The Warlords Revenge (3 page)

Jane felt her cheeks flush with heat when she saw the solid muscles of his chest and arms, rippling along his stomach. She'd never been this close to a man who was so gloriously built. She'd only seen men like him at the fights, and she usually had to stay hiding in the back, trusting her brothers to save her portion of the winnings and not spend it on booze and whores.

“You can bathe now,” he told her.

His position on the bed afforded him a full view of the bath. He really intended to watch her. How embarrassing. No one had seen her naked before.

“And you'll wait out in the hall?” She crossed her arms, wanting to shield as much of herself from this man as she could.

“No.”

“Then you'll at least turn around –”

“No.” He clasped his hands behind his head and crossed his feet at the ankles, leaning back into the pillows. “You'll get used to having my eyes on you.”

She was flustered. She would never get used to something like that. She didn't care if he was one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen. He looked at her with disgust.

She suddenly wanted to cry, but she'd had enough tears for one day. Walking over to the bath, she tested the temperature of the water with a sweep of her hand. It was hot, inviting, and she could imagine what it would feel like to sink down in the water and wash the layer of grime from her skin and hair. If only she was alone.

“Will you at least turn away while I undress?” she asked over her shoulder.

“You don't need to play the shy lass for me,” he said. “I'm certain you're well used to shedding your clothes for men.”

She glared at him.
Unbelievable
. “You're certain, are you? I suppose I have
whore
written all over me.”

He nodded. “Aye.”

Jane wanted to set the awful man straight, but he probably wouldn't believe her, and if she let him know she was a virgin, he might hurt her worse. It would be best to keep her mouth shut. The less he knew about her, the better. She'd have the element of surprise on her side, and that would be the only way to topple a man like
Gavyn
MacLaren
.

She turned her back to him and whisked off her clothes and shoes. She climbed into the bath, keeping her back to him. Hopefully he hadn't seen much. Mortified, she sank under the water. When she surfaced, she hurried with the soap, washing the dirt and blood away. She inspected the bruises around her wrists and on her legs. She hated to think there might be more on her back from the fall
Gavyn
had given her.

She washed her hair and started combing it out with her fingers when she saw him appear next to the tub. She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them to her. He started unfastening his trousers.

“What are you doing?” She felt a tremor of fear. She wasn't ready for this.

“I'm joining you.” He dropped his trousers. His large erection hung heavy in front of her and she turned away from him.

That was the second time she'd seen a naked man. The first had been when she'd spied on a neighbor she once had; a good-looking bachelor who liked to swim naked in his pond every afternoon, right before tea. She'd only been curious and figured a little peek wouldn't hurt. No one had ever found out.

When
Gavyn
slid into the tub, Jane reached for a towel and clambered out, almost tripping over the edge before she got the towel wrapped around her. He lunged for her but she backed away across the room.

“I'm not bathing with you.” She shivered as water dripped to the floor around her.

“I thought I could wash your back.” He raked his eyes over her. “And then you could wash mine.”

“I've been bathing myself adequately for years, and if you need someone to wash your back, I suggest you ask the innkeeper.”

“I'd rather it were a pretty, young girl.”

“I'm sure she could arrange that, though it might cost you extra.”

“I was referring to you, lass,” he said, rubbing the soap between his large hands.

Jane felt her cheeks blush. She did find him handsome, and if he didn't hate her she might consider doing what he wanted. She was curious how all that male flesh would feel, soapy and wet under her hands. She wanted to lie with a man. She was ready.
Really ready
.

She'd been searching out a husband over the last few months, getting desperate enough that she would have accepted almost any offer. Even an arranged one. She'd hoped a new husband would've taken her away from her dreadful family and now she no longer had to worry about them. They were gone. And she was alone. Hijacked by a warlord. Who wanted to get her pregnant and then probably kill her. She had the most rotten luck.

“At least dry yourself by the fire.” He scrubbed soap in his hair. “I don't need you catching cold and slowing me down.” He ducked under the water to rinse.

Jane shuffled over to the hearth, basking in the heat of the orange blaze. What she really needed was to dry her hair, but she only had one towel, and she wasn’t taking it off in front of
Gavyn
. She walked over to her pile of clothes next to the tub and searched her undergarments until she found her shift. It was the only garment of hers the warlord hadn't damaged.
Funny.

Gavyn’s
wet hand shot out and latched onto her wrist. “What are you looking for?”

She narrowed her eyes, irritated by his tyrannical behavior. “Something to put on.”

“You'll no' need anything to sleep in.” His blue eyes fixed on hers, glowering, as the muscles in his jaw tightened.

“Yet you say you don’t want me to catch cold.” She glanced at the scar on his face. A shiver went through her.

“You won't catch cold sleeping next to me.”

“I don't want to sleep next to you!” She tried to slip out of his grasp.

“This isn't about what you want.” He let her go and rose out of the tub. “It's about what
I
want.” He rubbed a towel over his short hair.

Jane marched back over to the fire and started
combing
out her hair, letting the heat dry it. She could hear
Gavyn
drying himself behind her, and though she was rather tempted, she didn't turn to look at him. She shouldn't be admiring his body. He wanted to do terrible things to her. She should be concentrating on her escape.

She heard him taking steps towards her and she went still, too anxious to look at him now. She was startled when he took her hair in his hands and began drying it with his towel. Soon her lids grew heavy as he massaged the towel through her hair. His gentleness was unexpected.

