Page 19
“I—what? I should be thanking you, Maardok.” Her small hand dropped gently to my forearm, making my Kteer growl with repressed need. “Thank you for a lovely day.”
I smiled softly at her and arranged myself against the pillows at her side. “Thank ye for resting today and allowing me to care for ye. I didnae realize how much I needed that.”
Cataline stared at me as if I was making no sense, and mayhap ‘twas the truth.
“You…caring for me was…?”
“Aye, wee firebrand,” I sighed, then shifted my arm around her shoulder. “Here, roll toward me, so I can rub yer lower back.”
She gave a little whimper of confusion but did as I commanded. As she settled against me, I felt the stiffness of her muscles and realized how hard carrying this bairn was on her body.
“Och, my stubborn lass,” I murmured soothingly, pressing the heel of my hand against her lower back and feeling her relax with a groan. “That’s it, Cataline. Just breathe. Aye, caring for ye…makes me happy.”
“I am…oh God, there, Maardok.”
I chuckled and kept rubbing. “There’s something I need to talk to ye about.”
Cataline stiffened again and tried to push herself upright, but I pressed my fingertips into her muscles and she collapsed with another pleased groan, her cheek pressed to my chest and the bulge of her stomach pressed against my thigh.
“I was supposed to talk to you today,” she muttered.
“Later, then, aye? Remember what I said about caring for ye?” My massage worked from her spine toward her side, and I found myself holding my breath.
“Dkaar, I could do that better if ye came with me, through the stones.”
She turned her head far enough to one side so I could see her profile, her closed eyes.
“Through the stones?”
“Come back to my world with me,” I hurried to explain, still rubbing her sore muscles. “Cataline, there are many human women in my village, and you and Ewan would be cared for—”
She pushed herself away from me again. “I do not need to—”
“Stubborn firebrand,” I interrupted her with a kiss. Half to keep her from saying nay, and half because I’d spent all day remembering the feel of her heavy, full breasts in my hands, needing to taste her.
As I’d hoped, she melted against me, squirming slightly. It took me a moment to recognize the sweetly faint scent of her arousal, and my Kteer preened, knowing, despite her discomfort, her body responded to me.
“Please, Cataline,” I whispered against her lips. “Consider it? For my sanity?”
She snorted but snuggled against me once more.
My fingers began their massage again and I tried to cautiously explain my thinking.
“Ye dinnae have to commit to staying forever—” Although the thought of losing ye makes me ill! “—but mayhap through the winter at least? After yer bairn is strong enough to travel, and the snows are gone, if ye wanted to return…”
I broke off, unable to consider sending her back here.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I managed, “John would no’ be able to reach ye there. Ewan would be safe.”
“John?” She tipped her head up to frown at me. “Ewan? What does that mean?”
“‘Twas what I needed to tell ye. When I met with John in yer town, he told me—”
“That I was a whore, aye.” The anger in her tone was clear. “‘Twas what he told the townspeople and the priest to convince them to banish me here.”
Poor lass. I dug into the muscles along her spine, trying to ease some of her burden.
“He did say that. He said that ye took men to yer bed for coin, and ‘twas no’ as if I could refute that, eh?” I kept my tone light. “But he had a reason for his cruelty, apparently.”
