Page 29 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

She rolled on to her back and stared at the dark ceiling.

Last night had changed her world and not just because of the kiss. Erik had trusted her with a secret so big that she didn’t know how she would keep it inside, yet she knew that she must. Betraying his confidence would make her the type of person she despised.

In her very limited dealings with the people of Ogmore’s fortress she had never heard the rumour that Erik and Borwyn were related. It didn’t mean that nobody knew, only that the rumours weren’t rife.

Now that she knew it was so obvious. The two men were so alike, both tall and broad-shouldered with dark blond hair and striking blue eyes. But to her mind Erik was the more attractive of the two. It was in the sparkle of his eyes as they danced with humour and the quirk of his lips whenever she said something that amused him. It was also in the way he moved, as if every step was thought through. He prowled like a cat stalking its prey and when there was a threat he moved with a deadly speed and precision.

Her heart squeezed at the thought of his sister. He’d bought this place for her, not only to be safe, but also to get her away from life at Borwyn’s fortress. Much as Linota admired her own brother, he had never done something so generous for her and Katherine.

There were so many different layers to Erik Ward. She wanted to spend time getting to know each one, to really understand the man whom most people saw only as Borwyn’s right-hand man and sometimes attack dog.

She turned back to look at him. He hadn’t moved. She wanted to crawl out of bed and join him on the floor. Yes, to kiss him again, but also to put her head against his solid chest, to hear his heartbeat and to feel his arms around her once more.

He came awake with a grunt and a deep inhale. He rubbed a hand over his face and then turned to face her.

For a long moment he said nothing, only looking across at her in the semi-darkness of the room.

‘Good morning,’ he said eventually, his voice husky with sleep.

‘Hello.’ Heat rushed over her. She wondered how his lovers greeted him in the morning. Was there something she should say that didn’t make her seem gauche and naive?

The uncertainty paralysed her bones, leaving her unable to say anything further.

They’d kissed last night and shared secrets, but in the dim light of the early morning that seemed as unreal as an insubstantial dream.

Erik threw off his blanket and pulled himself into a sitting position.

‘I’m getting old,’ he said, rubbing his lower back. ‘I ache all over.’

Linota laughed at his disgruntled expression. ‘I think that has more to do with sleeping on the floor than your age.’ She tilted her head, looking at the strong lines of his body. ‘How old are you?’

He ran a hand through his rumpled hair. ‘I think I lived for twenty-nine summers, but it is not as if my mother kept records. I could be slightly older or younger than that.’

Linota’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t meant to bring up bad memories for him by asking his age.

‘Ah, look at your face,’ said Erik, his lips curving into a smile. ‘I’m not upset so you needn’t look so pained. It doesn’t really matter not knowing how old I am. It’s not something that bothers me.’

Linota didn’t answer. For all her mother’s awfulness, the woman had never denied Katherine or Linota their birthright. She had never felt that her mother didn’twanther. That she didn’t like Linota was pretty evident, but her mother was proud of the Leofric heritage despite what had happened.

‘Please, Linota. There is no need to look so sad. I am content with my lot.’

Linota nodded and smiled, pretending that she was fine, but how could she be when she could imagine how much he was hurting? How could he be content when the sister he had obviously cared deeply about was dead?

Erik pushed back his blanket and stood, folding the cover neatly and returning it to the chest.

‘I’ll see if I can rummage us up some food and then we had best get going. I hope that we will reach Borwyn today.’

Linota climbed out of the bed and started folding her own blankets. ‘Do you think the others will already be there?’

Erik stilled on the stairs. She glanced over at him. He appeared to be gazing intently at a spot on a wooden beam that ran along the low roof. ‘I hope so,’ he muttered eventually.

Linota frowned as she put the blankets back in the chest. His reaction had been a bit...off. Almost as if he didn’t want the others to have arrived at Borwyn.

She shrugged. She must be imagining things. There was no reason for him not to want to be reunited with everyone else.

She ran her fingers over her braid and wished she had a mirror. She no doubt looked a mess. For a moment or two she fretted over it, heat stealing over her cheeks when she realised she wanted to look pretty for Erik.

She was being ridiculous. In her tatty dress, which was years old and patched up in several places, she wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to the women who fawned over Erik. There was no need to give her hair even the slightest of considerations. She made her way downstairs, trying to smooth the tendrils that had escaped the braid, all the while telling herself not to be so foolish.

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