She rolled to her back, considering what he’d said.
Odin.These guys were descended from Vikings? She’d read somewhere about Vikings invading Scotland, hadn’t she? Which would also explain Elesyria calling Patrick a Northman.
Her mind raced as she tried to concentrate on the mark, but each attempt simply filled her mind’s eye with flexing pectoral muscles.
She rolled to her side and found him staring at her.
“Go to sleep,” he said again, more like an order to an unruly three-year-old this time.
With a tug on her blanket and an audible huff, she rolled to her other side, her back facing Malcolm.
Sleep? Not likely. Not now. Not unless counting ripples on his chest would work as well as counting sheep, because chest ripples were all she was able to envision when she closed her eyes.
It was shaping up to be one very long night.
Thirteen
WITH THE SUNlittle more than a promise in the sky, Dani stood in the doorway, surveying her surroundings. Sometime in the night, the snow had stopped, leaving only a light covering on the ground. It was still cold, but hopefully that would improve as the sun actually made its appearance.
A few feet away, Malcolm stood next to her horse, as if waiting to help her mount.
Right, then. New day in her new world. According to Elesyria, this was her reality now, so she might as well make the best of it with a fresh start. After so many years of feeling as if she merely existed on the sidelines of other people’s lives, waiting for whatever it was the Fae had planned for her, she was more than ready to jump into this life with both feet.
She simply wanted to make sure that when she landed, those feet were firmly planted, and the best way she could see for that was to start off with a clean slate. No regrets, no secrets.
Especially since the man in whose home she’d ended up didn’t seem to want her here very much. If this was where she belonged, she needed to make sure nothing interfered with her being here until she could determine exactly why it was she belonged here.
Besides, there was another, more personal, reason for making sure she started off right with Malcolm. Maybe his wanting to get rid of her was why she was so obsessed with him. She always had found the unattainable more interesting than the freely offered. If she could only set everything straight between them, then he might not be so intent on getting rid of her.
Maybe then she could stop dreaming about his body.
Face already heating, she hurried over to where Malcolm waited. As he grasped her waist, she placed a hand on his chest, thinking to stop him.
Now was the time to talk it out.
“I have a couple of things I need to get off my chest.”
Malcolm, however, appeared in no mood to stand and talk. He responded with a frown and lifted her to her saddle as if she were no more than a sack of feathers.
“You’d best be keeping everything on yer chest, my lady. Though the sun promises to shine on us this day, it will no be so very warm for a good many hours.”
“No.” She shook her head, waiting for him to mount his horse next to her. “I meant that there are things I need to say to you. To clear the air between us.”
She sighed at his confused look. “Fresh new start” would need to include her thinking about what she said before she said it.
“There are those at the castle who will fash themselves over our not having returned last night. We need to be on our way. But certainly you are free to speak as we ride, my lady.” Another little frown. “Into the clear air, if it pleases you.”
She deserved that one.
With a click of his tongue, he pulled his horse ahead of hers, leading the way. That was okay. She could talk loud if she needed to.
“First thing, let’s start with this whole ‘my lady’ business. I have a name, not a title. It’s Dani. I’d appreciate your using it. We’re not real big on royalty where I come from.”
“We have a few issues of our own with royalty.”
Of course they did. She’d seen the Braveheart movie. “So you understand, then. You call me Dani, I’ll call you Malcolm. Deal?”
He slowed his horse, waiting for her to pull up beside him. “As laird of the MacGahan, I’m usually addressed as—”