Page 115 of Highland Ruse

Kaid considered the staff in his hands before releasing it and letting it whack onto the hard ground. “No weapons.”

Delilah tossed her sword to the pile of weapons. “Very well.”

“I canna have ye killing me out of anger.” His jest came out flat.

Delilah crouched low. “I don’t need a weapon to kill you.”

Before he could reply, she leapt toward him and punched with her left fist.

Blocked.

Then her right.

Blocked.

And threw up her left arm to stop a blow he attempted to land.

Kaid reached forward and caught her around the waist. “I understand ye’re angry with me.” He spoke into her ear, and the delicate hairs at the back of her neck stirred.

Delilah suppressed the urge to give in to a delicious shiver. “I am.” Her elbow came back and caught him in the ribs.

He released her, and she spun around. Her skirt swirled about her legs before twisting back the other direction and swinging against her ankles.

“Angry enough to leave for Edirdovar?” He moved to grab her waist once more.

This time she ducked low and met him halfway into his attack. She gripped his hips and tried to sweep his feet from under him. To no avail. The man stayed stubbornly upright.

She rose and met his gaze. “Angry enough to leave without you.”

He took advantage of her moment of self-righteousness by grabbing her shoulders and knocking her knees forward so they gave. He’d done to her exactly what she’d intended to do to him.

No sooner had Delilah’s back hit the ground than Kaid was on top of her, his arms braced on either side of her head. Though she was already warm from their sparring, she found the additional heat he provided rather pleasant.

Even if she didn’t want to.

“Ye think I dinna love Claire.” The solemn way he searched her gaze told her how much of what she’d said wounded him.

“She could die, Kaid.” Tears pricked Delilah’s eyes again, threatening a new wash of tears. “I’ll never forgive myself if she dies, alone and with no one to comfort her.”

The image rose in her mind of Claire in that massive castle, in the dungeon, cold and alone and waiting for death. No, waiting for Delilah to save her from an awful fate.

Waiting as Delilah did not come. As Delilah failed her.

Kaid eased off her and pulled her to a sitting position. He did not resume their battle. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and held her.

“She has no one to comfort her,” Delilah said against the solid strength of his chest.

“They have her for a reason, lass.” Kaid spoke against the top of her head and pressed a kiss to her hair. “They willna kill her. They wouldna take a child just to kill her. Rhona knows we love the lass and means to use her to their advantage.”

Delilah shook her head. His words were little comfort.

Kaid eased Delilah away and captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I love that lass as if she were our own flesh and blood,” he said. “And I love ye as if ye were my wife.”

Delilah drank deep a long inhale of air. The coolness of it eased some of the fire burning within her.

“When we return from Edirdovar with Claire safely with us once more, I want us to take her on as our own.” He rubbed her shoulders. The firm touch of his palms skimming her skin was reassuring. “And I want ye to be my wife.”

“Your wife?” she asked dumbly.