Page 26 of Surrendering to her Highland Captor
7
TIED BENEATH THE FADING SUN
Awarm, white light breached through the shield of Taryn’s closed eyes, rousing her from a fitful sleep. She wasn’t sure exactly when sleep had claimed her, nor was she sure how she had managed to get so warm.
Peeling her eyelids back, she blinked, letting her tired eyes adjust to the morning light. As soon as they had, she made out the cloak that had been draped across her shoulders and tucked in behind her legs. With her hands still tied behind her back, there was no way she could have managed such a thing.
The wind picked up, carrying the scent of the old cloak—James. Everything about it smelled distinctly like him. Even if he had not reappeared the way he had, it was a scent she would have recognized anywhere for as long as she lived.
Having uncovered where the cloak came from only made her more confused, however. She searched the camp for the man and found him on the other side of the forest, unaware that she was awake. He was packing up their makeshift camp, shoving things into his saddlebags and tying them to the leather seat.
For a moment, she could almost pretend that he was the same man she had left behind. The small act of kindness he had done for her in the middle of the night was one that didn’t alignwith this new, hardened man he had thus far portrayed himself to be.
“Good. Ye are awake. It’s about time, princess.”
The sharpness in his words made her forget all about any chance of him having returned to his kind ways.
He crossed the distance between them, pulling out his dagger as they went. Her heart rate picked up at the sight of the gleaming point. It made no sense to her why he would help her sleep the night only to kill her first thing in the morning. She scrambled to her feet as best she could, trying to be ready for a fight.
“Wait—” she breathed out once he had reached her.
But he ignored her halfhearted plea and placed two firm hands on her shoulders. Before she realized what he was doing, she was spun around and her wrists were being pulled away from her back. The movement burned, making her wince. Her hiss made James loosen his grip just enough to ease the ache in her shoulders. His dagger moved again, slicing through the ropes in one swift motion.
“Prepare yerself for a long ride. We leave as soon as ye are ready.”
Taryn was too busy rubbing the red skin around her wrists to listen to his instructions. She massaged at the muscles in her arms as feeling returned to them, pricking her skin like painful needles.
“Did ye hear me?” he barked, his brows furrowed, concealing almost completely the color of his eyes.
“We are leaving soon,” she echoed. “Aye, I heard ye.”
Her own frustration mounted at his highhandedness. She sidestepped him and made off for the trees.
“Where do ye think ye are going? Dinnae try to escape me, Taryn. Ye will nae get far.”
She could hear his stomping feet behind her, but she didn’t stop.
“I am nae going to run, James,” she seethed that he would think her so foolish and naive.
When he didn’t stop his pursuit, she spun around, nearly running into him in the process. He glowered down at her, less than an inch separating them. She refused to be the first one to move. They were both huffing, the breath that escaped their mouths mingling to create little ghosts of cold in the air.
“I am going to prepare myself for the journey, as instructed,” she told him through clenched teeth.
Understanding dawned on him nearly as soon as the words were out of her mouth. He threw his hands up and said something that sounded an awful lot like “Women” and stomped back to the camp.
Taryn watched him leave, taking her anger with him. She couldn’t understand why he was so furious with her, what she had done that was so wrong. Today, she was determined to get some answers out of him.
She went through the motions of getting ready quickly, happy that he had given her privacy to do so. Straightening her dress and running fingers through her hair, Taryn braided it off as quickly as her hands would allow her to. While she washed her face and worked to clean her teeth with a finger, she wondered where they were going and what he was planning to do with her. Soon enough, her mind drifted back to getting answers out of him.
By the time she emerged from the woods, James had the campsite cleared and was waiting for her by his horse. She refused to give him the satisfaction of protesting their riding together. Marching up to where he stood, Taryn didn’t wait for him to offer any help as she swung herself onto the saddle. She took her time smoothing out her skirts and settling herselfin the seat before she glanced down at him. A fleeting look of admiration or approval danced over his eyes but vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
James lifted himself into the seat behind her, saying nothing as he reached around and took her reins from her hands.
“I can steer,” she argued, hesitant to let go.
“How do ye plan to do that if ye dinnae ken where we are going?”
“Tell me where we are going, and I will set off in that direction.”
