He wasn’t in the mood to waste time. He slammed his hand over her mouth as soon as she opened it. “Trust me on this.”
Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, but not for long, and she nodded.
He removed his hand. “Something is not right. All you did was ask questions of him?”
“Not him, two others, who were not forthcoming at all. Then, suddenly, the large man and two others appeared. He swatted at me like an irritating bug and shouted for me to be gone.”
“I found the same reluctance even for minor chatter. It was as if—” Bryce shook his head, suddenly understanding. He grabbed Charlotte’s arm. “He and his two friends were trying to save us, trying to get us to leave. The fear I saw wasn’t because soldiers had been there; it was because they were on the way.” He shook his head again, annoyed with himself. “I should have realized it sooner. The only men there were too old to serve the king.”
“You’re right,” Charlotte said, exasperated. “Fool I am for not having noticed it myself.”
“The three men took a chance leaving their hiding spot to help us, and we would do well to leave this place now as I’m sure they did as soon as we took our leave.”
They hurried off, not another word exchanged. It wasn’t long before they heard the thunder of horses’ hooves pounding the ground. They had only moments to find a place to hide, but it took less than that for Bryce to yank Charlotte under a thick blanket of bushes. It was a tight fit, with only room for her to lie atop him and Odin to stretch alongside him. The animal was trained well and knew when to stay silent. Bryce didn’t have to warn Charlotte the importance of the same. She rested her face on his chest and stared up at him, her lips clamped tightly shut.
For all her bravado, her small body trembled with fear against his, and she clenched at his shirt, as if her hold on him kept her safe. He didn’t hesitate to reach out and run his hand soothingly through her hair and down along her face to rest against her flushed cheek. She was soft to the touch from hair to cheek, and he continued to gently caress and stroke.
Her trembling eased, her body melting against his, when suddenly the contingent of soldiers were upon them, or at least it felt that way. The ground beneath trembled violently from the pounding of multiple hooves that seemed only inches from their prone bodies.
Bryce wound his arms tightly around Charlotte. She tightened her grip on his shirt, squeezed her eyes shut, and buried her face against his chest.
At that moment, his need to keep her from harm overwhelmed him, and he knew he would do anything to keep her safe.
The ground continued to vibrate well after the troop had passed, and the trio remained as they were, tucked safely out of sight. Neither Bryce nor Charlotte dared say a word, both knowing that troops purposely left a few soldiers lagging to catch any and all who tried to hide from them.
Bryce remained with his arms snug around Charlotte, and she kept her face on his chest and her hand gripping his shirt. She had also tucked her small legs between his large ones, as if getting as close as she possibly could to him.
He certainly didn’t mind. He actually welcomed the feel of her so snug against him. And oddly enough, it wasn’t passion that dominated his thoughts at the moment. It was something he hadn’t felt since he had lost his parents—a loving contentment.
He didn’t want to question it, worry over it, or be rid of it. He wanted simply to linger in it, embrace it, and savor it.
It was Odin who stirred first, his large head poking up and sniffing the air. When the sniffing ceased, and he started panting, Bryce knew all was clear. And he had no choice but to let her go.
The thought sent his stomach churning. He didn’t want to let her go; he wanted Charlotte by his side. Who would rescue her when she got herself into trouble? Who would see that she didn’t do anything foolish? Who would take care of her?
“We should leave,” she whispered, and he saw that she was gazing up at him.
He could get lost in those dark eyes of hers. He didn’t know why. There was nothing special to the dark brown color, yet, to him, they were irresistible. He found his glance settling much too often on her eyes and found that once there, he did not want to look away. It was as if the dark color held him captive, locked him in, and he was helpless to escape.
Her stirring forced his musing aside, and he took command. “Let Odin go first, wait a moment, then follow.”
Upon hearing his name and understanding, Odin crawled out of their hiding spot.
Bryce kept a firm hold on Charlotte when she suddenly giggled.
“All is well; Odin licks my leg.”
Bryce unwound his arms reluctantly, and she slipped off him, to the side, and crawled backward out from under the bushes. He turned on his stomach and followed, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
“We should make haste,” Charlotte reminded.
He agreed, and, without saying a word, he took the lead and began walking. They walked in silence a good part of the day, finally stopping near to nightfall. Bryce had reminded himself all throughout the day that his mission took precedence over his unexplainable feelings toward Charlotte. Just as her need to find her father took precedence over all else.
He watched her from across the campfire. It disturbed him that her eyes were filled with such sadness, and he could not keep silent. “What troubles you?”
“We do not know if we travel in the right direction. We could be headed away from my da instead of toward him.”
“It takes time to determine such things. Patience is needed when in pursuit.”
“In the meantime, my da could be suffering.”
“We’ve discussed this,” Bryce admonished gently. “You need to have more faith in your da. He does in you.”
“That’s what troubles me,” she admitted reluctantly. “He is confident that I will find him, and I have no such confidence. As the days slip by, I fear even more that I will never find him, save him from a terrible fate.”
