Flame Thrower (12 page)

“As soon as you’re ready to ride.” Ryan turned and held his breath. She’d stood up and stretched with her arms reaching towards the sky. It made her tiny five foot tall frame long and lean, reminding him of what lay beneath that thin fabric. He thought he would die because his heart pounded violently in his chest. “You really must stop that, Tillian.”

Tillian leaned her head back and finished her stretch before lowering her arms and boldly stared at him. “I’m not afraid of you, Ryan. I should be, I know, but I’m not.” She meant her words too. Every other man, including his Captain sent a cold panic racing through her core, but not Ryan. In him she saw a kind man, one who would protect her.

He advanced on her and stopped just inches from her body. He was close enough to lean down and kiss her, but didn’t. “You should be scared of me, Tillian.” His breath brushed her face and caused strands of her hair to move away from her forehead but she didn’t move.

“Why is that?” Tillian was spellbound by this handsome man, and still felt absolutely no fear. In reality, she wanted him to kiss her.

“Because I’ll love you until your dying breath and then beyond. I won’t give you a chance to recover when I ravage you and will ensure you scream my name until you’re hoarse.” Ryan leaned closer. “I’d run if I were you,” he whispered just as his body uncoiled and wrapped around her thin frame while his lips found their target, pulling her into a deep and loving kiss.

Tillian moaned against his embrace and relaxed into the kiss, giving back the same level of passion he delivered. When his soft lips separated but still touched her lightly, she felt his smile.

“I’m glad you didn’t run. It would not have been fun chasing you in that nightgown,” he added.

The nightgown. Remembering quickly what she was wearing, Tillian peeled away from his amazing body and looked down in frustration. “Ryan, I can’t exactly ride in this.” Tillian shot him a pained looked before crossing her arms, suddenly self conscious of her attire.

Ryan knew his heart was lost to this foreign Princess from the first moment he saw her, but it grew more and more painful the more acquainted he became with her. She was absolutely fantastic. Watching her stand there while she tried to work through a solution to her clothing situation, he felt his stomach cramp out of emotion.

Damn Wallace and damn his charming wife. Wallace was right and he was going to have to admit it when he faced him this morning. He was going to have to admit he was in love with Tillian and dreaded it because he rarely was wrong.

Ryan finally broke the hypnotic trance with a shake of his head. “Well, they might be big, but you can borrow some of my clothes,” Tillian eyed him dubiously for he stood over six feet two inches and he had a broad chest. She was just over five feet and thin, so the mental image of her wearing his clothes seemed comical. “We were planning on being out here longer, so I have a few extra outfits.”

While he spoke, he dug in a bag along the wall and pulled out a pair of breeches and a white tunic. With feigned drama, he presented them to Tillian in a theatrical fashion of a servant, causing her to stifle a laugh at his antics.

“Why thank you kind, Sir,” she said but accepted the clothes. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll change and we can be on our way.”

With another dramatic flourish, he twirled and exited the cabin while inside he gloated for he made his traumatized Princess smile again. That was something he would never get tired of.

Wallace turned at the sound of the door opening and grinned at his king for he heard both their laughter coming from inside. When he caught the smug look and the utter joy radiating from Ryan’s face, he couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corner of his mouth. Even if he didn’t trust the reason for her appearance, it lifted his spirit to see that his friend found love. He’d deal with his misgivings about the rest.

Ryan came to stand by him and leaned on the railing. It was clear he debated on what to say. He ignored the bustle of activity around the field as the rest of his party packed and prepared to depart. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just get this over with and turned to his Captain, who waited with expectation. “You were right.”

Wallace held back his laugh and leaned in close as if he didn’t hear correctly. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

Ryan growled and lifted his head and frowned. “You’re not going to make me say it twice, are you?”

“Yes, I am!” Wallace finally laughed. “It’s a rare moment when King Ryan admits he was wrong.” He laughed harder and pounded Ryan on the shoulder before he moved towards the stairs, leaving to go help his men. “I just hope she is worth it, Ryan.”

