He smiled at her, then suddenly he was laughing, a deep, hearty sound. “God’s breath, wench, you took seriously something I said in anger?”
Kristen glared at him, finding his humor ill-placed. “Are you saying you would not have raped me had you known I was a virgin?”
“Nay, for in truth, had you fought me tonight, I would have taken you anyway and you would have called it rape, while I would call it my right.”
“I do not mean that, Saxon,” she replied impatiently. “I know you feel you have the right to use me as you will, and I may contest that another time, but not now. What I—”
“Oh, you will, will you?”
“Let me finish! Would you have taken me apurpose, in revenge?”
“Nay, Kristen, not that,” he said softly, and his hand lifted to her face to smooth the frown on her brow. “Is that what you feared?”
“Aye,” she muttered.
He smiled at her tone. “We are well met in mistaking each other. I wanted you, but would not touch you because I thought you a whore.”
“And a Viking,” she reminded him.
“Aye, but that seemed not to matter the more I saw you. ’Twas thinking you were so free with your body that disgusted me.”
She giggled then, and caught his hand, pressing it to her cheek. “Do I still disgust you, now that I have been so free with my body?”
He knew she was teasing him, but he was not used to this kind of teasing. He lay down on his back, pulling away from her.
“Who are you, Kristen?”
“That question concerns you overmuch, I think.”
“The gown was yours? I was correct in that?”
“Aye, ’tis mine.” She sighed.
“Since you cannot have had a husband, I must assume your family is rich.”
“My father is. Will you ransom me, then?”
“Nay,” he said curtly, drawn to his side to look at her again.
She reacted to his annoyance in kind. “A wise decision, milord, for he would make you marry me.”
“The devil, you say! Marry a Viking maid?”
“You need not make it sound a fate worse than death,” she retorted.
“For me it would be!”
“Ohh!” she gasped. “For that slur, Saxon, I will see you do marry me!”
“You are mad!”
“Am I? Well, I am also the daughter of the man who will kill you when he comes to find me!”
She regretted saying that the moment it was out, but more so when Royce leaned up to grip her shoulders in anger. God’s teeth, how they sliced each other with petty spite. What was wrong with her tonight to make her tongue so wickedly loose?
“Are you saying more Vikings will come here, Kristen?”
She groaned inwardly at the coldness in his tone. She had done that. And he had been in such a pleasant mood only moments ago. So had she, for that matter.
