A Warrior's Promise (20 page)

Chapter 23

S
anity vanished, along with fear, as soon as his lips touched hers. Nothing made sense, nothing mattered but his kiss. It took hold of her and held her captive, a willing captive. She would linger in the taste of him forever if she could.

It was a strong, demanding kiss, and she responded with the same strength and demand. Thunder rumbled overhead, but it was nothing compared to the thunderous passion that rumbled between them.

He abruptly pulled his lips off hers, and she tilted her head back and took a needed breath. She gasped when his teeth began to bite playfully along her neck, sending tingles all the way down to her toes. They were light and teasing and oh so tantalizing. His nips soon traveled up over her chin and along her lips before he once again stole her breath with a kiss.

Lost in sensations that were new and wondrous, she hadn't realized that his hand had settled on her breast. He cupped her, her small breast getting lost in his large hand, and gave a firm squeeze; and then his thumb teased her nipple hard. She so wished that there were no clothes to interfere with his touch. She ached to feel flesh against flesh.

He tore his lips away again, his breathing heavy. “We must stop.”

“Why?”

“Look where we are,” he said with a quick shake of his head. “This is no place for us to make love.”

“We are together. What else matters?”

“A soft bed, a warm fire?”

“And what if we never get the chance to have that?” she asked. “What if this is our only chance to love each other?”

“There will be other times,” he insisted, as if he decreed it.

“We don't know that. Tomorrow could change everything. What then? Do we remember this moment with regret?”

She rested her hand on his cheek. “I love you, Bryce MacAlpin, and I want to make love with you. Will you deny me? Deny us?”

He took firm hold of her chin. “You are the most remarkable woman. You make me mad with the want of you no matter time and place.”

She smiled and pushed his hand away to nip at his lips. “And I am a woman you will never forget after this night is done.”

“This night and you are already unforgettable,” he said, and laid claim to her lips while his hands explored.

She did not hesitate to do the same. She might not be able to see him naked, the confined space allowing for no room to remove their clothes, but one touch of her hand on him, and she was reminded of when she first landed between his legs.

There was no doubt he was large. She had seen that with her own eyes, but to feel it for herself startled and delighted. And she took great joy in running her hand over the thick length of him time and again.

“Stop,” he urged in her ear.

“You don't like—”

“I like it too much,” he whispered, and nibbled at her ear.

Thunder crackled overhead and suddenly the sky opened ever wider and the rain drenched the land even more. It poured through the bushes, soaking them.

“Not again,” Bryce said angrily and rolled over her, tucking her beneath him as he went. “Tonight we finish what we started.”

She grinned and latched a hand on to each of his arms. “I was going to get on top of you and—”

He groaned.

“I shouldn't want to do that?” she asked innocently.

He grinned and rested his brow to hers. “When all is done and we are free, you can do that as much as you want.”

“Truly?”

“You have my word.”

“I hope this is not our only time together.”

“It better not be,” he said, and kissed her again.

They were soon two lovers lost amid a raging storm not only outside but within. Kisses and touches turned frantic, clothes were pushed up and aside, and there was no hesitancy, there was no need for it. Both were eager and anxious, and Charlotte not hesitant or willing to let him worry over her first time.

She whispered encouraging words in his ear, telling him she couldn't wait to have him deep inside her, to feel the thrill of being loved, to truly become one with him.

With each encouraging word, his hands explored, and she welcomed his intimate touches. Never had she felt so alive, never had she thought that a man's touch could bring such pleasure. The more his hand traveled beneath her tunic and stroked her flesh, and the more his fingers teased their way inside her, the more she thought she'd burst with the pleasure of it.

It wasn't long before she wanted
him
inside her and she encouraged him until finally . . . she gasped when he entered her and smiled. “Good Lord, that feels good.”

“You haven't felt anything yet,” he teased with a kiss.

Charlotte feared she was as loud as the thunder that rocked the night as he drove in and out of her, and she didn't care. She never knew anything could feel so fantastic and beautiful at the same time.

And when she erupted in a mind-boggling climax, she thought she had surely died and gone to heaven.

B
ryce had never experienced such an explosive climax. It had rocked his whole body with such pleasure that, for a moment, he couldn't think at all or make sense of anything. All he could do was soak in the divine pleasure.

He had had no plans to make love to Charlotte. Not here in a rainstorm on the muddy ground, but it had been impossible not to. Their desire for each other could no longer be contained, and nothing could stop it, not the disagreeable weather or lack of proper lodgings. Nothing had mattered but making love.

