stop the man from drawing his sword.
“’Tis only Patrick,” Katerina said, pushing at Lucas’s back and softly cursing when the man did not move an inch.
“ Only Patrick?” the young man muttered and peered around Lucas to look at Katerina. “Are ye unharmed, m’lady?”
“Aside from being pressed right into the rock by this hulking brute, aye,” Katerina replied.
“One of your men, is he?” asked Lucas.
“Aye, one of mine,” Katerina answered. “Now, would ye please move? I cannae breathe.”
Lucas kept a close watch on Patrick all the while he slowly sheathed his sword. Patrick returned the compliment by keeping a close eye on Lucas as he did the same. Theman’s dark blue eyes held the same wariness Lucas felt It was only Katerina pushing hard at his back and cursing him softly that ended the silent weighing of strengths and weaknesses between him and Patrick. Lucas wondered why the man’s tall, fair-haired handsomeness should irritate him so much.
A heartbeat later he knew exactly why when Patrick smiled at Katerina. Worse, Katerina smiled back at Patrick. The feelings stirring to life inside of Lucas carried the strong taint of jealousy and the very last thing he wanted was to feel possessive toward Katerina. The fact that he had felt the same way only moments ago told him he might be losing that battle. Lucas struggled to fix his mind on the fight against Ranald and Agnes and only that.
“’Tis good to see that ye have returned safely. And unharmed?” asked Katerina.
“Quite unharmed,” replied Patrick, and then he cast a quick look at Lucas. “It appears Sir Murray wasnae quite dead yet.”
Katerina laughed and shook her head. “Nay, not yet. He is thinking he will join us in our fight against Ranald.”
“Nay thinking ” said Lucas, “but planning to. As I have said, I too want Ranald dead.”
Seeing how Katerina winced at that blunt statement, Patrick patted her on the arm. “It has to be done, m’lady. Ye ken it weel e’en if we do all avoid saying so bluntly. Who else has returned?”
“None that we saw. Ye are the first. William waits in the hall for the others.”
“And what are ye about to do? Ye are nay thinking of going out and looking for any of the others, are ye? If they are staying away ’tis because it is still too dangerous to come here, the risk of being seen and captured too high.”
“Nay, I dinnae plan to venture outside. I go to gather us some much-needed supplies, that is all, so ye may cease bristling and go join William.”
The moment Patrick left, Katerina started on her way again. She desperately needed to put some distance between herself and Lucas. Despite the roughness of his actions in his efforts to protect her, she had been deeply stirred by the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. Even the hard, cold stone wall against her back had not cooled the sudden rush of heat in her veins. It was sad, she decided, when a woman could be aroused by being pressed hard against rock by a man who thought her capable of brutally murdering him just because she was jealous.
Suddenly, it did not seem such a good idea to accept Lucas as her lover. The feelings she had for him were still so fierce, ran so bone deep, Katerina knew she would be risking a great deal of pain. She should not have forgotten how she had felt when she had believed he was dead. It had torn her apart, left a gaping wound where her heart should be, and it had been many long months before she had been able to push some of that pain aside. If Lucas and she became lovers and he continued to believe she had had some part in the attack upon him, then they would just be using each other to scratch an itch. She might find that acceptable, despite the punishment her pride would have to endure, but she now suspected that would not last long and she would soon be wallowing in her own pain again. Lucas, on the other hand, could simply walk away at any time.
And, yet, what choice did she
“’Tis only Patrick,” Katerina said, pushing at Lucas’s back and softly cursing when the man did not move an inch.
“ Only Patrick?” the young man muttered and peered around Lucas to look at Katerina. “Are ye unharmed, m’lady?”
“Aside from being pressed right into the rock by this hulking brute, aye,” Katerina replied.
“One of your men, is he?” asked Lucas.
“Aye, one of mine,” Katerina answered. “Now, would ye please move? I cannae breathe.”
Lucas kept a close watch on Patrick all the while he slowly sheathed his sword. Patrick returned the compliment by keeping a close eye on Lucas as he did the same. Theman’s dark blue eyes held the same wariness Lucas felt It was only Katerina pushing hard at his back and cursing him softly that ended the silent weighing of strengths and weaknesses between him and Patrick. Lucas wondered why the man’s tall, fair-haired handsomeness should irritate him so much.
A heartbeat later he knew exactly why when Patrick smiled at Katerina. Worse, Katerina smiled back at Patrick. The feelings stirring to life inside of Lucas carried the strong taint of jealousy and the very last thing he wanted was to feel possessive toward Katerina. The fact that he had felt the same way only moments ago told him he might be losing that battle. Lucas struggled to fix his mind on the fight against Ranald and Agnes and only that.
“’Tis good to see that ye have returned safely. And unharmed?” asked Katerina.
“Quite unharmed,” replied Patrick, and then he cast a quick look at Lucas. “It appears Sir Murray wasnae quite dead yet.”
Katerina laughed and shook her head. “Nay, not yet. He is thinking he will join us in our fight against Ranald.”
“Nay thinking ” said Lucas, “but planning to. As I have said, I too want Ranald dead.”
Seeing how Katerina winced at that blunt statement, Patrick patted her on the arm. “It has to be done, m’lady. Ye ken it weel e’en if we do all avoid saying so bluntly. Who else has returned?”
“None that we saw. Ye are the first. William waits in the hall for the others.”
“And what are ye about to do? Ye are nay thinking of going out and looking for any of the others, are ye? If they are staying away ’tis because it is still too dangerous to come here, the risk of being seen and captured too high.”
“Nay, I dinnae plan to venture outside. I go to gather us some much-needed supplies, that is all, so ye may cease bristling and go join William.”
The moment Patrick left, Katerina started on her way again. She desperately needed to put some distance between herself and Lucas. Despite the roughness of his actions in his efforts to protect her, she had been deeply stirred by the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. Even the hard, cold stone wall against her back had not cooled the sudden rush of heat in her veins. It was sad, she decided, when a woman could be aroused by being pressed hard against rock by a man who thought her capable of brutally murdering him just because she was jealous.
Suddenly, it did not seem such a good idea to accept Lucas as her lover. The feelings she had for him were still so fierce, ran so bone deep, Katerina knew she would be risking a great deal of pain. She should not have forgotten how she had felt when she had believed he was dead. It had torn her apart, left a gaping wound where her heart should be, and it had been many long months before she had been able to push some of that pain aside. If Lucas and she became lovers and he continued to believe she had had some part in the attack upon him, then they would just be using each other to scratch an itch. She might find that acceptable, despite the punishment her pride would have to endure, but she now suspected that would not last long and she would soon be wallowing in her own pain again. Lucas, on the other hand, could simply walk away at any time.
And, yet, what choice did she
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