Page 30 of To Honor

“It does?”

He groaned. She looked down.

“Evie,” he warned.

Curious, she mustered as much bravery as possible. “Show me.”

“Evie.” This time his voice had an even harder edge to it, but she would not relent. She trusted him, and he’d sparked something in her Evie refused to ignore now that it had stirred to life.

“Show me,” she said, more forcefully than usual.

Frowning, as if reluctant, he took her hand. Then, moving it down along the fabric of his thick surcoat, together their hands inched lower and lower. Until hers was placed directly over him. Evie could feel the evidence of his desire for her.

Her eyes widened.

She cupped her hand, curious.

His groan stopped her. “You are in pain.”

“Of sorts,” he responded. “The kind of pain a man feels when he wants a woman very, very badly.”

“I did this,” she said.

“Aye, you did.”

When he pulled their hands away, Evie resisted the urge to frown as if she were a girl of two and ten who did not get something she dearly wished for.

Gareth laughed.

“Someday,” he said, “you will feel me, and not through this surcoat.”

“You truly believe it to be so?”

His hands moved to her face. Cupping her cheeks, Gareth looked into her eyes. “Lady Evelina Ashcroft, you have my word as a knight of the realm and a man of honor, you will be mine. And I yours. If you’ll have me, no other woman will know my touch but you.”

She wanted to ask him, “How?” But such practicalities would ruin the moment, and this was, for all its fancifulness, a moment. One she wished to cherish.

“I would have you, gladly, Sir Gareth Claymore.”

As if sealing their exchange, he kissed her what was likely to be the last time that day. The sensation, still so new, was one Evie was quickly becoming accustomed to. With luck, it would not be long before they could do it again.

15

“He won’t help you.”

Gareth deflected Alden’s blow, the sounds of clanging steel echoing all around them. The training yard was filled more than usual with new recruits and those who had been serving the Guardians for years. It was a long, hard fight, restoring the empress to the throne, but a worthy cause.

“He must,” Gareth said between strikes and parries. Their swords continued to meet each other in a rhythmic dance. He and Alden were well matched. After a time, the men slowed.

“Your sword arm is strong and sure,” Gareth said to his friend.

“When I was young, my father exchanged lessons for the forging of swords. It earned him little coin, a fact I realized only as I grew older.”

“He sounds like quite a man.”

“Aye,” Alden said, glancing at their instructor, who was currently engaged with Roland. Others stopped to watch the pair too. They were as well matched as Gareth and Alden, more skilled than either of them but suited to each other.

Their sparring intensified. A fierce exchange of blows elicited shouts from all around them. Smiling, Gareth tried to predict who would emerge victorious. Roland was as skilled with the sword as Darien was with the bow.