Read Online Forever Her Champion by Suzan Tisdale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzan Tisdale
Ads: Link
or brigands first.
Pausing once again, she looked up at the sky. With the dense, tall trees, ’twas impossible for her to tell what direction she was heading. Frustrated, she grabbed a handful of skirt and started off again, cursing under her breath.
Aiden grew weary of waiting for her to realize she could not make it to Allistair castle without him. Pulling his horse along side her, he bent down, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hefted her up, perching her in front of him. The startled, furious glare she gave him made him laugh. A long, full laugh he hadn’t experienced in an age.
“Stop laughin’ at me and put me down,” she snapped.
“I dunnae wish to,” he replied, still smiling. Admittedly, he liked the way she was glowering at him. It made her green eyes dark and, for a moment, he wasn’t so certain he didn’t see the flames of hell staring back at him. That brought forth another chuckle.
“Why are ye laughin’ at me?” she asked. “I see no humor in it. I could have found my way.”
His laughter subsided, but he still felt quite amused. “Ye’d have died of starvation before then. Or been set upon by ne’er-do-wells. Or tripped and broken yer neck.”
Crossing her arms over her chest angrily, she huffed. “Ye’re only saying these things to scare me.”
With a shake of his head, he pulled his horse to a stop. “Aye, that be true. Ye need to be afraid of such things or ye won’t survive.”
“I have survived the past year well enough,” she told him, looking at him straight on.
With a quirked brow, he replied in a low, soft tone. “Aye, I can tell by the bag of bones I’m holdin’ that ye have done quite well.”
More angry than wounded, she furrowed her brow. “I did nae ask ye to hold this ‘bag of bones’. I’ve asked ye kindly to leave me be.”
Skinny as she may be, she was still a woman. He could remember well how she felt nestled against him that morn. She was close enough now that the scent of marigold soap was nearly as intoxicating as whisky. He knew without the need for touch that her skin would feel as soft as silk against his own.
For the first time in his adult life, he let common sense give way to desire. Without permission, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. ’Twas even more magnificent than the first time. They were warm and as soft as the petals of a rose. Just a taste was all he wanted, but the moment he felt her melting against him, he knew he wanted far more than one wee kiss.
Stopping before he could do anything else this day that he knew he’d come to regret later, he pulled away.
Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart, her cheeks as red as the morning dawn. Oh, she was a dangerous thing, this young woman. He knew it with every fiber of his being.
Her eyes fluttered open a heartbeat later. Instantly, her brow furrowed with uncertainty. “Why did ye do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat.
“Kiss me?”
“Because that I wished to do.”
* * *
H eading now in the right direction, they rode in companionable silence for the next hour, each of them lost in their own thoughts, barely noticing they’d left the woods. ’Twas Rianna who finally broke the silence. “Do ye really think me too skinny?”
“I do,” he replied. “But ’tis nothin’ a few good meals cannae fix.”
A quarter of an hour passed before she asked her next question. “Do ye really think me addlepated?”
“I ne’er said ye were addlepated.”
“But I was goin’ in the wrong direction,” she reminded him. “It must have crossed your mind that I’m not the most brilliant minded person ye ever met.”
“I can assure ye the thought ne’er entered my head.” Nay, his thoughts were far more lascivious and salacious. Her intelligence never once factored into it.
More silence ensued. When next ’twas broken, ’twas by Aiden recommending they stop to eat, stretch their legs, and rest the horse.
They found a
Pausing once again, she looked up at the sky. With the dense, tall trees, ’twas impossible for her to tell what direction she was heading. Frustrated, she grabbed a handful of skirt and started off again, cursing under her breath.
Aiden grew weary of waiting for her to realize she could not make it to Allistair castle without him. Pulling his horse along side her, he bent down, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hefted her up, perching her in front of him. The startled, furious glare she gave him made him laugh. A long, full laugh he hadn’t experienced in an age.
“Stop laughin’ at me and put me down,” she snapped.
“I dunnae wish to,” he replied, still smiling. Admittedly, he liked the way she was glowering at him. It made her green eyes dark and, for a moment, he wasn’t so certain he didn’t see the flames of hell staring back at him. That brought forth another chuckle.
“Why are ye laughin’ at me?” she asked. “I see no humor in it. I could have found my way.”
His laughter subsided, but he still felt quite amused. “Ye’d have died of starvation before then. Or been set upon by ne’er-do-wells. Or tripped and broken yer neck.”
Crossing her arms over her chest angrily, she huffed. “Ye’re only saying these things to scare me.”
With a shake of his head, he pulled his horse to a stop. “Aye, that be true. Ye need to be afraid of such things or ye won’t survive.”
“I have survived the past year well enough,” she told him, looking at him straight on.
With a quirked brow, he replied in a low, soft tone. “Aye, I can tell by the bag of bones I’m holdin’ that ye have done quite well.”
More angry than wounded, she furrowed her brow. “I did nae ask ye to hold this ‘bag of bones’. I’ve asked ye kindly to leave me be.”
Skinny as she may be, she was still a woman. He could remember well how she felt nestled against him that morn. She was close enough now that the scent of marigold soap was nearly as intoxicating as whisky. He knew without the need for touch that her skin would feel as soft as silk against his own.
For the first time in his adult life, he let common sense give way to desire. Without permission, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. ’Twas even more magnificent than the first time. They were warm and as soft as the petals of a rose. Just a taste was all he wanted, but the moment he felt her melting against him, he knew he wanted far more than one wee kiss.
Stopping before he could do anything else this day that he knew he’d come to regret later, he pulled away.
Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly apart, her cheeks as red as the morning dawn. Oh, she was a dangerous thing, this young woman. He knew it with every fiber of his being.
Her eyes fluttered open a heartbeat later. Instantly, her brow furrowed with uncertainty. “Why did ye do that?”
“Do what?” he asked, his voice catching in his throat.
“Kiss me?”
“Because that I wished to do.”
* * *
H eading now in the right direction, they rode in companionable silence for the next hour, each of them lost in their own thoughts, barely noticing they’d left the woods. ’Twas Rianna who finally broke the silence. “Do ye really think me too skinny?”
“I do,” he replied. “But ’tis nothin’ a few good meals cannae fix.”
A quarter of an hour passed before she asked her next question. “Do ye really think me addlepated?”
“I ne’er said ye were addlepated.”
“But I was goin’ in the wrong direction,” she reminded him. “It must have crossed your mind that I’m not the most brilliant minded person ye ever met.”
“I can assure ye the thought ne’er entered my head.” Nay, his thoughts were far more lascivious and salacious. Her intelligence never once factored into it.
More silence ensued. When next ’twas broken, ’twas by Aiden recommending they stop to eat, stretch their legs, and rest the horse.
They found a
Similar Books
