Sickened, Leila watched incredulously as the headrolled down the street and bumped with a dull thud into a wall.
"Barbarians. Savages," she whispered toherself in horror.
"Not barbarism atall,and certainly no less than what your adopted countrymen would have done to me,"Guy disagreed harshly. "Justice." When she merely turned her facefrom him, he added, "If this man'spunishment so grievesyou, my lady, knowthis. He would still be alive if not for your folly."
"You blame me for this? They attacked me, you . .. you lout! Not the other way around—"
"Well, fair or no, that's the last of them,"SimonRenierinterrupted matter-of-factly, unperturbedby the blood splatters on his hairy legs or their bickering. "If you'llexcuse me, my lady." He bowed gallantly,thenturned to Guy with a lusty smile. "DeWarenne. I'vea wench waiting for me upstairs who grows cool from my long absence."
"My thanks, Simon," Guy said, meaning it morethan he could say, the idea of losing Leila like a raw pain centered over hisheart. He clasped the older knight's wrist.
"It's not every day a man rescues a beautifulmaiden. Just glad I was there to help." Simon bent and wiped his sword onthe dead man's stained tunic, then lumbered to the door, calling out, "Agood journey to you both!" The crusader's booming laughter sounded again,fading as he disappeared into the tavern.
"Hayat!"
"I'm here, Lord deWarenne,"the slave girl answered, scampering from the crowd of bystanders who hadgathered to watch the gruesome scene.
Leila glared back at the approving faces, Arabs andnative Christians alike, disgusted by their evident love forbloodsport. She could not say she was surprised. The peoplein this city had mingled so much with the crusaders they could not help but beinfluenced by their brutal ways. To gape so at a man lying beheaded in thestreet
She gasped as Guy suddenly picked her up and carriedher over to the stallion, where he threw her over the broad saddle, knockingthe wind from her.
"How dare you!" she sputtered, enraged. Shetried to raise herself up and slide off the horse, but he forced her down againand quickly mounted behind her. He laid his hand flat on her rump, his strengtheasily preventing her from making another movement. When he caressed herlightly she almost choked, her face burning, wholly humiliated that he would dosuch a thing to her in public!
"Take your hand from me!" she sputtered indignantly,the reins flicking lightly across her back as he turned the stallion around.His thighs were as hard as steel where they pressed against her.
"Don't say another word, my lady, or I can assureyou a sound slap on your delectable bottom will surely follow," Guystated. "That should entertain these good people."
"Why . . . why you—" She bit off the colorfulnames she was about to call him when she saw him raise his hand over herbuttocks. With a sigh of pure frustration, she dropped her head and went limp,resigning herself to the indignity of her transport. Better that than befurther disgraced by this vulgar and sorry excuse for a man.
"Up with you,Hayat,"Guy said, trying to keep from chuckling as he lifted the slave girl behind him.He had a good idea what Leila was thinking of him at that moment, and he knewit wasn't complimentary. Yet it didn't bother him in the least. Strangely, nowthat he knew she was safe, he was enjoying himself immensely. Leila was themost spirited, exasperating, spoiled, misguided, imperious, exciting, andutterly beautiful woman he had ever known.
Guy glanced down at his sullen and silent captive, andwas tempted to give her pretty rump a good slap just for leading him on such adangerous chase. AsRenierhad said, it seemed he hadhis hands full. Delightfully.
***
Much to Leila's seething irritation, it became clearonce they returned toRefaiyeh'shome that Guy meantexactly what he said about not letting her out of his sight. He began doggingher every move, crowding her until it seemed he left her no air to breathe. Hisconstant presence overwhelmed her; his huge body seemed to fill up every spacehe entered. Leila was forced to eat her evening meal with him and the strikingArab woman; who didn't seem pleased with the new arrangement. After Leila hadrelieved herself—with Guy standing right outside the water closet's crackeddoor, much to her humiliation! —she was seated in the garden on a cushion andbound to an orange tree with a silken cord. He andRefaiyehsat together on a bench in the shadows, talking and sometimes laughing.
Their conversation was too low for Leila to understandthe words. Not that she cared in the least. She hadn't said a word herselfsince Guy had threatened to slap her. It was small revenge for the callous wayhe was treating her. His every attempt to coax her to talk at supper had failedmiserably.
Besides, it had been days since she had eaten, and shehad been too hungry to talk. The spiced meat pastries and fruited yogurt hadtasted like manna from heaven, and the red wine had mercifully blunted hermental anguish and growing despondency.
Exhausted, Leila soon let her head slump to her chest,Refaiyeh'slow dulcettonesandGuy's rougher, deeper voice lulling her to sleep. She did not know when hefinally unbound her and lifted her into his strong arms, nor did she feel himlay her down upon the bed or see him strip out of his clothes.
It was only when she feltanincrediblewarmth at her back that she awoke with a start, so muddledfrom sleep that she did not know if she had dreamed the stirring sensation. Shefelt someone slide a hand along the soft undersides of her breasts, pulling herclose. Abruptly, fully, awake, Leila froze.
Dear God in heaven, the crusader was sleeping with her!She never would have thought he would carry his indignities so far as this! Shefelt such a flush of red-hot fury that she elbowed him sharply in the ribs,flailing her limbs and struggling mightily to escape his embrace. But he merelytrapped her beneath a heavy thigh.
"It's no use, my lady," Guy murmured huskilyinto her ear. "You cannot escape. Now go to sleep. We leave at sunrise tocatch our ship for Marseilles."
It was true, she thought resignedly, going limp in hisarms. Her efforts were utterly useless, like a fly fluttering its wings in aspider's web. She decided instead to goad him with her tongue, ever seekingsome modicum of revenge, some way to hurt this man who was destroying her life.
"Where's your whore?" Leila hissed angrily,his treatment of her going against everything she held decent. That a man nother husband should be holding her like this! It wasn't right!
"If you meanRefaiyeh,she sleeps alone,"camehis dark reply, his armtight around her waist, robbing her of breath. "That you speak so ill ofsomeone who has treated you kindly makes her ten times more the lady than you."He jerked her hard against his chest. "Never call her that again or youshall rue it, my lady," he spat.
Leila gasped for air when he slightly loosed his holdon her, embarrassed deep down in her heart that she had even said such a thingaboutRefaiyeh. She had sensed the woman's kindnessearlier, but Guy's threat was like bone-dry kindling to her rage, and shecouldn't seem to stop herself.
"Surely I could not escape in the time it wouldtake her to spread her legs for you—"
