Echoes of Magic (13 page)

Yet, there was something in her pale blue
gaze, something that simmered just below the surface as if she too
felt the pull of attraction. Did he imagine it? He didn’t think so,
but neither was he ready to close the distance between them and
test her.

His balls tightened as his cock hardened.
Saints, he wanted her as he had never wanted a woman before. She
was like a crown jewel sparkling in the sun, begging to be seen and
caressed, but only by a man worthy of her.

As much as Grayson liked to think himself
worthy, he knew better. No man who held as many secrets as he could
expect a woman like Adrianna to even glance twice at him. But he
knew how she felt in his arms. He knew the soft smell of her skin
and her sensual curves. He knew exactly how she molded against him,
which made it all the harder to stay away.

Adrianna could not look away from Grayson if
her life depended upon it. It became difficult to breathe as the
desire flared in his silver gaze.

Her lips parted just thinking about him
kissing her, and she glimpsed his hands fisting at his side. She
recalled all too vividly the heat and strength and hard muscles
beneath her hands.

Someone knocked on their door.

“
Enter,” Grayson barked
roughly.

Despite the entry of the young girl with a
tray of food, neither Adrianna or Grayson broke eye contact. It was
only after the food had been set on the table near the window and
the girl closed the door behind her that Adrianna took a deep
breath and turned away.

She brought a shaky hand to her throat and
struggled to breathe. Since entering the chamber, the bed near
Grayson had been ever present in her mind.

“
It’s better to eat while
the food is still warm.”

Adrianna jerked around to find Grayson at
the table. When had he moved?

She licked her lips and
took the chair closest to her. The table was small and when Grayson
sat, his knee brushed hers. The touch was like lightning that burst
through her. How a simple touch could send her body reeling, she
didn’t know.

Her stomach rumbled,
reminding her of her hunger, but she was starved for more than just
the delicious roasted meat before her. As edgy as Grayson made her
feel, she liked being with him. He made her feel protected, safe,
something no man had ever done for her.

When he had told the owner
of the inn they were husband and wife, a small thrill had shot
through her. It didn’t seem so far
‐
fetched to be his wife, and she
could only imagine how decadent it would be to lie in his arms
night after night enjoying his kisses and caresses.

In truth, no sane woman would pass up such a
chance.

It was almost enough to make her forget the
curse and take a chance. Then she remembered the evil chasing him
and her glimpse of his future. His chance of survival was in
question and, regardless of whether she gave her body to him or
not, losing Grayson would hurt as much as when her son had
died.

It was a pain Adrianna prayed never to feel
again. How she could feel it for a man she barely knew, a man she
hadn’t given her heart to, worried her. Knowing what she did, it
made her rethink keeping her distance from Grayson.

She reached for the goblet of wine the same
time he did. Their hands brushed, the heat from his touch scorching
her skin.

“
After you,” he
said.

Adrianna lifted the goblet to her lips and
drank before she handed it to him. Her breath left her in a whoosh
as he turned the goblet and put his lips where hers had just
been.

Had he guessed? Did he know what lurked in
her lusting heart?

Chapter Fifteen

A meal had never been so seductive and,
somehow, Adrianna survived without throwing herself at Grayson. She
rose from the table and walked to her bag on the bed, a bed she
couldn’t seem to stop seeing Grayson in. After retrieving her comb,
she loosened her braid and began to comb her hair.

“
Take the bed, Drina,”
Grayson said after he finished the rest of the wine. “I’ll sleep on
the floor.”

She didn’t know whether to be grateful or
disappointed that he hadn’t sought to seduce her. When he sat back
against the door, she grabbed one of the pillows and a blanket and
brought it to him.

“
Thank you,” he
murmured.

It took all her will to turn around and walk
back to the bed. She blew out the candle, casting the room in
darkness before she pulled off her gown and readied for bed. She
crawled beneath the covers and stared at the canopy. As Grayson
shifted to lie down, she imagined his body against the hard planks
of the floor trying to rest.

Adrianna closed her eyes begging for sleep.
In the silence of the room, she heard every breath Grayson took,
every movement of his body. His sword was lying beside him, ready
in case of an intrusion.

She’d seen how his large hands had grasped
the pommel, the strength in his long fingers evident. She imagined
those hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs moving over her
nipples. Her breasts swelled and her nipples puckered at the
thought as her sex clenched greedily. Would he stroke her, his
fingers parting her curls to tease and tantalize the sensitive
flesh of her sex?

Adrianna squeezed her legs together as her
sex pulsed with a need that grew with each breath she took. She
rolled onto her side, determined to push thoughts of Grayson from
her mind.

Grayson closed his eyes and evened his
breathing, but he wasn’t asleep. How could he sleep with Adrianna
so close? Though he had slept in her cart with her, it was
different now. There wasn’t a gypsy leader ready to take his head
off for looking at her too long.

He had eaten the food placed before him, but
he hadn’t tasted it. He’d been too intent on Adrianna. His cock had
been hard since her eyes had flared when he’d drunk from the same
spot she had.

Since then, it had taken every ounce of his
control not to toss her on the bed and ravage her beautiful body
until she screamed his name, begging for release.

He had no idea how long he
lay awake before he finally dozed. It seemed he had just closed his
eyes when Adrianna jerked up in bed.

Instantly, he was on his feet, his sword in
hand. “What is it?”

“
They’re here,” she
whispered.

Grayson strode to the window and glanced
outside. “Who?”

“
The men. Can’t you smell
their evil?”

He glanced at her, the moon shedding enough
light for him to see her outline on the bed. “Nay. Are you
sure?”

“
Aye.” She threw off the
covers and walked to him. “Grayson, they don’t know we’re
here.”

