their homes, their lives, and mundane things. He tried to keep in the background, but all too soon they noticed him and pulled him into the conversations.
He hated having to lie, but in order to keep who he was, and his family, secret, lying was essential. A good liar mixed in as much of the truth as he could.
It had soon become common knowledge that he was friends with Saffron, and everyone wanted to know about her and what had happened when she disappeared for those three years.
Arran quickly diverted those questions by asking some of his own. He was always amazed at how people wanted to talk about themselves, given the chance. And he made sure they had those chances often.
It was well past ten when he rose from the table and made for his tent. Yet, as he stood in the night air, he found he wasn’t tired.
His gaze went to Ronnie’s tent. The light was on but dim, and he saw no movement inside. Arran started walking toward her tent, even when he knew it was a bad idea.
“Ronnie,” he called as he reached the tent.
When there was no answer, he poked his head inside and found her lying on her stomach on her cot, her feet and one arm hanging off the side.
For long minutes, Arran simply looked at her sleeping. Her bun that she tied her hair in every day was hanging loose. It would take the smallest touch to knock it free so he could see her hair in all its glory.
But he didn’t touch her. The light from her lamp cast her face in a golden glow, and it was then he saw the dark circles under her eyes.
“She does this,” Andy whispered as he came up beside Arran.
Arran raised a brow in question.
“She works herself into exhaustion. Tomorrow she’ll wake refreshed and ready. She might go a few nights without sleep because of something involving the dig, and then she collapses.”
“You look out for her,” Arran said.
Andy shrugged, his thin hair blowing in the breeze. “She took me as her assistant when no one else would. She’s taught me so much.”
“You’re loyal. Everyone needs someone like that.”
“She’s loyal to me as well,” Andy said. “No matter what, she keeps bringing me on these digs as her site manager. She’s even allowed me to take the credit on my finds.”
Arran nodded and turned his attention back to Ronnie. “She can no’ sleep like that. She’ll wake with a crick in her neck.”
“What are you going to do?” Andy hastily asked.
Arran grinned at him. “Doona fash yourself, lad. Her virtue is safe with me.”
“Yeah, right. I see how you look at her,” Andy said, and set aside the clipboard on Ronnie’s chair. “I’ll get her boots. Just turn her over when I’m done.”
Arran waited while Andy made quick work of removing Ronnie’s boots, and then it was time to touch her. He hesitated for a minute because he wanted to feel her skin again, but at the same time, he knew it wasn’t a good idea.
“Arran?”
He glanced at Andy. “Doona tell her it was me.”
“Why?”
“I doona think she cares for me much.”
When Andy didn’t immediately respond, Arran glared at him.
“Okay,” Andy said, and held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll be sure to leave your name out.”
Arran took a deep breath and rolled Ronnie into his arms. He cradled her against him, the shock of her warmth and softness causing him to still instantly.
Blood pounded in his ears and his balls tightened as all the blood pooled in his cock. Just from the exquisite, amazing feel of her. Arran’s fingers squeezed her as the sudden need to hold her against him forever filled him. She sighed and rested her head against his chest.
That simple movement touched something deep within him. And caused his desire to soar until he shook with the force of it.
It took everything Arran had to lower Ronnie back onto the cot. He’d never been so grateful to have someone watching him as he did at that moment.
Arran pulled the blanket over Ronnie and straightened. He gave her one last look before
He hated having to lie, but in order to keep who he was, and his family, secret, lying was essential. A good liar mixed in as much of the truth as he could.
It had soon become common knowledge that he was friends with Saffron, and everyone wanted to know about her and what had happened when she disappeared for those three years.
Arran quickly diverted those questions by asking some of his own. He was always amazed at how people wanted to talk about themselves, given the chance. And he made sure they had those chances often.
It was well past ten when he rose from the table and made for his tent. Yet, as he stood in the night air, he found he wasn’t tired.
His gaze went to Ronnie’s tent. The light was on but dim, and he saw no movement inside. Arran started walking toward her tent, even when he knew it was a bad idea.
“Ronnie,” he called as he reached the tent.
When there was no answer, he poked his head inside and found her lying on her stomach on her cot, her feet and one arm hanging off the side.
For long minutes, Arran simply looked at her sleeping. Her bun that she tied her hair in every day was hanging loose. It would take the smallest touch to knock it free so he could see her hair in all its glory.
But he didn’t touch her. The light from her lamp cast her face in a golden glow, and it was then he saw the dark circles under her eyes.
“She does this,” Andy whispered as he came up beside Arran.
Arran raised a brow in question.
“She works herself into exhaustion. Tomorrow she’ll wake refreshed and ready. She might go a few nights without sleep because of something involving the dig, and then she collapses.”
“You look out for her,” Arran said.
Andy shrugged, his thin hair blowing in the breeze. “She took me as her assistant when no one else would. She’s taught me so much.”
“You’re loyal. Everyone needs someone like that.”
“She’s loyal to me as well,” Andy said. “No matter what, she keeps bringing me on these digs as her site manager. She’s even allowed me to take the credit on my finds.”
Arran nodded and turned his attention back to Ronnie. “She can no’ sleep like that. She’ll wake with a crick in her neck.”
“What are you going to do?” Andy hastily asked.
Arran grinned at him. “Doona fash yourself, lad. Her virtue is safe with me.”
“Yeah, right. I see how you look at her,” Andy said, and set aside the clipboard on Ronnie’s chair. “I’ll get her boots. Just turn her over when I’m done.”
Arran waited while Andy made quick work of removing Ronnie’s boots, and then it was time to touch her. He hesitated for a minute because he wanted to feel her skin again, but at the same time, he knew it wasn’t a good idea.
“Arran?”
He glanced at Andy. “Doona tell her it was me.”
“Why?”
“I doona think she cares for me much.”
When Andy didn’t immediately respond, Arran glared at him.
“Okay,” Andy said, and held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll be sure to leave your name out.”
Arran took a deep breath and rolled Ronnie into his arms. He cradled her against him, the shock of her warmth and softness causing him to still instantly.
Blood pounded in his ears and his balls tightened as all the blood pooled in his cock. Just from the exquisite, amazing feel of her. Arran’s fingers squeezed her as the sudden need to hold her against him forever filled him. She sighed and rested her head against his chest.
That simple movement touched something deep within him. And caused his desire to soar until he shook with the force of it.
It took everything Arran had to lower Ronnie back onto the cot. He’d never been so grateful to have someone watching him as he did at that moment.
Arran pulled the blanket over Ronnie and straightened. He gave her one last look before
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