Page 99 of Desire's Ransom
Chapter 26
When Bran and Flann came nosing in to the cave through the vines, Temair figured they’d gotten loose and run after her through the woods. So, sitting against the cave wall with her knees drawn up to her chest and her head buried, she paid no special heed to the hounds when they began licking at her hands.
But the next intruder made her spring to her feet and grab herbata.
“Get out!” she shouted, brandishing her weapon before her.
Ryland held up his hands. “I just want to talk.”
“I don’t want to listen.” She flipped thebataaround and swung at him.
He blocked it with his forearm, grimacing as it struck bone. “I’m sorry, Temair. I meant to tell you last night.”
“Was that before or after ye took my maidenhood?” she bit out. Then she jabbed thebataforward, catching him in the chest and making him stagger back a step. “What could ye possibly have to tell me?”
She hit him in the thigh, hard enough to leave a bruise, sneering, “That ye knew who I was all along?”
He retreated with a grunt, clutching his thigh with one hand and holding up the other to try to calm her. “Nay.”
She advanced, clouting him on the opposite hip. “That ye plotted with my father to find me?”
“Nay.”
He was backed against the wall now. She shoved the hard knob of thebataunder his chin, pressing at his vulnerable throat. Her words were laced with bitter betrayal. “That ye stole my maidenhood to ensure your claim to my land?”
“What?” he choked.
Ryland’s eyes narrowed into burning slits. He’d clearly had enough. With lightning speed, he seized the knobbed end of thebataand forced it aside, holding it away from his neck with brute strength.
“Nay, damn it! None of that is true,” he snarled. “Until last night, I believed you were Gray, Queen of the Outlaws.”
“Then why would ye summon all your knights?” Her arm trembled as she fought for control of thebata. “To drag me back to O’Keeffe? To force me to wed ye?”
“Drag you…” He scowled. “Well, now that you mention it, I have a question foryou,Temair O’Keeffe.”
He wrenched the weapon from her hand as easily as prying a twig from a child. While she gaped in surprise, he flung thebataout through the curtain of vines.
Flann and Bran, thinking he was playing a game, chased after it out of the cave.
Then he caught his fist in the front of herbratand pulled her close. So close she could see the glitter of menace in his eyes. So close she could hear the growl of rage in his throat. So close she could feel the sizzling heat of his words as he bit them out.
“Youknew whoIwas from the very beginning. You knew I was your betrothed. You led me on. You encouraged me. You tempted me with glances and kisses and touches. You made me hunger for you.” His gaze drifted down over her with lascivious need, and he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You shared your body with me, Temair.” She shivered as her fury twisted into something very different. “All that time, you could have claimed me as your husband. And yet you didn’t. Why?”
She gulped.
He answered for her. “I was just a pawn to you, wasn’t I?”
“Nay,” she breathed.
“A means of extorting silver from your father.”
She blushed. At one time that had been true.
He pierced her with an accusing gaze. “You deceived me, Temair.”
Her guilt didn’t last long before her jaw dropped. “Hold on.Ideceivedye?”She brought her fists up between them, freeing herself from his grip, and shoved him back against the wall.“Yepretended ye didn’t know where your knights had gone.”
He scowled, but couldn’t deny it.
