hadn’t eaten in so long, but the vulnerability on his face cracked through the hard shell I’d worked hard to erect. He looked like a little boy who’d picked a handful of wild flowers for a neighbor girl, hoping she would see beyond the few weeds to the thoughtfulness behind his gift.
He settled me against the pillows and sat down beside me, then reached out and lifted my skirt to my calf, exposing my injury. He unlaced my white boot and gently tugged it free, frowning at my quick hiss of breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It had to come off.”
Nodding, I fought back tears as he placed his hand on my ankle and turned it slowly, checking the range of motion. When I made a strangled noise of protest, he stopped.
“Not broken, just sprained. I’ll fetch the physician.” When he stood to leave, the bed sprang up as a physical reminder of his absence. I’m not sure why, but I didn’t want him to go. “Stay here,” he said, then shook his head with a that-was-stupid look on his face. A short laugh burbled out of me and his lips twisted in a self-deprecating smirk.
“I’ll return shortly, but please, start without me.” He brought a plate of food from the table and set the goblet within easy reach. “Keep an eye on the wine, as it may shift when the boat rocks. Don’t lunge forward to catch it if that happens. Just let it go.”
His warm chocolate eyes met mine and stayed there, making my pulse beat hot and thick. “Thank you,” I managed finally, not knowing what else to say. What was wrong with me? He was supposed to be the enemy, the evil bastard who had gotten us into this mess, but at that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. I told myself it was all an elaborate act, but the honesty in his gaze seared me, evaporating my anger and leaving me confused.
By the time he returned with the doctor, most of my food was gone. I’d started to eat the dinner roll, then realized I should save it for Aiden. I didn’t know if he could keep down any solid food, but I wanted him to try, and bread seemed like a safe place to start. Berating myself for not hiding the roll before the captain returned, I made a big show of not being able to reach my wine.
“Capt—I mean, Eagan, could you…?” I said. When he jumped up to reach for the wine, I stuffed the bread in the folds of my skirt. But he turned at just the wrong moment and saw me do it. My breath caught as I waited for him to say something. Disappointment washed down his face. His lips pursed and he paused, my glass still in his hand. Then he handed me the cup and strode across the room to grab his own plate. His chair scraped along the wooden floor and he seated himself across from me while the doctor tended to my foot.
Guilt bit the back of my neck, but I bristled in self-righteous anger. What did he expect? It’s not like I could just saunter out with an armful of food to take down to Aiden. Of course I had to hide it from him! And it’s not like Eagan was sending down plates of meat to the prison cell, either. I’m sure if Aiden got anything at all, it would be a bowl of some nasty gruel or other. The captain didn’t care about Aiden’s health. And why would he? He was just going to kill him anyway. A weak prisoner is a hell of a lot easier to handle than a strong one, right?
Frustrated and out of sorts by Eagan’s recent kindness, I yelped in pain when the doctor accidentally bumped my ankle. “Ouch! Damn it, leave it alone! It’s fine. I’m fine. Just go.”
The doctor jerked back like I’d slapped him, but recovered himself quickly. “As you wish. You shouldn’t put any pressure on the limb for a couple of days.”
“ A couple of days? Right. Like that’s going to happen.” I set down my cup and swung my legs off the bed. “I have to go.” My teeth ground together when my foot hit the floor, but I wouldn’t give Eagan the satisfaction of seeing how much it hurt to stand.
The doctor
He settled me against the pillows and sat down beside me, then reached out and lifted my skirt to my calf, exposing my injury. He unlaced my white boot and gently tugged it free, frowning at my quick hiss of breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It had to come off.”
Nodding, I fought back tears as he placed his hand on my ankle and turned it slowly, checking the range of motion. When I made a strangled noise of protest, he stopped.
“Not broken, just sprained. I’ll fetch the physician.” When he stood to leave, the bed sprang up as a physical reminder of his absence. I’m not sure why, but I didn’t want him to go. “Stay here,” he said, then shook his head with a that-was-stupid look on his face. A short laugh burbled out of me and his lips twisted in a self-deprecating smirk.
“I’ll return shortly, but please, start without me.” He brought a plate of food from the table and set the goblet within easy reach. “Keep an eye on the wine, as it may shift when the boat rocks. Don’t lunge forward to catch it if that happens. Just let it go.”
His warm chocolate eyes met mine and stayed there, making my pulse beat hot and thick. “Thank you,” I managed finally, not knowing what else to say. What was wrong with me? He was supposed to be the enemy, the evil bastard who had gotten us into this mess, but at that moment, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. I told myself it was all an elaborate act, but the honesty in his gaze seared me, evaporating my anger and leaving me confused.
By the time he returned with the doctor, most of my food was gone. I’d started to eat the dinner roll, then realized I should save it for Aiden. I didn’t know if he could keep down any solid food, but I wanted him to try, and bread seemed like a safe place to start. Berating myself for not hiding the roll before the captain returned, I made a big show of not being able to reach my wine.
“Capt—I mean, Eagan, could you…?” I said. When he jumped up to reach for the wine, I stuffed the bread in the folds of my skirt. But he turned at just the wrong moment and saw me do it. My breath caught as I waited for him to say something. Disappointment washed down his face. His lips pursed and he paused, my glass still in his hand. Then he handed me the cup and strode across the room to grab his own plate. His chair scraped along the wooden floor and he seated himself across from me while the doctor tended to my foot.
Guilt bit the back of my neck, but I bristled in self-righteous anger. What did he expect? It’s not like I could just saunter out with an armful of food to take down to Aiden. Of course I had to hide it from him! And it’s not like Eagan was sending down plates of meat to the prison cell, either. I’m sure if Aiden got anything at all, it would be a bowl of some nasty gruel or other. The captain didn’t care about Aiden’s health. And why would he? He was just going to kill him anyway. A weak prisoner is a hell of a lot easier to handle than a strong one, right?
Frustrated and out of sorts by Eagan’s recent kindness, I yelped in pain when the doctor accidentally bumped my ankle. “Ouch! Damn it, leave it alone! It’s fine. I’m fine. Just go.”
The doctor jerked back like I’d slapped him, but recovered himself quickly. “As you wish. You shouldn’t put any pressure on the limb for a couple of days.”
“ A couple of days? Right. Like that’s going to happen.” I set down my cup and swung my legs off the bed. “I have to go.” My teeth ground together when my foot hit the floor, but I wouldn’t give Eagan the satisfaction of seeing how much it hurt to stand.
The doctor
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