Kauffman, Donna by The legend MacKinnon

Author:The legend MacKinnon [MacKinnon, The legend]
Format: epub
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: 2010-12-24T00:12:21.953000+00:00

TWENTY-ONE

Because he did not want to, he pulled his hand from beneath hers.

"Then we have an agreement." He wanted to know that he would be in control of everything that passed between them, and yet he could already feel her faery sorcery at work on him. Why else did his heart beat so strongly at the mere touch of her?

"Yer tired and hungry," he said, more gruffly than he'd intended. She stiffened and pulled away from him. "Come," he ordered, willing his body to cool, his pulse to slow.

"Yes, master."

His lips quirked at the sarcasm. She had a sharp wit. And an innocent heart.

His pulse thrummed hot and heavy at the mere thought of how she reacted to his touch. Her kiss had been one of inexperience, which made no sense for a woman who was surely past her first quarter century. Was that the secret of her power? Was it her naivete in that realm that called to him? He wouldn't have thought so. Innocence had never been attractive to him. He preferred to be partner, not teacher.

He grabbed a torch and headed across the hall, not looking to see if she followed. Another button pressed, another stone moved, and they were in another passageway. "Stay close, this area hasn't fared as well as others."

"It must have been hard to live like this."

"Everyone who lived within the castle knew their way." He turned sideways to shift around a pile of stone that had fallen in and caught himself just in time, reaching for her hand. She was in fine shape, fatigued though she might be. She had no need of his assistance, and still he felt the loss of the warmth he'd have gained from holding her hand in his. Conversation was a wise diversion and an easy one given her innate curiosity. "If you mean supplies, that wasn't as hard as you'd think."

"I figured that much. Those fireplaces in the main hall weren't designed for roasting marshmallows. I was referring to being underground. It's like living in a cave. A huge cave, but still. No sunlight, no way to mark the days from the nights."

"There are places of sunlight and moonlight." He turned another corner. "It is not entirely an underground fortress." He turned again and the passage became narrow.

Cailean followed closely behind him, staring into the succession of door-size openings they passed, but unable to see anything inside them but inky blackness. She was so intent on her surroundings, she almost walked right into him when he stopped at a wooden door.

She ran her hand over the cut planks. It was obviously newly made, the planks measured and cut specifically to fit in the misshapen stone doorway. They had been sanded and stained to a beautiful finish, all fastened together with broad brass straps. "You made this?"

"It's just a door."

. If she wasn't so exhausted, she would have been amused by the nonplussed look on his face. "Does it work?"

"What? Of course it does."

"Then, can we go in?"

His face actually colored.

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