Page 10 of In Bed with a Highland Beast

Alaric was the problem, she thought, as she tossed and turned in bed, trying in vain to get comfortable enough to sleep. Even exhausted as she was, any hours of sleep seemed out of reach and the more she remained awake while Alaric slept peacefully next to her, his deep, steady breaths loud in the silence of the room, the more agitated she became.

Why does he get tae sleep an’ I cannae?

Probably because of his injuries, Lucia figured. They had exhausted him enough for him to sleep without a care in the world, even as her own had done nothing but frustrate her. Even now, her jaw and lip throbbed, and she could still taste the metallic tang of blood on her tongue. Her only consolation wasthe pouch of coins in her pocket and the satisfaction that came with her strength and skill being recognized.

As Lucia lay in bed in the dark, staring at the near total blackness, every sensation in her body seemed to become magnified; not only the pain she felt, but also her sense of smell, ale and sweat and pine invading her nose with their scents; her sense of temperature, until she was too warm and itchy, even on a chilly night like it was; and even her sense of hearing, every small sound suddenly loud in her ears. From one moment to the next, she realized she was parched, mouth dry and lips sticking together, and that, at least, she could fix.

She had left a cup of boiled water to cool on the small table by the bed to help with Alaric’s headache. With any luck, there would be some left in there. The only problem was that it was at the other side, by Alaric’s head, and Lucia didn’t feel like getting up, nor did she want to make too much noise by walking on the creaky floor. For a few moments, she contemplated her options, before finally giving up and reaching over Alaric to grab the cup.

Her hand never closed around it. Before she knew it, she was on her back on the mattress, pinned down by Alaric’s full weight. A sharp, cold blade was pressed against her throat, the edge of it digging cruelly into her skin.

When did he even hide that?

She should have been paying more attention. She had made the mistake of underestimating Alaric, of thinking that he was too hurt to do anything but sleep the pain off. She had also thoughthe would be more trusting, not seeing her as a threat, even after her display of skill in the rink.

Perhaps that had been a mistake, fighting in front of him. Perhaps she should have pretended to be a damsel in distress for a while longer, making sure she had his trust before revealing her true self.

Then again, there was still plenty Alaric didn’t know about her, and Lucia didn’t plan on telling him any of it.

She didn’t try to struggle. That would only earn her a cut on the throat at best, a severed head at worst. Instead, she simply lay there, panting as she looked up at Alaric, who was trying to blink the sleep off his eyes.

“Lucia?” he asked. His grip didn’t slacken, nor did the blade leave her throat. “What are ye doin’?”

Lucia swallowed in a dry throat, the slight movement pressing her neck against the edge of the blade. “I was tryin’ tae get the cup.”

Alaric glanced over his shoulder for a brief second before his eyes found Lucia again in the dark, narrow and suspicious. Neither of them moved for what seemed like eons to Lucia. She could feel every part of him, their bodies pressed tightly together, and she had to fight her own body to stop herself from rolling her hips, seeking the friction she so desperately wanted.

She could do it, she thought. She could grab him and pull him in for a searing kiss, letting herself indulge in the desire he had sparked so suddenly inside her. Never before had she felt such a thrill run down her spine as now, seeing this other side of Alaric. Up until then, Lucia had thought of him as a warrior, yes, but also a little meek and quick to follow directions. It was only now that she saw herself reflected in him, this more vicious side of him coming to the forefront, that he piqued her interest as something more than a mere tool to get what she wanted.

Slowly, reluctantly even, Alaric loosened his grip on her and removed the blade from her neck. Lucia almost missed it, the threat of danger, the bruising grip, the way his body held her down so firmly. She could have escaped his grasp if she so wished, as long as that blade wasn’t pointed at her, but she quickly found that she didn’t want to escape. She wanted more of this—more of Alaric, more of this dizzying proximity that filled her body with a fiery need, as though she had been thrown to the flames.

Alaric was already pulling back, though, clearing his throat awkwardly as he placed the knife on the side table and instead grabbed the cup of water, handing it to Lucia without ever even meeting her eyes.

He’s embarrassed… poor lad.

The water was tepid, but at least there was enough of it to quench Lucia’s thirst and to give her something with which to busy herself while Alaric settled back in bed. This time, he left the knife on the side table and Lucia could only assume it wasfor her sake, to show her that, even if he didn’t quite trust her, he maybe wasn’t going to attack her in the middle of the night unprovoked.

Placing the cup on the floor next to the bed, Lucia settled back down, but her heartbeat refused to slow. She was still painfully aware of Alaric next to her, and this time, she could tell he was not sleeping, even though he wasn’t moving a muscle. His breathing wasn’t as even, as effortless, as though he was trying his best to appear asleep but was now just as awake as Lucia had been all this time.

Good. I shouldnae be the only one tae suffer tonight.

CHAPTER SIX

Alaric woke up, predictably, with a headache. At least this one was not as terrible as the one from which he had suffered the previous day, but rather a continuous, mild ache all around his head that he could ignore. When he blinked his eyes awake, light was already pouring in through the window, warm and golden, which could only mean it was a while past dawn.

Next to him, the bed was empty, and when he looked around, he realized that so was the room. For a moment, he wondered if the events of the previous day had been nothing but a bad dream. Then, Lucia’s presence through her personal belongings told her otherwise: a cloak and a bag, both of them carelessly discarded on the chair.

For a moment, their exchange in the middle of the night also seemed like a dream. Alaric remembered the way his body had reacted to Lucia’s sudden proximity when he had pounced on her, his first instinct being to protect himself. He was glad he had not hurt her in his sleep, armed as he was with that blade,but he was not yet entirely convinced she didn’t want to hurt him, even if she had claimed her goal was to reach for the cup.

But if she wants me tae help her, why would she hurt me?

It made no sense to Alaric, so he decided he was probably being too suspicious of her. A healthy dose of suspicion was always needed, especially since Lucia seemed to be keeping a lot secrets from him, but he doubted she wanted to hurt him. Besides, she could have let those brigands finish him if that’s what she had wanted, but instead, she saved him from them, even if she had her own, selfish reasons to do so.

If he were honest with himself, it wasn’t even the thought of Lucia hurting him which unsettled him. Rather, it was the warmth that had spread through his body when he had been pressed up against her, the desire igniting in him at the first touch of her skin on his. She was magnetic, there was no doubt about that. She was the kind of woman who could charm him with nothing more than a simple glance, and Alaric found it increasingly difficult to find reasons to stay away from her.

Of course, there was one he could never ignore: he was betrothed to another woman. Not only that, but Lucia was an enigma, a girl he was better off avoiding if he wanted to keep himself out of trouble.

If only that trouble wasnae so allurin’.

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