It made her think of how her mother used to dry and brush her hair, before she'd died so many years ago. Jane had only been eight years old, but she still remembered everything about her mother. Her voice, her smile, her blonde hair. Jane's mother was the only person in the world who'd ever loved her. And the only person she’d loved.

Gavyn
scooped her up in his arms, shocking her out of the memory. He carried her over to the bed as if she weighed nothing. He made her feel so small, so frail, so ... insignificant. And she wasn't used to feeling those things. She
hated
him.

He placed her under the blankets and tugged at the towel she had wrapped around her, pulling it free and tossing it on the floor. Then he slid into the bed behind her and closed his arms around her, pulling her naked body against his. She felt every inch of him. His hard muscles and smooth skin. His erection pressing into her bottom. He made no move to touch her, he simply held her. His warmth surrounded her and she couldn't fight off sleep. Not for another second.

When morning arrived, Jane was horrified to find that she was nestled even further into
Gavyn's
arms, and for a moment she liked the way it felt. Safe. She quickly had to remind herself exactly who and what he was. Safe was the last thing she should feel with him. When she moved to sit up, her entire body ached and groaned in protest. She hurt in places she didn't even know she had courtesy of the warlord.

She looked at
Gavyn
, hoping to find him still sleeping, and cursing her bad luck when she saw his blue eyes staring back at her.

“Can I get dressed now?” She huffed. “Or do you intend to parade me around on your horse naked?”

His roguish smile was positively irresistible. “I would prefer you act like a lady, no matter how crude your manners are.”

Jane seethed. When had she demonstrated a lack of manners around this man? While fighting for her life? Or being forced to bathe in front of him and sleep naked with him? None of those things were
her
fault. A retort almost rolled off her tongue, but she thought it better to prove her manners with actions, rather than words. She wisely kept her mouth shut.

Gavyn
unwrapped the bundle of new clothes and flung some things at her, then started stuffing his legs into a pair of trousers. The brown dress was a little plain for her tastes and the fit was slightly large. She'd make do. It would only be a matter of time before she could buy some new clothes. She'd make it up to herself by getting something bright and pretty with the finest fabric she could afford. Maybe some new shoes as well. And a bottle of French champagne to celebrate her freedom. She was already feeling better.

They rode all morning and into the afternoon before
Gavyn
allowed them to stop next to a winding stream. They barely spoke to one another on the ride, and when they did, it consisted of him attacking her character and of her accepting his put downs. She was able to bear it knowing freedom was just around the corner. His criticisms only made her want to get away from him more.

What she couldn't ignore was the curious attraction she felt to him. Even as he spoke hateful things in her ear, she delighted in the sound of his thick brogue. She was getting used to having him so close to her all the time, his hands on her. And when he was away from her, she felt drawn to him, wanted to be near him. He had a rough kind of charm that she responded to. Cold and warm all at the same time. It baffled her.

When he knelt beside the stream, his back to her, and began filling the water container, her first instinct was to run. He'd easily catch her on foot, so she'd have to take the horse.

Move!

Backing towards the horse, she never took her eyes from him. She reached out for the reigns and came to a halt when she felt something cold and metal press against her neck.

“ '
ello
, beautiful,” said the man behind her. He forced the knife blade against her throat as he seized her.

Gavyn
was already getting to his feet and drawing his sword as two other men closed in on him. He wore a dark expression; brows drawn, blue eyes glowing. Violent. For once, Jane wasn't on the receiving end of that look.

“We'll be
takin
' your '
orse
an' your woman,” said the shorter of the two men, “an' your money, so 'and it over.” He raised a sword.

Gavyn
smiled, flashing white teeth, ready for a fight. “Come and take it.”

The short man lunged forward and didn't even realize he'd been cut down until he hit the ground. Jane admired the way
Gavyn
moved so gracefully; with strength and proficiency. She'd bet he could still hit his mark with his eyes closed. The taller man attacked with his sword, displaying better fighting skills than his friend, but he was still no match for the warlord.

The man holding Jane jumped on
Gavyn's
horse and dragged her up with him. Fighting wildly, she clawed at him, so he tossed her face down over his lap and raced off into the forest. The clanging of swords grew distant. Jane panicked. She'd gotten away from
Gavyn
, yet now she had a new man to deal with. Being dragged and tossed and bullied was becoming too much the norm for her. It was time to find a new use for herself.

She sank her teeth into the man's leg and then grabbed his ankle and worked to toss him from the horse. He screamed out and threw her to the ground, bringing the horse to a stop and jumping down next to her. Hitting her head on grass was preferable to a hard, stone floor. At least she was getting better at taking the hits.

“
Bleedin
' whore!” The man planted his boot in her gut.

Jane cried out with pain. She clutched her hands to her stomach. Even during her struggles with
Gavyn
he hadn't hurt her so severely. The man jumped on her, grasping at her skirts, ripping open the laces of her dress. She fought like a wildcat, ignoring the pain in her body as she clawed at his face and angled to bite him or punch him. He brought the blade of his knife to her cheek and scraped it over her skin. She stilled.

“ '
ow'd
you like a pretty
scar
, just like your friend?”

Jane whimpered. The only thing she wanted was to get on the horse and get out of there. She saw the shining blade of a sword tap against the man's cheek. She looked behind him and met
Gavyn's
eyes. He was angry and panting from his struggles with the other men.

“Mine's bigger.”
Gavyn
dug the blade into the man's skin, drawing a trickle of blood. “You harm the girl, and I'll do more than cut you cheek to cheek.”