But, before she could say another word, he lunged forward.
She lifted her sword just in time to parry the blow, sending his blade glancing to the side with a loud crash. Her eyes widened as it seemed to fall into place that he was not holding back, as perhaps his men had been before him.
She managed to steady her stance just in time for the second blow to come, swinging her sword upward to meet it, her arm trembling with the weight of keeping from letting the damn thing slip from her hand entirely. Ewan had taught her well.
He had never been more aware of the way her body moved than in that moment, the way she looked at him. Such caution, such fear in her eyes, like she knew that one wrong move would have her skewered at the end of his blade.
He would never have done anything to actually hurt her, of course, but he didn’t seem to know that. When she came here to train, perhaps it was as much him she was training to protect herself against as any would-be attacker.
She lifted her sword, swiping it awkwardly through the air, and he slipped his blade beneath it and tipped it upwards with a single motion. Just like that, she lost her balance, stumbling forward as the weapon fell from her hand and hit the ground with a loud clatter.
She nearly followed it, her feet all but giving out from underneath her, but he wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her against him firmly.
“Ye dinnae pay attention, lass,” he snarled at her, her back to his chest, one arm pinning her in place.
She squirmed, trying to get out from underneath him, but he made no move to let her go, having no intention of allowing her to slip away so easily, not when he had a point to be made.
“Let me go,” she protested, trying to pull herself out from under his grip, but he did not yield.
His men seemed to have scattered now, sensing that it was not in their best interests to stand around and watch this chaos unfold for another moment. Though they were only sparring, there was something more intimate to it, something not fit for the eyes of everyone in this Keep.
“Ye must take notice of yer surroundings,” he continued, his mouth so close to her ear that he could see the shell-like curve, just begging for his lips.
He inched closer, letting his mouth brush along the outside of her lobe, and all at once, she stilled in his grip.
“Ignorance gets ye killed, Ailsa,” he told her, and he could make out the shiver that ran along the length of her spine as he spoke to her.
As much as she might have tried to deny it, tried to pretend that she could withstand the tension between them, there was a part of her that wanted to give in, right then and there. A part of her he intended to coax out of hiding, no matter what it took.
“Ye want to fight?” he continued, his hand splaying against her belly, the flat of the sword pressed against her thigh. “Then ye must do it properly. Meet me at the stables. And this time, be ready to listen.”
He let his grip linger on her for a moment longer, and then, just as quickly as he had pulled her in, he let her go.
She was breathing hard by the time he pulled back, her eyes narrow as she glared at him. But the flush to her cheeks and the part to her lips spoke to something deeper that lay beneath—something that, whether she liked it or not, was just as intense as her stubbornness and resistance.
And something that he could not wait to pull apart at the seams.
Chapter Ten
Ailsa clutchedthe leather reins to keep balance as the horse cantered down the hill and towards the forest, the cool, misty air tugging at her skin as they rode. She was not sure exactly where they were going, but she knew she had little choice but to go with him, especially after how he had made a fool of her down in the courtyard that morning.
She had known he had been watching her for a while, and perhaps, whether she’d confess it or not, there was a part of her that liked that. A part of her that enjoyed knowing he was drinking her in like this, seeing her take on these men, brandishing a sword, capable of looking out for herself. His guards were always watching her, but the longer she trained, the more certain she became that she would be able to handle herself should something happen.
Or should she need to get out of there in a hurry.
He had saddled up his horse by the time they reached the stables and hitched her on with ease. The way he lifted her was a reminder of how little control she had over this situation, as it had been when he had flicked the blade from her hand like it was nothing. His skills far outweighed hers, and since he was offering to help her learn, she’d be a fool not to take him up on it.
His arms were pressed on either side of her, keeping her in place, pinning her to the spot as though to make sure that she would not attempt to flee given half the chance. Not that she would have made it far, not with him watching over her like that, but still it was a relief to be away from the guards, if only for a short while. No eyes on her, no judgmental gaze watching her.
And to be alone with him… it brought back memories of what had happened on their wedding night, or, rather, what had not happened.
She was sure that he could feel the hitch of her breath as he held her close, just as it had been when he had disarmed her back at the Keep. His strength scared her, but more than that, it thrilled her; imagining what he could do to her if he took the fancy and how easy it would be to let herself sink into the warmth of his obsession.
He brought the horse to a standstill at the edge of a small clearing and climbed down, offering her a hand; she ignored it, landing with a thump instead on her own two feet.
He paused for a moment, eyeing her.
“Ye’re distracted.”
