Read Online Sandra Hill - [Vikings I 05] by The Blue Viking - Free Book Online Page A

Lance, and he is a very sensitive fellow.”
    “Well, Lance better get away from me, or risk being broken by a quick chop of my fist.”
    Rurik winced, but still grinned at her. “I would not mind your fist on me. Not chopping, of course. More like, softly—”
    “Aaarrgh! How dare you speak to me so?”
    “I dare much, m’lady, and I expect I will dare much, much more before I leave your company.”
    “I repeat, why are you in my bed?”
    “Where else would I be? I am not letting you out of my sight till you remove this blue mark.”
    If only he knew … the blue mark did not detract from his good looks at all. In fact, it brought out the deep blue of his eyes, and made his face appear fierce, like an ancient Celtic warrior. “Aye, I can see why you would want to have it removed. It must interfere with all the women you would like to draw to your bed furs, then abandon.”
    “Oh, I have no trouble attracting women, even with this mark,” he boasted. “Actually, some women like the way…” He stopped midsentence and stared at her. “Abandon? Are you implying that I abandon women … that I abandoned
you?”
    “What would you call it?” she snarled. She immediatelylifted her chin with indifference. “Not that I cared.”
    He narrowed his eyes at her. “How did I abandon you? You were betrothed to be married, were you not? A love match, I believe you called it at the time.”
    “Hah! That did not stop you from seducing me. You were relentless, Rurik. You would not leave me alone till I finally succumbed.”
    “Do not lay all the blame on me, Maire. You were willing, in the end.”
    “In the end,” she emphasized.
    He cocked his head to the side. “Were you in love with me, Maire?”
    “No!” she practically shouted.
    “Then what?”
    “I don’t want to talk about this any more. Let me up. Or I really will strike a mortal blow to your Lance.”
    He smiled, not at all intimidated by her threats. “I will release you for now, witch, but we will finish this conversation afore I leave this cursed land.”
    She scrambled out of the bed the moment he raised his arm and lifted his leg. Suspecting that he perused her form in the thin chemise, she did not turn, but quickly donned a clean but well-worn
arisaid
, belting it at the waist. Still not turning, out of fear that she might see more of “Lance” than she would prefer, Maire scooted toward the doorway and the chores that awaited her this day.
    But Rurik asked a question, just as she put her hand to the door latch, that caused her to stop in her tracks and the blood to run cold in her veins.
    “Where is your son, Maire?”

Chapter Four
    “My … my son?” she stammered, dropping her hand from the door latch as she turned back into the bedchamber. “Which son?”
    “You have more than one son?” He was half reclining against the headboard, the bed linens drawn up to his waist, his arms folded over the bare skin of his lightly furred chest. His question was asked with seeming casualness, but Maire knew there was nothing casual about his pose or the question.
    “Nay, I have only one,” she said, walking closer to the bed.
    “And that would be James, I presume. The
bloody hell
laird-to-be of Clan Campbell?”
    She nodded though his wording was rather curious … offensive, really. “ ’Tis true, Wee-Jamie will one day be our clan chieftain… if we survive the MacNab threat, that is.”
    It was his turn to nod with understanding.
    “How do you know of Jamie?” The words sounded calm, but inside Maire was tense and wary. Her heart thundered against her rib cage.
    “I met him yesterday when Old John came to me with the proposition. And a more foul-mouthed little bugger I have ne’er met.”
    She gasped. Then, noticing his surprise at her gasp, she took a deep, calming breath. “I did not know that Jamie was with Old John when he met with you…. I mean, I knew he was with Old John, but I thought they were off in the forests, in hiding. The