Page 60 of Highland Slayer
With that, he turned away and headed toward the sanctuary that was a hive of activity at the moment. Estevan’s gaze lingered on the woman, who seemed somewhat humbled by the scolding, but when she saw that Estevan was looking at her, she quickly walked away.
That left Estevan and Anaxandra alone.
“She has been doing this for a long time,” Anaxandra said softly, offering up an excuse. “She has never taken orders from anyone. It is difficult for her to do so.”
Estevan looked at her. She was still clad in the clothing she’d had on the night before, her hair and ponytail wet from the mist, her face pale but her eyes bright. She’d been up all night, like the rest of them, but Estevan swore he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. His desire to keep her safe was like a runawaybull, almost uncontrollable, and Mother Michael’s refusals were frustrating to say the least.
“No one was giving her orders,” he said. “We were simply suggesting a few minor things that may be very helpful in the end. ’Tis a stubborn woman who refuses help.”
Anaxandra nodded. “I know,” she said. “It is simply her way.”
“I hope her way doesn’t get us all killed.”
Anaxandra nodded weakly, feeling his frustration, but there was also something else she was feeling.
His lips on her mouth.
Whatever he’d done to her yesterday had started a fire inside of her. It was difficult to describe because she’d never felt anything like it before, but the best way she could explain it was that her lips were still hot where he’d touched her. His heat against her heat, so hard and so firm, had left a mark, like a branding.
His lips had branded her.
Truth be told, Anaxandra didn’t even really know what a kiss was. She had only seen it once or twice, and that had been between some of the older women. They were kisses of friendship, or of greeting, but that wasn’t something she had ever done herself or had ever personally experienced.
Until last night.
Now, it was all she could think about. Even as she’d patrolled the wall last night, in the mist, her entire body may have been cold, but her lips were still warm with his touch. Estevan had been around all night, but any eye contact between them had Alexandra blushing so furiously that she was positive her head would go up in flames. He simply smiled at her while she had stood there and reeked of embarrassment. But it wasn’t that she was embarrassed he had kissed her. It was the fact that she hadlikedit. Even now as she looked at him, she wanted him to do it again.
“Estevan,” she said quietly, “may I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Did you mean what you said last night?” she said. “About courting me?”
The mere mention of it caused a smile to spread across his lips. “And if I did?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer that at first. “What does it all mean?” she said. “You never did tell me what a courting is.”
His smile grew as they veered onto a far more pleasing subject than battle defenses. “It is very simple,” he said. “It means that I want tae come tae know ye, and ye want tae come tae know me, and we spend time together before we’re married.”
“Time together doing what?”
He shrugged. “Anything,” he said. “I’ve thought a little about this. In fact, I was thinking about it last night when I should have been thinking about the owl sounds that stopped around midnight. But I was thinking of taking ye tae the Hydra, where my family lives, where ye could live with my mother and sister and learn how tae be a lady. No offense tae the skills ye have now, but when I marry, I’d like my wife tae manage my home. Do ye know how tae?”
She frowned. “Nay,” she admitted. “What do I do?”
“My mother would teach ye,” he said. “Would ye be willing tae learn?”
Anaxandra simply stared at him. He could see the emotions rolling through her eyes, finally rippling across her face. She wasn’t any good at concealing her thoughts because she’d never needed to. She was delighted, she was afraid, she was in disbelief. Estevan could read them in turn, one at a time.
Finally, she shook her head.
“Sir,” she whispered, “are you truly serious about this?”
He nodded, his eyes glimmering with warmth. “Very much,” he said. “Dunna ask me how or why, because I dunna know. AllI know is that I see something in ye that is rare. Ye’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known. I could leave today, but I’d never forget about ye, Anaxandra. I’d always wonder about ye and I’d make it a point tae return, just tae see ye. I know ye dunna know anything about men, or what happens between men and women, but I promise that if ye’ll give me a chance, I’ll show ye. Maybe we can both learn how wonderful it can be.”
Anaxandra didn’t know what to say, but his words made her cheeks flush again. With the cold weather, it was obvious. He started to laugh because she was flushing a deep red, so she giggled and lowered her face, trying to cover it with a hand. Reaching out, he took that hand away from her face and held it.
“Just think on it,” he said. “I’m not asking for yer agreement now, but I want ye tae think on it. I can offer ye everything ye have dreamt of, Anaxandra. A home, children. And a husband who would be loyal tae ye, and only ye, until the day he died.”
