Embracing the Knight

by Langston, Jenn

  Once they were ready to start moving, Ian checked the placement of the sun, and then continued on the path they had begun yesterday. The sun moved steadily and didn’t lead them to water, or food. His stomach growled, loudly, and he knew Claire wouldn’t be in any better state.

  As he glanced up to check the sun, he stepped around a tree and his foot squished something round. Dropping his gaze, he nearly sagged in relief. Ripened pears covered the path. They were saved.

  Chapter 2

  Claire stared at Ian’s backside and tried hard to keep her thoughts pure. For almost a full day now, she’d been awarded with the view, and combined with the man himself, her resolve wavered. Each hour it became increasingly difficult to remember why she disliked him.

  Although their situation was miserable, Ian had kept the tone light. He made her remember all those good times they had shared as children. Back then, and most of the time, her brother had balked at having his younger sister tag along, but Ian had always been sweet. Then, he grew up.

  “Ian, it’s hot. If we don’t stop soon, I will fall over.”

  “As you wish. Here is as good a spot as any.”

  Gratefully, she slid down, using a tree to balance her until making contact with the ground. She wanted to laugh at the change in herself. Not long ago, the idea of dirtying her skirts would have bothered her. Today, however, the cool dirt felt wonderful against her legs.

  Ian followed suit across from her, bringing the bag he’d fashioned from her petticoat and laying it between them. After being deprived of food for so long, the idea of having another pear had her mouth watering.

  “I don’t recall pears ever tasting so good.” She closed her eyes and sighed as she took a bite, savoring the juice on her tongue.

  “I see.”

  When she opened her eyes, she noticed Ian looking at her mouth strangely. He made no move to collect a pear for himself. Heat flooded her cheeks. Clearly, she had done something wrong.

  “Don’t you agree?”

  He grabbed a pear and turned to stare in the opposite direction. “Yes. They are delicious.”

  Silence filled the space between them as they finished their fruit. She moved her aching legs, although making sure to keep them covered by her skirt. This trek was exhausting, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take.

  “How much longer do you suspect before we reach London?” She rubbed her aching neck thinking about how nice it would be to sleep in a bed.

  “It’s hard to say. Anxious to get back to Lord Higgins?”

  She snorted, uncaring how unladylike she sounded. “The only thing I could possibly miss about him is his dancing. That man sure knows the intricacies of the waltz.”

  “The waltz? Surely he can’t be better than me.”

  The cocky grin he shot her made her smile as she shook her head. Ian’s charm seemed to come as natural to him as breathing. Her lips tightened as the merriment wore away. She’d never seen a woman who wasn’t susceptible to him.

  “Considering we’ve never danced, I’m not a good judge.”

  He climbed to his feet and held out his hand, a sparkle in his eyes. “Dance with me.”

  “Here? Don’t be ridiculous.”

  The idea of dancing with Ian, here, in the middle of the forest did strange things to her stomach. It seemed too intimate. Considering their current circumstances, and their sleeping arrangements, they didn’t need any more intimacy between them.

  Ian crossed his arms. “Afraid you can’t keep up without the music? Don’t worry. I can lead the most inept of partners.”

  Refusing to be baited, she narrowed her eyes as she gently wrapped the pears back up.

  “I have no desire to waste my energy on ridiculous pursuits.” She got to her feet, slinging the pears over her shoulder. “I suppose we should continue on.”

  “Very well, but one day, you will dance with me.”

  She huffed.

  His long sigh betrayed his disappointment. He took the bag from her and began their trek. Narrowing her eyes on his back, she tried to figure him out. Considering what they were facing at the moment, she couldn’t understand his mood. Why did he work so hard to keep her entertained?

  “You can stop,” she said. “After all, it isn’t necessary.”

  Ian spun around to face her, confusion marring his brow. “What are you talking about?”

  “Charming me,” she explained, unable to keep the exasperation out of her voice.

  “Charming you?”

  “Yes. It will get you nowhere, and there is no time for it.”

  As if to emphasize her words, she took off, walking past him in the direction he’d been taking. The constant walking, the heat, and his positive attitude were weighing her down.

  He hurried until he was beside her. “Does that mean it is working?”

  “Yes. I mean no . . . it’s just irritating.”

  His warm fingers on her arm stopped her, and allowed him to turn her to face him. Gone was the playfulness he usually sported. His eyes were dark, his expression serious. She sucked in her breath, unable to take his intensity.

  “When did this happen? When did you start hating me?”

  She swallowed repeatedly, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. Telling him the truth was impossible, for she never wanted him to know. The very thought of that day brought a flush to her cheeks. However, she couldn’t stand the pain in his eyes.

  “I don’t hate you,” she replied, knowing it to be the truth. No matter how hard she had tried, she couldn’t bring her heart to truly dislike him.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her lips parted. Would he kiss her now? She always imagined her first kiss would be with Ian. Desperate to experience the feel of his lips on hers, she leaned forward.

