If she married Lord Sin, they could go home safely.
Like it or not, she would submit to this marriage and trust in the Lord above to see her through it and to know what was best. Surely, it must be His will, otherwise they would have succeeded by now and been on their way home. This day had been an omen and Callie believed whole-heartedly in omens.
Tomorrow Lord Sin would be her husband.
She watched Sin mount his horse. He slid gracefully into the saddle like the born warrior he was and sat proudly on the back of his horse with his long hair shining in the daylight. He was a fine sight to be sure—handsome, strong. The kind of man a woman dreamed about at night and hoped to see just once in the flesh.
And he could be hers...
The hand he extended to her was both powerful and tender. He might not be her first choice for husband, but there was kindness in him. Fairness too.
If only he were of Scot’s blood.
Still, there were far worse men to be married to.
“Milord?” she asked as he settled her before him. “What will you do to my people when you take me home?”
Sin clenched his teeth at her question. The very idea of returning to Scotland made him ill. If he had his way about it, he’d never again venture there.
Of course, he did have his brothers there and while he was with her, he would make a point of seeing them. They alone made the idea of leaving England tolerable.
“I will ensure Henry’s peace is kept,” he told her. “So long as your men refrain from raiding his people, I will do naught.” What Sin didn’t tell her was that he intended to find the so-called Raider, put an end to the man’s mischief, then get himself out of their marriage as quickly as possible.
But even as the thought swept through his mind, he became aware of the woman before him. The way she smelled and felt in his arms. She was warm and soft, a gentle balm to soothe him.
He’d never held a woman like this. Never even dared hope for any kind of comfort in his life.
Comfort. He sneered at the word. Comfort was for weak-minded fools. He didn’t need it and he damn sure didn’t want it.
He would do what he had to for Henry’s peace and then he would be back to fulfill his oath of loyalty. That was his life and he had no desire for it to change. He had fought too long and hard for his peace of mind to let this little bit of baggage in his lap come along and rattle him.
“So,” he said quietly as he looked down at her. She had her head tilted to study his hands. “You’re going through with this marriage, then?”
She glanced at him over her shoulder and he caught a whiff of her light lavender scent. The smell of her stirred him furiously. Worse, his arms were pressed against her rib cage and her red lips were parted just enough to where he could easily claim her mouth for a passionate kiss.
The thought fired his body even more. The devil preserve him, he wanted this woman in a way most desperate.
She stared at his lips as if she felt the heat between them. As if she, too, were dreaming of the kiss he longed to give her.
“I see no way to avoid it,” she said quietly. “Do you?”
He smiled at the hopeful note in her voice. “Nay, lady, I don’t. But I am working on it.”
The smile on her face bedazzled him. “In that case, good luck. I wish you much success.”
Sin shook his head at her. She was a rare treat. One he would love to take a bite of and see if she were as saucy in his mouth as she was in his lap.
Strangely enough, he couldn’t resist teasing her. “Should I be offended?”
Callie bit her lower lip. He was jesting with her. The light in his eyes said as much. Charmed by his uncharacteristic behavior, she teased back. “Nay, no offense intended. You’re actually very nice when you’re not trying to be scary.”
“Nice?” he asked in disbelief. “That is probably the only title no one has ever heaped upon my head.”
“No one?”
“No one.”
Callie pulled back to look up at him. “It must frighten you then, to know I know the truth of you when no one else does.”
