Page 55 of Bound to a Warrior
“Then we’ll need to be alert and cautious.”
“The terrain can be troublesome if unfamiliar with it,” he said.
“Then we have an advantage, since I assume you are familiar with the land.”
Duncan nodded.
“Then it’s less of a concern than you think,” she encouraged. “And besides, your warriors could be lying in wait as well.”
“We do have sentinels in the area.”
“Then we have no worries,” she assured him.
He smiled and locked his fingers with hers. “At the moment not a one, we are free to enjoy the next few days.”
“That will be nice,” she said.
He agreed, though silently. Their time together had been one of survival and while it remained that way, for the moment they didn’t need to worry about it. No thought of soldiers sneaking up on them. They would be undisturbed, uninterrupted and the thought brought a grin to his face.
“Now you’re happy,” she said with a smile of her own.
“I am, since presently we have no cares.”
They both grew silent, each lost in their own thoughts and concerns, though their hands remained firmly entwined. And he intended to see that they remained that way. Perhaps that was why he always reached out and took her hand. Even though the shackles kept them together, it was that moment when her fingers wrapped around his and held tight that their shackles were of their own doing.
He would never stop taking hold of her hand and he hoped she felt the same. He thought she did, since she didn’t wait for him to only claim her hand, she claimed his and often. Her hand felt good in his and though it was petite and could appear lost in his massive one, it didn’t. It was a perfect fit.
That perfect fit seemed to apply to every part of them. Whether sleeping side by side, naked together or snuggling in the smallest of shelters, their fit had been flawless.
A crack of distant thunder interrupted his musings and he saw that dark clouds lay in the distance.
“A storm brews,” he said.
“We have time yet,” she observed. “If we hasten our steps we could cover more distance before we’re forced to seek shelter.”
Duncan nodded in agreement and they picked up their pace, hurrying along.
The thunder grew, though no rain fell and it wasn’t until dark clouds thickened heavily in the sky that Duncan and Mercy finally surrendered and took shelter in a small abandoned cottage Bliss had told them about.
After leaving their bundle inside they hurriedly gathered enough wood to build a fire in the cold fireplace. The first fat raindrop fell on Duncan’s shoulder just as he entered behind Mercy.
Rain fell in torrents and wind whipped around the cottage, shaking the closed shutters, but inside a fire burned brightly in the fireplace and food was spread out on the blanket before it.
“You will like my brothers,” Duncan said as they ate.
“Tell me about them.”
“Reeve is twenty and six years, a year younger than me and a warrior beyond compare. Lean and tall, many mistakenly believe his slender build makes him weak, but he is stronger than me, than any of us. I’ve seen him defeat four men on his own without a bead of sweat marring his flesh. His warrior skills are his greatest assets and he much admires courage. He will like you.”
“And the others?”
“Bryce lets his actions speak for him, and Trey”—Duncan paused and shook his head—“Trey is hard to define. It’s best if you judge him and the others for yourself, though I should warn you about my mother, Mara.”
“Why so?”
“She can take a person by storm,” Duncan said with a grin. “She speaks her mind when and where she pleases and her barbs, though meant humorously, can often sting.”
“She sounds interesting.”
