“We’re goin’ to keep goin’,” he said after a long moment. “Ye need to be able to hit the target in the same spot every time. Iwillnae be satisfied until I ken that ye can protect yerself if I’m nae around.”
It was dawning on Lucas that the care and concern he had for Flora went beyond simple curiosity. The two hadn’t been in close quarters like this since he’d rescued her. In a short period of time, she’d gone from being nervous and silent to accepting that she could be a capable woman.
And watching her discover herself was intoxicating. The pride was heady, only confirming that he wanted to push her to explore this side of herself further.
As their training continued, it became difficult for him to keep his hands to himself. She took his instructions well. Each correction he gave stuck with her, and she allowed herself to be adjusted without any pushback. Now, he was honing her aim, tapping her elbow, and pushing back her shoulders.
She stood tall, inhaling slowly before throwing the knife on the exhale. This time, the knife sank into the target, only a few centimeters below the center. Thethunkwas resounding, and for a moment, both of them stared at her projectile.
Finally, she turned to look at him, seeking his approval. Pride seemed to ooze from her, and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to clap a hand over her shoulder as he said, “That’s perfect.” He dropped the contact then, realizing how still she’d gone. “Let’s see ye repeat it.”
Her jaw set in determination, she resumed her position. She let the second knife fly, this one landing just above the target. With a frustrated huff, she went to retrieve them. Then, without his prompting, she went again, her focus absolute.
“All right,” he said after nearly an hour of running the same drill. “I think ye’ve got the hang of it, though I’ll want to see ye keep practicin’. The worst thing ye can do is let the skill deteriorate from disuse. Let’s see one more throw.”
Flora’s expression hardened, her resolution a physical thing. She steadied her position and raised her arm. But as she was pulling her wrist back to make the throw, a cat darted out from a nearby bush. It ran past her, coming within inches of her foot, its ears tucked against its head as it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
She gasped, taking a step back and dropping the knife. Her balance was completely gone, her arms circling uselessly in the air in an attempt to right herself. Just before she fell backward, Lucas shot forward. He grabbed at her, one hand on her back, the other on her chest, to hold her in her position.
For a moment, everything froze. Lucas stared down at Flora—her wide eyes, her slightly parted pink lips. He had an overwhelming, almost animalistic urge to close the distance between them and only barely caught himself from doing so.
Then, as slowly as waking up from a deep sleep, he realized the position they were in. She was nearly parallel with the ground, his strong hand between her shoulder blades, the only thingholding her upright. His eyes drifted down, following the blush that was crawling toward her neck.
His hand, the one that had found purchase on her chest, was holding onto her breast tightly. With each breath she took, she seemed to push further into his grasp. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out, though he doubted it was because she’d gone mute again. Her brain had probably gone fuzzy the same way his had.
Finally, after what he knew to be far too long, he pushed her upright and dropped his inappropriate touch. Then, he cleared his throat and looked away. He wasn’t sure that he could handle what he’d see on her face. She was either horrified at his behavior or she didn’t mind it. Either way, he thought that they’d both had enough excitement for the morning.
“Ye did well today,” he said, knowing that his voice was rough with desire.
She was quiet for a moment, shifting in place. Her hands opened and closed uselessly at her sides, and she seemed to be physically restraining herself from bouncing on the balls of her feet. Notably, though, she didn’t look as if she wanted to run.
But she looks as if she may want to disappear. I’m nae sure if that’s much better.
“It was only because ye’re a good instructor,” she said, a bit high-pitched. She coughed, her cheeks turning an even brighter pink. “Me first throw wasnae very good at all. If it werenae for yerguidance, I daenae think I would have been able to hit the target, let alone hit it in the center.”
“Perhaps it’s a mix of skill and a capable instructor,” he suggested, glad that she was willing to overlook his transgression, at least for the time being.
Though it was a bit concerning that she didn’t shove him away. The thought that she’d let anyone get away with something like this unsettled him. That was something that he’d surely have to work on with her. It shouldn’t matter that he was the Laird. For touching her breast, a feeling that he knew he’d never be able to get out of his head, she should have at the very least told him to get away. If it were anyone but him feeling the intimate parts of her body, he’d have encouraged her to slap him.
I will build her confidence and her self-worth. She’s nae someone I want anyone else feelin’ up.
Just the thought of someone else being in his position made something ugly and possessive grow in his chest. He told himself that it was because she was under his protection, but he wasn’t naive. This was deeper than that.
“Perhaps it is,” she said finally, breaking the spell that had fallen over them as she bent down to pick up the knife that she had dropped.
“We’ll have to work on yer response to distractions,” he said, forcing himself to look away from the curve of her backside. “We’re only practicin’, but had the cat run out durin’ a realaltercation, yer opponent wouldnae have hesitated to lunge at ye. And I wouldnae have been here to keep ye from fallin’ to the ground.”
The mention of his catch brought the awkwardness that they’d nearly skirted back in full force. Flora looked away, her focus on the target as she said, “Aye. If that were a real scenario, it wouldnae matter how accurate me throws were. I let me focus drift.”
“It’s yer first day of trainin’,” Lucas reassured her, defaulting to the same professional tone he used with his newest recruits. “Ignorin’ distractions gets easier with time.” When she didn’t respond immediately, he turned away, giving her the privacy she was likely aching for. “I ken ye’ll be able to protect yerself soon. Even now, I feel sorry for any bastard that comes toward ye. Make sure ye speak with Annabeth about where ye’ll hide yer blades, aye?”
“Aye,” she murmured in response.
Lucas lingered for a moment longer, giving her one last chance to say anything she may need to. It seemed as if she were ready for the interaction to end. Both of them had voiced everything they needed to, and drawing this out any longer would likely begin to negatively impact the lesson he’d just taught.
As he walked back toward the castle, he spared Flora one more glance. He caught the edges of a smile on her face as she traced her fingers over the handle of the knife. It seemed as though theconfidence he was hoping to foster had begun to take root, even if the interaction became more than a little heated at the end.
Ach, I daenae ken how much longer I’ll be able to behave around her. She’s doin’ somethin’ to me that I cannae explain.
