Forever Her Champion (5 page)

* * *

N
ight fell
across the tiny glen where she’d been forced to make camp. Because she could not move Aiden from where he’d fallen, she had built a fire near him. In life, one must choose their battles wisely. ’Twas easier to build around him than try to move him.

He slept still, even though she had tried numerous times to wake him. The man slept, barely moving; all the while she had made the fire and cooked the fish she had caught. Nary a flinch from him. Daft man.

A heavy mist filled the cold night air, chilling her to the bone. While the fire blazed, it wasn’t quite strong enough to dissipate the damp chill. As the night drew on, she scooted closer and closer to Aiden. By dawn, she was nestled in beside him, her back to his chest, wrapped warmly in the blankets and his arms.

’Twas as glorious a feeling as she had ever felt. Warm and safe and as close to feeling at
home
as she reckoned she’d ever get.

This.

This is what she had been longing for all her life.

’Twas foolish, she believed, to long for something one would probably never have. For now, she would soak up every moment, every bit of warmth and happiness, much like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. She would tuck it all away in the safe confines of her heart’s memory, only to use it on the coldest and loneliest of winter days.

* * *

A
iden woke to warmth
. But the body lying next to him, curled into his groin? He hadn’t a clue who she was. Lifting his head ever so slightly, he glanced at his surroundings through sleepy eyes. The sun was just coming over the horizon, painting the sky and morning clouds in deep shades of vermillion, violet and indigo. A cool morning breeze flittered through the trees and tall summer grass.

He had no recollection of how he’d come to be in this glen, lying next to a woman whose face he could not see. She was covered from her toes to her ear in a blanket he did not recognize. The only thing he could clearly see was the top of her dark locks.

Closing his eyes tightly, he fought to remember. Mayhap he was not as awake as he believed and the gods were playing tricks on him again, as they were so often wont to do.

Taking in a slow, deep breath, he caught the clean scent of her. Was it lilacs he smelled?

He tried to resist enjoying the warmth of her body curled against his, for he knew ‘twould all evaporate at any moment. ’Twas foolish to allow himself to feel warm or content or happy, for the gods would swoop in and destroy it all. He took in another deep breath, held it and waited. He waited for the dream to turn to horrific nightmare. He waited for the fleeting images of headless bodies, of blood and gore and death and agony to come crashing in to remind him of all he’d done, of who and what he was.

But the nightmare never came.

Time went on, stretching out before him, and still, no nightmare to disturb the quiet of the glen, of this moment.

She stirred against him, sighing contentedly. Aiden lifted his head again, feeling all at once stunned, confused, and more than just a bit hung-over.

For a long moment, he stared in disbelief at the top of her head. Unable to resist not knowing what she might look like, he dared crook a finger around the long, soft locks and pull them away.

Thick, dark lashes, high cheekbones, and full pink lips. He needed only that glimpse of half her face to see just how beautiful she was. She looked vaguely familiar, but from where and whence, he could not place her. What women of sound mind would lie next to him voluntarily? She had to have come from the tavern, he surmised. No woman of good grace, reputation, or family would be here next to him.

But she appeared to be far too beautiful to be a whore. She was far too clean in appearance and smell to be that.

More confusion settled in. Briefly, he allowed himself to think that mayhap he’d spent enough time in his hell on earth as punishment for the man he’d been, and the gods were finally smiling upon him. Was she his reward for all his suffering?

Before his mind could form another thought, this beautiful, sweet smelling lass rolled over to her back. Still asleep, still bundled in the blanket, she smiled softly. He’d never seen a woman more beautiful. Neither had he ever witnessed one asleep, next to him, looking so … content?

His heart stopped beating; his breath stilled; his fingers ached to touch her.

Nay, he chastised himself.
Ye do nae deserve such a woman as this.

Slowly, she began to open her eyes and stretch. When she looked up at him with such warm regard and kindness, he did not think his heart would ever beat again. Nay, ’twould continue to thrum as rapidly as the water at the
Falls of Clyde.

“Good morn, Aiden,” she said sleepily, her smile growing at the sight of him.

Dumbfounded, he fought to find his voice. “Ye’re real,” he whispered.

She giggled. “Of course I’m real ye d—”

He gave her no time to finish her reply. Mindlessly, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

A
s far as kisses went
, Rianna thought this one was most splendid.

Soft, warm, and tender, it stole her breath away.

