Page 74 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“He’s a strong warrior, there’s nae doubt about that. He listens too, which isnae a trait I thought ran in yer family.”
She huffed and then shrugged one shoulder as she seemed to pluck up the courage to ask her question.
“I ken it is nae a woman’s place, but I want ye to teach me to fight,” she said firmly.
He frowned at her. The mere idea that Keira would need to learn to fight made him uncomfortable. He didn’t want to imagine another scenario where she would have to be fighting for her life.
“I thought ye were a healer,” he said dubiously, “what business have ye in learnin’ to fight?”
He regretted the words as soon as he said them as a fresh scowl curled across her expressive mouth.
“The same business as any woman hounded through the woods by a mob. Perhaps when they captured me, if I’d learned to defend meself, I might have escaped.”
Who are ye foolin’ man?Noah thought with resignation.Ye arenae able to refuse this woman anythin’, ye just drank an unknown vial of yellow liquid at her sayso.
“Now, will ye help me or nae?” she asked.
CHAPTER28
I really needto stop spending time with this woman in forests,Noah thought as Keira stood before him.
Having agreed to teach her to fight, against his better judgment, they headed to the forest the following day.
She had opted to wear her ‘old’ dress because she said she didn’t wish to ruin the new ones he had bought for her. This meant that Noah was now gazing at a dress that left very little to the imagination. He also had to make contact with her body multiple times to teach her to fight—it was torture.
He could barely stand straight; he was so aroused. He was just glad he’d worn his trews, which made it a little less obvious.
“Yer stance needs to be firmer,” Noah said tightly, receiving the third glowering look from his opponent. “Are ye goin’ to glare at me every time I tell ye to do anything’?”
“I shall glare at ye when ye speak in that tone, yes,” Keira said, brushing down her skirts.
“And how is me tone?”
“Highhanded.”
“Sorry lass, I suppose it’s a habit. I give the orders around here. Everyoneelsefollows them.”
She grumbled something under her breath, raising her arms in front of her like he had shown her.
“Balls of yer feet,” he repeated.
“I am.”
“Ye are nae. Yer weight needs to be evenly distributed. Ye’re favorin’ yer right foot again. Feet shoulder-width apart.”
She took a wide stance, much too wide, and he growled in exasperation, walking toward her and taking position behind her.
“Like this!” he said as he gently pushed his foot against hers, moving hers further together. He lifted her elbows so that her hands protected her face, and he straightened her posture so that she could balance herself properly.
Unfortunately, he only realized he had his hands around her waist after he had done so, and her body was inches from his own.
“Is this how ye taught Scott to fight?” she asked, her voice lower than it had been.
He chuckled. “Nae quite like this, lass.”
He sighed as his fingers lingered on her tight waist; he could feel her trembling beneath his touch and couldn’t get the taste of her out of his mind.
He wasn’t used to this pull he felt toward her. Even standing beside her now, his skin felt hot and uncomfortable. He wanted to rip his léine from his back and shove her into the forest floor where he could worship her to his heart's content.