With sanity being slowly restored, he eased himself off Charlotte, tucking her once again in the crook of his arm. He knew then and there he never wanted to let her go. And he knew there would come a time, he hoped soon, when he would make love to her in a proper setting.

Right now, he wanted to let her know how extraordinary it had been making love with her.

“That was better than I ever imagined it could be,” she said on a sigh.

So many times she had startled him with her remarks, not only because they were often bold but because they so often reflected his own thoughts.

“Only true love could feel so”—she sighed again—“satisfying.”

She was right about that. This intense, overpowering feeling that surged through and consumed him could only be love. And he was annoyed that love would strike now, when it was so inconvenient. He should embrace it and not worry over anything else, but there was more than just himself to consider, and as selfish as he wished he could be, it wasn't possible. He had his duty, and that duty prevented him from promising her a future.

She gazed up at him. “We will have these moments and take what we can, will we not?”

She asked, as if she feared he would say no. He wanted these moments between them as much as he wanted this fight to seat the true king to end.

“Every moment we can steal will be ours.” He hugged her to him, and though their garments were riddled with rain and a chill permeated the air, they shared warmth.

Content from making love, they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

D
awn brought the sun with it, and Bryce and Charlotte stretched the aches out of their cramped bodies once they were out from under the bush. Odin pranced around, having been up before them and eager to be on the way.

Bryce smiled, watching Charlotte kneel on one knee to favor the dog with a rub and a kiss. She looked a sight, her clothes still soggy and partially covered with mud. There were also patches of mud in her hair, while Odin did a good job of licking any dirt off her face. Bryce wished her bruises could be that easily wiped away.

She certainly looked a sight, but to him she was beautiful. The more he watched her, the more he seemed to fall in love with her. She wasn't the kind of woman he would have chosen to love, yet she was
everything
he wanted.

He almost laughed aloud, not making any sense and yet not caring. What mattered was that they were together, and he intended to see that they stayed that way for as long as possible.

“We better go,” he said, the thought that he should be taking them home where she would be safe growing ever stronger. And with the direction they headed, home would not be far off.

Charlotte stood and, with a smile, hurried to his side and flung herself at him. His hands instinctively went out to catch her around the waist. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he kept his hands planted on hers.

“It's a kiss I'll have from you this morn before we go anywhere,” she said boldly.

Her smiling demand brought a grin to his face. “Is it now?”

“It is, and it will be the way we start every morn between us.”

To know each day would start in such a glorious fashion made his grin grow wider.

“See, you like the idea.”

“Aye, I like it very much,” he admitted, and wasted no more time on words. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.

Her arms tightened around his neck as she returned the kiss with force and hunger. Bryce realized that it was more than a kiss she was wanting. And he had to admit so did he.

Not a good time, though. They needed to get moving and keep alert. There was no telling if soldiers were nearby.

With much reluctance, he ended the kiss. “We have to go; we can't linger though I would love to.”

Her cheeks grew fat with her wide smile. “So you want me as much as I want you.”

Bryce knew he was in trouble. Charlotte wouldn't be shy about letting him know what she wanted, and that pleased him, but it also could prove distracting and dangerous for them both.

“You need to behave,” he ordered, though certainly not sternly.

She sighed. “How can I when I've just discovered love?”

He didn't know himself since he felt the same. But there was one thing he knew would make her see reason whether she wanted to or not.

“Think about your da.”

She wiggled her way down and out of his arms, which only served to strike an image of her naked on top of him, riding him with wanton lust.

“You're right,” she said. “We'll steal moments when we can, and now is not one of them.”

Oh Lord, did he want it to be. He wanted it badly. He wanted them naked and enjoying each other in every way possible.

“We better go,” she said.

Bryce didn't say a word, didn't trust himself to. He turned and walked away from her. If he didn't, they both would be in serious trouble, for he would have her on the ground in no time, or perhaps up against a tree, or—He shook his head and swore beneath his breath. He had to stop the vivid images that raced through his mind and made him hard.

Next time, it would be in a proper bed that they made love and with no worries, another reason to head home.

Their garments dried as the sun remained bright and the day turned warmer than usual for spring. They kept a safe distance from each other, giving the impression to anyone who came upon them of nothing more than a warrior and lad traveling together.

