Warrior's Last Gift Read Free Page B

attempted to justify his actions, guilt ate away at his peace like a rat loosed in the grain stores. He wanted to force her into turning back, not kill her.
    “Bollocks,” he muttered under his breath, pulling his horse to a halt and turning in his saddle to observe her.
    She’d dropped even farther behind than she’d been a few minutes earlier.
    “Yer animal looks to be worn down from our day’s travel, even if yer no. If we cut back through the trees here, we’re close to a spot that will serve us well this night.” He’d camped there often enough with his men to know.
    “If you think it best,” she responded, her voice barely loud enough to cover the distance between them. “But I’d no have us wasting away our daylight on my account.”
    “There’s no much light left. By the time we see to the horses and set a fire, the sun will have deserted us.”
    He’d almost have sworn an expression of relief skittered across her face. Perhaps after a cold night under the stars she’d be more reasonable about returning to the castle. He could hope, though he was beginning to suspect he’d been wrong in his judgment of Jeanne. At least in this one thing.
    •   •   •
    Thank all that was holy!
    Ahead of her, Eric dismounted and led his animal to the stream running alongside the small glen.
    She should no doubt do the same. She would, too. Just as soon as she could get her muscles to cooperate enough to allow her to lift her leg over the saddle.
    If they ever worked again, that is. Her legs trembled with exhaustion and, Lord, she hurt everywhere.
    With Eric’s emotionless stare fixed upon her, she forced herself to dismount. She would not give him the satisfaction of thinking he’d been right about her inability to make this journey.
    The best she could manage was to pull her leg over the horse’s rump so that she rolled to her stomach, intending to slide down the animal’s side.
    It would have worked, too, had her legs not refused to hold her weight. She felt her toes touch solid earth, but her legs were as weak as bread soaked in milk, collapsing beneath her.
    She braced for an impact with the ground, which never came. Instead, Eric’s strong arms fastened around her just in time.
    “As I thought,” he murmured, leaning down to sweep an arm under her legs and carry her to the spot where he’d already deposited his bedroll.
    Had she been able, she might have refused his help. She might have held her head high, pushing away from him. She might have insisted that he remove his hands from her at once.
    Instead, she allowed herself the luxury of laying her cheek against his broad chest. It had been so long since she’d last taken shelter there.
    He dropped to one knee and gently placed her on the ground. “Sit,” he ordered before rising to turn his back on her.
    It had been a moment of weakness and nothing more. She would give herself that one time, considering the hardship of the day.
    Eric dropped her things on the ground beside her before leading her mount to drink. Pushing herself up to her knees, she grasped onto the boulder behind her to stand. After a moment to assure herself she wouldn’t again topple over, she began, slowly, to gather bits of kindling for their fire.
    “I thought I told you to sit. I have this well in hand.”
    Eric stood across the open ground, his arms crossed over his chest as the last rays of sunlight glimmered through the canopy of trees to form a glow behind him.
    She turned her back on him and bent to her work. She’d fallen victim to his charms before, but not this time. This time would be different. It had to be.
    “I’ve no wish to be a burden to you,” she managed to croak out around the emotion thickening her throat.
    “A little late for that, I’d say.”
    “I beg yer pardon?” She straightened and tossed her kindling into the ring of stones Eric had already arranged. “I’ve done nothing to slow you down this day.”
    “True.” He dumped the load of