Love Me Forever (5 page)

She challenged him in conversation and
thought, something he had never experienced with a woman, yet
something that titillated in its own way. “One needs a soul to have
it scarred.”

Surprisingly, she laughed gently. “Everyone
has a soul, Royce.”

“Not warriors.”

“Especially warriors.”

He shook his head.

She would not let him deny her words. “Aye,
warriors have the strongest of souls. They protect the weaker souls
and do what must be done for the sake of freedom. Life can be cruel
without warriors; complete chaos would reign and no one would know
peace.”

“You speak with wisdom for one so
young.”

“I am not young.” Her smile faded. “I am old
from my experiences.”

“Like a warrior?”

She nodded slowly. “Aye, a warrior who faced
a different type of battle.”

She suddenly seemed uncomfortable and
attempted to move.

His arms instantly locked her in place,
preventing her from making the slightest movement. “Do not. You
will only cause yourself pain. I will move you.”

She looked about to object, but he would not
have it.

He was firm and adamant. “I will move you
until you are well enough to move yourself, is that
understood?”

A flash of concern crossed her face.

He was glad he saw no fear there, and he
hurried to ease her concerns. “I will not harm you. I do not wish
to see you in pain. In time you will be able to do for yourself,
but until then allow me the honor of seeing to your care.”

She did not understand what it was about,
this man who made her trust him. She only knew instinctively that
she could, and that puzzled her. Why did he seem different to her?
She knew nothing about him, and yet she felt safe and protected by
this stranger.

“You wonder over the truth of my words.”

“Nay,” she said softly. “I wonder why I
believe you.”

“My charm?” He grinned.

Her smile bordered on a laugh, but then a
laugh would have caused her pain. “I think it more your caring
soul.”

He would not deny her the safety of her
thoughts. If she assumed him a caring soul, then so be it. The
truth would only upset her, and while he was not without a caring
soul, he was also a man who abandoned his soul when necessary.

“Then it is set; I will care for you, and
you will do nothing until I determine you well enough.”

She was quick to speak. “I think not. It is
necessary that I rely on you for my care, and for that I am
grateful, but I will determine what I can and cannot do.”

“We shall see,” he said, sounding as though
he ignored her words, and gently slipped his arm beneath her
back.

Before she could protest, he easily moved
her to rest more comfortably on the pillows he added behind her
back and neck. “Now for supper.”

She thought to admonish him, but then
wondered over the wisdom of it. He would ignore her and do as he
felt. Her only course of action was to grow strong and independent,
and then she would have her way. She would see to that, most
certainly she would. She would not have another man dictate to her
and most certainly not a stranger.

He stood and walked over to the hearth.

Royce could see that she was annoyed, but
she refrained from objecting. Was her marriage one of strict
obedience? Was her husband’s every word a command meant to be
obeyed regardless of her own desires? He went about preparing the
meal with many questions haunting him.

“You eat first,” she said to him when he sat
on the bed beside her ready to feed her the delicious-smelling
stew.

He placed a clean cloth beneath her neck and
over her chest, guarding her and the blanket from spills. “I
thought we would share it, if you don’t mind?”

It did not disturb her to eat from the same
spoon as he. “Nay, I have no objections. I just do not wish to see
you go hungry while feeding me.”

“You barely eat a mouthful,” he teased. “It
is not I who will go hungry.”

He offered her half a spoonful and she
eagerly took it.

“It is delicious,” she said with a lick of
her lips after finishing the small portion.

He had a mouthful, having helped himself to
a spoonful.

“You cook well.”

He prepared another small portion for her.
“I was young when I was forced to prepare my own meal. After
spitting out the awful concoction, I swore that I would not suffer
such a heinous fate again. I learned to cook for myself.”

Brianna eagerly waited for another bite. ‘‘I
am glad that you did, for now I do not have to suffer such a
fate.”

They talked of their younger days and the
freedom and joy only a child possesses. He discovered that she had
a brother she adored and who treated her well, and from this he
assumed her parents had passed on. She discovered that he guarded
his privacy well and sparingly gave her clues to his life.

But through it all she watched his eyes and
deep within their dark green depths she realized there was a part
of him he kept hidden. And she wondered over it.

“A little more,” he urged, feeling she had
not eaten enough, but she protested.

“I grow tired from all I have eaten.” She
yawned to prove herself correct.

“Then you will sleep well.”

Her sleep had not been without
interruptions. Her pain seemed to increase at night while
nightmares haunted her. Royce had joined her in bed, comforting her
in his arms and assuring her that she was safe and that he would
allow no harm to come to her. She did not wish to think of the
night without him. She had come to rely on his presence beside her
and the safety of his arms. She did not worry about him being
intimate with her. He had assured her often enough that she was
safe with him and she believed him. What other choice did she have
but to trust him?

He finished cleaning and added extra logs to
the fire. He took a quick peek out the door to check on the
weather, and to Brianna’s surprise she saw snow falling heavily
outside.

“When did that start?” she asked.

“Some hours ago.” He slipped out of his
shirt and boots, leaving his leggings on.

Her glance settled on his bare chest. She
had seen it before, though today she was much more alert than the
last two days. The pain had consumed much of her waking time, and
sleep was a friend she sought often. When she had first seen his
bare chest, it had been through a hazy fog, and even then it was an
impressive sight. Now she looked with remarkable awe at his
form.

He had to be a warrior of tremendous skill,
for his arms and chest were thick and hard with muscle. His
strength she knew of firsthand, for he lifted her effortlessly, as
though she weighed no more than a feather. His waist was slim,
though also thick with muscle, and his legs could easily support
his firm bulk.

