Page 12 of The Blacksmith in My Tavern: Tales of Bleakness

That is me with Betsy. She is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. She is the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. She is who I imagine in those weak moments when I take my cock in hand and seek relief.

“I’ll deal with this one,” I say ominously. “I’ll leave you to take care of your lass, Callum, and see as she is taken safely back to her home.”

I don’t wait around to see what my son does. I trust him completely, even with his changes riding him.

I have my own lass to deal with. Jaw set, I haul the brat into the nearest empty room. Most do not have doors on, but thisone does, and I slam it shut before putting her back to it and rounding on her. My chest is heaving. I can’t see straight.

She blinks up at me, all fake innocence.

My eyes drop to her ample cleavage, and suddenly, my vision is crystal clear.

“What the fuck are you doing down here?” I demand, dragging my lusty gaze back to her eyes. Which I think might be worse as I get lost in her pretty blue orbs that dance with her fire and yet hold a guileless quality. She has suffered tragedy in her life, been snatched from the streets, and made a prisoner. I was part of the team who got her out, and damn if I would erase that terrible event from her life.

Yet she does not let that hold her back nor down.

She is a thing of wonder, from her pretty face to her indomitable ways. And her body with curves made to bewitch a man’s mind.

She’s the one. The one I think about, always. The one who’s too fucking young. Too fucking saucy. The one who has a pick of any man—I’m not the only tavern patron lusting after this particular wench.

My fists tighten on my side as I try to gain control of the raging beast inside me. I take a step back.

She steps up to me and lifts her hand, reaching out to me.

I step back again. Her hand falls away.

“Ada just wanted to check on Callum,” she says, repeating her earlier words softly, looking away, making me miss her eyes on me. I don’t like that my actions have taken the smile off her face.

“As if I’d let some other lass call on him,” I say. “As if he has eyes for anyone but Ada.”

She peeks at me from under her lashes.

“So this was only about Ada and Callum?”

A tiny shake of her head.

Well, I did go and ask…

My cock approves and starts to beat against my pants for an out.

I step backward, sweat popping out across my brow. She steps forward. The lass is a predator and does not take no for an answer.

Am I mad about this?

Nope.

Her fingers find and seek the buttons of my tunic. They crawl upward until they rest at the V near my throat, and then her fingertips slide into the dusting of chest hair peeking out.

She smiles sweetly at me. “I was not only looking after Ada.”

My eyes narrow. I pluck her hand off, putting it at her side. I’m disgusted with myself even as I tell myself I must stop this. I should have already escorted her out, not brought her into a room and shut the door… Trapping her alone with me?

Gods help me. I must be out of my fucking mind. She is pure, undiluted temptation and is now trapped in a confined space with me.

I put my hand on her arm, thinking I’m going to direct her outside.

She makes a sweet cooing sound. My intentions and my actions are at cross purposes. What I want to do is open the door and march her back home. What I actually do is haul her into my arms. My hands have a mind of their own, moving to her waist and then straight down to cup her sweet ass.

“Oh! Yes!”

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