Chapter Six #4
He crossed his arms and studied her. Freezing droplets of ice caught in his dark hair, and she was held spellbound by his iron eyes.
This man, though little more than a slave, was accustomed to getting what he wanted.
He was breathtakingly handsome, and she had now experienced what it was to be kissed by this man.
It had shaken the foundation of her good sense.
“I could take you to Tara,” he said slowly. “And I might be able to save your father’s life. But it isn’t silver that I’m wanting as my reward.”
Her nerves tightened at that. “What is it you want?”
“I want land,” he said quietly. “I want a place of my own in Ossoria.”
For a moment, his words hung within the space.
She wanted to tell him yes, of course, she could grant him a place.
But she hesitated, needing to be truthful with him.
“Land may not be within my power to give. Especially if my father is exiled from Ossoria. I do not know who will become the new king.” Taryn took a step closer and pleaded, “Let me give you silver or wealth. Or you could become one of our tenants with all the rights of a tribesman.”
“No.” He studied her a moment and said, “My land will not be part of Ossoria, for I will have no man as my king.” Within his eyes, she saw the frustration of a man who had been powerless all his life. But he was asking for too much.
All she could say was the truth. “Then I will have to get help from someone else.”
In his bearing, she saw years of resentment and frustration.
For a moment, she wondered how she would feel if she were a serving girl, forced to obey the commands of others.
She understood why he wanted another life.
..but she held so little power in Ossoria.
Her father and mother commanded the people—not her.
Killian crossed his arms, and she caught a glimpse of the stone-hearted man he was. All his life he had lived with invisible chains—she understood that. But she could not divide her kingdom for his sake.
“My father is the only one who can grant that wish,” she admitted. “If he is pardoned, then I have no doubt he will give you the reward you deserve.”
The expression on Killian’s face suggested that he didn’t believe that at all. “He can never return. You know that as well as I. Rory will not forgive a man who tried to seize his throne.”
She suspected as much, but she didn’t know what to say anymore. It felt as if all the pieces of her life were shattering around her. “You are Rory’s son. Could you intervene on my father’s behalf?”
“I do not know,” he said. Turning back, he added, “I may be able to free your father in secret. But I doubt if the Ard-Righ even cares if I breathe.”
She stared at him, the wind icing through her cheeks and hair. Killian went to stand at the edge of the battlements while the rain battered his face. As she watched him, she saw a man who had been isolated all his life—a man who had never relied upon anyone but himself.
I care if you breathe, she wanted to say but didn’t. The thought frightened her, for she was indeed getting too close to this man. She took a step toward him but forced herself to stop.
“I am sorry to hear it.”
He stared out into the darkness, seemingly unaware of the harsh weather. Taryn held her hood over her face to shield her from the freezing rain, choosing her words carefully. “Would you rather not go?” she asked. “I could still speak to the High King myself and plead for mercy.”
At that, Killian faced her. There was a dark expression on his face, as if he didn’t at all like that idea. “He will not listen to a woman’s desires.”
He drew closer, and she grew nervous beneath his gaze. The water and ice clung to his face, but the cold did not appear to bother him. “And he might threaten you in other ways.”
It was disconcerting to be the focus of this man’s attention. He was so handsome, almost as if he were not real. She found herself watching his mouth, remembering the aching pleasure of his kiss.
“No man would threaten me at Tara,” she said. “I know what I look like and how I seem to outsiders.”
But he caught her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to face him. With his hands, he framed her scarred face, staring into her eyes. She watched as a droplet of water rolled down his cheek, and the instinct to touch it came over her.
“Believe me when I say that men do not care about a woman’s face. Some will take what they desire, whether a woman wills it or not. You would not be safe from the High King’s men.”
She supposed that could be true of some soldiers. Thankfully she had never been in such danger. But even so, most men shunned her presence.
“They say I am cursed,” she said softly.
His fingers passed over her marred skin, and the touch was so light, she felt it spiral down her body.
For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have smooth skin.
Or to have a man like Killian look upon her with interest. The sudden flare in his eyes made her go motionless.
He did not take his hand from her face, and his thumb edged her lips.
“Perhaps you are,” he answered. But in his eyes, she saw an intensity that frightened her. He was watching her in a different way, one that made her cheeks grow warm.
He does not want a woman like you, she reminded herself. All he wants is land of his own.
And there was no means of granting that to him.
“You won’t go to Tara alone,” he swore. Her skin rose up with gooseflesh beneath his stare. For a moment, she imagined what it would be like if this man were her protector. The thought only heightened an unspoken yearning.
“I know the MacEgan soldiers have agreed to be my escorts,” she said. “But will you come with me as well?”
He didn’t answer at first. Then he slid one hand against her waist. For a moment, he kept it there, watching to see what she would do. His touch burned through her gown, making her wonder why she was so fascinated by this man. Was it because he saw past her scars? Or was there something more?
He is using you, her mind warned. And that could indeed be true. But at this moment, she hardly cared. This handsome warrior was watching her with the eyes of a man who was interested in her. And her wayward heart wanted so badly to believe it.
“I suppose I should confront the man who sired me,” he said at last. His thumb edged a circle over the base of her spine, and the gesture melted away her reservations.
Killian added, “If he allows it, I will ask for mercy on your father’s behalf.
If not, then I will attempt to free Devlin in secret. ”
“If you succeed, I will find a way to get you the land you want,” she promised. “I will do anything necessary.”
