“Thank you for not talking before I was ready,” she said, lifting her head to him.
“I would not dare do such a thing, not while you are armed.” He too was fighting a smile, he realized. “You really are determined to sew in the most unlikely places and at the most unlikely of moments, are you not?”
She reddened, like someone caught doing something illicit.
“I-I’m not sewing.”
“No. Apparently not. Knowing you, you are probably about to use the needle for another purpose entirely, combing your hair perhaps. You probably consider a needle an adequate tool for it.”
Her lips quivered. The laugh he was trying to provoke was not far. “Has anyone ever told you are trying too hard to be interesting?”
“Yes, actually. I was even told I succeeded sometimes.”
“This I’d like to see. So far I’ve not been impressed.”
“That’s because I’ve not really been trying. Trust me. You will be interested when I decide to interest you.”
“I cannot see what I could possibly have to say to that.”
Another quiver. One more try and she might actually laugh. This conversation was giving him immense pleasure. “I verymuch doubt that is true. That mouth of yours is as sharp as your needle.”
Fuck. Instead of coaxing a laugh out of her, his last, unwise comment had provoked a wave of desire inside him. Why, oh, why, had he mentioned her mouth of all things?
Because that’s all you’ve been able to think about since last night, you idiot!a voice shouted inside his head.Right now you’re probably imagining her using her wicked, sharp tongue on you. And it won’t be sharp, it will be soft and warm.
In the blink of an eye Haakon went hard as the stone Gytha was sitting on.
And she saw it.
A delicious crimson color spread through her cheeks and he could do nothing but hope she would avert her gaze, as placing his hands in front of his groin would only draw further attention to the problem. Finally, she did, turning her back for good measure.
Haakon remained frozen on the spot, willing the fire in his loins to go out. What had he done? Steinar’s words from last night came back to him.If I ever hear you made her uncomfortable.
Well, it was safe to say he had just done that, and more. What was wrong with him? Unlike with Cwenthryth all those years ago, he couldn’t claim to have drunk more mead than he should.
He cleared his throat.
“So what were you doing with a needle, if not sewing?” he asked when he saw that she was not going to look at him.
When she started to fidget, like a child caught red-handed, it only increased his curiosity further. Was she doing something illicit, after all?
“If you must know… I have wanted to pierce my ears for years but I have never found the courage to do it. I keep gettingeverything ready, convince myself today is the day when I will finally do it and then…”
Then she found she was not as brave as she’d thought.
At any other moment he might have teased her for her lack of courage, thinking she could take it, but after what he had just told her, he thought it better not to. Besides, there was something oddly touching in the fact that she had confided in him, told him the truth and exposed her vulnerability when she could have brazened it out and told him to mind his own business in that brisk manner of hers.
“I’m sure you will find the courage when ’tis the right time.”
She shrugged, her back still to him. “Perhaps. I thought today, after seeing my best friend marry the man of her dreams, would be the ideal moment—but I still can’t bring myself to do it.”
Haakon wasn’t sure why seeing Eadhild’s wedding would have made her think it was time to pierce her ears, so he didn’t comment.
She stood up and faced him at last. Only the faintest trace of pink lingered on her cheeks.
“I will just have to give the needle back to Merewen. I didn’t think to ask for thread as well when I borrowed it, to hide my real intent. What she will think I needed it for, I know not.”
“Just tell her you wanted the needle because you were thinking of unpicking the hem of your skirt then decided against it.” He could not resist one last taunt. “Coming from you, she might not question such an odd explanation.”
