His Viking Captive by C.A. Fray

Author:C.A. Fray [Fray, C.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781738699919
Publisher: CF Publishing
Published: 2023-01-23T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter

Seventeen

“Let me teach you to fight.” The words flew from Ridley’s mouth before he could form a coherent plan. He felt like he was slipping in mud uphill, unable to grip. The iron grasp he had on his sanity had been wrenched and tossed away by the woman in front of him. His body was hard as stone for her, his mind tripping over the feel of her against him, and here she was speaking of killing the unsuspecting man he sold her to. Or provoke her death by escape. He had an insurmountable need to protest both.

Yrsa was beautiful and able-bodied. She would garner excellent coin in Eoforwic. And thoughts of her thrown to the floor, struggling against the weight of a huffing pig on top of her gave Ridley an unholy craving for violence and blood. Then she’d mentioned her own death, and he’d had to lock his muscles against the nausea that stole through him.

Yrsa’s perfect lips dipped downward. They were still swollen from his kisses. Those eyes that were a blue flame for him moments ago had chilled to slate. “I know how to fight.”

Fuck. He’d insulted her. He’d learned that if there was one thing Yrsa couldn’t take, it was a slight to her competency. He hadn’t meant that.

“Not with an injured arm. Even after you heal fully, you’ll favor it.” The words rushed out, thoughts tumbling forward. “I will do my best to sell you to someone honorable. But I would sleep better knowing that you can defend yourself.”

Yrsa’s left hand pressed the gnarled flesh at her shoulder. Ridley nearly shook with the need to run his tongue along the groove to show her how beautiful the scar made her. It meant she’d survived. “Think, Yrsa. You hold your sword in your right? Earlier, you could not break my hold.”

“Maybe I did not want to,” was her sharp retort.

It prodded Ridley that the words pleased him.

On impulse, he drew his finger up her arm to the yellowed bruise. Reverently, he ducked to place a quick kiss upon the skin before Yrsa could push him away. When he drew back, her mouth curled upward, something like yearning filling her gaze.

“Fine. Since you are the best warrior I've ever seen…” Ridley grinned, glad she had moved on from talk of death to tease him.

“Alright. We can start with the basics. With the celebration tomorrow, folks will be busy preparing food and decorations. The night after next, we’ll venture into the meadow and train.”

Yrsa nodded as she drew her right arm down to her side then rolled it into a curl, testing its use. She winced slightly at the stretch. Ridley slipped the dagger from his belt, cut the length of rope at its base and tied a slip not to loop around his own wrist. He contemplated getting a new rope since he was constantly cutting this one down.

“It’s alright. I’ll likely be fighting off my owner in their home, so close quarters are better.”

Every muscle in his body gripped his bones in protest.

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