Page 94 of Desire's Ransom
Chapter 25
“Gray!”
Temair awoke with a jolt, sitting straight up.
It was morning. She rattled her head, trying to clear the fog of sleep.
She was naked. Why was she naked?
“Gray! Quick!” It was Lady Mor’s voice, just outside the cave entrance.
“Be right there!” she croaked back.
Beside her on the pallet, Ryland scrubbed at his eyes as he awakened.
It took a moment before she remembered what had happened. It took another moment for her to blush and cover her breasts.
“Hurry!” Lady Mor implored.
Now Ryland was alert. He scrambled to his feet in all his naked glory, donned hisbraies,and then began shoving his legs into hischausses.
Lady Mor sounded fretful. Temair supposed she ought to see what was wrong. But she’d much rather stay here and watch Ryland get dressed. Or get him undressed again.
“Are you coming?” Ryland asked, tying up hischausses.
“I suppose,” she said on a sigh. “’Tis likely some silly quibble over whose turn ’tis to gather kindlin’ or who took the last oatcake. And I’d much rather—”
“Gray!” Lady Mor cried.
He gave her a wink. “She sounds serious.”
Against her better judgment, Temair quickly dressed in her armor to see what Lady Mor wanted.
The moment she swept the vines aside and stepped into the late morning sun, Lady Mor seized her forearm and confided, “There’s an army on the road, Gray.”
She blinked. “What?”
“There’s a bloody army on the road,” she hissed. “Fergus spotted them first. They’re just waitin’ there at the clearin’. The lads are watchin’ from the trees.”
“An army?” Temair murmured. “What kind of army?”
“English.”
At that moment, Ryland emerged from the vines, and they silenced.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
Lady Mor gave him a summary glance. It was clear she didn’t approve of what she knew they’d been doing in the cave. But there were more important things at stake.
“Everythin’s fine,” Temair said. She wasn’t sure what Lady Mor’s news meant. But she didn’t think the fact that outlaws were holding one of their noblemen captive would sit well with an English army. “Lady Mor wants me to help her…get a rabbit out of a snare.”
“Aye, hurry,” Lady Mor added. “’Twould be a shame if it escaped.”
Temair hated to lie to him, especially after their intimacy last night. But it was for the best.
“Do me a favor,” she bade him, already grabbing Lady Mor’s arm and leading her forward. “Watch o’er the hounds while I’m gone?”
He glanced down at Bran and Flann, who were chained to the tree beside the cave, standing at attention. “Of course.” He called after her, “Or I could help with the snare.”
