“It’s safe to discard the water onto theground now,”Victor had finally muttered.“It was probablysafe anyway, but I had to be certain.”
That had been o’er a full day ago. The doghad awoken some hours back and filled his belly with the profferedmeat and water servants brought to him. He was presently chewing ona bone in front of the hearth in the laird’s bedchamber, full andcontent. Now if only Veronica would wake up. He couldn’t rest untilshe did.
Lachlan stopped pacing and hovered o’erVeronica’s sleeping body. She was even more comely and shapely inthe flesh than she’d appeared on the AI scanner. He was impatientfor her to awaken, but had been warned by Victor not to try andrush the process.“Remember when you shook me awake afterfinding me?”Victor had drolly inquired. Lachlan had butgrunted.“Unless you want her to vomit on you too, I suggest youlet her come to in her own time.”
And so he kept waiting, his vigil showing nosigns of nearing its completion. His gaze raked o’er Veronica,noting that her breathing was even. ‘Twas a good sign, he realized,though the impatience still tore at him.
He frowned and resumed pacing. ‘Twas all hecould think to do.
*****
Veronica blinked several times in rapidsuccession as she tried to sit up, moaning as she fell back againstwhatever it was she was lying on. Opening her eyes, she struggledto see through them, the world seemingly fuzzy and confusing.“Where am I?” she rasped, her throat parched. She fought to bringher gaze into focus. “Did I make it?”
Silence.
“Hello?” she asked again.
“Aye. You are here, lass.”
The deep, gravelly voice penetrated thehaze. A familiar gigantic form with black, braided hair slowly cameinto focus. He lingered over her, his expression an unusualcombination of relief and anger. Her breathing hitched. She’dthought of him as larger than life while speaking to him and seeinghim on the laptop; in real life, face to face, he was even moreformidable. And, she admitted, more handsome. “Why do you lookmad?” she croaked out.
“Anger? I have no ire. ‘Tis just the way Ilook whilst worried.”
The warlord had been worried about her? Thatwas kind of sweet. She made to sit up again, but a bout of nauseastole over her. Falling back against what she now presumed was abed, Veronica took note of her nudity for the first time. Shereached for the fallen covers and pulled them up to her chin.
“I’m naked,” she said dumbly, her eyes wide.“You undressed me?”
“Aye. With help from the femaleservants.”
She blinked, not knowing what to say tothat. She narrowed her eyes as the scent of lilacs reached hernostrils. “Did you bathe me too?” she bit out.
“Aye. In a manner of speaking.”
She had thought he was sweet to worry overher? Truly, the man had no shame. “What manner?”
He shrugged. “I held your body whilst thefemale servants washed you and your hair. ‘Twas chunks of deadflesh all o’er you.”
She winced at the reminder, her umbragedeflating. “Oh. What about the dog?”
“He made it too.”
Just then she noticed the dog laying nearthe hearth on the opposite side of the big, if stark, bedroom. Hewas busy chewing on what appeared to be a large soup bone. Shefound a smile and slowly sat up, letting the blankets fall to justabove her breasts. She was still a little woozy, but nothing as badas before. “He saved my life,” Veronica said. She cleared herscratchy throat. “I’m so happy he’s okay.”
“I ken that, milady. I watched the whole ofit, you’ll remember.”
Milady. She still didn’t know what tosay to that epithet. “Come here, boy!” she encouraged the dog,smiling at the animal rather than dealing with the man at hand.When the dog jumped on the bed and licked her face, she giggled.“You’re my hero,” she told the brave guy as she pet him. “So that’syour name now. Hero.” The dog licked her face again as if givinghis agreement. Her smile widened as he jumped off the bed andreturned to his bone. “I see you’ve been feeding him,” she said toLaird Gunn. Her gaze found his. “Thank you.”
The giant grunted, but eventually nodded.“’Tis welcome, you are.”
Another thought struck her. “How long have Ibeen sleeping?”
“Aboot two days and nights.”
That explained her parched throat. “What isit now? Day or night?”
“’Tis the eve.” His voice was thick.
She suspected he might be aroused, butplayed the innocent, unaware virgin. She wasn’t yet ready to dealwith the marriage issue he most likely wanted to discuss. Luckily,her belly saved her. It rumbled, reminding her if she’d been asleepfor two days she’d not eaten in that long either. “Is it too lateto get food and water?”
