“And I said be careful,” he replied evenly.
“I am nae a sack of grain!”
“Nay,” he agreed. “Ye’re far more trouble.”
She muttered something unflattering under her breath, but she did not struggle further. Her warmth seeped through his shirt, and the scent of her, clean linen and wild meadow, settled into him. The lingering fear twisted into something possessive and fierce; he would not lose her to foolish accidents.
At the camp, he set her gently upon a broad log he had rolled before the fire earlier. “Stay,” he ordered.
“I was already sittin’,” she said tartly.
He crouched before her, lifting her injured leg carefully onto his thigh. “Let me see.”
“’Tis fine,” she protested. “I can manage.”
“Humor me,” he said quietly.
He reached for her boot, fingers working at the laces. She stiffened. “Ian, ye neednae…”
“I do,” he interrupted.
He eased the boot free despite her protests, revealing the delicate line of her ankle. His desire rose, but relief washed through him when he pressed gently, and she winced without crying out.
“Does that hurt?” he asked.
“Aye,” she admitted.
“Good.”
She blinked. “Good?”
“It means ye can feel it,” he clarified dryly. “It’s nae broken.”
She relaxed slightly at that, though she tried to maintain indignation. “I told ye I was fine.”
He examined the bruising carefully, thumbs firm yet cautious against her skin. Her foot rested in his hands, small and warm. He had held swords, axes, and the reins of battle; none had felt so unexpectedly fragile.
“I’ll wrap it later,” he said. “For now, ye’ll rest.”
She sighed dramatically. “I daenae like restin’.”
“I’ve noticed,” he replied.
A mischievous impulse stirred within him then, lightening the weight of his earlier fear. Before he could reconsider, he bent his head and pressed a brief, deliberate kiss to the arch of her foot.
She gasped sharply. “Ian!”
He looked up at her, unable to hide the glint in his eye. “What?”
“Ye cannae just…” She broke off, cheeks flushing crimson.
He smirked. “It seemed to improve morale.”
“Me morale requires no such remedy,” she sputtered.
“Yer face suggests otherwise,” he said calmly.
She tried to withdraw her foot, but he held it gently yet firmly in place. “Ye’re insufferable,” she declared.
