”
Her breaths came in short bursts as she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. The way they laughed together brought her a kind of kinship that she’d never had with anyone in her life before.
“I tell ye what,” he added as he straightened the shawl around her shoulders. “Let’s swap places. Ye try an’ distract me, then attack.”
“Right,” she said as she narrowed her eyes and focused on him once again, trying her best to come up with a plan.
Looking at his feet, she licked her lower lips and decided what to do. Going straight for the goal, she narrowed her eyes and suddenly leaped at him with a fierce battle cry that sounded more like a puppy screaming for its mother.
Daniel quickly stepped aside and tripped her with the tip of his boot, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Feeling utterly irritated once again, she rolled onto her back and stared up at him. He was laughing.
“There were quite a few things wrong with that attack, lass. Firstly, battle cries are for men that wish to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. What ye did made me want to send ye back to the nursery.”
She glowered at him from her position on the ground.
“Secondly, ye werenae prepared with a backup plan if yer attack were to fail. A good soldier always thinks two steps ahead.”
“Understood, My Lord.” She saluted him with one hand and stretched out her arm so he could help her to her feet.
Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise when she yanked him down to the ground, bringing his body against hers before he had enough time to place his hands on either side of her head and break his fall.
“That was a good move,” he said with bated breath as he looked into her eyes and swallowed hard.
“Well, I am learning from the best,” she said as she glanced down at his lips, feeling his body shift against hers in the heat of the moment.
The look in his eyes let her know that he had more than just training on his mind at present.
“Ah ha!” she said triumphantly as she quickly pushed him off and jumped to her feet, placing her hands on her hips. “I think it’s safe to say that I’ve mastered the art of surprise, don’t you think?”
“Aye.” He laughed at her confident stance and jumped to his feet as she stood aside. “Lesson number two,” he said. “How to throw a punch…”
“Sounds fun,” Melissa intoned as her hands began to sweat. She knew that Daniel would never harm her in that way, but she’d never engaged in so much as a scuffle with anyone in her life.
“Fun but painful if ye dinnae do it right,” Daniel replied.
“I’m here to learn.” She rubbed the palms of her hands on her dress.
“Now, remember what I said to ye in lesson number one,” Daniel said. “An’ I want ye to try an’ punch me when yer ready.” He tapped his chin and took on a defensive stance.
“What? You can’t be serious.” She was taken aback by the very idea of punching someone in the face.
“I cannae teach ye how to throw a proper punch unless I’ve seen what ye’re doing wrong,” Daniel replied with an honest shrug.
“I’m appalled that you would instantly assume that I don’t know how to throw a punch.” She pursed her lips and gave him a playful glare.
“Can ye blame me, when yer first defensive response is to turn around an’ run?” he teased her again. “I’ve seen bairns with better fight responses than yers.”
Trying her best not to laugh, Melissa did as he asked and made a fist, then swung her right arm, angling for his jaw.
Daniel dodged to the left and deflected her arm with his left one while placing his right palm flat on her stomach. They locked eyes for a second, panting. The heat from his hand radiated all the way through her dress and into her skin.
Her defenses melted entirely as she looked into his beautiful brown eyes, wondering if he was going to kiss her again.