“She is,” he replied with a sheepish grin. “More than you know.”

“Well, I won’t complain if she gives you this much joy. It’s been a long time coming and I know June will be thrilled when she hears you finally found your true love. She’s been nagging me for years to do something about that.” Wallace had a flash of his stunning wife in his mind and felt an intense desire to be home. “Assumed since you had the men muster, it’s time to go?”

“Aye. Tillian is changing now. There’s breakfast left in the skillet if you are hungry and the bags are packed and ready.” Ryan motioned with his head towards the cabin.

“You cooked it?” Wallace stopped mid-stride before he turned and faced his liege. Ryan’s cooking rivaled any of the palace cooks and he’d not pass that up.

“I did, but I’d wait until Tillian came out, she’s still a bit shy around men at the moment.”

“Not all men,” Wallace muttered under his breath before he decided to check on the horses while he waited. Ryan narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. What was there to say?

Ryan didn’t hear the door open behind him as Tillian emerged. She was going to scare him, but decided startling the six foot heavily muscular man wasn’t such a good idea. “Um.” She decided to clear her throat instead.

He whipped around and found her leaning in the doorway, with her arms crossed. Her tiny frame swam in the tunic that hung on her in layers. It sent his mind into a state of chaos, remembering each and every curve beneath. He couldn’t wait to get home and explore what hidden treasure lay there.

Ryan actually whimpered when he glimpsed the soft flesh of her cleavage through the opening in the tunic collar that dipped far too low. The way the opening draped open, he could see the swell of her cleavage. To add to his torment, the fabric was meant for warm weather so it was thin and transparent, showing him tantalizing hints of her nipples which were erect, responding to the cold morning air.

She attempted to tuck the tail of the tunic into the oversized breeches that two of her could have fit into. To keep them from sliding off her hips, she’d cinched them with a piece of rope she obviously found inside and wrapped it three times around her waist to hold up the material. It was comical but in an erotic way and the fact that this beautiful Princess wore his clothing was going to drive him wild with desire all day.

“You look incredible.” He wasn’t jesting and found his body responding by pulsating into yet another painful erection. She was going be the death of him before he even made it on the road.

“You must be joking.” She looked down at her attire and missed seeing the reaction her appearance generated. “Thank you for the loan, though. It’s better than the nightgown.”

Ryan swallowed a few times before he could speak. When he did it was to collect her into his arms and whisper, “You are welcome. Although, the thought of you riding in that nightgown did seem appealing for a moment.”

Tillian laughed and she pushed him away slightly. “Don’t we need to be doing something?”

“Oh, right.” He called over his shoulder, “Wallace, you can go eat now.” When he looked back down, Tillian had managed to worm farther out of his grasp and he pulled her back, pressing her close. “We don’t have anything to do right at this moment, so relax. Wallace wanted breakfast before we headed out.”

“Oh.” At the mention of his Captain, Tillian wilted and pressed closer. Ryan was the only man she wanted anything to do with at the moment. Suddenly, all her fears and apprehensions came crashing down and she felt close to tears until Ryan whispered in her ear.

“It’s all right. He won’t do anything but eat. He’s married to a lovely woman named June and he really is harmless. You can trust him with your life.”

“Rationally, I know this.” She shook her head against his chest. “Guess I just need time to get used to it.”

He frowned against her hair. “You have all the time in the world, Tillian.” Up until his last breath, he would find some way to punish Irfan and her brother, Gareth. He heard the panic in her voice and knew they’d put it there. Hearing it was enough to shatter his seductive moment and he broke away from the embrace.

Surprised at the sudden motion, Tillian followed him blindly while he led her towards the long line of horses in the yard. “I fear we are short on horses, so would you mind riding with me today?” He steered Tillian towards a stunning white stallion with a brand on his left flank.

