Page 86 of The Noble Servant

“I will come back for you as soon as I can.” He stared at her, running a hand over his short beard. “I was about to promise youthat I will come back, but the truth is, I could get captured by my uncle and his men. Many other things could happen, and I don’t want to leave you.”

Did he care about her so much?

He touched her shoulder, looking into her eyes.

She couldn’t stop staring at his lips. His bottom lip wasn’t swollen anymore. When had it healed? His mouth was very close, and coming closer.

She closed her eyes and held her breath. Was he going to kiss her? She should not let him, but ... she wanted him to, and she would let him.

His lips touched her cheek. They were warm and gentle. He then pressed his cheek against hers before pulling her into an embrace, his arms around her and her face pressed against his shoulder.

It felt so good to feel his warmth, his tenderness ... But did he not notice that she had closed her eyes and practically invited him to kiss her? And not on her cheek either.

What kind of silly, wanton girl was she? No. He could not know that she’d hoped he would kiss her, that she’d expected him to kiss her lips.

She took several breaths.

Oh, but he must have seen the way she closed her eyes, that she was still thinking about kissing him. Her face burned. What was wrong with her?

She pushed away from him.

Chapter Thirty

Steffan’s heart was still pounding after he decided at the last moment to kiss her cheek instead of her lips. Magdalen had pushed him away after he embraced her. Wise girl.

He hurried to pack their belongings on the horses. Magdalen helped by strapping the first bag to the back of her horse’s saddle.

He’d always been told, by his priest, his tutor, his grandmother, and even by Jacob, that he should never kiss a maiden. The only woman he should ever kiss was his betrothed on their wedding day. Kissing, they said, was for senseless, indiscreet men, for wayward sinners, and for the poor, who had few pleasures in life.

He had been sorely tempted several times in the last several hours, especially seeing how Magdalen had clung to him after he saved her the night before and after her nightmare. Not that it was her fault. He had wanted to comfort her. But to feel her breath on his neck ... and then this morning, to see her stare at his lips and then close her eyes. He wouldn’t be breathing if he had not been tempted.

What would Magdalen think if he tried to kiss her? He was fortunate she had not slapped him for kissing her on the cheek. Did she think of it as a brother kissing a sister? He shuddered. That would be worse than getting slapped.

He ran a hand over his face. If there were a stream nearby, he’d go dunk his head in it. Maybe the cold water would clear his thoughts.

Together they finished readying the horses.

“I don’t think anyone will recognize me if I pull the hood of your tunic up over my head,” she said, stuffing her hair into it.

He nodded. “It is a good disguise.”

As they rode into the village, they did not speak to each other, and Magdalen kept her face mostly covered while he procured supplies for their journey.

He let his gaze scour the men milling around the marketplace for Lord Hazen and his soldiers, and he was certain Magdalen was doing the same. Just as they were about to leave, he spotted two of his uncle’s guards asking questions of a group of villagers in the middle of the street.

He kept his head down while he stowed the last of the provisions in his leather saddlebag. Magdalen pulled the hood as low as possible.

Soon they were on their way back to Wolfberg.

By midafternoon the next day, they came to the path leading to Rosings Abbey.

“We will stop here for a meal, and you need to rest.” Steffan didn’t like the look of exhaustion in Magdalen’s eyes and the way her shoulders drooped.

“I don’t want to slow you down to take care of me. I’m afraid Lord Hazen will catch up to us.” Her pretty green eyes glistened with impending tears.

“Listen.” He leaned forward, drawing his horse alongside hers, and took her by the wrist. “It doesn’t matter that we are traveling a bit slower. We have at least a week before the guests arrive in Wolfberg.” He caressed her wrist with his thumb. “And secondly, I like taking care of you.”

She shook her head and made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a snort.