She glanced over the length of him quick
enough, and while she had no interest in his manhood, or so she
told herself, she couldn’t help but notice he was well endowed. Her
husband had often boasted of his remarkable size and how she was
not capable of satisfying a man so powerfully built. From what she
could see, Royce looked to put her husband to shame. Surely she
could never please a man like him. But then, she need not worry
about it. He had no interest in her and she had none in him.

Why, then, did she think of it?

His words caught her attention. “It was a
gentle snow at first but turned heavier fast enough.”

Would her brother ever find her if there was
no trail to follow? She wondered over her fate. How long would she
remain with Royce? Could she trust him as she thought she could?
Could she trust herself to remain strong and. fearless? She
shivered, not knowing the answers.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked, leaning
over the bed to once again slip his arm beneath her back.

She nodded and tensed when he lifted her off
the pillows.

“Relax,” he said softly. “You will only
cause yourself pain.”

He spoke the truth, but for some reason her
situation suddenly seemed hopeless and her misgivings made her feel
all the more vulnerable.

He adjusted the pillows and gently laid her
down and moved her over ever so gently, so there would be room in
the bed for him. He thought she might object, since he caught the
look of doubt in her eyes, but he thought it better to do as he had
done for the last two nights, and that was climb in bed with her
and soothe her troubled sleep.

He slipped in beside her beneath the covers,
and it took barely minutes before she managed to ease herself
slowly against him, her head resting on the top of his
shoulder.

“Comfortable?” he asked.

“Aye, I am and thank you.”

“Nay, there is no need for thanks. It is
good to have you here beside me. It is less lonely.” He kept his
hands to himself, though he would have preferred to slip his arms
around her and give her a gentle kiss. He would wait, for
nightmares seemed to haunt her, and it was then that she eagerly
went into his arms and remained until he released her upon rising.
He was growing accustomed to her there nightly in his embrace and
he liked it.

What would happen between them when she grew
stronger?

He had no answer; he would wait, have
patience, and allow nature to take its course.

She was barely asleep when she grew restless
and began to whimper as if being hurt. He wondered if she continued
to relive the accident or if more painful memories haunted her.

He took her in his arms, held her close, and
soothed her with gentle kisses to her face. She settled as she
always did, and together they slept, both healing in their own
way.

It was time to find out about this stranger,
especially since she had been sleeping beside him these last five
days. That he was a man of his word was true. He meant her no harm.
His intentions were to see that he helped her to gain back her
health and strength. That he was accustomed to having his way was
also true. He would not allow her to do for herself. He fed her,
moved her, and did much too much for her.

She felt she could keep no secrets from this
man, and yet she had many secrets. They talked, but it was of
common things and she slept much. She needed the rest so that she
could heal properly; her body demanded it. He was always nearby
when she woke, and she was always grateful to see him.

His scars were healing as slowly as her
bruises. She wished she were well enough to move about on her own,
for she recalled the pouches of dried herbs in her satchel. If she
combined certain herbs to make a poultice and applied it to his
scars, they would heal more rapidly and leave less scarring. She
vowed that when she grew strong enough to, she would do just
that.

Now, however, she must be wise and allow
herself time to heal. It would do no good to impede her healing by
being stubborn. Besides, with the substantial snowfall, no one
would be coming to her rescue anytime soon.

Actually, if Royce had not found her, in all
probability she would have died. The elements, wild animals, or
thieves would have seen to her demise. She was in no condition to
defend or help herself. How ironic that would have been—to have
gained her freedom only to have perished without having lived at
all?

She did worry over her brother. He was
probably upset and at this moment raving at the weather... or was
he?

He would not know that she did not reach her
destination. He would only know her missing when she did not return
at her designated time, and that would be a week or more.

The thought concerned her, for it meant she
would spend more time with this stranger than she had anticipated.
That was all the more reason she attempted to learn more about
him.

Who
really
was he?

A warrior? A man running from his pain? A
man hiding from someone? He was a mystery that needed solving.

She looked to the hearth where he knelt,
feeding the fire more logs. The dancing flames cast a reflection on
his face, giving his wounds a ghastly glow. Not many would be able
to look upon him without disgust. The swelling around his eye and
lip was just barely beginning to subside.

She could detect the difference since her
glance had settled on him often these last few days. The blows he
suffered must have been fierce, and she wondered how he had
survived the ordeal. He was a man of considerable size, strength,
and determination, which told her he was a force to be taken
seriously and at times feared, but at all times respected.

She noticed he had turned around and stared
at her with as much interest as she at him. They both had
questions, but who first would have the answers?

“Hungry?” he asked, breaking the silence
between them.

“Nay,” she answered softly.

He stood and walked over to her, his frown
one of concern.

His hand went to her head. “You feel
well?”

“Aye, I feel fine, just not hungry.”

He sat beside her on the bed, his usual
perch throughout the day. “You did not feel hungry this morning as
well.”

She yawned, though she had slept well last
night and had slept again only two hours after waking. It had been
but an hour’s sleep, and now after only a couple of hours she felt
tired once again.

She grew annoyed thinking of all the time
she spent sleeping. “I sleep too much.”

“You heal.”

“I grow sore and useless from the constant
use of this bed.” She grew brave. “I need to move around more on my
own.”

“Nay!” He was firm and stern in his
response.

She raised a brow without realizing it. “You
cannot dictate to me.”

He grinned, holding back a laugh. “You think
not?”

Silence and thought would have been a wise
choice, but she was not feeling wise at the moment. Her forced
confinement, her lack of mobility without pain, and his dictatorial
manner caused her temper to flair. “You have no right.”