Charlotte scurried after Odin when he went sniffing sticks, and it upset Bryce to see the disappointment on her face when nothing came of it. She was determined to find her da, nothing would stop her. She would do the same for anyone she loved, especially her children. The thought provoked a sudden image of her round with his child and the sudden realization that it could be a possibility. She could very well be carrying his child, if not now, however, soon enough, for he had every intention of making love to her as often as possible.

“I'm beginning to think my da did not come this way,” she said, walking up beside him.

“Or he has not had the opportunity to leave another message for you.”

Her shoulders slumped with the weight of his words, and he was sorry to have added to her burden.

“The longer it takes to find him, the more I worry for his safety,” she said.

“He's safe enough if he has yet to reach this secret prison.”

“You're right,” she said, her look slightly brighter. “It wouldn't be until he reached the prison that they would start torture.”

“Even then, they might wait to see if he can give the king what he wants.”

“That doesn't mean I can linger in my effort. It just means that there is time to reach him before he is made to suffer.”

“There is a small village not far from here; perhaps the soldiers and prisoners passed that way.”

“A friendly village?”

“You have seen for yourself how uncertain times have caused most to be extra cautious,” he said. “And then there are the soldiers we need to be aware of, and it continues to trouble me to see so many so far north.”

“The time draws near,” she said. “The true king will need to make himself known soon and—”

“I will fight beside him.” Bryce didn't need to remind her of his duties though perhaps he was reminding himself.

“I will help any way I can.”

“You and your da will remain safe in my home.” It was a command, no doubt, but he would not worry over her while he was needed elsewhere. He would see her situated in a safe place, and that was in the keep with his family.

“Where I will do what?”

“What women do.”

She shook her head. “You forget that I have lived differently than most women. I have been free to explore and learn and do whatever I wished. And I don't wish to be confined.”

“MacAlpin land is large enough for you to explore as often as you like.”

“Alone?” she asked with a smile.

He laughed. “I don't know if I can promise that.”

“As long as it is you that is with me, I won't object.”

He was about to reach out and rub the smudge of dirt off her cheek when Odin suddenly stood in a guarded stance.

Bryce turned, as did Charlotte, just as a man came stumbling past the trees and collapsed on the ground.

Chapter 24

C
harlotte remained on guard as she hurried to the fallen man's side, fearing that soldiers might have followed him. Bryce obviously felt the same, his glance darting cautiously about. Odin, however, thought differently. He went to the man and began sniffing his prone body.

Feeling somewhat safe that Odin hadn't remained cautious, Charlotte felt more at ease seeing to the man. Bryce got to him before she did and carefully turned him over. He was old and frail, too much so to be traveling alone on foot. And her thoughts immediately went to her da.

How was he surviving his ordeal?

As if he heard her thoughts, Bryce said, “He's not your da.”

“He could very well be,” she said, frightened by the thought.

“From what you have told me of your da, he is a man accustomed to walking great distances, over various terrains, and braving the elements. It will take much more than a forced walk to conquer your da.”

Her da did have tremendous stamina for his years and a mind that was young and eager. He had often advised her not to let life beat at her, that she should fight back with all her strength and live courageously, no matter the circumstances. No doubt that was what he was doing now, and so must she.

She suddenly felt sympathy for the man, who was beginning to stir on the ground. His many wrinkles, stooped shoulders, and gnarled fingers told her that life had not been kind to him. She didn't think the soldiers had taken him for service to the king. He was too old and weak. Who or what could he be running from?

His eyes finally fluttered open, then popped wide when his glance settled on Bryce.

“It's all right,” Bryce said softly, and moved a firm hand to his shoulder. “You are safe.”

The man sighed and shut his eyes. When he opened them, tears fell. He tried to speak but had difficulty. His hand reached out to Bryce as he fought to speak.

Bryce took hold of it. “Rest. There is time to talk.”

The old man shook his head and finally found his voice. “I am dying.”

“Nonsense,” Bryce said sharply. “You have survived an ordeal and will live to tell the tale.”

“My time here is done, life is too hard,” he said, more tears falling. “I have nothing. All I had is gone.”

Charlotte had been taught to be strong, and she had never been allowed to wallow in pity. Her da often reminded that life could prove difficult, but there was always something to learn from it.

“You are safe and you now have us,” she said.

The old man smiled. “This is good, for I will not die alone.”

Odin, as if sensing that the man needed comfort, licked his face and lay down beside him. The old man smiled again and hugged the large animal to him.

