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Her heart skipped a beat, sure she had caught a slight turn of his lips, the start and quick ending of a smile that was near to being born, a playful one. “The animals have taught me to see more clearly than most.”

He purposely frowned. “If it is the animals who you see clearly, then you must think me an animal?”

She gasped. “Never would I think that.”

“But you said?—”

She pressed her fingers to his lips. “You twist my words.”

He brushed her fingers away. “I heard them. They were clear.”

Again, she thought she caught a smile so light that she could be mistaken, but she did not believe herself wrong. She wanted to believe he was being playful with her, trying to ease her pain.

“Perhaps you are right, husband, for if you are an animal, it will be much easier to tame you.”

She saw it again, slight as it was, only this time his smile warned rather than teased.

“Some animals are too wild and vicious to tame, and I am one of them.”

The sudden coldness in his voice and emptiness in his eyes should be enough for her to pay heed to his warning, but she didn’t.

She rested her hand on his cheek, its warmth seeping into her. “Maybe, or maybe you never felt the touch of a hand gentle enough to trust.”

CHAPTER9

Slayer watched Sky as he stacked firewood near the cottage. She was busy fashioning a wreath from slim branches she had collected. She appeared content but he could tell by how her brow scrunched now and again that her thoughts were busy.

They had spent much time talking last night not only about the news concerning her and her sisters but also about what Rory had told him. She asked pertinent questions and offered suggestions that proved wise. While he had never considered discussing important matters with a wife, he found talking with Sky valuable and enjoyable. He was beginning to think that their marriage could prove beneficial in many ways.

One was that he would no longer need to look for a willing woman when the need struck him. Sky would be right there beside him in bed. That he found her appealing was an added benefit.

Maybe you never felt the touch of a hand gentle enough to trust.

Her words from yesterday had kept repeating in his mind since he woke and at the oddest times throughout the day. He had not given much credence to them since he was in no need of a gentle touch. He was a hardened warrior and needed to remain that way. And yet he had found her causal touch had brought him a strange comfort at times. He particularly liked the feel of her snuggled against him in bed and lately he found himself unable to stop himself from growing aroused when his mind drifted to Sky. Something that was happening far too often. He surmised it was because his need for a woman was growing and he would appease it soon with Sky, and the thought stirred his manhood. He did not want to wait much longer to consummate their vows since if he went too long without satisfying his need, he could be demanding when coupling. Experienced women found his demands enjoyable. He doubted an innocent like Sky would feel the same.

The sudden sound of birds taking flight had Slayer hurrying over to Sky. He yanked her up from where she sat under a tree and shoved her behind him to walk them toward the cottage.

“Your attention remains sharp,” a voice called out.

“As always,” Slayer shouted, “but you, my friend, are tardy.”

Ross stepped out of the woods with a smile. “But I bring good tidings and,” —he held up a jug— “ale.”

Slayer did not know what tidings Ross had to share with him and after yesterday’s disturbing news, he did not want Sky suffering any more or hearing something that did not concern her.

“I have a taste for more berries. I will go pick some while you speak with Ross,” Sky said.

It was as though Sky read his mind and settled it for him, making things easier for him.

“Do not go far or be too long,” Slayer ordered and leaned down, his face close to hers. “And save some berries for me.”

Her face burst in a bright smile and her two different colored eyes filled with delight and, bloody hell, if her joy was not contagious rushing a smile to his lips that he barely stopped before it sprang free.

“I will,” she whispered conspiratorially and with his cheek so close, she could not help but kiss it.

Her innocent kiss stunned him, and he stood there as she grabbed a basket off the blanket beneath the tree and rushed into the woods. What stunned him even more was that it pleased him, filled him with pleasure, and sent a spark to his loins.

“I had my doubts about you bringing her here, but I see it was a wise decision. It did not take her long to accept you as her husband,” Ross said when Slayer turned and walked toward him.