Seduced by Her Highland Warrior by Michelle Willingham Read Free Book Online Page B

eyes.
    â€˜There was a time, before we married, when we came here just to be together. Now, you spend every possible moment far away from me.’
    She didn’t deny it and her silence made him break away.
    â€˜I want to know why, Laren.’
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    â€˜I’m not avoiding you.’ It hadn’t started out that way, though she supposed it might seem so to him. She’d needed to bury herself in work, to shut out the rest of the world. And when she’d discovered her love of glasswork, she’d sought out every possible moment to work on it.
    â€˜Aren’t you?’
    Laren shook her head. She closed her eyes, the sudden pain of her wound drawing her attention. Her hand felt wet against her side. When she leaned against the stone the earth swayed beneath her feet.
    Alex didn’t miss the sudden shift in her posture. When he touched her hand, she inhaled sharply at the gentle pressure against her side.
    â€˜Show me your wound,’ he demanded.
    There was anger in his voice and she tried to placate him by offering, ‘Vanora gave me a poultice for it and it will heal.’
    Her husband stepped in front of her, his dark eyes shadowed with an unnamed emotion while his hand rested upon a sheathed dirk. ‘Remove the gown, Laren. Unless you want me to cut it off.’
    The sudden image of his blade slicing through the wool made her imagine the layers of clothing falling away until she was naked before him. The vision was strangely erotic. She knew Alex would never hurt her, but the man standing in front of her now was filled with anger and sexual frustration.
    He wanted her. She could see it in the tension from his shoulders, in the way his eyes were watching. Laren considered whether or not to simply show him the wound through the torn seam. Yet a sudden sense of rebellion rose up within her. It was his idea to take her away from everyone else, to spend the night alone with her. All day, he’d issued commands and orders, treating her like a child.
    But she wasn’t at all a child. She was a woman with thoughts and feelings of her own. A woman he’d pushed aside, only sparing her a glance from time to time. And a part of her wanted him to know what he’d been missing these past months.
    Instead of revealing the wound, she loosened the ties of the long gown. With her eyes locked upon his, she turned her back to him. ‘It hurts to lift my arms over my head. You’ll have to remove the gown for me.’
    He was silent and she didn’t dare turn around. She withdrew her arms inside the sleeves, and Alex came up behind her to help lift the gown away. As he did, his hands grazed the side of her breasts, sending an unexpected jolt through her. He’d done that on purpose. A shiver rocked through her. Once he’d removed the outer gown, she stood in her shift.
    The frigid air heightened her sensitivity and her nipples grew taut against the fabric. Alex didn’t turn her around, but he pulled back the poultice and examined her wound. ‘You have torn the stitches.’
    â€˜I’ll fix the bandage. It will be all right.’
    â€˜No. Let me.’ He loosened her shift and slowly lowered the garment to her waist, baring the wound. In the cold night air, she shivered, feeling exposed, but she didn’t bother to cover her naked breasts.
    Alex removed the wet bandage and the poultice, but as his hands passed over her body she felt the fierce heat and a slight tremble in his palms.
    He tore a length of cloth from his tunic and she eyed him ruefully. ‘I’ll have to mend that later.’
    â€˜I don’t care.’ Gently, he adjusted the poultice against her wound and bound the new bandage around her waist. He kept the pressure tight, but not enough to hurt her. As his hands moved over her flesh, she couldn’t help but think of how long it had been since he’d last touched her.
    Or since he’d kissed her.
    His hands rested at the