“Tell us what happened,” Bryce said, taking one of the rolled blankets and, after gently lifting the old man's head, slipping it beneath.

The old man raised his gnarled hand. “For years, I forged the finest swords, but my hands suffered for it. I taught my son, and he did the same. The king's soldiers came one day and took him away. With my son's wife dead many years, I was the only one my granddaughter had left.” She's a stubborn one and not long after her da was taken, she went in search of him. I have not seen her since.”

The old man closed his eyes again, as if shutting away the harsh memories.

“The soldiers returned, and this time they took me.” Tears once again began to fall. “They told me that my son was dead and that I was to take his place. I told them I was not strong enough to fight. They just laughed and tethered me to an old, though spry, man.”

Charlotte's heart suddenly pounded in her chest. “White hair, short and slim, with a smile that showed good teeth.”

“Yes, that is Idris,” the old man said.

“My da,” she said with a gasp. “You were with my da.”

The old man's eyes turned wide. “You do search for him. He told me that his daughter would come for him. He said you were a stubborn one, much like him, and that you were more intelligent than most women and men. He had no doubt that you would find your way to him and free him. It is what keeps him going.”

“How did you escape and not my da if you were tethered together?” she asked, and grew worried when he turned his eyes away from her.

“Charlotte isn't only strong, she's courageous,” Bryce said, his glance going straight to her. “And she needs to know the truth about her da.”

She appreciated his confidence in her, and she was grateful for the love she saw shining in his eyes. It warmed her heart to know she was not alone, that he was there to help her. It gave her the added strength to hear whatever truth the old man knew.

“The soldiers were merciless in marching us from sunrise till sunset with little sustenance to keep us strong,” he continued. “They taunted and tormented us with jabs from the tips of their swords or sticks, or they would simply shove us, sending us stumbling.”

The old man shook his head. “One day one of the guards pushed us too hard, and Idris and I went tumbling down. He yelled in pain, and the soldiers got upset. The fall had hurt his hand badly and wounded his ankle, and from their worried words, it seemed they were concerned that he would not be able to attend to whatever task they had expected of him.”

Worry and rage rushed over Charlotte. Knowing her da suffered, and she was not there to help and protect him, filled her with such anguish that she wanted to scream.

She felt Bryce's hand on her arm before she saw it. It was a firm grip he had on her, one that not only meant to offer comfort but also empathy. He understood her grief, and he was letting her know that he shared it with her and that they would see this mission through and find her da.

She realized then that he had not asked if there were more prisoners. He had placed her concern for her da before his mission, and to her that was a sure sign of just how much he loved her.

The old man continued. “Your da and I talked, when possible, about trying to escape. Your da always felt one of us could possibly make it but not both. We agreed that if an opportunity presented itself, one of us would take it. Your da presented me with such an opportunity.”

“That's my da,” she said proudly.

“Writhing in pain, your da made the soldiers believe his injury was more serious than it was. They were quick to remove the rope that tethered us and quick to ignore me, so fearful that they would be punished for what had happened to your da.”

“The soldiers must have searched for you,” Bryce said. “How did you ever escape them?”

“Idris advised me how to avoid the soldiers, and I did, putting a good distance between them and me.” He sighed. “But little rest and barely any food finally took its toll, and I have no strength left to travel any farther.”

“Your name?” Bryce asked.

“Donald.”

Bryce took the old man's hand. “You are safe now, Donald, and I will see that you remain so.” He turned to Charlotte. “Give Donald food while I see to fashioning a carrier that will allow him to rest while we travel.”

She did as he asked, the old man nibbling slowly at the cheese she had offered.

“You should leave me to die, as that is my fate now, and go find your da,” he urged Charlotte. “He waits for you.”

“My da would not want that. He would expect me to see you safe before I continued my search for him.”

Donald tried to protest.

Charlotte wouldn't let him. “We waste time arguing; I have more questions about my da, and I need to know if there were any other prisoners with you.”

The two began to talk.

Any protests Donald had of being left behind to die soon vanished after he was placed on the makeshift carrier, the bed cushioned with pine branches, then covered by a blanket with another blanket tucked around him. The comfort had finally eased his worries and allowed him to fall into a much-needed slumber.

Bryce had used a thick vine as a rein, slipping it over his head to rest across his broad chest. Charlotte could see that it was no chore for him to pull the man though it did slow their pace.

“What did you learn from him?” Bryce asked, as they walked, Odin trotting up ahead.

