Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
He rubbed his head. This was not going as he had planned. It had seemed so easy when he had first made preparations—and now? Now Aliss was no longer a means to an end. She was a woman who intrigued him, excited him and soothed him.
Damn, but he was in trouble. He leaned his head back and groaned.
“What is wrong? Do you not feel well?” Aliss asked, dropping her basket by the door and anxiously hurrying over to him to feel his forehead. “You are warm.”
“I am fine,” he argued.
“I will fix you a brew.”
She walked away from him and he reached out and snagged her around the waist, drawing her to him to rest his head on her chest.
“You keep your distance from me. Why?”
He could hear her heart beat slow then fast then slow and fast again, and he hugged her waist.
“I am not sure.”
Honesty again. It speared his heart for he was not being honest with her.
“I miss touching you, kissing you.” Honest words from him and spoken from the heart. When he looked up at her, her green eyes had softened and her arms drifted around him.
“I am confused.”
“Have I done that to you?” he asked, concerned, reaching out to grasp her arm and slip his hand down until his fingers locked with hers. He brought them to his lips and kissed them.
“You make me feel—”
“Cared for?”
He felt her shiver and he stood, wrapping his arms around her.
She pushed him away and took a step back. “You know I leave soon.”
“So was our bargain.”
“It is still so.”
“If you still want it so,” he said.
“It can be no other way.”
“Why?”
“My work—”
“Is an excuse,” he said.
“It is important.”
“Above all else?”
“I thought you understood.”
“I understand more than you realize.”
She shook her head. “Do not make this hard for me.”
“Kiss me,” he demanded.
“No!”
“Why?”
She turned her head and he pounced on her, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Tell me why.”
She closed her eyes. “Because I am afraid I will not want to stop. Please. Please let me go.”
“You will simply walk away?” he asked as if he did not believe her.
“What choice do I have?” She stepped around him and hurried out of the cottage.
That she would soon leave Rogan had weighed heavily on her mind. She had never expected to admire the Wolf. He was a courageous warrior, but even more, he was a man who cared deeply for his people and protected them however he could. He was also a man who had loved a woman, lost her, and was not afraid to love again.
She drifted along the edge of the woods, the sun near to setting and the warm night air whispering across her face like a lover’s kiss.
Her hand went to her lips and she thought about the kisses she had shared with Rogan.
“How do you feel when you kiss him?”
She smiled at her sister’s familiar voice in her head. Leave it to Fiona to remind her of how important a kiss was. How could she ignore how she felt when Rogan kissed her? It was like he weaved a magical spell around her and entranced her.
She liked the feeling and would think about it throughout the day. Would those memories be all she had? Would she never know a kiss like that again?
Did she want to?
Not from anyone but Rogan.
Her answer came sharp and swift and made her realize that she could never kiss another man. What was she thinking? She would only be disappointed, and besides, she did not want to kiss another man.
She began to pace. She had not thought this through. She would return home only to face the prospect of finding a suitable husband. How could she find one after sharing kisses with Rogan?
Other men would pale in comparison. She would never be satisfied with another man. Would she pine for Rogan the rest of her days? Would she wonder if there was a chance for them to love each other?
She kicked at the dirt, frustrated with her situation, when she was struck by a thought. If she felt this strongly about leaving Rogan and his kisses, why not marry him? It would be a good solution to her problem. She would not be saddled with a man she did not favor. She could wed a man whom she actually cared about, maybe a man she could eventually love.
He also did not mind her healing work. He had been an encouragement to her through the ordeal of healing his people. He would not demand she tend to him and forsake her passion to heal.
Of course, there was the problem of convincing Tarr of her decision. After all, Rogan had speared his arm with an arrow and he had attacked Tarr’s land on two occasions.
However, Tarr had stipulated that the decision was hers to make.