Bryce reacted without thought. He got to his feet and walked around the campfire to sit beside Charlotte. He took hold of her chin, gently lifting it. “You are much too stubborn for your own good.”
“It is for my own good that I am stubborn,” she corrected.
Sadly, she spoke the truth. With what he had learned of Charlotte thus far, she had required courage out of necessity. It had now become a duty for her, one she did not take lightly. She was as duty-bound as he was, and he suddenly felt the need to free her of such a heavy burden.
But how?
His fingers tightened on her chin, and he leaned down and kissed her. She startled at first, as did he, for he had not thought to kiss her, it simply seemed the natural thing to do. And it was, for they both eagerly tasted and enjoyed. Soon they were wrapped in each other’s arms, the kiss fueling their passion.
Her slim arms wound around his neck, his hands went to her waist, and he yanked her up against him as he lowered them both to her blanket. His hands wandered of their own accord, caressing her body as if it belonged to him. And at that moment, it did, just as he belonged to her.
She was ever so soft and responsive to his every touch, and when he moved his lips to nibble down along her neck, she invited more with the tilt of her head. A soft, contented mewl spilled from her lips and fired his already heated passion. And made him all too aware that he wanted more from her—much more.
He paused to gaze into her dark eyes, which seemed to have grown as black as the night, and he knew at that moment that she would easily surrender to him.
“Why do you stop?” she asked, her voice heavy with disappointment and trembling with passion.
He could not take her like this, here on the hard ground, only to walk away. He had nothing more to give her than a night of passion, and she deserved more.
He rested his brow to hers, trying to find the right words, not wanting her to think that he didn’t desire her when all he truly wanted was to strip her and himself bare and make love throughout
the night.
But it wouldn’t be love they made, for he had no time to love, no time to give to another. Not now; not when so much depended on his mission.
She pressed her cheek to his. “It’s all right. I understand. It is not a good time or place. Besides, we would come together only out of a need to feel close and not alone in our endeavors. It would mean nothing in the end.”
Her last few words stung. Would that be how she felt? Would joining with him mean nothing to her? His arms fell away from her, and she moved away from him. They lay there, staring at each other, both at a loss for words or perhaps fearing to speak, fear of admitting the truth, fear of wanting more from each other.
Bryce sat up, not wanting to leave her side, arguing with himself that it was for the best. He was ready to get to his feet when he shook his head, turned to her, and took hold of her once again.
“Damn, but I enjoy kissing you.”
With that, he kissed her again.
Chapter 17
Charlotte sat stunned from his quick, passionate kiss. His lips were devouring her one moment and gone the next, the campfire once again separating them. She didn’t know what to do or what to think. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts that made no sense. And her body was still reeling from the intimate caresses Bryce had rained all over her only moments ago.
She was in an utter state of confusion, her body flushed with heat and her lips aching for more. She did the only sensible thing she could. She stretched out on her blanket and turned her back to him without saying a word.
She didn’t trust herself to speak. She feared her own words, feared she would beg him for more—more kisses, more touches, and more—
Charlotte shut her eyes tightly against her wanton thoughts. How could she justify surrendering herself to him when they had shared nothing more than a kiss or two? Had she gone completely mad? And under the circumstances, was this the appropriate time for such a thing?
And more importantly, was it just a quick rutting she wanted or was she expecting more?
Leave it to her logical side to interfere though she was grateful for it. There was more to consider before she did anything she could possibly regret. And, the way his kisses had made her feel, it would have been much too easy to surrender to him.
She was also grateful for Odin. The large dog crawled over to her, making his way beneath her arm and planting his big body next to hers after giving her face a quick lick. She hugged him though she couldn’t help but think she would much rather it be Bryce she had her arm wrapped around.
Odin gave her face another lick, as if understanding. She smiled, gave his face a kiss, and whispered, “Don’t you worry; I love you and always will.”
The dog responded, snuggling his face to her chest, and promptly went to sleep.
Not so Charlotte. She lay awake, her mind much too busy with thoughts. She ached for sleep to claim her and end her torment. It wasn’t only the endless thoughts she wanted relief from, but the tingling sensations that rippled through her body. They returned every time her thoughts lingered on how Bryce had caressed her, so gentle yet determined.
And then, of course, she wished he was stroking her again.
She caught herself before she almost moaned aloud, clamping her lips tightly shut. She would not let him know that their short encounter had robbed her of sleep and filled her with even more desire.
With the passing hours, she feared that sleep would never come, and so she kept her eyes tightly shut and repeated the single word over and over and over in her head—sleep, sleep, sleep, until the steady rhythm finally brought her what she wanted.
Morning came all too soon, and Charlotte lazily stretched herself awake, feeling as if she had not slept a wink. Being so tired, though, did have its benefits, she was simply too fatigued for mind chatter. Her only thought was on rest, which she would not get until this evening, when once again they made camp.
