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Thor’s powerful body moved steadily under Ian, and Kate sat in front of him, distracting him in all kinds of delicious ways. Her lush arse between Ian’s thighs, she was warm and precious pressed against his torso. Every rub of their bodies, every touch, every slide was an exquisite torture.
They’d traveled the whole day after the battle at the farm, slept in the woods, then rode another day and another night, and had been on the horse half the day today. The wind was strong, and it murmured in the branches of the trees. Stern rocks watched them go. The birds were silent, and there were no animal tracks that Ian could see. Every living creature had probably been scared off by the English forces as they had moved through.
Ian leaned forward and, without touching Kate’s head, closed his eyes and inhaled the smell of her hair. He tried to memorize the scent. These would be the last days he’d spend with her, and there couldn’t be enough lifetimes.
She’d mostly been silent, and he didn’t want to push her to talk to him. They’d slept under his cloak last night to keep warm, but he’d dared not kiss her or caress her. He’d barely slept since the night he’d attacked her in his sleep, not wanting to start dreaming, terrified he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from hurting Kate again. Lying awake next to her, being enveloped in her sweet scent and doing nothing, was a hot agony.
It was better this way, anyway, keeping his distance. What was he thinking? He should have never fallen for her, should have never let them grow close. He was about to deliver her to Inverlochy, where she’d go back to her own time. There could never be a future for them. Even if she didn’t need to leave, a killer like him would never deserve a lifetime with her. She wouldn’t want to tie herself to him forever, and he’d never let her ruin her life by doing so.
They hadn’t stopped yet for their midday meal. “Lass, are ye hungry?” Ian asked.
Kate nodded. “Sure. I could eat.”
“Aye.” He spotted a small clearing between two trees ahead of them to his right.
When they were on the ground, Ian set about making a fire. They still had the last pieces of oatcakes from home and the roasted fish Ian had caught yesterday.
“I’ll warm this up,” Ian said.
“I can do it,” Kate said.
“Dinna fash yerself, Katie.”
She looked down. “Thanks, Ian.”
They ate in silence, and its heavy weight hung between them. He hated it. After what he’d confided in her, and after he’d gotten to know her better, this felt unnatural. He wanted to ask more about her, what she liked to do when she wasn’t working, what she hoped to do with her inn. The thought of a woman managing an inn by herself was strange, but he respected her strength and determination. Knowing how well she cooked, he did not understand how it could be failing.
Ian shamelessly devoured Kate’s every movement with his eyes. Her bonnie face as she ate, the way she held the fish as she took her bites. Her posture, the curves of her breasts under her dress as she leaned forward to avoid fish juice dripping on her. So graceful in every movement.
“How long till Inverlochy, do you think?” Kate said when she had finished and wiped her fingers on the cloth.
Inverlochy… The word pulled him out of the sweet trance of watching her. “We’ll be there tonight,” he said.
“Tonight?” Her face twitched, as if in shock.
“Aye, lass, ’tis our destination. Ye seem surprised.”
“I thought it would take longer, that’s all,” she said coldly. “Excuse me if I cannot read the horse’s mileage per hour.” She stood up. “Let’s go then. Why wait?”
Ian’s gut twisted painfully. Why, indeed? While he wanted every moment with her to stretch into eternity, all she wanted was to be gone.
He stood up as well. “Thor needs rest. So do ye. Ye must be hurting all over from two days on the horse’s back. Are ye so eager to leave?”
She crossed her arms. “I am, of course I am. I’m not going to restrict you any more than necessary. In fact, why don’t I continue the rest of the way on my own?”
“What?” He frowned.
She clearly couldn’t stand a moment longer with him. His cold-blooded killings had finally gotten to her.
“Look, I release you from your obligation of honor or whatever still keeps you with me. I can make it on my own now, if it’s only a few hours of walking.”
“Ye think I’m taking ye because I feel obliged?”
“Obviously.”
“Lass, I do feel obliged to protect ye, but ’tisna why I’m taking ye to Inverlochy. If I could, I would have kept ye with me forever.”
Her eyes widened. “Don’t feel like you owe it to me to be courteous, Ian. You probably think you need to protect my feelings after what I’ve told you about my childhood, but really, I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve been unwanted. I know the signs. I’m fine.”
