Page 14 of Highlander's Runaway Seductress
He rubbed his eyes. “It’s nae a lovely tale, lass. I went most of me years alone, cold and hungry. I did a lot of bad things to survive; I stole, I robbed, I poached, and I got caught and punished for it a lot of times. I grew up hardened and gutted when it came to believin’ in the goodness of other men, until I met Benjamin.”
“I—” Amelie bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Saying sorry felt trite and empty. “—wish it could have been better for ye.”
“Aye,” he said, getting up to go to the horse behind them. “Only if me wishes had come true.”
Standing and joining him, Amelie lingered a step away. Damien’s rigid posture dissuaded her from touching him, but she knew that he felt her presence.
“Damien—”
“Daenae fret about it, Amelie,” he said while brushing his hand over the side of the steed. “I survived it, I grew up and got better.”
She dared to rest a hand on his arm and when he pivoted, squeezed it tightly. “Try to rest, however you can.”
For a minute, Amelie thought he made to reach for her face, but his arm dropped away, and he only nodded. Amelie lingered there for a moment, wondering if he was going to reach for her again, but when he did not, turned and left the stables.
“Good night, Amelie,” he said at her back.
Was he goin’ to kiss me?
Looking at him, Amelie felt a bit conflicted as part of her wanted him to touch her. On the way to the inn, she wondered what had stopped him from touching her.She made it back to the room and slipped inside, disrobing for the night.
Though Amelie believed she had breached a few of his walls, Damien was still a puzzle to her and felt it only right to befriend more. She knew he was carrying the pain and hurt from his childhood and though there was little she could do to alleviate the horror, mayhap giving him a listening ear would help.
* * *
When dawn came, Amelie was a bit reluctant to leave the cot, but left anyway and used the pail of water to clean up and dress. Instead of seeking food, she went to the stables.
Slipping inside, she wrinkled her nose at the moldering scent and blinked at the dimness. As her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she searched the stalls and found Damien asleep on a thin blanket.
She started to retreat as she had believed he would have already been awake, but when she saw his face contort into what must be a horrific dream, thrashing from side to side, she went in and rested her hand on his shoulder.
“Wake up, Damien, what ye’re seein’ isnae real,” Amelie shook him slightly.
His eyes flew open, but they were appeared hazy with confusion. She reached up to touch him again, but his hand shot up, lacing around her neck, and pulled her down to resting his lips on hers.
Amelie gasped in shock, as he claimed her, touching his tongue to hers. Her pulse quickened as his darkly masculine taste sent dizzying thrills rushing through her veins—but then, he wrenched himself away from her.
Damien looked horrified and for a moment Amelie took it that he was repulsed at her. “Amelie? Ye’re real?”
Her brows knitted. “Of course I’m real. Why?”
“Ye are?” he asked.
“Aye,” she replied again. “Why are ye so convinced I am nae real. If ye daenae think I am real…were ye dreamin’ of me?”
“I—” he broke off and scrambled to his feet. “I was but…it doesnae matter. Sorry, I dinnae realize.”
Dinnae realize that I was real…what could he mean by that?
“But, why did ye kiss me?”
“Is Ben awake?” Damien ignored her question as he went to the horse, “We should move out soon.”
Standing, Amelie grew angry at his crude dismissal, but while it did hurt, she felt that it was not worth the effort to confront him about it. She had not known him for long, but she had the sense that he was a stubborn man. That no one, except perhaps Ben, would get him to do what he did not want to do.
Damien’s back was turned to her as Amelie replied. “Nay, I dinnae go to see him when I left this mornin’.”
“Ye should go see him,” Damien threw over his shoulder.
