Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99325 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“Be careful,” he whispered. “You may ruin my reputation if word spread that—”
“The Legend has a caring heart,” Reena finished.
He turned away from her, but she caught the troubled look in his eyes. “None would believe you. I am the Legend and I earned my name.”
She reached out to him, her hand resting on his shoulder. “You are—”
She stopped suddenly, and he turned to see her eyes wide and her mouth open, as if she were about to speak, then froze.
He grew concerned. “What is wrong?”
“You have a caring heart.” Her blue eyes shone brightly, and she looked excited, as though she had made a discovery.
“So you say, do you think otherwise now?”
“Nay, nay, you care, and because you care you could not have killed Mary, your teacher’s young daughter. You did not kill her, you protect her.” She did not let him answer. “And I realize now that your teacher never meant for his daughter to die, and you understood this. He knew you would make certain she was cared for, he understood you as I do.”
“I am not that complex, but Mary’s situation is such that I must ask you to give me your word that you will repeat none of what you know.”
“You have my word, I will say nothing.”
“And I will tell you no more, for there are those who search for her, and I will not have your life endangered by knowledge of her whereabouts.”
“As you wish,” Reena said, “but if there should ever come a time—”
“I will seek your help,” Magnus assured her. “I do not know about you, but that bird smells delicious, and I am starving.”
Reena rubbed her hands together, part in anticipation of the feast and part in knowing The Legend had earned his title because of love. “Let us feast.”
They talked about many things while they ate, and they laughed often, until finally words drifted away and they looked upon each other in silence.
Tingles ran over Reena, mixed with a loving warmth; a strange and pleasurable sensation and one she would never grow tired of feeling. She wanted to reach out and touch him and let him know she was content here with him, just the two of them.
She looked at her hands, which needed cleaning from their meal, and with a smile she stood and hurried over to the opening of the cave. She stuck her hands outside to let the rainwater wash them clear.
She heard Magnus approach from behind and his arms slipped past her, his hands joining hers to cleanse them. They rubbed each other’s hands slowly, the chilled rain feeling good on their warm skin.
And then he stepped closer, his body pressing against hers. He lifted her up with one arm to rest against him, while he rested his cheek to hers.
“I am too small in height for—”
“You are perfect,” he whispered.
“Nay,” she said with a soft laugh. “Love blinds you.”
“Beauty blinds.” He kissed her cheek and then her neck.
His tender kisses sent gooseflesh rushing over her, and she shivered.
He turned her in his arms. “I want to make love to you. I want to touch and kiss every part of your beautiful body and make you mine and mine alone.”
This time she shivered from his words.
“The choice is yours; I will not force you. I want our joining to be one of love, our marriage to be one of love, our life together to be one of love. I will have it no other way.”
He placed her on the ground, and her eyes filled with tears.
“You are truly a man of honor.”
“Without honor a man is nothing.” He raised his hand to wipe away the single tear that slipped slowly down her cheek.
She kissed the palm of his hand. “My tear falls out of love, not shame or regret or doubt, but pure love.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “Then let me love you.”
She hesitated but a brief moment, then her hand went to the blanket at his waist. “Let us both love.”
His blanket fell away as his hand reached for the fold of her blanket and released it to fall at her feet. They stood naked in the mouth of the cave.
“You are beautiful,” Magnus said softly, then scooped her up into his arms and walked to the campfire, lowering them both to the blankets.
He stretched out alongside her, ran his fingers though her hair, and smiled as her arms reached out to wrap around him and draw him near.
His body felt deliciously good against hers, warm and hard and soft all at once, and the taste of him—she did not want to stop tasting him. The more she tasted, the more she hungered for him. She could not get enough of him.
His hands explored her, touching and titillating her senses beyond reason.