Page 44 of The Champion

Stryder shook his head. “I’m delighted to know someone does.”

“If you wish it, I could pretend to be your wife again,” Zenobia offered.

Stryder snorted. “The last time we tried that, I almost got my throat cut.”

Both Nassir and Zenobia laughed.

Zenobia smiled. “My brothers still look for you.”

A sudden banging on the door commenced. “Lord Stryder!” the women outside screamed.

Nassir sighed wearily, then looked to Stryder. “Doff your clothes.”

Stryder started disrobing without question.

“Excuse me,” Rowena choked as the earl bared his tawny chest to her. And the earl had a fine chest, too. One that she really didn’t need to see anymore of if she were to not think indecent thoughts of the man. He was haunting her thoughts all too much, as it was. “What are you doing?”

“Nassir is going to ride out of here dressed like me, to get the women to leave me in peace, while Zenobia catches me up on what they’ve been up to.”

Rowena’s face heated as Nassir started pulling his own clothes off.

Smiling, Zenobia led her toward the rear of the stable. “You have to understand, my lady. We lived for quite a few years in a hole where modesty was quickly sacrificed.”

“But how did he know what Nassir had planned?”

“Again, we lived together for so long, fought side by side, that even now I can tell you what each of them is thinking. Many times, we needed no words between us to understand each other.”

Proving her point, Zenobia led her to the stall where Stryder’s horse was kept, and saddled it, while the men exchanged clothes. That the Saracen lady knew which horse was Stryder’s spoke much of her relationship with the earl.

“Greetings, Goliath.” Zenobia patted the horse’s neck. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, old friend?”

She let the horse sniff her, before she saddled him.

Nassir joined them, wearing Stryder’s clothes.

“You look nothing like him,” Rowena said.

Nassir smiled. “They won’t even notice. All they’ll see is the black hair and clothes.”

Once Nassir was mounted, Stryder hid behind a stack of hay while she and Zenobia opened the stable doors.

Nassir kicked the horse forward.

Shrieking, the women scurried in all directions.

“Lord Stryder, come back!” several screamed.

Realizing the man was gone, the group huffed and groused. Some cast a feral glare at Rowena before they dispersed.

Rowena was amazed it had worked, and it wasn’t until all of them were gone, that she realized Zenobia had rushed into hiding after they opened the door.

“Finally, Stryder breathed. “A moment of peace.”

Rowena frowned at him in Arabian garb. He looked so strange and yet handsome in it.

“Have you any other clothes?” he asked Zenobia.

She shook her head. “There wasn’t time.”