Page 46 of When the Laird Claims
The next thing she knew, the three of them—and Ruby—were standing on that square of lawn in the gardens, a strange echo of the last time Victoria had been there. With him.
Can Kristin tell what happened here?Victoria subtly searched the grass for any sign, any marks, but even in the dimming light, the gardens held no memory of that glorious night. It had been a fair while since then, after all.
“I really do not know if this is wise. Perhaps, it might be better in the morning, when there is more light to see by,” she said, feeling almost self-conscious now that there was an audience.
She would have to maintain a stricter hold on herself and her reactions. But it was becoming almost impossible not to react to his touch when he was close to her.
“An enemy willnae care if it’s dark, neither,” Kristin encouraged as she found a comfortable spot on the ground to sit down, Ruby propped against her chest.
The sky was a stunning mixture of blues and purples that faded into pinks and oranges. The moon was starting to slowly rise despite the fact that the sun was still lingering in its light.
“I expect ye to give him a run for his money, Victoria!” Kristin goaded. “Daenae be afraid to fight dirty! It’s the least that he deserves!”
Victoria smiled, even if she was not fully sure just what her friend meant by fighting dirty.Grass stains on my skirts?She blushed immediately, her smile taking on a slyer feeling as she glanced at Arran.
He was in the midst of tying his hair back and away from his handsome face, and it made everything feel that much more serious than it had a moment before. “Ye havenae forgotten our other lessons, have ye?”
She guessed that he meant the fighting parts, but that was not the first memory that replayed in her mind when she thought about their last meeting. No, it was his hands on her body and the heat that had filled her. A remnant of that coursed through her again.
She shuddered involuntarily and shook her head. “I remember perfectly well.”
His eyes flashed with amusement. “Daenae let yer guard down, this time. Ye mustnae let me get hold of ye, now that we’ve an audience.”
“I do not plan to,” she replied thickly, struggling to smother a smirk.
Not here, at least.
He walked forward. “Show me what I taught ye.”
She blinked, her throat tight. Refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered, she put her fists up to her face, in the pose he had shown her.
She had been attempting to practice on her own, but it was not the same thing as when he was there to work with her. She had gotten used to keeping the small knife on her at all times, though. He had said that eventually he would teach her the ways to throw it effectively so that she would not need to be up close and personal with her enemy in order to defend herself.
It was very tempting to ask for that to be today’s lesson, but if she was being evenmorehonest with herself, she missed him. She missed the way that it felt to be in his arms and the soft way that he would speak to her when it was just the two of them alone with one another.
Perhaps I may let myself be caught after all.
“Have ye been havin’ any tenderness? Any reason I should go easy on ye?” Arran asked as he started to stretch out his limbs. Victoria moved slightly closer and started to imitate his movements.
She shook her head; she would be fine. Indeed, the only ache she had was for him, butthatwould not be soothed during this training session.
“Very well,” he said, “then do ye remember the most important things?”
“Do not get within arm’s reach,” Victoria remembered, and took a half step away from him as she lifted her hands again. “And protect my face if they get too close.”
Arran nodded and then lunged for her without warning. She almost did not move out of the way in time. The tips of his fingers brushed against the bodice of her dress, just narrowly missing her.
“And always be aware,” Victoria panted, her heart racing from the sudden movement.
Arran smiled proudly. “That’s right, lass, good work.”
It was almost impossible not to preen under the praise.
Behind them, Ruby started to giggle, her hands almost clapping together as they moved. “I think she likes to see the sport!” Kristin commented. “Daenae be afraid to hit first, Victoria! Come on—belt him!”
Arran glanced at his sister for only a moment, no doubt to say something snarky in response to her goading, and Victoria struck. She knew that she had no chance of overpowering him, but she hoped that the element of surprise might be on her side. She threw herself at him with all of her might, her elbow driving into the spot where his ribs curved into a peak.
Arran’s breath left him in one big whoosh as he staggered back. Something glinted in his eyes, something more than the proudsmile that made her aware of just how hot her blood was coursing through her veins.
