Page 28 of Alec

“Dinnae look at me thus,” he said suddenly. “I only wish keep you safe.”

“How can you do that when you have to find whatever attacked the maid?” she countered. “Are you going to lock me up in here, or put a bunch of guards on me? What should I tell them when they ask me why I’m alone in the garrison hall?”

Alec looked at her as if actually seeing her for the first time. “You’re angry with me for protecting you, my lady?”

My lady. He said it so snidely she almost cringed. Almost.

“It’s not appropriate for me to stay here,” Olivia told him. “I can only be here unless I’m involved with...with one of the men. I didn’t ask you to protect me. I can take care of myself.”

“Indeed.” He dropped the basket and walked up to her, so fast she backed away until her shoulders hit the side of the hearth’s stone mantle. “How did you that in your time? From what you said, the bastart who attacked you broke your hands and kicked you in the face while you landed how many blows? A dozen? Six? One?”

The fact that he was shouting in her face made her shake, and she had to clench her fists at her sides to stop that. Why was he trying to bully her? She hadn’t been this angry since going through her aunt’s things after Mae had died.

“I was too busy dangling from the edge of a pit to defend myself.” She flattened her hands against his chest and pushed him back from her. “I’m not helpless, Alec. I’ve learned not to let people use or abuse me. I’m not weak or powerless anymore.”

He seized her by the wrist. “Prove your words.”

Olivia put her free hand over his, twisted the arm he held, and grabbed his wrist. She then used leverage on the joint to force him to his knees.

“My boss went to college on a wrestling scholarship. He taught me how to defend myself.” She released him and stepped back as he straightened. “I know a few other ways to put you on the ground, or even make you limp for a while, if you’d like me to demonstrate.”

Alec rubbed his wrist and met her gaze. “Such tactics shallnae work against magic.”

“It might give me enough time to scream for help and run.” She tried to smile. “Do you want to try me? Do your worst.”

“That you could say such to me...” His eyes darkened, and his hands curled into fists. “Grant me leave to touch you, lass.”

Was he planning to put her on the ground in retaliation? Olivia saw how strained his expression had grown, as if he were close to bursting with rage. At the same time, she knew without a doubt that he would never hurt her.

“All right,” she said. “Go ahead.”

Alec pulled her into his arms and held her close, his hand pressing her face against his chest so that his heartbeat thudded against her temple. His warmth and the woodsy smell of him enveloped her, making her pulse race even as it comforted her. Being held by him made all her tension melt away; she relaxed and curled her arms around his waist.

“I need you here, so I ken you’re safe,” he muttered against her hair. “My brothers shallnae permit anything to come near you. Give me this peace so I may return to the search for what harmed the chambermaid.”

Oh, Alec, you’re going to break my heart, I just know it.

Olivia had never fallen in love, and the fact that she was on the brink of doing so with him worried her. Those summer flings she’d had in France had been lovely, but none of those boys had ever given her a sense of being protected or cherished. Here she was different; the spell trap had changed her, made her as she should have been. If he wanted her, it was because she wasn’t tiny and stunted. She didn’t have to worry about his motives.

He's scared. That’s why he’s so angry. He’s scared for me.

“I’ll be okay, you know,” she murmured, and dared to rub her hand over his back. “Ava and your brothers wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. You don’t have to make the garrison guard me.”

Olivia’s heart almost burst when he lifted and carried her over to the table with all the scrolls. With one sweep of his arm everything went flying onto the floor, and then he put her down and pushed the fingers of his hands into her hair so that it streamed down his arms. His chest heaved, and his breathing went shallow and rasping.

“What are you doing now?” she whispered, dragging the edge of her teeth over her bottom lip.

“I’m touching you. You gave me leave and I cannae stop.” He put his mouth against her brow, and then her temple. The kiss seemed hot, almost feverish, as if he were somehow branding her. “I wish to do more, so much more.”

Her heart fluttered madly beneath her breast. “War Master, please.”

“Say my name, lass.” He put his hands in her hair and made her look at him. “I need to hear it on your lips.”

“Alec.” She couldn’t move; she could hardly breathe now. “You shouldn’t do anything. You have to go...ah, find the thing. The thing that hurt that girl. I’ll stay here until you do.”

“I shall. Stay after I do.” His lips touched the hollow of her cheek, the cleft in her chin, and then hovered a breath away from her lips. “Stay forever.”

Every sane reason she could think of to avoid this crumbled into nothing. “Do you mean that?”