“Lures? I’m hardly baiting you.”
He pointed a finger at her. “That’s exactly what you’re doing. You’re baiting me. You’re tempting me. Just as you did in the forest to steal my book.”
She smiled full out. “Charming? Alluring? Tempting?” She put her hands against her cheeks. “You’re going to make me blush.”
Christian stepped cautiously away from her.
She lowered her hands and cocked her head to watch him.
“Whydidyou steal my book?” Christian demanded.
She would prefer to talk about how he thought she was charming, but she shrugged. “I thought Sage would like it.” It wasn’t the real reason. She had hoped he would come after it, or at the very least, to have something of his to remember him by.
“And you just took it?”
“You can’t read. I thought it wasn’t important.”
He crossed his arms and studied her suspiciously. “Are you certain that was the reason?”
“What other reason could there have been?”
He stepped toward her. There was a change in his demeanor. He was more predatory, more confident. “Maybe you wanted to see me again.”
Her heart did a little flip. “That’s a little arrogant, isn’t it?” It was precisely what she thought, but she would never tell him that. “After all this time, do you still think I have feelings for you?”
“You kissed me in the forest.”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I believeyouwere the one who kissedme.”
He closed his lips tightly and sighed. “It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head and gazed out the window. “It’s still raining. We should get some rest. We’ll look for Sage in the morning.” He settled below the window, inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly.
Willow lay on her back on the straw. He might have recognized her “lures,” but she had distracted him enough not to steal a horse. She called that a victory.
The following morning, Christian strolled toward the road. The sky was just beginning to brighten, washing away the darkness of the night. Willow was asleep. And he figured he’d head into town to see if he could find transportation for them.
He had considered searching Willow for whatever she was concealing, but he knew she would wake. He knew she was hiding something in her armor. What book was it? He would have to bide his time.
He stood on the wet, muddy road, gazing into the village. The ground was saturated; large puddles spotted the middle and sides of the dirt road. The merchant’s cart was still on the road’s edge near the inn.
His mission was to get that book back. Wherever it was. Either Marcus had it or Willow did. Marcus might be in the village if he had sought refuge from the storm.
Christian began to walk toward the village. He saw two men in white tunics with red crosses on their chests as he came closer. Templar Knights.
The sky was gray when Willow opened her eyes. She hated gray days. It didn’t help that the air was moist and damp with humidity. She stretched and glanced at the spot Christian had occupied and sat up straight.
It was empty.
She clenched her lips. He was never an early riser, so she could only assume he had snuck out. While it didn’t surprise her, it angered her. Her gaze swept the horses. She was grateful to see all the animals were in their stalls. At least he hadn’t stolen one.
She climbed to her feet and looked out the window. It had stopped raining. The ground was filled with dirty puddles. Occasional footsteps marred the damp earth. The sun was low in the sky behind the clouds.
Where to start her search? If she were a kidnapper with a horse, she would need shelter against the night’s storm.
“Lady,” Roland exclaimed, entering the stables. “Ya are awake.”
She smiled at him and pulled a piece of straw from her braid. “Aye. Have you seen the man I was traveling with?”
Roland bobbed his head. “He is in the inn.”
