“Restless, aye. I rebuilt all the crofts, bigger and stronger. I redesigned my castle, even stacking stones and spreading mortar myself on the extended outer walls. But none of that was what my body longed for. I hosted games, organizing great feats of strength and prowess. But winning at games is different than battle. I needed more.”
She cocked her head, watching him as he spoke, dissecting the movements of his body with the words from his mouth. From her observations, there was a great deal of guilt with his decision to leave, and at the same time, a great deal of satisfaction. “And so, you left?”
“I did. I have a wonderful second in command who I left in charge, and I went to Noah and asked if I could train his men. Mine were already trained and would continue to hone their skills with the games while I was gone. The isles are run well, and I thought, if I didna keep up with my training in the world, what good would I be to them?” Ian ran his hand over his face as if wiping away his guilty thoughts. “It sounds selfish when I say it aloud, but I truly believed that I was helping my people by leaving. Staying abreast of what was happening in Scotland, rather than being isolated in our relatively safe world.”
“If you believe it was making you a better leader, then there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t think it sounds like you left simply because you were bored.”
He leaned back on his elbows, totally relaxed. “Perhaps not. Thank ye.”
“And your brother, he probably appreciated the help.”
“I believe he did.”
They finished their dry dinner, and Ian passed her a flask this time rather than the water-skin.
Rhiannon shook her head, pushing it back. “I don’t like spirits.”
“It will help ye sleep tonight.” He took a long pull.
Well, that was enough to convince her. She was utterly wiped out, and she could use the rest after the night of sleep she’d had previously. If this was going to help, then down the hatch. She took the flask, practically choking down a big gulp. The spirits burned on the way down, heating her belly, and almost instantly, she felt…lighter. And so, she took one more gulp and put herself to bed.
In the end, it wasn’t the nightmares that woke Rhiannon, but the shivering. Without the fire and the summer coming soon to a close, the nighttime air grew colder, seeping into her bones until the thick wool blanket felt like thin muslin. Her teeth started to chatter, and she rubbed her hands together, then wrapped herself tighter into her wool blanket, but she couldn’t get warm. The cold had taken root in her body, laying siege and refusing to vacate.
The flap of her tent moved, and she jolted up, afraid she was about to be attacked, but it was only Ian poking his head in. “Your chattering teeth are likely to alert any roving wildcats.” Though the words were teasing, his tone was concerned.
She grinned around her rattling teeth. “Goosie didn’t seem to appreciate it either.” Her cat had left at some point, perhaps part of the reason Rhiannon was no longer warm and snuggled. The animal was particular about her sleep, and Rhiannon couldn’t blame her.
“Let me help warm ye up.” His words were perfunctory, all serious. And though part of her knew she should protest, the freezing half agreed wholeheartedly, her body already leaning toward him, seeking warmth.
Ian sank behind her and pulled her into his arms. An instant wash of warmth on her back made her push harder against him. He tucked her legs between his, an arm around her waist, her head under his chin. A cocoon of safety and heat. She snuggled deeper and sighed as parts of her body began to thaw.
“My goodness,” she said, her teeth starting to chatter less. “You’re like a campfire yourself.”
He chuckled, the rumble going through her back to her chest. “It is one of my good qualities when it’s cold, not so much when it’s hot.”
Good quality or not, she was already feeling better. The chattering and shivering had subsided, and the feeling started returning to her fingers and toes, which she wiggled. She sighed into the glorious feeling of defrosting and thanked the heavens for things like campfires, castle walls and maybe hot-blooded warriors. If she couldn’t have the former two, at least she had the latter.
“Thank you for this,” she said through a massive yawn. “I feel so much better already.”
“I’m happy to help, lass. Now, get some rest. We’ve another long day, and I dinna need ye falling off a horse.”
Rhiannon yawned again, sleep already tugging her into its grasp. “I’d never fall off a horse.”
“Until ye do.”
She smiled, her eyes closing as the warmth she was surrounded by made her eyes heavy. She could get used to this. Lying in Ian’s arms to fall asleep. The cold fought back by the warmth of his large body. Feeling safely tucked in. Sensing they were together, or perhaps glad the chattering had stopped, Goosie slipped back beneath the tent’s walls and curled up next to Rhiannon, her purring drawing Rhiannon into a deep sleep.
With Rhiannon’s lush body snuggled up against him, Ian lay stiff as a board—in more ways than one. At first, the chill of her had seeped into his skin, the shivering and chattering numbing him. But the coldness quickly melted into a warm bottom and plush breasts that rested against the top of his arms.
He didn’t want to shift and feel the round of her hip, the subtle indentation of her waist. Already, it was a torment for her long legs to be between his own. At first, he could ignore the pleasantness of having her so close, but then, as her body filled with the heat he shared, there was no more ignoring.
The soft swell of her arse was pressed tightly to his groin, and if she wiggled one more time, he was liable to lose his mind.
Her soft snore was the only thing that kept him from kissing her because she needed sleep, and so did he. Except just before the dawn of the most pleasant sleep he’d had in ages, he was woken from a dream where Rhiannon had her leg wrapped around his hip and her breasts pressed to his, her breath on his neck.
Only it wasn’t a dream.
Ian’s eyes widened to find the woman splayed over him, their bodies touching in such an intimate way that were they unclothed, they’d be a mere inch from him taking her innocence. She was still asleep, and he didn’t want to move in case he woke her, but he could not stand this torment.
