Page 26 of Desire's Ransom
“Ah, come now, we insist,” Conall said with a cheeky smile.
“Aye,” Fergus cheerfully explained, “’tis how we treatallour guests.”
“Guests?” the knight scoffed, crossing his arms. “Prithee don’t trouble yourself.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Maelan sneered and replied in the same sardonic tone. “’Tis no trouble at all.”
“Look, outlaw,” the knight said firmly to Conall, “we have business elsewhere. I’ll make you a bargain. Untie my men…and you have my word we won’t kill you.”
Temair’s brows shot up in surprise. That had escalated quickly.
The woodkerns naturally laughed at his offer. The Englishmen were bound and at their mercy. They had nothing to bargain with.
Until the knight snagged her by the arm and dragged her back against him.
Temair gasped.
God only knew where he’d been hiding it, but he drew a dagger and pressed the cold edge against her neck.
“Let my men go at once,” he commanded, “or I’ll slit her throat.”
The woodkerns reacted with vehement outbursts.
Some of them condemned the knight for his ignoble threat.
Some of them began pleading for her life.
But oddly, despite the sharp steel at her throat, Temair’s first emotion wasn’t fear.
It was betrayal.
She’d just let the man kiss her, for god’s sake. She’d never let any man kiss her before.
And he’d enjoyed it.
At least shethoughthe’d enjoyed it.
She certainly had.
How dared he kiss her one moment and threaten to kill her the next?
She wanted to ask him what the hell he was doing.
But she could tell he was serious. She didn’t doubt he meant to use the dagger. The woodkerns, at least, were taking him at his word. The knight’s left arm secured her waist like a band of iron. While the blade hadn’t pierced her flesh, she could feel its keen edge. One quick slash, and her lifeblood would gush out into the stream.
