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“What is it?” she asked.
“Naything,” he replied gently. “I’m just thinking, that’s all.” He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Thinking about what?” Her gaze held his.
“I don’t know what I believe in anymore.” Conner stared down at her for a moment before replying. “I regret being so foul toward you. Tis wasnae right.”
He reached down and took her hand in his, cupping it tenderly. “I dae believe that yer faither is innocent of killing me maither,” he said after a few moments, “but it was hard to accept it and it’s nay something that’s easy to bear.” He gently squeezed her hand.
“Please believe me when I tell you that me clan had nothing to do with it. Aye, we have hurt each other but we would never be so cruel.” Olivia nodded, her eyes glittered with emotion.
“I believe that now,” Conner said as he tugged her into his arms. He stroked his hand down her back, over the damp skin and taut muscles. “It blinded me, lass. The anger, the rage, the betrayal I felt, it all blinded me.”
“And now?” she whispered, her voice as faint as a breeze. “What do ye think now?”
“That I was wrong,” he replied. “And now that ideal has been stolen from me, I daenae ken what to think now. The anger was a familiar friend to me and now it’s gone, I’m lost for any reason why they were taken at all.”
Olivia’s hair ticked under his cheek. “There must be something ye’d missed.”
“I daenae ken so,” Conner sighed. “I went through it all.”
“People daenae vanish without a trace,” Oliva replied while propping herself up on an elbow. “If ye will let me help, I’d like to find out what happened.”
“I’ll find what happened on me own,” Conner said, a little rubbed the wrong way at the thought of her taking over the search.
Olivia rested a hand on his arm and the emotion in her eyes was sincere. “I willnae take this from ye, Conner, I am offering to find out what happened with ye.”
He twisted to meet her eyes, a long, searching stare. There was no guile in her eyes, no trickery or deceit, only trueness in her gaze and for once, Conner dared to trust someone other than himself. Reaching out, he tucked a wild strand behind an ear. “Are ye sure?”
Olivia’s eyes sharpened, “More than anything.”
Chapter 10
Olivia woke shortly after dawn. The sun rose over the edge of the hills to the east, the weak rays cutting through thick fog, but rainwater lingered on the casement’s edge. Wind was still howling, and it surprised her that she had slept through a storm. The storm had spent itself overnight and moved on, leaving the air fresh and crisp.
The room was still dark, but not dark enough to tell her she was alone in the bed. Sitting up, the memories from the previous night came rushing back to her—and so did the sensations. Clutching the furs to her naked chest, she recalled Conner and his scorching touch, the heat from his lips, the rasp of his fingers over her skin, and the hardness of his body that did incredible things to her.
Her cheeks reddened at the memories of how she had reacted to him, unable to understand her body’s responses. She was surely not virginal or naive anymore.
The memories made her skin heat and a tight coil formed in her belly, even in the cool room, she felt heated. She felt the aches in her body, the tender parts where Conner had held her too tightly, and the sensitive spots where he had caused red to bloom on her skin.
Her eyes strayed to the empty spot on the bed, to the pillow where Conner had rested his head. It was empty but she vividly remembered the warmth of his arms as he had held her that night.
Would I prefer if he were here, holding me still? Does it matter? I can still feel him.
Inching over, she pulled back and fell back on the pillows. Olivia slipped under the sheets and furs, and snuggled under them, her eyes wide open and staring at the wall.
Her thoughts began to move to the previous day. So much had happened. So much had changed — Conner had finally found a piece to the unending puzzle he had been searching for. Sadly, that piece was only a fragment of the now large issue. Since her father had not committed the crime, who had?
Slipping out of bed, she wrapped a single fur around her then went to the washroom. She had made a vow to Conner to help him find what happened and God above, she was going to hold onto her word.
* * *
A short while later, she was dressed in a sapphire blue tunic, long and pleated that fell to her feet. The light cloth and gray fur cloak felt deliciously cool against her freshly scrubbed skin. She tugged on a pair of soft leather shoes, fur-lined for warmth, and at the last, had her hair in one long plait down her back.
Before she left the room, she noted how plain and austere the room was. Where her room had tapestries and rugs underfoot, this room only had a bed, chests, trunks, and a thin rug at the end of the bed. Did Conner ever stay in this spartan room?
“Goin’ somewhere, lass?”
