Fifteen
Ada heard Hella and Freya before she saw them or Marjorie. The joy that exploded in her chest that her hounds were safe and had found her sent her running the remainder of the distance to the dogs. When she reached them, she offered a stunned-looking Marjorie a faint smile and fell to her knees to hug both Hella and Freya. The hounds bounded into her, knocking her onto her back and licking her face, most specifically her head that was bandaged. She groaned as leaves and ice crunched underneath her, her banged up body protested, and her teeth began to chatter as a chill started to set in.
“Hella, Freya, off!” William ordered, and to Ada’s astonishment, both dogs immediately complied.
When William bent down to help her up, though, the hounds barreled into the back of his legs, pitching him forward so that he barely missed landing on her. Instead, he caught himself with his right palm, but it slid right out from under him on the icy ground. He landed with a grunt and a thud on his side, facing Ada. They stared at each other for one long moment, and then burst out laughing, reaching toward each other at the same time. William plucked some leaves from her hair, and she, in turn, snatched a twig from his. When she looked up, Grant and Marjorie were standing over them, staring as if William and Ada were cracked in the head.
Grant was the first to speak. “We should make camp for the night,” he said. “We’ll need rest for our journey to rescue Bram. Do ye think we can chance a fire?”
“Aye, we’re far from the stronghold and deep in the woods,” William replied. “Besides, if we dunnae keep warm, we will all freeze to death.”
“We’ll need to eat, as well, seeing that we’ve nae eaten a thing in two days,” Grant added.
Ada’s eyes widened. “Two days! Heaven above, why nae?” Connor’s men had fed her, albeit quickly and not much.
“MacLean would nae stop; he said there was nae time. I’ll go hunt some food.” Grant smiled, though she could tell he was trying not to.
“I’ll help,” Marjorie piped up, scrambling behind Grant.
Ada wanted to speak with Marjorie, but it would have to wait. She glanced swiftly at William, who avoided her gaze, and her heart gave a little leap. She would have tried to suppress it so as not to, once more, have hope where none likely existed, except she could not. William had raced into danger, tracked her for days, without food, and without sleep, by the bleary-eyed look of him. All the while he also had known her gift was not working fully. And he had dived headfirst into the rough water for her! It was a sacrifice, to be sure, but he did not want her heart.
Did he?
God’s blood, she was a foolish lass. Of course he didn’t. He’d told her as much, and though they were wed and had—She blushed with the memory of the joining. Still, they were strangers, even if their bodies had joined as if their souls had waited an eternity. She pressed her lips together on her fanciful thoughts and smoothed her wet gown, giving herself an excuse to look away from William. When he stared at her with his probing eyes, it felt as if he could read her thoughts. She blew out a long breath. She was beyond foolish. She had such a grand imagination. Her father had always said so. Of course William could not read her mind!
Forcing herself to look at him, she froze. He was most definitely watching her intently, and well, it looked like yearning lit his eyes. Was she seeing what she wanted, or was desire actually there? His gaze moved slowly over her body, making her belly tighten, and when their eyes met once more, a definite primitive expression had settled on his face. Her heart jolted as he stiffened and made to sit up, but then Hella bounded on top of his chest and pushed him back down to the ground. She tensed, thinking he might become angry, but he let out a hearty laugh and hugged Hella’s neck. A joyous laugh escaped Ada.
He grinned, his gaze coming to her once more, but this time soft as a caress. “Ye have a lovely, enticing laugh.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Enticing how?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “It dunnae matter.”
He’d raised his guard, like a true warrior. She couldn’t see it, but she could feel it.
“I should gather wood and make a fire,” William said.
Ada eyed him as he remained there, lying prone under Hella. In the moonlight, he looked content, as if he was in no hurry. Suddenly Freya licked Ada’s hand, and it almost seemed like Freya’s way of letting Ada know she agreed. But that was impossible and ridiculous. Nevertheless, her gut told her it was so. She patted Freya and could not resist teasing William. “Then I suppose ye should pry yerself from under that mangy—”
Hella barked, interrupting Ada. William gave Hella a vigorous rub. “Dunnae speak ill of my hound.”
“Yer hound?” Ada said, excitement coursing through her. He’d claimed not to like dogs, but it was more than clear he had a developed a fondness for Hella, and if he could develop an attachment for Ada’s hound so quickly, could he not develop one for her? She bit her lip. There she went again, being fanciful. Even so, the idea lodged in her heart like a fragile flower.
“I did nae saymyhound,” he denied, quite like someone who did not want to form attachments to anything. Ada had to bite her cheek not to grin.
“Ye most certainly did sayyerhound,” Ada happily informed him.
“A reasonable slip of the tongue,” he replied, though his voice held concern. She watched, trying to contain her growing, likely unreasonable hope, as William gave Hella a gentle nudge to move her off him, then got to his feet and extended his hand to Ada. She grasped his large hand, and his warmth made her sigh. How could he be so warm when it was so cold out?
He grasped her other hand with his free one, and then captured both her hands between his own. He brought them up to his lips and then blew onto the tips of her fingers. Spirals of pleasure danced up her fingers, over her palms, and up her arms to her heart. She had the sudden wish for him to take her fingers into his mouth and suck on them much the way he had her breasts. Good heavens, William MacLean really had made her wanton! She bit her bottom lip on the wish to smirk, because she realized she did not at all mind being wanton if it was with him, her husband. She restrained a groan. She was not only fanciful, she was daft!
“Ye’re freezing, lass,” he said, his voice low and holding a sensual promise. Did he know how he sounded? She doubted it.
“Aye,” she admitted, her numb toes curling in her slippers when he blew on her hands again.
“Stay here,” he said, his tone now rough, as if he was struggling to contain something within.
He released her hands and strode through the shadows to his horse. A moment of silence ensued, and then he came into bleary view again. When he drew near, she realized he was holding a blanket. He came behind her, his heat circling her and her senses jumping at his nearness. He laid the soft blanket on her shoulders, and then his hands rested there, so reassuring and comforting. Before she knew what she was doing, she had leaned back against his chest.