It was of a flame circling a K. Quickly Tillian recalled that the K represented Kavanagh as his surname and reached out a tentative hand. As she touched it, she thought back to his nick name and turned to face him. “Why is it that you are called Flame Thrower? I see your brand here–also a flame?”

Ryan shrugged. “Another time, preferably with a fire,” he winked, “and a barrel of ale.”

Tillian laughed then patted the stallion. “I’ll hold you to that offer, for I’m curious because your name strikes fear in the hearts of our notable warriors back home. You don’t seem so terrifying to me.”

“Ah, I see I’ve you fooled. Let’s leave it that way, shall we?” He grinned at her in jest and received another heartwarming smile in return. She only seemed to smile for him and Ryan reveled in it.

They were interrupted when Wallace strode around the line of horses and patted the grey mount that swung its massive head in his direction. Wallace tentatively watched Tillian as he absently scratched the horse’s forelock. “Good morning, Princess, I’m glad you’re much improved this morning.”

Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulder possessively and pulled her to his body. “Tillian, this is Wallace, my Captain and friend.”

Wallace bowed. When he stood back up he smiled. “My wife will be very pleased to make your acquaintance, Princess Tillian. She’s been dying to meet the woman who would steal King Ryan’s heart one day, and I think you’re the one.” He winked.

She turned to look up at Ryan and found him gazing down at her with the most endearing expression on his face that she couldn’t help but laugh. Ryan trusted this man. So should she. Tillian forced her terror back and turned back to the Captain. She didn’t give him a smile, but it was more than just a blank expression. “Well, I look forward to meeting her as well, Wallace,” Tillian added. Being that she was uncomfortable with this attention, she broke her connection with Ryan and started to step away.

She didn’t get far. He was behind her in moments and practically pinned her to the stallion’s side where she gripped the stirrup for support. “Ready?” he whispered just as she gulped down her reaction at his body pressing so close.

“Yes,” she barely said and felt his strong hands wrap around her waist and he lifted her easily up so she could swing her leg over the saddle. He’d placed her so she was sitting in the saddle and he’d ride pillion behind her. The massive creature sidestepped until she settled and then Ryan climbed up and got situated in the back.

“Are you sure you want to be back there?” She turned and found him smirking. “I can hold on just fine.”

He whispered, “Oh yes, this way, I can hold you quite close.” He tilted his blond head at her in question. “Are you comfortable?” he murmured in her ear while his stallion moved at some command Ryan gave using his legs and smoothly cantered comfortably down the dirt trail.

All around the field Ryan’s guards waited, holding their mounts in a line waiting for him to give the signal to move. At seeing his stallion take a step, his guards followed behind in a two by two formation. They all could see what was happening and allowed their liege privacy following at a respectable distance behind. They knew the area was for the most part safe.

Ryan possessively held her tight to his chest where his arms wrapped around her body, his large hands resting on her waist. He leaned into her ear to speak, and inhaled her earthy scent, exhaling slowly sending shivers down her neck. “You’ve bewitched me.”

Butterflies battled in her stomach from the combination of his arms and his words. She couldn’t speak for a moment. She didn’t want to discuss this or be tempted by the firm body that pinned her to his chest. She decided to change to a topic that was safe. “Your stallion has a very smooth gait for a beast this large.”

Ryan chuckled. “You can thank my friend, King Basil. He has a hobby of finding wild horses that he turns into the most incredible mounts. He sent this one to me as a gift years ago and I find I cherish this beast as one of my most favorite things.” His voice lowered to a seductively tone. “That was until I met you.”

She felt a slight blush creep across her cheeks, and accepted there was no avoiding this. Tillian leaned into his embrace and tilted her head backwards towards him, catching his heated stare from the corner of her eye. “Is that so? Your cooking better be damn good if you expect me to be convinced at staying longer than a month, King Ryan. I’m not that easily won.” She knew she lied. Her heart was already lost to this handsome man holding ever so close.