curtsied to anyone before,” she whispered back, trying to loosen his grip where his fingers were digging into her flesh. ”Let go!”
“It’s all right, Dirc.” Bren’s attention turned to her, and she thought she saw a gleam of masculine appreciation in his eyes as he slowly looked her over. It made her feel… almost dizzy.
“Faith. An unusual name.” His gaze lingered a moment on her hips, her breasts, before slowly returning to her face, leaving a trail of heat on her body. She felt suddenly warm all over, and now she couldn’t even seem to speak. He was so very tall, several inches over six feet, by her guess. At any rate he towered over her own five feet and five inches. And strong. The contours of the muscles of his arms and chest showed plainly through the thin white linen of his shirt. He emanated power, so much so that she wanted to step closer and move away at the same time. And his eyes, she was drawn to them even as she wanted to look away. He looked at her like a predator watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She suddenly wasn’t so sure she was up for this. This man was way out of her realm of experience with the opposite sex. He looked like he could be downright lethal.
He spoke again, his eyes still on her face, though his words were addressed to Dirc. “I have made my decision. She may stay in the castle, under my protection. After three days time, she must pledge her oath.”
Dirc smiled, and she could have sworn she heard him let out a breath he had been holding. He bowed his head in deference, though she sensed the relationship between these two men was much deeper than it seemed on the surface. There was some sort of subtle undercurrent between them that she was not privy to, but that she could definitely sense in their interaction.
“Thank you, my laird. I place her in your care and trust ye to keep her safe.” He pushed her firmly forward towards the laird, ready to make his escape.
Faith rounded on Dirc as he turned to leave, suddenly unnerved at being placed in the care of a man who looked like he was capable of… well, anything at all. Not the least of which was making her think she might like to run her hands over his … “No! Don’t go yet Dirc. I’m not so sure about this anymore. I want to think about it some more.”
Dirc patted her arm in a half-hearted affectation of comforting her. At this point he clearly couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Well then why had he brought her here to this time? Her mind made a rapid series of deductions, ending with the obvious conclusion that Dirc wanted her to stay here at the castle with the laird. Why? To be his… what did they even call it here… concubine? Mistress? Oh no, I don’t think so! But what other reason could there be? She was, after all, an absolute nobody here. Or there was her theory that she knew something important… but that was a long shot at best.
“Now lass, ye will be safe in the castle. Remember what we talked about earlier.”
“I don’t want to be safe in the castle!” She turned desperate eyes to Dirc, who avoided her gaze and guiltily looked down at his feet, which he shuffled a little in the dirt. She suddenly couldn’t see herself under the same roof with the laird for even one night. Not with the way he was looking at her. Not with what she could see burning in his eyes. And not with the urges that he was suddenly awakening in her own body. “You can’t just let him take me and lock me up in his castle! Who is going to protect me from him ?” she blurted before she could stop herself. She really hadn’t meant to say that part out loud.
Faith thought she saw a faint look of amusement pass over Dirc’s face before he spoke. He looked up at the laird. “My laird? Will the lass be safe under yer protection at Creagmor?”
A slow and wicked smile curved Bren’s lips. Predator, definitely , Faith thought. God, he didn’t even move like an ordinary man. He had a
“It’s all right, Dirc.” Bren’s attention turned to her, and she thought she saw a gleam of masculine appreciation in his eyes as he slowly looked her over. It made her feel… almost dizzy.
“Faith. An unusual name.” His gaze lingered a moment on her hips, her breasts, before slowly returning to her face, leaving a trail of heat on her body. She felt suddenly warm all over, and now she couldn’t even seem to speak. He was so very tall, several inches over six feet, by her guess. At any rate he towered over her own five feet and five inches. And strong. The contours of the muscles of his arms and chest showed plainly through the thin white linen of his shirt. He emanated power, so much so that she wanted to step closer and move away at the same time. And his eyes, she was drawn to them even as she wanted to look away. He looked at her like a predator watching its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She suddenly wasn’t so sure she was up for this. This man was way out of her realm of experience with the opposite sex. He looked like he could be downright lethal.
He spoke again, his eyes still on her face, though his words were addressed to Dirc. “I have made my decision. She may stay in the castle, under my protection. After three days time, she must pledge her oath.”
Dirc smiled, and she could have sworn she heard him let out a breath he had been holding. He bowed his head in deference, though she sensed the relationship between these two men was much deeper than it seemed on the surface. There was some sort of subtle undercurrent between them that she was not privy to, but that she could definitely sense in their interaction.
“Thank you, my laird. I place her in your care and trust ye to keep her safe.” He pushed her firmly forward towards the laird, ready to make his escape.
Faith rounded on Dirc as he turned to leave, suddenly unnerved at being placed in the care of a man who looked like he was capable of… well, anything at all. Not the least of which was making her think she might like to run her hands over his … “No! Don’t go yet Dirc. I’m not so sure about this anymore. I want to think about it some more.”
Dirc patted her arm in a half-hearted affectation of comforting her. At this point he clearly couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Well then why had he brought her here to this time? Her mind made a rapid series of deductions, ending with the obvious conclusion that Dirc wanted her to stay here at the castle with the laird. Why? To be his… what did they even call it here… concubine? Mistress? Oh no, I don’t think so! But what other reason could there be? She was, after all, an absolute nobody here. Or there was her theory that she knew something important… but that was a long shot at best.
“Now lass, ye will be safe in the castle. Remember what we talked about earlier.”
“I don’t want to be safe in the castle!” She turned desperate eyes to Dirc, who avoided her gaze and guiltily looked down at his feet, which he shuffled a little in the dirt. She suddenly couldn’t see herself under the same roof with the laird for even one night. Not with the way he was looking at her. Not with what she could see burning in his eyes. And not with the urges that he was suddenly awakening in her own body. “You can’t just let him take me and lock me up in his castle! Who is going to protect me from him ?” she blurted before she could stop herself. She really hadn’t meant to say that part out loud.
Faith thought she saw a faint look of amusement pass over Dirc’s face before he spoke. He looked up at the laird. “My laird? Will the lass be safe under yer protection at Creagmor?”
A slow and wicked smile curved Bren’s lips. Predator, definitely , Faith thought. God, he didn’t even move like an ordinary man. He had a
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