His hands moved to her shoulders, then down her arms. The warmth of his palms sent a rush of longing through her. “Anything, a mhuírnín?”
Though she knew he was only teasing, the words were a secret caress upon her. Her breath caught as he leaned down, resting his nose against hers.
“There is a way for both of us to get what we want,” he said quietly. His voice was deep, and she leaned back to look into his gray eyes. “If you are willing.”
A sense of warning heightened inside her. “What is it?”
“You could wed me.”
She blinked a moment, trying to grasp what he was saying. Wed him? For what purpose? At her startled silence, he continued, “If I am your husband, no one can deny me a place at your side—not even the new king. You would have your freedom and my protection.”
The brittle disappointment fractured inside her, for her instincts had been correct. He did want to use her for his own gain. It wasn’t about wanting her or protecting her from her enemies—it was about a slave wanting to become a king. She should have known that his interest in her wasn’t real.
He drew her against him, his arms around her waist while she faced the darkened landscape. “Let me go,” she said suddenly. She couldn’t think clearly within his embrace. “I know what you want, Killian. But your price is too great.”
Her feelings tightened inside her, but she forced herself to speak the truth. “I want to save my father’s life...but not at the cost of my kingdom.”
Killian wasn’t surprised by her refusal. And yet, he’d meant his offer in good faith, as one where she could have her freedom to do as she chose, and he would have the lands he lacked.
“Would a marriage to me be such a sacrifice?” he asked quietly, drawing nearer. She tried to move away, but he backed her against the stone wall. “You did not push me away when I kissed you.”
“It was my first kiss,” she admitted. “I wanted to know what it would be like.”
He moved in, but she turned her face aside, revealing the puckered skin of her cheek. She’d done it on purpose, to show him that side of her.
“You kissed me back.” He wanted her to realize that a marriage between them did not have to be merely an arrangement. She intrigued him, and he wanted to know her better.
“I did. But that doesn’t mean it will happen again.” She pressed her hands upon his chest, trying to hold him at a distance. “Once was enough.”
He studied her, searching those blue eyes to see the truth. She averted her gaze, but he sensed that she had lost herself in the kiss, just as he had. This woman was a tangle of contradictions—brave and frightened...scarred and beautiful...vulnerable and strong-willed.
“I don’t think it was,” he argued. He held her hands, warming them in his palms. Though she could have pulled away from him, she didn’t. And he knew that she was as interested in him as he was in her. “Kiss me again, Taryn. Remember what it was like between us.”
The wind and ice battered both of them, tearing at her long black hair. “I don’t want to.”
He tilted her chin up to face him. “You don’t want to admit that you are drawn to a man like me. One so low-born, like the dirt beneath your feet.”
“I have never treated you like that,” she protested. “And I know well enough that you are only drawn to my kingdom, not me.” Her blue eyes burned into his, flashing fire.
He touched the scarred cheek, feeling the rough skin beneath his fingertips. She flinched the moment he touched her. “I was born into a life that I didn’t want. Is it so wrong to want more?” He slid his palm down the reddened skin, then turned her to face him.
She tried again to push him away. “You know nothing of my people or our ways, Killian.”
“Then teach me.” He murmured the words against her lips, tasting the doubt. “And in return, there are many things I will teach you.”
She turned her face away once more. “I want nothing from you, Killian MacDubh.” Though her words were quiet, he didn’t believe that she was entirely immune to him.
To prove his point, he ignored her words and trapped her against the stone, seizing her mouth.
He didn’t care that he was being cruel. Right now he was too interested in the soft sweetness before him, of the way she had opened to him, her breath catching in her throat.
Shocked by his gesture, she yielded beneath his kiss, letting him take what he wanted. Her gasp caught in her throat, transforming into a moan when he invaded her mouth. He kissed her hard, shaping her mouth to his, tempting her.
Whether she knew it or not, there was an undeniable attraction between them.
He threaded his hands in her hair, tipping her head back.
Her hand came up to his chest, and the longer he kissed her, the more he wanted this woman.
Like Carice, she had never once treated him as a slave.
And he wanted to give back to her a taste of what she’d given him.
If he wedded Taryn, it would not be a cold arrangement.
Aye, he’d been ruthless in his proposition.
But if he got what he wanted from her, he would give her an equal place at his side.
She’d said she wanted a husband and children.
A woman like her deserved many children, and he could easily see her holding a young child’s hand, with another babe cradled at her breast.
He framed her face, his fingers resting against her throat.
Her pulse thrummed rapidly, and at last, she shoved him back.
Her lips were swollen, her eyes dazed as if she couldn’t quite calm her beating heart.
“Listen to me, Killian.” Her eyes flared with anger, and she said, “I am not a woman who will surrender her kingdom, simply because you kissed me.” She squared her shoulders, looking ruffled and upset.
“I never asked for your kingdom.” He knew better than to demand something like that. “I offered you the chance to determine your own fate, before Rory demands that you wed a man of his choosing.”
Her face turned vulnerable as if she hadn’t thought of that. “There are times when I feel as if I have less freedom than you do.”
He leaned in and stole another kiss. “Think upon it, a chara. And if you’re wanting that freedom, the way lies before you. Wed me in secret, and no one can command you.”
“No one, except you,” Taryn corrected. She stared at him as though he’d lost his mind. And perhaps he had, to think up such an arrangement. “You might be very good at kissing, but you have a great deal to learn about women, Killian MacDubh.”