“It probably wouldn’t hurt, lass,” Shayne said, tearing a groan from her when he shifted her over his shoulder.
“I don’t want ta sleep on the floor,” she mumbled sadly against his back as he grabbed a wool blanket off the bed and threw it over his other shoulder.
“And I don’t want ta hear ye whimper all night,” Shayne countered as he carried her past her pallet and made his way to the door.
“Then, ye shouldn’t have made me carry all those buckets,” Lasarín pointed out even as she couldn’t help but panic as she hung there.
“Those are yer duties, lass. If I didn’t treat ye like a servant, it would draw attention to ye,” Shayne said, which, unfortunately for her, she couldn’t argue. Right now, she was able to blend into the shadows thanks to this plan.
“Someone’s going ta see me,” she whispered nervously as he carried her past the watcher’s fire.
“Everyone’s asleep, lass. No one will see ya,” Shayne said, only to make her glare when he shifted her over his back again. “Besides, no one comes out here this time of night.”
“I’m fine,” Lasarín lied, licking her lips nervously when she realized where he was bringing her.
“Ye can’t move without whimpering,” Shayne pointed out as he carried her the rest of the way to the lake.
“Then, I’ll stop moving,” Lasarín promised as she grabbed hold of the back of his trews and held on, telling herself that there was no way that he would-
“Best if ye hold yer breath, lass.”
-throw her into the ice-cold water.
She should have known better, Lasarín thought, sputtering as she stood up so that she could glare at the large man that would pay for that one day as she watched him start a fire on the shore before tossing the wool blanket on the ground.
“It’s cold,” Lasarín managed to get out through chattering teeth as she watched him lie down on the blanket with a satisfied sigh.
“It’s supposed ta be, lass,” Shayne said, sounding unconcerned as he folded his arms behind his head.
“I hate ye,” Lasarín muttered sadly, making him chuckle as she wrapped her arms around herself and made her way out of the lake.
“Do yer muscles feel better?”
“That’s not the point,” she said, struggling to stop trembling. “I’m freezing,” she managed to get out, willing her muscles to stop trembling as she knelt down by the fire.
There was a heavy sigh as he reached for her, plucking her off the ground as though she weighed nothing, and settled her on his lap.
“Better?” Shayne asked, wrapping his arms around her.
“No,” she mumbled with a sniffle, making him chuckle as he shifted her so that she was straddling his lap before he pulled her closer, tightening his hold around her so that she could settle against him.
“How about now, lass?” Shayne asked as she felt the heat from his body begin to seep into hers.
“Better,” Lasarín said as she lay her head against his chest. “Yer not going ta throw me again, are ye?”
“Are ye going ta throw another axe at my head?” he countered.
“I don’t want ta make any promises that I can’t keep,” Lasarín mumbled sleepily against his chest.
“I can still throw ye in the water, lass.”
“And I can still run,” she reminded him.
“I’ve seen ye run, lass,” Shayne said in a pitying tone that had her lips twitching even as she snuggled closer.
“Then, I can pout until ye take pity on me,” Lasarín said, wondering if she’d ever felt anything better than being in his arms.
“Yer good at pouting, lass,” Shayne said, somehow managing to pull her even closer.