  The sound of a bird crowing in a nearby tree startled her enough to clear the fog from her thoughts. She snapped back from him. Taking a deep breath, she turned away, knowing he didn’t want to kiss her, specifically. She was simply the only available woman present.

  “Claire.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  She felt his hands on her shoulders, but she shrugged him off. Right now, she couldn’t face him. If she did, she’d be too tempted to allow him to use her as he’d done to so many other women.

  “I think we should keep moving.”

  “Of course,” he agreed, regret echoing in his voice.

  As he moved in front of her to lead the way, guilt swamped her. The feeling she’d made a huge mistake overwhelmed her. But, that couldn’t be true. No good would come from kissing Ian. So why couldn’t she shake the feeling? Why did depression have to settle on her shoulders?

  Denied passion burned through Ian, but he pushed past it. Why did this have to resurface now? He’d wanted Claire for so long, but always restrained himself and he had managed just fine. Until now.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he took in her disheveled state. Exhaustion showed through her every movement, but he knew she wouldn’t stop. At this point, he had hoped to stumble upon an estate or at the very least a stream, but they hadn’t been so lucky. After an entire day of surviving on their now depleted supply of pears as food and drink, neither of them were doing very well.

  “Ian,” Claire called, her voice weak. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  After pasting on the cheeriest smile he could manage, he faced her. “I suppose you are correct, a rest is definitely overdue.”

  Before the words were fully out of his mouth, she plopped unceremoniously down to the dirt, apparently no longer caring where she sat. Fear wormed its way through him. Had she given up? She needed to fight to keep moving. To keep herself alive.

  Claire let out a long sigh as she lowered her head and shoulders. The need to comfort her, to t
ouch her, overwhelmed him. He moved closer to her.

  She ran her hand across the back of her neck.

  “Does your neck pain you?”

  “I will manage. I’m simply not used to any of this.”

  He shuffled closer until he was behind her and then sank down to his knees. As further proof of her fatigue, either she didn’t notice him or didn’t care. With a deep breath for encouragement, he reached out and touched her shoulders. She jerked away.

  “Let me help. I’ve heard of the Chinese practice, something called massage. It’s supposed to alleviate your pain.”

  Her hesitation sat between them until she relaxed again. “I suppose it couldn’t do any more damage. Being with you has already turned my reputation to tatters.”

  “Don’t worry about that right now. We can fix this,” he promised.

  She spun around to face him, her eyes ablaze. “How? We’ve disappeared, together. We’ve already spent one night—alone out here—together, and judging by the sun, we’ll be spending another. This is hopeless.”

  The obvious solution floated through his mind, but judging from the panic in her eyes, she didn’t see it as an option. Besides, if they couldn’t find their way to London, they would never survive long enough to hire a carriage to take them to Gretna Green.

  “You will have to trust me.” He winked at her, offering a level of confidence he didn’t feel.

  “I have no choice.” She sighed and turned back around. “Begin this massage thing so we can continue walking.”

  He swallowed, bringing his mind back to his priorities. He had only experienced this once, since the idea of having someone touch his maimed back troubled him, deeply. Regardless, the occurrence had turned out to be more intimate than Claire would agree to, but he could provide a more innocent version for her.

  Laying his hands on her shoulders, he rubbed, applying the technique he’d learned. Immediately, he felt Claire’s stiff body relax, and she let out a soft moan. The proof of her pleasure shot through him, bringing a discomfort within his breeches. He’d envisioned coaxing that sound out of her on numerous occasions, but the circumstances had been very different. Regardless, he intended to hear it many more times.

  “Where did you learn this? It feels so . . . wonderful.”

  Discomforted by her question, he moved his hand to her neck, eliciting another moan, and hopefully diffusing her curiosity. He certainly didn’t want to tell her about the Chinese mistress he had kept for a time. Nor, he suspected, did she want to hear about it.

  “Just another thing I learned during my journeys,” he answered, noncommittally.

  “It must have been amazing to travel.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality as her head sank lower.

  His smile turned genuine. That was the spark he wanted to see back in her. She needed something to press on for. Something to fight for.

  “I must admit, there is nothing quite like a satisfying adventure,” he said, hoping to expand her enthusiasm. “In a few days, we will be reflecting on this trip in the same manner.”

  “Somehow, I don’t see that happening.” She reached back and stilled his fingers. “I feel much better. Thank you.”

  Reluctantly, he withdrew his hands and sat beside her. He took the time to enjoy the intimacy of the moment with her. In the future, she may not look upon their experience with any fond thoughts, but he would. He feared that never again would anything be this easy between them.

  “We will make it back. I will keep you safe, like I always have.”

  She glanced at him, suspicion in her eyes. “Is that why you came to the picnic? Normally, you tend to avoid any matchmaking activities. You thought to save me from what? Lord Higgins?”

  Ian swallowed. She had guessed right. After hearing whispered comments about the lack of enough chaperones present at the event, he’d been worried. As always, Claire was too trusting. Being a man, and four years older, he knew enough to protect her from herself.

