Page 67 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

Even though he wasn’t looking directly at her, he could sense her entire body stiffening at his words.

‘The truth! Do you really think I owe you that?’

He reared back as her words hit him harder than any punch he’d ever received.

‘As you’re in my chamber uninvited, yes, I think you do.’

‘And did you not think I deserved the truth the last time we were together, or do you believe me too feeble-minded?’ She thrust her arms angrily into her tunic. Even as her body vibrated with anger he still wanted to cross the room and pull her into his arms.

‘I never lied to you,’ he said. It was true. He hadn’t lied. He’d been very careful about that. It was the only way he could justify his actions to himself.

She snorted, folding her arms beneath her chest. Placid, gentle Linota was beautiful; angry Linota was magnificent.

He scratched his jaw. Stubble was beginning to poke its way through and it scraped along his fingers. ‘I didn’t lie to you. I’ll admit I didn’t tell you the whole truth, but I didn’t know you well enough to know if you were trustworthy or not.’

‘You knew me well enough to put your mouth...’ Words seemed to fail her and she waved her hand over her body to indicate what he’d done.

Not that he needed reminding. That last afternoon with her was seared into his brain. The memory of the taste and feel of her stayed with him wherever he went. At night he would dream of her moving beneath him. He would wake, hard and wanting with desire, and nothing he did slaked his thirst for her.

Not that he had been with another woman. He’d had offers, but he’d not even been tempted. He wanted Linota or no one. From the look on her face right now, it would be no one for ever.

‘Aren’t you going to say anything?’ she demanded and he realised he’d been staring at her body.

He cleared his throat. ‘I didn’t see you complaining when I kissed you all over.’

She made a noise in the back of her throat, which sounded something between a growl and a snarl of rage. He couldn’t help but smile at the noise.

‘You are unbelievable,’ she hissed.

She stormed over to the chest at the end of his bed. She threw open the lid and began to pull the items out, tossing them on to the mattress as she did so.

‘What are you doing?’ He strode over and grasped her wrist, not hard but enough to stop her.

‘Let me go.’ Her nostrils flared and she glared at him.

He dropped her arm, but didn’t move away.

‘Have you gone insane?’ he asked as she delved back into the chest. ‘What are you hoping to achieve by throwing my belongings around?’

He knew he should march her out of his room and forbid her from returning, but even though she was incandescent with rage against him he still preferred to have her in his chamber than not. He was pathetic.

‘I want to see some proof, even if it’s something tiny, that your sister actually existed.’

‘What good will that do?’

‘You lied to me about everything else, but I keep asking myself what was the point of inventing a sister. If I know at least one thing was true, I might...’

He waited for her to finish her sentence but she carried on with her single-minded search.

‘Might what?’ he prompted.

She shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

It obviously did matter a great deal, but he didn’t push her. If she wanted to search his belongings, she could. He had nothing to hide. Not any more.

‘Mary did exist. She doesn’t now,’ he said simply.

The pain over her death had dulled, but not the loss of his niece; he still found that hard to accept. And he wasn’t going to give up trying to find her until she was in his custody.

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