Page 74 of Captured by a Laird
Wanting her was one thing, needing her quite another.
He could not afford weakness. Too many lives depended upon him to act wisely on their behalf and not be ruled by his own needs and desires.
He forced himself to get up, pull on his breeks, and look for his boots.
“You’re leaving?” Alison’s voice behind him was sleepy.
“Aye.”
David stole a glance at her over his shoulder. When he saw her sitting on the edge of the bed with her hair tumbled down, all he wanted to do was climb back under the warm bedclothes with her.
“But it’s late,” she said.
“Aye.” It was nearly full dark— time to leave. He found his chainmail shirt and put it on.
“Where are ye going at this hour?”
He shook his head at her and proceeded to gather his weapons. Though Alison seemed too innocent to scheme against him, it was far too early to trust her.
He had already made one costly error in judgment. By not flogging his brother, he had shown indecision at best, and weakness at worst. He could not help but wonder if that perceived weakness had led to the attack on the village. Though he could not regret releasing his brother from his punishment, he should have foreseen the trouble and dealt with Robbie’s anger earlier. He could not afford another mistake.
“How long will ye be gone?”
“Can’t say,” he said as he slid a dirk inside his boot. Would she not leave it alone?
“Can’t or won’t?”
When he did not answer, she got out of bed, wrapped her robe around herself, and stood between him and the door.
“Why can’t I know?” she asked, folding her arms. “I’m your wife.”
“There’s no need for ye to know.” Even if he’d been certain he could trust her, he would not want to burden her with the tale of raped and murdered villagers.
“No need?” she said. “So ye just came up here to use me and leave?”
Use her? Why in the hell would she say that?
“Does this mean nothing to ye?” she asked, waving her hand toward the bed. “After all that’s passed between us, ye still don’t trust me?”
It meant too much to him.Shemeant too much.
“Ye enjoy what I do in bed,” he said, letting his gaze travel over her body with deliberate meaning.
“Pleasuring me is not enough,” she said. “I could find another man to do that.”
His vision blurred with rage. “Find another man to pleasure ye?”
Instead of backing up in fright as she should have, she rolled her eyes.
“It shouldn’t be difficult,” she said, lifting one delicate shoulder.
She was baiting him! He clenched his hands to keep from shaking her.
“So long as I draw breath, there will never be another man.” His head felt as if it would explode.
“I want a man who respects me,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “In and out of bed.”
“Ye can’t accuse me of failing in that,” he said. “Unlike Blackadder, I insist that every member of my household accord ye the respect due you as my wife and the lady of the castle.”