“Was that why you asked no questions?” she said. “You knew I would.”

“You have a way of talking with people, of understanding what they themselves don't always understand. I was confident you would learn all you could from him.”

It had happened slowly, this understanding of each other, but she supposed that was part of falling in love. You grew to know the person like no other, and once that bond was forged, there was no breaking it.

“I inquired about other prisoners, and Donald told me that my da had told him about another group of prisoners that had once been part of his group. Those prisoners, three of them, had been taken in a different direction only a few days before Donald showed up.”

Neither one said a word, it wasn't necessary. Both realized what it meant. If her da traveled alone, then the spy Bryce searched for had been sent elsewhere. They would need to split and go in opposite directions in order to fulfill their missions.

They remained silent for several moments, neither wanting to voice the truth of the situation.

Charlotte finally continued. “My da's injury must have prevented him from leaving any more messages for me.”

“Did Donald say if he or your da heard any mention of their destination?”

“No, he said the soldiers never spoke of where they were going though they made sure to remark how once there, my da and Donald would never see freedom again.”

“Was he able to tell you where he last saw your da?” Bryce asked.

“You fear what I did, that he wandered so much that he lost focus and could not tell where he was or where he had been.”

“It can happen easily,” Bryce said, “especially to those unfamiliar with the land.”

“He did better than I expected, though it was my da who actually told me.”

“How?”

“He told Donald that his daughter would love to return to the area she so loved when she was young.”

“And where is that?”

“Glen Loran.”

“That is not far from my home.”

“Then we can meet there when we're both done with our missions,” she said, not truly wanting to voice aloud what they both knew must be done.

Bryce frowned. “What do you mean meet there? We travel together.”

“But you now know that the one you search for isn't with my da. You must follow a different trail.”

“And leave you to rescue your da on your own?” He laughed and shook his head. “That will never happen.”

“But you have your duty,” she insisted.

“A duty that I have determined needs more help than I presently have,” he said, “which is why we will return to my home, have a brief rest, and—”

“No,” she said adamantly. “There is no time to rest. I continue my search.”

“You need to be reasonable.”

“I need to find my da before it's too late,” she insisted.

“The mission requires not only more help than just the two of us but a good plan, so that it will succeed.”

“My da has been hurt,” she said, as if it explained her urgency to reach him.

“That will give your da time as well as us.”

It took a moment for her to understand his reasoning. “His hand will need to heal so that he will be able to work.”

Bryce nodded. “It also gives us an opportunity to gather more men to help with the rescue.”

Charlotte trusted him but not when it came to taking her to his home. She knew once there, he would want her to stay, and she could not do that. Her da was expecting her, and she would not disappoint him.

“You go gather who you must while I continue my hunt.”

He shook his head. “We're not separating.”

“It is the only way.”

“No,” he said sternly. “We remain together.”

“Our missions dictate otherwise.”

“Our missions are somehow linked, and we will see to them together.”

Charlotte suddenly felt disheartened. Their duties stood between them, and unless they were careful, would separate them forever. He would continue to want to return home, and she would continue to want to hunt for her da. Though he offered help, it would be done his way. And his way was to see her safe and keep her from harm. While noble and no doubt loving, she would not have it.

Why argue with him, though, since it would do no good. If and when the time came, she would do what was necessary to rescue her da. She would face the consequences later. She only hoped she wouldn't regret it.

Donald was well rested by the time they came upon the small village and had insisted on walking, though with assistance from Charlotte. The carrier was discarded, and the trio entered the village, which was nothing more than a few crofts clumped together. The people there were as cautious as other villagers had been and kept their tongues to themselves.

Charlotte left Donald with Bryce to talk with an older man, who, though apprehensive, was willing to cautiously chat. She insisted that she could learn more on her own than saddled with the two men.

The young were never as cautious as the older ones. Life had not yet hampered their spirit or desire to live. It was obvious that the soldiers hadn't been there, men and young lads still being in attendance. So she was quick to seek out the young lads and see what she could learn.

C
harlotte was off on her own before Bryce could stop her. Though Odin went with her, Bryce felt uneasy about letting her go, more uneasy than ever since the incident with Ewan. It seemed that whenever she was out of his sight, she got into an altercation. She barely recovered from one when another followed. The injuries she had suffered had yet to heal, and yet she hadn't let them hamper her. He had seen her wince in discomfort now and then, but she had not complained once of a pain or ache.