“
They will soon enough.
Where are they?”

“
Outside, near the inn.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “You can’t mean to fight
them?”

“
I most certainly do. I’ll
use a surprise attack. Can you tell how many there are?”

She lifted her head and closed her eyes. “No
more than three. One is alone.”

“
Good.”

Her eyes opened. “Let me help.”

“
I cannot fight them if I’m
worried over you. Stay here. If I lose, get on the horse and ride
for Wolfglynn as fast as you can. Drogan and Serena will protect
you.”

He turned and walked to the door. As he
reached for the handle, Adrianna gripped his arm.

“
I could help.”

He cupped her face in his hand. “Battle is
no place for a woman. You’ll be safer here.”

“
I’m safer with you,” she
argued.

He put his thumb over her lips. “Not this
time.”

His gaze slid to her mouth.
As much as he knew he needed to walk away, he couldn’t. Not without
a taste first. Before he changed his mind, he pulled her against
him for a quick, hard kiss. He turned and left the chamber before
he bedded her instead of finding the men who attacked
him.

Grayson walked quietly down
the stairs. When he stepped on a board that creaked, he halted,
waiting for someone to appear. When no one did, he continued. He
walked over bodies lying in the dining room floor and slowly opened
the door.

He moved outside and closed
the door behind him with nary a sound. The moon, a sliver in the
night sky offered him the protection of darkness. As he changed
from shadow to shadow, it didn’t take him long to see the two
horses in the stable. They were lathered from a hard ride and being
cared for by the same stable lad who had taken his
horse.

The men’s mounts were
here, but where were
they
? And what were they doing in
Dirkshire if not for him?

Grayson crept out of the stable and looked
at the village. Only the sounds of the night met his ears. A field
mouse raced across the road as an owl swooped down to catch it. He
stayed as he was, waiting for any sign of movement or sound. The
men were around somewhere, and Grayson was going to find them.

And then a shadow moved near the inn.

Fear for Adrianna sunk into his chest and
around his gut with iron claws. Grayson wasted little time in
following the man.

As they moved around to the back of the
tavern, Grayson realized the man had sensed he was near.
Thankfully, the knight wasn’t in armor this time. He waited until
the man knelt near the building as he inspected something on the
ground before Grayson moved behind him.

He lifted his sword over his head, ready to
strike when the knight jerked around to stare at him.

“
Ready to die, you
bastard?” Grayson growled as he charged the man.

* * * * *

Adrianna paced the chamber. Her lips still
burned from the kiss Grayson had given her. It had been wonderful,
if too short. She wanted more of him.

But that would have to wait to see if he
survived the battle he was charging into. She had no doubt it
wouldn’t take those men long to realize Grayson was in Dirkshire,
and he had a small advantage of finding them first.

She stopped near her window and looked to
the southeast where the evil made its way toward them. She caught
movement below her, and gasped when she recognized Grayson as he
charged a knight.

Adrianna was powerless to move. She gripped
the edge of the window and watched as Grayson moved with deadly
skill, his sword whipping through the air.

He narrowly missed slicing the knight’s
chest open. The man jumped back then quickly lunged at Grayson. She
bit her lip when the man’s sword drew blood. It was only a knick,
but it was still a wound. Their swords clanged in the night, the
sound rumbling through the quiet town.

Again and again their swords met, the men
matched almost in every way except one—the knight had evil coursing
through him. Grayson would be able to hold his own against him but,
if another joined in, he would be in danger.

She stood in awe as Grayson moved with the
grace of a cat and the speed of a falcon. His sword was an
extension of his body, and he wielded it with power and precision
that few men would be able to withstand.

He ducked and rolled as the knight’s sword
sliced near his throat. Grayson gained his feet and thrust his
sword at the other warrior who blocked Grayson’s sword with his
own.

Grayson then grabbed the man’s sword arm as
he stepped toward him. With his lips pulled back in a vicious
sneer, Grayson elbowed the knight in the face twice before
backhanding him with a meaty fist that had the man stumbling
backwards.

Adrianna wanted to cheer as she recognized
Grayson was about to win.

And then she saw a second
knight creeping up behind him.

She didn’t stop to think, merely raced from
the chamber and out of the inn to help. Adrianna’s heart thundered
loudly in her ears as she urged her legs faster, fearing she
wouldn’t get to Grayson in time.

As she raced to the back of the inn, she
caught sight of Grayson standing over the first knight, his sword
raised above him. If she alerted him now, it would give the first
knight time to recover, so Adrianna decided against it.

She glanced at the second man to see him
steadily advancing on Grayson. Just as Grayson plunged his sword
into the first man, Adrianna ran and jumped on the back of the
second.

The man growled, his stench of evil so
overwhelming she gagged. She used her arm to choke him as she
pulled back with all her might. The man was a giant, his great hulk
no match for her puny strength, but Adrianna had to give Grayson
some time.

“
You stupid wench,” the
knight snarled.

She lost her grip when he slammed her
against a tree. All the breath left her lungs in a rush as she
landed with a thud on the packed earth.

As she struggled to regain her breath, she
opened her eyes to see the knight’s sneer as he raised his sword.
Just when she thought he would plunge it in her, the man howled and
clutched his side.

Grayson pushed the knight to the ground and
pulled his sword from his dead body. Then Grayson was by her side,
lifting her in his arms.

“
Drina, are you
hurt?”

She finally managed a deep breath. “Just had
the wind knocked out of me.”

“
I told you to stay in the
chamber.”

She recognized his anger
for what it was, worry. “I couldn’t once I saw the second
knight.”

“
Come,” he said and stood
with her still cradled against him. “Let’s get back to the inn
before someone sees us.”