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The same woman who had risked everything to release him, had remained as still as a rock while she was being pursued by at least twenty men last eve, bristled now at the thought of undressing before him.

God save him from modesty.

“You will become ill otherwise, Reina,” he said. “I will go into the river first and turn my back. But you must dry your clothing.”

“My shift. . .”

“Will remain on the bank. That gown will not dry. We leave it behind.”

He expected her response.

“Leave it behind? You would have me walk through the countryside in a shift alone? Galien, I cannot do such a thing.”

“You will wear my plaid over it. The gown,” he pointed at her, “is velvet.”

“And ruined,” she admitted. “You must think me silly, to worry over such a thing.”

“Silly? Nay, my lady. I think you quite brave.”

Her chin lifted. “Brave. Or foolish. I’ve not yet determined which.”

“I have.” With that, he began to undress. Both of his boots were off before Reina fully realized what he was doing. “You are. . . that is to say. . . right now?”

Her modesty might not serve their situation well, but it did make him smile. Laying his plaid on a nearby rock, Galien removed his tunic.

“Oh!”

She spun away from him, presenting Galien with her back. He chuckled and continued to undress.

“What will you leave on?”

Placing each piece of clothing onto the rock and ground beneath it, he stood behind her completely nude. And even knowing, in this state, he should not tease her, saying the words almost guaranteeing she would look, Galien could not resist. “See for yourself.”

Of course, courtesy of human nature, she did peek. And gasped. And spun back around. Chuckling, he made his way to the riverbank, watching as Reina slowly spun away from him so as not to see him in such a shocking state again.

The water was cold, as he expected. But he’d bathed in worse. If necessary, they would paint themselves with mud again. But for now, he was glad to be rid of it. His skin itched even as he dipped his head beneath the water.

“Lay your clothes next to mine,” he called to Reina’s back. “All of them. I will turn around.”

Not watching to see whether she complied or if her modesty would see the woman catch a chill, he dipped under the water. When he stood, Galien’s torso was exposed, so he dipped back under again, scrubbing every bit of mud from his face and body.

“Ahem.” Reina cleared her throat behind him.

She was submerged, of course. Even still, Galien wasn’t prepared for the sight of Reina’s bare shoulders. He’d heard her come into the water but had wanted to give her privacy. Now, with her permission to look, he couldn’t stop doing so.

He peered toward the shoreline, into the trees. Except along the river, they were too dense for horses to travel, which was one of the reasons he felt comfortable being in here. No movement caught his eye. Save one. She dipped into the water again, emerging like a maighdean mhara in all her glory.

“This is highly inappropriate.”

Galien could not take his eyes from her. “Bathing nude in a river? Or running from your father’s men with a Scottish prisoner you helped escape?” He stood and took just one step toward her, the water rushing past them too quickly for his ease. Galien wanted to be within arm’s reach of her.

“Neither.” She tipped her head to the side, reconsidering. “Or both. But that’s not what I meant.”

Watching her watch him, Galien knew precisely what she meant. And was glad to be mostly submerged in the water as she continued to stare at his chest. “’Tis nothing to be ashamed of, lass. I am a man. And you are a woman.”

“A woman who has never seen such a thing before.”

He looked down. “You’ve never seen a man nude before?”