Page 73 of Kilted Abduction
Magnus picked up her blade and handed it to her with a smile. She frowned.
“Yer form is good, me lady,” Calum said. “Ye just need tae stop givin’ away the clues that tell yer opponent where ye’ll strike.”
“And how am I supposed tae dae that?” she asked.
“The first thing ye can dae is tae stop leanin’ tae the side ye’re goin’ tae be movin’ tae. Keep yerself standin’ straight,” Magnus said.
He moved behind her and put one hand on her waist and one on the small of her back. He felt her stiffen beneath his touch and had to swallow down the lump that had risen in his throat. Magnus could feel the heat from her body and smell the faint floral scent upon her skin. She looked over her shoulder at him.
Keeping his hand on the small of her back, he walked her through her movements, showing her how to keep her back straight so as to not give herself away. She moved slowly but fluidly.
“Dae ye see what we mean?” he asked.
She nodded. “Aye. Show me again.”
Magnus obliged and with his hands still on her, walked her through the movements twice more. By the third time, Magnus wondered if she was having him go through it again just to have his hands on her. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Either way, he was glad to have the excuse to be close to her. It was only when he saw Calum giving him a strange look that Magnus forced himself to step away from her.
“All right, are ye ready tae run through it again?” Magnus asked.
She nodded. “Aye. Let’s dae it.”
Calum stepped forward but Magnus held his hand up. He wanted to do it himself. They both walked to their starting positions and readied themselves.
“Whenever ye’re ready,” he said.
Her jaw clenched, Ciara rushed forward and moved the way Magnus had just instructed her to do. Keeping her back straight, she lunged forward then spun and was able to score a hit, the blunted edge of her blade sliding along his side.
“Excellent,” Magnus said.
“Well done, lass,” Calum agreed.
Ciara smiled and looked pleased with herself. She turned to Magnus and Calum. Although it was obvious she’d had plenty of training already, she took new instruction very well. And she seemed eager to learn more.
“Teach me more, eh?” she asked.
Calum chuckled and picked up another practice blade from the rack to the side of the courtyard. Ciara put a hand on her hip and looked at him evenly.
“And dinnae go easy on me again,” she said.
He bowed his head. “I had nay plans tae, me lady.”
Magnus stepped back and just watched. As Calum worked her through her forms and taught her new ones, Magnus was transfixed. She moved with such ease and grace that it was like watching a slow, sensual dance. Watching her was intoxicating. The sway of her hips put a fire in his belly that spread throughout his body, filling him with a sense of desire and arousal he’d never known before.
As she completed another round of forms with Calum, Ciara turned and seemed to sense the desire in his eyes. She bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle the smile that spread across her face as her cheeks flushed a bright red. She seemed embarrassed by his attention but at the same time, she seemed to like being the sole focus of his attention as well.
“Again,” Calum commanded.
And as she worked through another series of forms, Magnus felt himself getting drunk on the mere sight of her. The rhythm and sway of her body were far more potent than any draught of mead he’d ever had. Magnus smiled to himself, content to watch her work out all day.
CHAPTER 37
“So, Ciara, I hear ye’re becoming quite the swordswoman,” Thora said.
“She was already well skilled,” Magnus interrupted.
They sat at the long table in the hall enjoying a fine meal and the warmth of the giant hearth at the end of the chamber. Serving women bustled in and out of the hall, plying them with more food than they could possibly eat. But after a long, taxing day, Ciara was famished. She indulged in everything, filling her belly with the amazing variety of foods. She would ordinarily decry the excess, but she knew the MacLeods fed their workers as well as the people in the village outside their walls with whatever was not eaten. They ensured nobody went hungry.
Ciara gave him a small smile. “But Calum is refinin’ me technique. His skill with a blade in his hand is amazin’. Even better than me own teachers.”