She was surprised when Bryce didn’t comment on her slow start or her copious yawns. It took only a moment for her to realize why. He was moving just as slow as she was, and his yawns were as abundant as hers.
She smiled, satisfied that he had slept as poorly as she had and no doubt for the same reason. It gave her a boost to get moving, lightened her step, and kept a grin on her face.
“You’re cheerful this morning,” he snapped.
“I believe it will be a good day.”
“How can you say that when gray skies greet us this morn?” Bryce grumbled.
“Showers can wash away troubles.”
“Then we need a rainstorm,” Bryce said and stomped off into the woods.
Charlotte worried that Bryce just might get that rainstorm, the clouds having thickened heavily after only a couple of hours. Not a drop of rain had fallen yet, but it didn’t look promising.
“Where to from here?” she asked, not a word having been exchanged between them since they left camp and her too curious to keep quiet any longer.
As she waited for Bryce to answer, Odin brought her a stick.
“Not now, Odin,” she said, and dropped the stick.
The dog was insistent picking it up and nudging her hand with his nose.
“Not now,” she said annoyed, though more at Bryce for not having answered her yet.
The dog refused to be ignored, and Charlotte finally grabbed the stick, ready to toss it, when her eyes popped wide.
She dropped to her knees, staring at the stick. “You found his messages.”
Bryce turned at Odin’s loud bark.
He raced to Charlotte’s side, dropping down beside her. “What’s wrong?”
“Odin saw what I didn’t,” she said with a tear in her eye. “He’s found my da’s messages.”
Bryce took the stick from her hands. “I don’t see anything.”
Charlotte took the stick from him and pointed to what looked like nothing more than scratches in the bark. “These are symbols my da devised as a way for us to communicate if ever separated.” She shook her head. “He did it right after I got lost, but there was never a reason for us to ever use them. I had completely forgotten about them.”
“You wear your da’s clothes, right?” Bryce asked.
Charlotte nodded knowingly. “Odin picked up my da’s scent on the sticks from his clothes.”
Bryce shook his head. “How could he have managed to engrave the sticks when always being watched by the soldiers?”
It was an easy question to answer knowing her da. “No doubt he did it right in front of everyone.”
“How is that possible?”
“My da loves to draw and would often sit and draw images in the dirt with a stick. It fascinated many how beautifully he could draw, and I imagine he entertained those around him with his talent, soldiers included, while his nails worked at engraving the symbols.”
“Do you recall what the symbols mean?”
“It has been a long time, the symbols crudely made, no doubt due to my da’s situation,” she said. “What I can decipher is that he travels west. I believe there is an unfinished symbol here, but I cannot make out what it is.”
Bryce stood and paced in front of her. “I don’t understand why he travels west. The king has few supporters there.”
“The other symbol could tell us more if it were legible.”
“Your da will leave more messages. We need to make certain we find them.”
Odin gave a bark.
Charlotte hugged the dog and rubbed behind his ear. “That’s right, Odin, you’ll find them for us, won’t you?”
The dog answered with another sharp bark.
Charlotte stood, holding on to the stick. “Are we headed west?”
“We will be after I make one stop.”
“Where is that?”
He didn’t answer.
He seemed to give it thought, and his hesitation surprised and upset her. Had something changed between them, and she hadn’t realized it? She wanted to know, and so she asked, “Suddenly you d
on’t trust me?”
“It isn’t that,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I need to visit Clan Comyn, and they can be a rowdy bunch.” He hesitated again.
“Spit it out,” she said, fearing he didn’t want her going with him.
“Going as a lad could prove difficult. It would be best if all knew you were a lassie.”
“That would restrict my movement and ability to learn anything.”
“You already know where your da goes,” he reminded. “There is nothing you need to learn from the Clan Comyn.”
“There is always something to be learned,” she said.
“They’ll be expecting you to drink with them.”
“I’ll get around that.”
“They’ll be boasting about the women they’ve known.”
“Like you did?” she asked with a grin.
He didn’t find her response funny, and it was with a stern look that he said, “They’ll offer you a woman for the night and not take no for an answer.”
Her grin faded in a flash. “They’ll offer you one, too?”
It was his turn to grin. “That they will.”
“You’ll not turn them down?”
“It wouldn’t be polite.”
The thought of his bedding a woman other than herself infuriated her. As irrational as it was, she wanted to reach out and strangle him. How dare he even conceive the notion? Just last night he told her how much he enjoyed kissing her, and now he would go kiss another. She would throttle him first.
It was then the solution hit her and no soon as formed in her mind than it was out of her mouth. “If I go as a lassie, then I go as your woman.”
“You’ll be expected to share a bed with me.”
Better me than another woman.
She kept that thought to herself, and instead said, “We’ll manage.” She wasn’t sure how that would work, though she was curious to find out.
They only took a few steps when she called out, “Wait.”
Bryce turned.
She didn’t want to admit it, but it was for the best. She couldn’t allow her curiosity of sharing a bed with him to interfere with what needed to be done. “I must remain disguised as a lad.”
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