“Aye. And you will…in time.” Completely disregardingher anger, he dismounted and lifted her from her saddle, aswell.
As soon as Tess’s feet hit the ground, she startedwalking straight for the gate. She heard his steps behind her, andshe broke into a run. He caught her just as she entered the stonearchway of the gate. She looked wildly toward the opening at theother end. She could see the iron points of the portcullis hangingominously from the top.
“Let me go. I want to leave.”
Colin’s grip on her tightened. Tess felt trapped,and she immediately became a wildcat in his arms. Punching him,kicking him, she tried to break free, but he held her eventighter.
She did not scream, as she didn’t want anyone tohear them. She didn’t want her people to know that she was afraidof this place.
“I’ll kill you when I get out of here,” she hissedunder her breath when he turned her in his arms, so she could facehim. “I will take you onto a ship and push you overboard myself.And this time, I’ll let you drown.”
“Is that a promise?” The villain had the nerve totaunt her.
Instead of answering him, Tess kicked him hard onthe shin. He winced but still did not let her go. Rather, he pulledher deeper into the darkness of the entryway and pushed her backagainst the hard stone. His body followed, pressing against her.She tried to struggle again, but then stopped as the tearsbegan.
It was like an explosion of emotion in her, and oneshe could not control. One moment she was fighting him, hating himfor bringing her here, and the next she was a sobbing mess, holdingon to him and burying her face against his chest.
He let her cry. He held Tess in his arms and let herpour out the raw feelings. After some time, she realized that hermisery had found a new fuel.
She was taking comfort in another human being. Shewas feeling the warmth of Colin’s touch on her back, and she wasnearly overwhelmed by the power of her own need. Holding himtightly, Tess stared at the glimpse of skin beneath the open collarof his shirt, at the solid pillar of his throat. Her hands inchedtheir way across his broad and muscular chest, feeling his strengthand his warmth.
And then she cried even more, knowing she couldn’thave him.
It was some time before she became aware of theridiculousness of her thoughts and pulled back. “I…I am...so sorry.I don’t know what…what came over me.”
Colin tenderly lifted her chin until she was lookinginto the deep blue of his eyes. “This is all part of settling thepast behind you, Tess. Seeing, remembering, and then lettinggo.”
“Remembering and letting go are the hard parts,” shesaid brokenly.
His thumb gently brushed away the wetness beneathher eyes. “You need good memories of this place to replace thoseothers.”
“Nothing can wash away the nightmares from thatnight. Nothing!”
Colin looked more closely into her face. “Would youallow me to prove you wrong?”
“Allow you?” She gave a small laugh. “I would giveanything to have something good to—”
The next breath was caught in herchest ashis lips crushed hers. Then she forgot to breathe.For a mindless moment all she was conscious of was the consumingfire that was racing through her. This kiss was so unexpected, andyet so stunningly wonderful. She was afraid to move—afraid tothink—for the fear of breaking this magical moment.
Colin’s mouth grazed the skin beneath herear as her arms wrapped tightly around him. He kissed the hollow ofher neck. He could feel her pulse fluttering wildly beneath hislips. There was so much that he wanted to tell her, about how hefelt and what she meant to him, about how he could think of nothingelse but her. But to his continued chagrin, Colin knew this was notthe time. She already had too much that she had to deal with hereat Ravenie.
His mouth returned to her lips, and hekissed her again before pulling back. “Come with me, Tess.”
This time she walked with him into the bright,sunlit courtyard. She already knew that she would walk with him tothe end of the world if he asked.
“Will you tell me what you have been hearing aboutthis place?” Tess asked.
Instead of taking her to the burned section of thecastle, he started toward the east tower.
“Forget about the place. Let’s begin with itsmistress. From all I heard down in the village, you were a weefaerie sprite when you were young.” He gave her a devastatingsmile, and one arm wrapped around her waist, pulling Tess snuglyagainst his side.
His smile was contagious, and Tess foundherself relaxing a little. They walked up steps hewn out of solidrock.
“Now, what do you recall of where things arehere?”
Finally being here, it was amazing how muchof her memory was coming back. She told him what she could recallof the castle. They walked through the kitchens, looked at the oldbread oven. She showed him the large stone trough for making breaddough. Here, the damage from the fire had obviously been repairedby the steward since, other than some blackened stones around thedoorway, there was nothing else indicative of the tragedy.
“I have a vague recollection of this placewith dozens of people bustling about and boys and dogs running inevery direction.” Tess moved away from him and ran her fingersalong the edges of tables and hearths. “I can almost smell thebread in the morning. Robbie the cook, now I can almost see him,waving his stick about like a chieftain directing his warriors inbattle. I also think that I wasn’t supposed to come here. I think Iwas forbidden by my mother to roam around the castle bymyself.”
