Held For Ransom by Rose Renee

Author:Rose, Renee [Rose, Renee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: LazyDay Publishing
Published: 2014-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

He hated that his presence disturbed Ariana, guilt making him work even harder to improve Avalon in every way he could. He kept his eye on her, having learned her habits, keeping to chores always within eyesight of where she worshipped or worked.

He continued to sleep outside her cabin, preferring it greatly to spending time with the druids, who did not relish his company any more than Ariana did. He was well accustomed to sleeping outdoors from his years as a knight, so he found little discomfort in it, even as the nights grew longer. Ariana caught him before he woke one morning, stepping out whilst it was still dark.

"You cannot continue to sleep here."

He did not answer: merely standing and shaking out his woolen blankets.

"I know you are pretending you must, but I assure you, it is not necessary."

"Forgive me, my lady, I disagree."

"The winter snows will come soon and you will freeze!"

"I assure you, I will not freeze."

She huffed with exasperation. "I command you to build an anteroom to my cottage, then."

He tried to cover his surprise. "An anteroom? Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am certain," she snapped, leaving before he argued further.

The idea of sleeping in the same building as her held such appeal, he began to gather the wood immediately, skipping breakfast. The project came together quickly. He roughed out the skeleton frame of the addition–a small room, only five feet in depth and ten feet long with a simple raised pallet built in for him to sleep, and stow his few belongings underneath. He slept on it that night, lying on his back to watch the moon appear from the mists. It seemed a blessing, as the moon represented the Goddess and she appeared to be smiling at him. Indeed, he felt content for the first time since the day Ariana had gone free, as if her ordering him to build himself a room adjoining hers was some form of acceptance.

In five days’ time, he completed the finished work, including re-thatching Ariana’s entire roof. He lit the fire in her grate the first night she returned from the House of Maidens where she had slept during the re-roofing. She stood in the doorway, watching him. He waited, keeping his eyes lowered, not speaking. In this way, they feigned his invisibility. She stepped aside to let him pass, but the quarters were too cramped. He stopped and turned his hips to the side, her blue woolen skirts brushing his legs as she passed. Without lifting his gaze, he traced the lines of her figure, her slender waist blooming into full curve at her hips. Unbidden, the image of her long legs jutting out from his tunic rose to his mind and a shot of lust went straight to his cock. As if she sensed it, she jerked her head up, her step faltering so their hands brushed, sending a tingling heat shooting up his arm. He had not meant to, but he found himself staring directly into her fathomless green eyes, the black centers growing as her cheeks turned pink.

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