Chapter 16
Melissa bit her lower lip while thinking of how Daniel had stood up for her during his dinner.
She kept replaying the moment in her mind of how he had told Fiona off, despite it being at the expense of a lucrative business deal for him.
He hadn’t told her what the deal was, or why it was so necessary for the castle, but she’d read between the lines and knew that it had been very important.
Her feelings for Daniel scared her to a degree that made her almost uncomfortable in his presence. She felt almost helpless whenever he looked into her eyes. He would take her breath away with just one look.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.
The smell of fresh cherries filled her lungs.
She walked through the orchard, feeling the cool breeze on her face.
She pulled her wrap a little tighter around her shoulders and kicked at a loose stone on the ground.
She needed a little more time to herself; her feelings suffocated her when she was inside the confines of the castle.
Reaching into the branches, she chose some of the plumpest and brightest of the low-hanging cherries. The sweet taste that teased her tongue reminded her of the way Daniel had kissed her and left her lips tingling. The thought made her blush as she smiled to herself.
What am I to do with you, Daniel?
She sighed, taking a seat in the shade of one of the trees. She hadn’t wanted to fall in love with him, but now she couldn’t even picture her life without him in it.
Hearing the sound of heavy boots crushing the gravel underfoot, Melissa looked up to see Daniel striding toward her with the same kind of overly confident gaze in his eyes that used to set her teeth on edge.
“Speak of the Devil,” she whispered to herself as her heart began to flutter in her chest.
“Good day, Me Lady,” he teased her with a dashing smile that melted her heart. The effect he was having on her since the dinner was more than she could bear at present. “I thought we had a plague of mice in the orchards.” He smirked. “I see that it’s ye who keeps nibbling all the cherries.”
“It could be me,” she agreed with a shrug. “Or it could be one of the women you allow in unchecked into your orchards.”
Daniel laughed. “Are ye still adamant that I’m having a secret rendezvous with me cousin?”
“Not at all.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “Now that I’ve come to know Beitris, I see that there is absolutely no way she would ever have a secret rendezvous with you.” She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. “She has far better taste than that.”
Tilting his head back, Daniel let out a laugh that warmed Melissa’s heart to a degree where she thought it would burst. He was unbelievably handsome in a dangerous way that scared and beguiled her in equal measure.
“Were you patrolling the orchards for mice?” she asked as she placed a cherry in her mouth and twirled her tongue around the stem in a seductive manner until it broke off. “That seems like a job that one of your men could do for you, does it not?”
Daniel’s eyes darkened with the same look he got whenever he was about to devour her. “I’m actually on me way to train the men for combat,” he said and folded his hands behind his back, taking a step toward her. “One of the more fun tasks of being a laird.”
“I know it’s unbecoming of a lady to fight,” Melissa said. “But I’ve always wanted to learn how to defend myself. Any chance I can join you, even if just to watch?” She tilted her head to the side and batted her eyelashes at him, again.
“Oh, I dinnae think that a distraction as beautiful as ye would be good for the men,” Daniel replied with a teasing note in his voice.
“I think it’s best if ye stay here and enjoy me cherries for the rest of the afternoon.
” He reached out and used his thumb to wipe a drop of cherry juice from her chin, making her breath catch in her throat.
“Men…” Melissa rolled her eyes as she quickly reminded herself that he was playing a game with her.
She was the mouse, and he was the hungry lion prowling for prey.
She lived for the games they played with each other, so she decided to turn the tables on him.
“Why don’t you show me a few moves, then?
” She raised her eyebrow in a challenge.
“Right now?” Daniel asked with his thumb still on her chin. “With just the two of us?” The corner of his mouth tilted up into a seductive smile.
“It is just us and the cherries.” She bit her lower lip to hide her smile.
“Is that a challenge, lass?” He let out a light laugh that made her insides flutter.
“If you like.”
“Well then, shall we start with the art of distraction?” He lowered his hand from her chin.
Reaching over her head, he picked one of the cherries and held it in front of her face, dangling the stem between his forefinger and thumb. “You like these cherries a lot, do ye nae?”
“Evidently,” she said and gave him a puzzled look, wondering what the cherries had to do with learning how to fight.