  The memory of Lord Higgins following her around the picnic still had him clenching his fists in a rage. As Ian had expected, Claire had been clueless to Higgins’s attempts to take her somewhere private. Ian, however, had not been fooled.

  Catching her narrowed eyes, he needed to diffuse her question, so he latched onto the one thing he could use. It also happened to be something that made him extremely happy. He offered her a crooked grin.

  “You’ve been watching me.” His grin widened as her face flushed. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t know what activities I preferred.”

  “No. I’ve just heard of your exploits from my brother.”

  Ian clicked his tongue as he shook his head. “Impossible. Gordon would never have bored you with such details, unless you specifically asked him. Have you been asking about me?”

  “I think that is enough of a break.” She scrambled to her feet.

  With a soft chuckle he followed her. That was answer enough to his question. Perhaps Gretna Green could still be an option. He hurried to her side, hope adding a swiftness to his step.

  He opened his mouth to tell her how he intended to save her reputation, but closed it as hints of a familiar sound floated to his ears. Reaching out, he grabbed Claire’s arm to stop her.

  Once they were motionless, the sound got louder. He smiled. Rushing water. Perhaps they would actually make it home.

  Claire let out a sigh of pleasure after she dove through the cool water of the stream Ian had found. The dust and grime disappeared, leaving her feeling better than she had in a long time.

  Dunking her head under the water again, she ran her fingers through her tangled hair, hoping to cleanse it as well. Thoughts of Ian doing the same thing down the curve of the stream brought heat to her cheeks.

  Would his black hair touch his shoulders when weighted down by the water? It looked so silky and fine even after their time in the forest. Did it feel silky as well? She wanted to know. To run her hands through it as she pulled his mouth closer to hers.

  She shook her head. This type of thinking wouldn’t do. He was her brother’s friend and a womanizer. They had no future together. At least, not one that would involve her feeling his lips pressed against hers.

  Deciding she’d had enough, Claire walked out of the water, not caring about her nakedness. For once, she was completely alone. The warm air and slight breeze assisted in drying her body as she made her way to her clothes.

  A sound to her left had her grabbing her chemise, and crouching down. Quickly slipping the garment over her head and shoving her feet into her slippers, she strained her eyes in the direction of the noise.

  Then, she saw him. Ian stood garbed only in his breeches with his back to her. Angry scarring marred his back from the same fire that had ruined her brother’s hands, as well as affected two other young boys. She bit her lip as sorrow filled her at their misfortune.

  When Ian turned around, she stifled a gasp. His face was lifted to the sky with eyes closed. The wind whipped his free hair around his face, but he didn’t seem to mind.

  Her eyes traveled down to his chest. Her mouth dried. The muscular contours of his chest were dusted in a light spray of dark hair that led down to disappear in his breeches. Her hands itched to press them against his skin and touch the hard body she’d fallen asleep against.

  When his eyes popped open, she backed away. It wouldn’t serve her to have him know she was spying on him. No doubt he would tease her about it, like he did when they were kids.

  Inching backward, she stepped on a stick, then jumped away when it moved. Looking down, her breath stopped to see a snake, its head raised toward her as it hissed.

  She spun around, but still saw the snake’s assault. Her brain couldn’t register the lightning speed of the strike. Pain shot through her leg as the snake sank its teeth into her flesh, then retreated. />
  Her scream broke through the pain as she turned and ran toward Ian. Her heart raced as she threw herself against his bare chest.

  “Claire. What happened? Are you all right?”

  “A s-snake,” she sputtered. “A snake bit me.”

  The color drained from his face as he lowered her to the ground. “Where? What type of snake? It wasn’t an adder, was it?”

  He fired the questions at her, but she couldn’t think. Would she die now? She hadn’t even had a chance to really live.

  “Damn it, Claire. Answer me.” He shook her shoulders. “Where did it bite you?”

  She looked down, and he must have followed her gaze because he sucked in his breath. Spatters of blood stained her white chemise. As Ian pulled up the fabric to expose her leg, she didn’t even care, the burning took precedence over everything else.

  “It bit me.” The words sounded strange on her tongue. She couldn’t believe she’d actually been bitten by a snake.

  “Stay here,” he ordered, then rushed off.

  She remained absolutely still as Ian dipped his shirt in the water, then brought it back to her. She bit her lip as he washed off the swollen wound. The pain lessened with the cool water.

  “Bloody hell, Claire. How did this happen? Were you watching where you were going?”

  “No.” Her eyes rose from his actions to see the muscles moving in his arms and chest as he hovered over her. Her thoughts from earlier entered her mind. If she were to die, she refused to go without at least experiencing . . . something.

  “Am I going to die?” she asked quietly, no longer feeling her throat closing at the thought. Instead, she concentrated on the man before her.

  “I won’t let you.” His eyes met hers, smoldering with the intensity of his promise. “Can you tell me anything about the snake?”