Page 3 of Bound to a Warrior
“Haven’t saved us yet,” he said. “We need to find a safe place to get a fire going and get dried, or death will get us after all.”
“Do you think they believe us dead?”
“Those two idiots were certain you would drown me.”
“I realized that and knew then we had a chance,” she said.
“But you can’t swim. And how did you know I could?”
“I saw the way you looked over the edge. I realized you believed there was a chance, though it was a slim one with us chained together.”
“You trusted me, a stranger?” he asked.
“I believed it was wiser to do so—” she held up her shackled wrist “—since I truly had little choice.”
“Another matter that needs remedying.”
She shivered.
Duncan gave a quick glance to the sky. “Night is a few hours off and we need to be settled well before then.”
“Need we worry about them making certain we’re dead?” she asked as he helped her stand.
Duncan shook his head. “I doubt they’ll bother to search for us, but the king’s men are everywhere. We must avoid them, especially since we have the king’s property.”
Her eyes turned wide with apprehension.
He smiled and shook his wrist, rattling the chain. “He may want these back for other prisoners.”
She smiled while wringing the water out of her long black hair, and once again he was struck by her beauty. The distraction, though it was more attraction, annoyed him and without thinking he turned and abruptly walked away.
The quick yank of the chain had her falling against him and he turned just as she fell into his arms. And damn if she didn’t feel good even soaking wet and damn if he wasn’t staring straight at her two luscious, full breasts.
He should have felt guilty and he did; not for staring at her breasts, but for forgetting they were joined together and causing her to fall into his arms. A place he didn’t mind her being, though not like this.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Being chained is going to take some getting used to.”
“Yes, in more ways than one,” she said with a slight blush.
Only then did he begin to realize the many ramifications of being tied together.
“We need to free ourselves,” he said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” she said. “Do you think it will be soon?”
“That’s hard to say.”
She suddenly looked defeated, but he wouldn’t make the mistake again in believing that she was easily giving up, as he realized the problem.
“You need private time,” he said.
“Desperately,” she begged.
“The best I can do is turn away and let you have the time you need and—” He shook his head. “You’ll need to do the same for me.”
“All right,” she agreed quickly. “But I need that time now. Right now.”
They walked a ways into the woods, and after finding a good spot, he turned his back, stretching his arm out behind him. He knew this could not be easy for her, and yet she had managed to get through dire circumstances without crumbling, weeping uncontrollably or surrendering.