“I’m glad ye like the cherries.” He continued to swing it back and forth in front of her eyes as he smiled at her. “What’s that?” His eyes filled with panic as he suddenly used his other hand to point over her shoulder.
Whipping around, Melissa quickly looked to see what was behind her. “I don’t see—” Her words were cut short when she felt Daniel swiftly grab her around the waist and lower her to the ground. He pinned her down with his hands on either side of her head.
“The art of distraction,” he triumphantly whispered above her as he pressed his muscular body down into hers.
She could feel her chest beginning to heave with desire as her fingers intertwined with his. “Do you often do that to enemies on the battlefield?” she asked almost breathlessly as her leg came up at his side.
“Only the pretty ones,” he teased her. Standing and dusting off his hands, he helped her to her feet. “Lesson number one, never take yer eyes off of yer adversary. The minute yer focus is off their every move, ye’ve given them a gap to attack you.”
“I see,” Melissa said, dusting herself off and straightening her shawl.
“Let’s try that again,” Daniel said. “Show me how ye would have stopped me from grabbing ye like that.” He reached up and picked another cherry, dangling it in front of her face in the exact same manner as before.
Instead of looking at the cherry, she chose to keep her eyes locked on his face instead, waiting for her chance to make a move.
“What’s that?” Daniel shouted again as he pointed in a different direction.
Without skipping a beat, Melissa turned on her heels and lifted her skirts, running at full speed in the opposite direction.
His raucous laughter reached her ears before she heard the sound of his boots gaining on her. Feeling his arms around her waist, she felt herself being stopped and lifted into the air. He swung her around a few times.
“Fail…” Daniel laughed and put her back on her feet before turning her around until she was facing him once again. “Remember, dinnae take yer eyes off yer adversary. That includes turning yer back on them.”
Her breaths came in short bursts as she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear. The way they laughed together brought her a kind of kinship that she’d never had with anyone in her life before.
“I tell ye what,” he added as he straightened the shawl around her shoulders. “Let’s swap places. Ye try an’ distract me, then attack.”
“Right,” she said as she narrowed her eyes and focused on him once again, trying her best to come up with a plan.
Looking at his feet, she licked her lower lips and decided what to do. Going straight for the goal, she narrowed her eyes and suddenly leaped at him with a fierce battle cry that sounded more like a puppy screaming for its mother.
Daniel quickly stepped aside and tripped her with the tip of his boot, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Feeling utterly irritated once again, she rolled onto her back and stared up at him. He was laughing.
“There were quite a few things wrong with that attack, lass. Firstly, battle cries are for men that wish to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. What ye did made me want to send ye back to the nursery.”
She glowered at him from her position on the ground.
“Secondly, ye werenae prepared with a backup plan if yer attack were to fail. A good soldier always thinks two steps ahead.”
“Understood, My Lord.” She saluted him with one hand and stretched out her arm so he could help her to her feet.
Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise when she yanked him down to the ground, bringing his body against hers before he had enough time to place his hands on either side of her head and break his fall.
“That was a good move,” he said with bated breath as he looked into her eyes and swallowed hard.
“Well, I am learning from the best,” she said as she glanced down at his lips, feeling his body shift against hers in the heat of the moment.
The look in his eyes let her know that he had more than just training on his mind at present.
“Ah ha!” she said triumphantly as she quickly pushed him off and jumped to her feet, placing her hands on her hips. “I think it’s safe to say that I’ve mastered the art of surprise, don’t you think?”
“Aye.” He laughed at her confident stance and jumped to his feet as she stood aside. “Lesson number two,” he said. “How to throw a punch…”
“Sounds fun,” Melissa intoned as her hands began to sweat. She knew that Daniel would never harm her in that way, but she’d never engaged in so much as a scuffle with anyone in her life.
“Fun but painful if ye dinnae do it right,” Daniel replied.
“I’m here to learn.” She rubbed the palms of her hands on her dress.
“Now, remember what I said to ye in lesson number one,” Daniel said. “An’ I want ye to try an’ punch me when yer ready.” He tapped his chin and took on a defensive stance.