Page 28 of Surrendering to her Highland Captor
He trailed off, so Taryn finished for him.
“Ye showed us how to defend ourselves against a kidnapping.”
An awkward tension hung in the air between them.
“Just goes to show that I am nae a verra good teacher, I suppose.”
“My skill with a bow and arrow would argue otherwise,” she murmured, not sure if she wanted to travel through that particular memory with him.
“Ye were always a quick study. Ye picked up on things so much faster than Laura ever did.”
“It was always just fun for her. I think part of me kent that it would be more than that for me, one day.”
With that admittance, their temporary and unspoken truce came to an end. It was a painful reminder that all the lessons he had once shown her, and all the lessons she had picked up from her friends, were things she needed to be usingagainstJames now. It had been so long since she had last thought about all those little moments, those split seconds that had irrevocably shaped her into the woman she was now. The sweetness that used to live there was now marred by a bitter streak placed by James’ hidden agenda.
Foolishly, she had allowed the strength of his arms, the warmth of his legs, and the familiar depth in his voice to lull her into a false sense of safety. She grew silent as she reminded herself over and over again that this James was not the man she had once admired. Gone was any sliver of kindness or affectionhe might have once had for her. In his place was a ruthless captor, taking her to her death, as surely as if he were to be the one to drive a dagger through her heart.
Taryn sat up straighter, putting some distance, however small, between the two of them once more. She couldn’t allow herself to be so easily tricked again. She was supposed to be the one coaxing James into a more amenable disposition, not the other way around.
She had to get back to her friends. Taryn could only imagine how frightened Aila and Sorcha were, not to mention the three children she had grown so close to. She had finally found a family of her own—one that made her feel as safe as Isobel and Graham and James and Laura once had. She wasn’t going to let anyone steal that from her.
Keeping her head straight so as to not give herself away to James, Taryn let her eyes scan the forest floor. And when the hours passed, and they emerged from the trees by the bottom of a mountain, she kept her eyes focused there as well. Everything was an opportunity to escape, a chance to get away from James. She weighed every potential weapon, every escape route back to her home. Her guard had to stay up, she couldn’t afford to let it slip again, no matter how nostalgic her memories of James were.
“We will stop here for the night,” he announced gruffly.
Taryn nearly let out a cry of relief but bit down on her lip to keep from doing so. She refused to let him know just how difficult of a ride it had been. He had already made it quite clear that he saw her as weak and incapable, she wasn’t going to give him any evidence to further his belief.
He slipped down first, landing gracefully on his feet. His size suggested that such a feat would be impossible. Between his height and the muscles packed onto his frame, she never would have thought that he would be capable of moving so soundlessly.
That is how he snuck up on me.
Before James had the chance to reach up for her, Taryn forced herself out of the saddle. Her muscles, sore and tired, protested the movement, but she gave them no choice. She made it to her feet much less gracefully, but did so without falling over, if only because she was clutching onto the stirrup for dear life.
She expected James to go stomping off so he could set up their camp for the night, but he stayed right by her side. Too close for her liking. When she went to step away, James’ hand shot out and wrapped around her wrists. Not having anticipated it, she let out a curse from the stinging pain that followed.
James blinked in surprise, but that lasted only for a moment before it melted into furrowed scrutiny. He took in the whole of her and when his eyes landed on the angry red welts under his fingers, he immediately let go. The sides of his jaw flexed as he clenched and unclenched his teeth, clearly trying to determine what to do with her now.
“I am nae so daft as to let ye roam free,” he warned. “Dinnae think I did nae see ye looking for a way to escape me, all while telling tales of days gone by.”
She kept her features schooled though, internally, she was shocked that he had picked up on her thoughts.
“I will nae bind yer wrists again tonight…”
Taryn nearly sighed in relief, but it was brought too soon as James finished his sentence.
“But ye will be tied up. Over there.”
He drew her attention to a tree with a nod of his head. This time, she sighed in resignation. Without any brook of an argument, Taryn found her way over to the tree he had pointed out, so very slowly. The movement, though stiff, felt great after a day in the saddle. She had hoped to be allowed to stand for a bit longer, but from the way James pushed her towards the ground, she knew that had been too much to ask for.
He worked quickly, winding his rope around the trunk of the tree three times, tying her to it, before knotting it off out of sight. When he was finished, he tugged on the thick cord, ensuring there was just enough room for her to sit and breathe and shift about, but not so much slack that she could wiggle out of the hold.
“Stay here,” he ordered, as if she had any option but to obey.
Her eyes followed his back as he disappeared into the thicket. With him gone, she slumped against the rough bark of the tree and studied her surroundings. A small pond was to her left, promising fresh water and a chance to wipe the dust from the day, should she grow brave enough to face the cold. To her right were slabs of hard stone, making up the very base of a mountain.
Without knowing how long they had been traveling or the direction they were going, it was impossible to tell just which mountain he had planted them beneath. In front and behind her were trees, just wide enough to hide the width of a man, and not much more. At the very least, she had to commend him on his choice of resting place. They were sure to be shielded from the elements and any creatures that made this small thicket their home.
When James returned, he carried an armful of wood, and she relished the thought of warming by the fire. Without his body heat to help fend off the winter air, she nearly shivered out of her boots.
