Page 26 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

CHAPTERTWELVE

Being in Argyll put Liam at ease. It was easy staying there, even though Amelia could sometimes be a little overbearing; constantly asking him to stay and stop risking his life on jobs he did not need. Having noble blood did not matter to him, and he knew not how to explain that to her. He hadn’t grown up the way she had, and he couldn’t adjust to it as Ron had.

Perhaps one day he would be ready to leave that life behind, but the time for that hadn’t come yet.

After the small feast they had for Muriel’s arrival, Liam spent a few days gathering the men he would need to accompany him to Lewis and spending time with Ron, Ian, and the younger children. It had been too long since he had last seen them and being around them had put a permanent smile on his lips. He was especially happy to see Anna again, Amelia and Ron’s daughter, who was growing up faster than he liked.

On their fourth day in Argyll, Liam decided that it was time to fulfil his promise to Muriel. He would finally take her to the training grounds. They were empty in the middle of the afternoon, as the men preferred to train and spar early in the morning.

“So, ye’ll teach me, after all?” Muriel asked. “I thought ye had forgotten all about it. Or that maybe ye had changed yer mind.”

“I didnae forget,” Liam assured her. “As I already told ye, I think it’s a good idea. Ye need to ken how to defend yerself even if nothin’ else happens on this trip. It’s a good skill to have. Have ye ever held a sword?”

“Nae,” Muriel asked. “Do I look like I have?”

Liam let out a short laugh; shrugging a shoulder. “I dinnae ken . . . yer faither’s a pirate.”

“He kept me away from all that,” Muriel said. “And I never thought I’d need to learn.”

“We’ll start with a blade, then,” Liam said; handing Muriel a wooden training knife. “I dinnae want ye to kill me just yet, so ye’ll have to do with this.”

As Muriel laughed, Liam took her free hand – pressing it right under his ribs. She was hesitant, and Liam felt her pull away for a moment, but then she pressed her fingers against his flesh; prodding.

“This is a good place to strike,” he said. “Hit a bone and the blade willnae go anywhere. Aim here and ye can probably pierce through the meat.”

When Liam looked at Muriel; he found her staring, lips slightly parted and cheeks flushed. He had grown to like that look on her, and he had fantasized about all the other ways he could make her blush, but he had to stop himself from doing so every time. He had to remind himself that she was already betrothed to someone else and that he had been tasked with taking her to the man who would become her husband. Nothing good could come of him giving in to his desires.

Wrapping his hand around Muriel’s wrist – he showed her how to swing the blade and cause the most damage she could. Then, he proceeded to show her the rest of the spots on the body that she could aim for one by one; letting her feel each one on his own body. He guided her fingers, making her press hard on each part to test the thickness of the muscles underneath and explained to her how much force she had to use every time.

As he analysed everything to her, she listened carefully but, every now and then, Liam would catch her staring; sometimes at his face, other times at his hands and forearms. Each time he noticed, it made his heart skip a beat and he had to take a moment to compose himself.

By the end of his brief lesson on how to handle a knife, he was nothing short of a wreck. He had always been aware of Muriel’s beauty from the first moment he had laid eyes on her but he hadn’t had the time to acknowledge his attraction to her while trying to keep her safe. Now that there was no danger — and that they were so close to each other, their bodies constantly touching — he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“Do ye think ye could do it?” Liam asked; taking a step back from Muriel to put a little distance between them, hoping that it would help with the surge of attraction he felt toward her. “Ye willnae ken until the moment comes, of course, but are ye feelin’ more confident?”

Muriel looked at the wooden knife – flexing her hand around the handle. “I think so,” she said. “I suppose that as long as I find the right spot, there shouldnae be a problem. I’m nae trainin’ to go to war. I just need to hurt my attacker enough until ye or one of the others comes to help me.”

“Aye, that’s right,” Liam said. He was glad to hear that Muriel wouldn’t try to take on an assassin on her own. Knowing how stubborn she was – he had been worried that she would want to handle it herself if someone attacked her again. He assumed, however, that the previous two attacks had left her shaken. “I’ll give ye a blade for ye to have on ye at all times. It doesnae matter where ye put it but it must be somewhere ye can easily reach, like yer calf.”

“Even when I’m sleepin’?” Muriel asked.

“At all times,” Liam said. “It doesnae matter what ye’re doin’, ye should always have it on ye.”

Muriel gave a small nod; this time looking at the wooden knife with apprehension as though it could hurt her in some way.

“Dinnae fash. Ye willnae cut yerself. Ian has managed to avoid it all these years, and if he can do it, ye can do it, too,” Liam said; getting a smile from Muriel. “Now… I’ll show ye what to do if someone attacks ye. Let’s assume the assassin will come from the back,” Liam said, as he circled Muriel, coming to stand behind her. “What ye want to do is aim for the thigh with yer knife. Ye’re tall, so ye can also try to hit him with the back of yer head.”

“Will that nae hurt?” Muriel asked; looking at him over her shoulder.

“It shouldnae hurt much,” Liam said. “It’ll certainly hurt him more than it’ll hurt ye. May I show ye?”

Muriel hesitated for a moment before nodding, and Liam slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her body against him. The movement elicited a gasp from her, and Liam had to swallow the knot in his throat as a result.

“If he comes from behind ye, he’ll probably grab ye like this,” he said; clearing his throat as he tried to focus on the task at hand. “And then he may try to grab yer throat.”

Liam wrapped his hand around Muriel’s throat; keeping it loose around her. He was careful as he touched her, mindful of his own size and strength. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her or bruise her skin.

“Show me where ye’d hit him,” Liam said. He had barely managed to finish his sentence before Muriel brought the knife down to his thigh; pushing the blunt tip into the muscle there and stepping on his foot for good measure. Liam let go of her; hopping on one foot as he did.