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“Ye daenae look so good,” he said as he knelt beside the chair and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. “Ye’ve lost the color in yer cheeks.”
“I’ll be fine,” Olivia lied. The truth was she had no clue what caused her stomach to want to heave.
“I’m goin’ to fetch the healer,” Conner said. There was an urgency to his tone that rattled Olivia to her core. Her hand darted to his forearm as her fingers dug into his skin.
“I said I’ll be fine,” she answered as she swallowed hard, trying to keep the contents in her stomach down.
“I daenae ken,” Conner said and pursed his lips into a tight line.
“It’s just stress,” Olivia said. “I’ll be fine.”
Still unconvinced, Conner’s eyebrow arched as he stared at her. There was a pain in his eyes that Olivia wished she could erase. The last thing she wanted was to taint the memory of last night. Although her stomach was sour, she couldn’t help but think of all the things Conner did to her last night.
“Stress?” Conner mumbled as he rolled his eyes and knelt beside her once more. “Suppose it was an excitin’ day for ye.”
“One I daenae wish to repeat,” Olivia said with a faint smile. Conner’s lower lip fell into a pout as he grabbed her hand.
“There was nothin’ about yesterday ye’d want to dae again?”
“Well,” Olivia said, a bit embarrassed to admit how much she loved Conner’s tongue on her body. “There might be one or two things we can dae again.”
“We can dae those things now, if ye want?” Conner flashed a mischievous grin that made Olivia want to melt. Her desires to have him again weren’t nearly as strong as the irritation in her stomach.
“Perhaps tonight, if my stomach settles.”
“I still think ye need to see the healer. Just in case Joseph poisoned ye. I wouldnae put it past him to dae such a thin’. Especially since —”
Conner stopped talking as Olivia cupped her hand over her mouth. It felt as if she had stepped into a piping hot spring. Her face flushed with heat, but it wasn’t from passion.
“Tell me what yer plans are today,” Olivia mumbled. She prayed for a distraction from her woes. Anything to get her mind off the illness plaguing her.
“I need to go and talk wit’ the council and elders. Also should speak wit’ the guards posted in the cells to see if they recall what happened durin’ Joseph’s escape.”
“And what if they daenae tell ye anythin’?” Olivia asked as she realized that it was easier to focus on Conner than herself.
“I’m certain they will, especially if they value their heads,” Conner growled.
“That’s a bit extreme, dae ye nae think?” Olivia asked as the heat slowly subsided from her face and trickled down her neck.
“Ye think tryin’ to kidnap my wife, and threatenin’ her life deserves anythin’ better? Dae ye nae understand how important ye are to me? Dae ye nae ken that yer my world. I cannae lose ye, Olivia. I will nae..”
Olivia reached her hand to Conner’s face and brushed her fingertips over his jawline. There was no doubt in her mind that he was telling the truth. The fire in his eyes as he spoke validated his words. Reaching for her hand, Conner drew it to his lips and caressed each of her fingers.
“I’ll nae leave the castle today, if that is what yer worried about,” Conner said as he slowly drew his eyes to meet hers. “So if there is anythin’ ye need, or want, ye come to me and I’ll ensure ye have it.”
“I couldnae interrupt yer meetin’,” Olivia said as she watched Conner rub her fingers over his tender lips.
“Aye, ye can,” Conner said. “Even if ye just need reassurance that I am here and nae goin’ anywhere. I want ye to ken yer safe. Whatever it takes for ye to feel that way, dae ye understand?”
Olivia gave a sharp nod as Conner released her hand with a hesitant smile.
“I have to be on my way,” he said. “But perhaps ye’d like to bathe? I can have the servants come up wit’ the tub. That way ye can ease yer worries.”
“That actually sounds wonderful,” Olivia said with a smile.
“Then I will see to it,” he said as he leaned closer to her. Pressing his lips to hers, Olivia let herself fall into his kiss knowing Conner would catch her. Pulling away, Conner dropped his eyes and his shoulders.
“I wish I didnae have to leave ye,” he mumbled. Olivia wondered if it was more for his benefit than for hers. “But I’ll nae stop huntin’ for Joseph, nae until he is found.”
