Page 17 of The Irresistible Warrior
The cart came to a stop before a modest stone cottage tucked against the woods. The shutters were worn but intact, the roof moss-dappled but sound. Beside it stretched a large garden bed, overgrown with weeds and remnants of plants left unattended.
Declan jumped down off the cart and then went to Aura and reached up to take her by the waist and sweep her off the cart and onto her feet.
Aura felt another flutter in her stomach, like before, and she caught a quick look of surprise in Declan’s eyes. Had he felt something too?
She stepped away from him, needing a bit of space and let her glance sweep over everything.
“It’s close to the keep but not too close,” Declan said. “Far enough for quiet, near enough for safety. The garden hasn’t been used in years, but I can have the ground cleared for planting. It’s yours, if you want it.”
She turned in a slow circle, taking it in, the familiar scent of pine and soil, the hush of wind through the trees, the faded gate creaking softly on its hinge.
“It’s perfect,” she said softly.
Relief showed on his face. “Good. You can continue your work here without disruption.” He extended his hand to her. “Come and have a closer look at the garden and see if there is more you want done with it.”
She took his hand for the second time that day as if it were the most natural thing to do. And as it closed around her hand, warm and strong, she felt a sense of contentment. Odd to say the least.
He led her around the side where a large stretch of land lay tangled with weeds and curling vines. But Aura saw beyond that.She stepped forward, knelt, and scooped up a handful of soil, letting it sift through her fingers.
She smiled, truly smiled. “It’s rich. Black and soft. This will make an excellent garden.”
“I’ll have the men start clearing it tomorrow,” Declan said, feeling surprisingly pleased that she was so happy with it. “You can instruct the men as to what you want done.”
She turned her head slightly, still crouched. “You’ve given me more than I expected.”
“You deserve more than you’ve been given, for the help you will give me.” He extended his hand once again to help her up after she brushed the soil off her hands.
And again, she took his hand without thinking as if it was habit, or had it become habit that fast?
“Let me show you the cottage,” he said.
Before they turned, shrill voices pierced the quiet.
“There she is!”
“She bewitched him! I’d make him a better wife!”
Aura stared bewildered at two women, dressed in their finest and faces flushed with determination as they came charging across the far end of the garden. With skirts bunched in fists and hair flying, they made directly for her with wild intent in their eyes.
“Declan loves beautiful women!” the one shouted.
“And I’m the most beautiful woman around!” the other yelled.
Declan’s mouth twisted as he saw the chaos unfold. “Bloody hell…”
He lunged forward, placing himself between Aura and the oncoming storm. The moment the women came within a few feet of him—whump!
Both collapsed like felled trees, landing face-first in the soil at his feet.
Aura blinked, astounded. Though she had seen it before, it still startled her to see them drop so fast.
Declan glared down at the pair groaning in the dirt.
One woman tried to lift her head and promptly collapsed again.
“Shouldn’t we help them?” Aura asked as he tugged her hand to walk away.
“We are helping them the only way we can, by keeping our distance,” he said with a nod to one of his warriors, then at the two women so that the warriors would see to their removal.