She fell quite happily into the moment, fell away to passion, to wonder, and allowed him to pull her closer. The touch of his hand at the small of her back sent jolts of thrilling excitement up and down her spine.
This
. This was something else she now realized she longed for.

Pressed against him, she could feel the heat of his chest against her own, could feel his heart pounding against hers. Without any thought or experience, she wrapped one hand around his neck as encouragement.

Her breath hitched when his tongue traced along her bottom lip, his hands caressing her back as if each were on a great exploration.

The kiss deepened, grew and built like a fire gone out of control.

Though she was not ignorant about what could happen between a man and woman, she was completely without any personal experience. Her head began to swim, her breaths came in short bursts, her fingers twitched with wanting more than just his kisses.

Good sense reared its unwelcome head, reminding her of the oath she had taken as a child. It also reminded her she was allowing a man she’d not seen since they were children, touch, kiss and caress her as if they were newly married. What must he think of her?

The inner voice grew louder until it overshadowed her desire to know and feel more. Breaking away from the kiss, she pressed her hand to his chest. “Nay,” she said breathlessly as she fought to free herself from the blankets and his warm, wonderful hold. “Nay!” she exclaimed after freeing herself. Scurrying to her feet, she fled from him, her mind awash in uncertainty and yes, wonder.

Confused, Aiden shook his head and watched as she ran away from him. His arms and his chest felt oddly empty. Unused to such feelings, he sat for a long while, running a hand through his hair. His gut wasn’t telling him anything his mind didn’t already know; he’d behaved appallingly. He should have, at the very least, asked for her name before kissing her. Feeling more and more an ass, he expelled a heavy breath before going after her.

It took no time at all to find her. She was standing along the bank of a deep stream, her arms wrapped tightly around her small, delicate waist. The morning sun glinted off her long, dark tendrils, which showed just a hint of auburn.

“Who are ye?” he asked, keeping a safe distance. More for her own safety than his, for he doubted seriously she could do him any true physical harm.

She spun at the sound of his voice, her face bearing a most confused expression. “Ye dunnae remember?”

“Try as I might, I fear I cannot, lass,” he admitted without shame.

Although she wasn’t nearly as angry with him as she was with herself, she found his answer irksome. “Do ye think ye should have asked my name
before
ye kissed me? Or do ye have a habit of kissing women ye dunnae ken?”

The truth was humiliating. “Nay, I dunnae make a habit of such a thing. But in my defense, ye
were
layin’ right next to me. And ye did smile.” He knew it sounded stupid the moment the words left his mouth.

“Remind me nae to smile at ye in the future.”

“Please, accept my apologies, lass. I truly did nae mean to upset ye.”

Sensing his apology was sincere, she offered him a shrug, as if to say it didn’t matter. Closing the matter to any further discussion, she said, “We can break our fast before we leave.”

He quirked a confused brow. “Leave?” he asked. “Lass, I still do nae ken who ye are or why or how we came to be here.”

The fact that he did not remember her was not worrisome. It had been years since last they’d seen one another. And yesterday, he’d been so sloshed he fell from their mount. Still, a small part of her wished he had remembered.

“I be Rianna Coultier.”

* * *

H
e would have been less
stunned had she claimed to be Venus.

How many years had it been since
Ardanaiseig
? ’Twas a lifetime ago. She’d been a wee, cherubic lass of six or seven, with bright green eyes, and a face that seemed to be forever smudged. Out of pity, he had been nice to her one summer’s day. That act of kindness had turned into a friendship: one of the few happy memories of his childhood.

At one time he had considered her family, looked upon her fondly as if she were his little sister. Now she stood before him all grown up. And what a fine looking — nay
beautiful —
woman she had grown into. Bright green eyes blazed with anger, yet he found he rather liked it. A straight yet delicate nose sat above two full, pink lips that tasted like ambrosia.

It dawned on him then that the gods weren’t smiling favorably upon him. Nay, they’d put this beautiful young woman in his path as another means to taunt him. Nay, she was nothing more than a reminder of all the things he’d missed in life. A reminder of all the things he could never have.

“Are ye well?” she asked, stepping closer. “Ye’ve gone pale.”

The blood had indeed drained from his face. He felt foolish and angry all at once. Especially when she reached out to touch his cheek. He turned it away before she could make contact. “Why are ye here? Why am I here?”

Perplexed, she tilted her head to one side. “Ye truly do nae remember, do ye?”

“I would not have asked ye if I did.”