your request must be no. So unless you mean to force me to tell you where Ariane is or—”
“I would never do anything like that.”
She peered at him over her shoulder, expecting to find him angry or wearing that cold, hardened expression. It was how he would have reacted in the past to her refusal to cooperate. But Simon merely looked defeated, his shoulders slumped like a man who had just seen his last hope burn and crumble to ash.
“I am sorry,” Miri said in a softer tone.
“Don’t be.” Simon’s mouth flickered in a sad semblance of a smile. “If anyone should be apologizing it is me. Given our past history, it was unreasonable for me to expect any different reply.”
He fetched his jerkin from the line and shrugged back into it. Striding past her to the door, he sank down upon the stool, and reached for his boots.
“What—what are you doing?” Miri faltered.
“You kept your end of our bargain. You listened to what I had to say. Now I am keeping mine.” Simon worked his foot back into the damp, mud-spattered leather. “I promised you I would leave you in peace.”
That would undoubtedly be the best thing. For both of them. So why then was she beset with this sharp pang? She drifted closer as he struggled with his second boot, resisting a strange urge to snatch it away from him.
“It is still pouring rain and likely to continue for hours. You look exhausted. I—I have no bed to offer you, but if you would like to stretch out on my hearth and—”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. Far better that I return to the lady who is accustomed to sharing my nights.”
“Oh?” Miri was hard-pressed to conceal her dismay. Simon seemed so alone. It had never occurred to her he might have a woman waiting somewhere.
Simon levered himself to his feet with a smile as though he guessed exactly what she was thinking. “I meant Elle. She is the only lady in my life. I am used to bedding down in the stable with her.”
“Oh.” Miri was annoyed to feel herself blush. It was certainly no concern of hers if Simon had a woman or not. “That—that is good. Not that you have no other lady, but—but Elle . . . she will look out for you, warn you if danger approaches.”
“So she has. More times than I can count.”
Miri nodded. She and Simon stood only a foot apart, but already the distance seemed to yawn much greater. A long and awkward silence fell. All sounds of the storm had ceased, only the rain continuing to beat at the windows and roof of the cottage.
Strange. Miri had always found the sound of rain soothing, but this time it struck her as rather haunting and melancholy. Perhaps because she was so acutely aware that this might well be the last time she and Simon met. So how did one go about saying good-bye to a man who had once been both cherished friend and hated enemy, first love and lasting heartbreak?
Miri nervously entwined her fingers together. She wondered if she should offer him her hand or merely curtsy when Simon solved her dilemma by doing the last thing she would have expected.
He seized her about the waist and hauled her so hard against him, she emitted a soft gasp. Startled, she looked up at him, his face a dark blur. Before she could protest, his mouth descended upon hers, taking her in an embrace that drove the remaining breath from her body.
It was nothing like the gentle warmth of their first kiss. His beard abraded her skin as he devoured her with his lips, his embrace so fierce, it was as though he sought to claim a part of her very soul to carry away with him.
Miri felt helpless before the onslaught, her hands trapped between them, braced against the unyielding wall of his chest. She could feel the heat of his skin through the damp fabric of his shirt, the wild thunder of his heart. It echoed inside her, her own heart racing as Simon plundered her mouth and stirred her blood with a kiss born of heat and despair, desire and loneliness.
Simon’s emotions
“I would never do anything like that.”
She peered at him over her shoulder, expecting to find him angry or wearing that cold, hardened expression. It was how he would have reacted in the past to her refusal to cooperate. But Simon merely looked defeated, his shoulders slumped like a man who had just seen his last hope burn and crumble to ash.
“I am sorry,” Miri said in a softer tone.
“Don’t be.” Simon’s mouth flickered in a sad semblance of a smile. “If anyone should be apologizing it is me. Given our past history, it was unreasonable for me to expect any different reply.”
He fetched his jerkin from the line and shrugged back into it. Striding past her to the door, he sank down upon the stool, and reached for his boots.
“What—what are you doing?” Miri faltered.
“You kept your end of our bargain. You listened to what I had to say. Now I am keeping mine.” Simon worked his foot back into the damp, mud-spattered leather. “I promised you I would leave you in peace.”
That would undoubtedly be the best thing. For both of them. So why then was she beset with this sharp pang? She drifted closer as he struggled with his second boot, resisting a strange urge to snatch it away from him.
“It is still pouring rain and likely to continue for hours. You look exhausted. I—I have no bed to offer you, but if you would like to stretch out on my hearth and—”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. Far better that I return to the lady who is accustomed to sharing my nights.”
“Oh?” Miri was hard-pressed to conceal her dismay. Simon seemed so alone. It had never occurred to her he might have a woman waiting somewhere.
Simon levered himself to his feet with a smile as though he guessed exactly what she was thinking. “I meant Elle. She is the only lady in my life. I am used to bedding down in the stable with her.”
“Oh.” Miri was annoyed to feel herself blush. It was certainly no concern of hers if Simon had a woman or not. “That—that is good. Not that you have no other lady, but—but Elle . . . she will look out for you, warn you if danger approaches.”
“So she has. More times than I can count.”
Miri nodded. She and Simon stood only a foot apart, but already the distance seemed to yawn much greater. A long and awkward silence fell. All sounds of the storm had ceased, only the rain continuing to beat at the windows and roof of the cottage.
Strange. Miri had always found the sound of rain soothing, but this time it struck her as rather haunting and melancholy. Perhaps because she was so acutely aware that this might well be the last time she and Simon met. So how did one go about saying good-bye to a man who had once been both cherished friend and hated enemy, first love and lasting heartbreak?
Miri nervously entwined her fingers together. She wondered if she should offer him her hand or merely curtsy when Simon solved her dilemma by doing the last thing she would have expected.
He seized her about the waist and hauled her so hard against him, she emitted a soft gasp. Startled, she looked up at him, his face a dark blur. Before she could protest, his mouth descended upon hers, taking her in an embrace that drove the remaining breath from her body.
It was nothing like the gentle warmth of their first kiss. His beard abraded her skin as he devoured her with his lips, his embrace so fierce, it was as though he sought to claim a part of her very soul to carry away with him.
Miri felt helpless before the onslaught, her hands trapped between them, braced against the unyielding wall of his chest. She could feel the heat of his skin through the damp fabric of his shirt, the wild thunder of his heart. It echoed inside her, her own heart racing as Simon plundered her mouth and stirred her blood with a kiss born of heat and despair, desire and loneliness.
Simon’s emotions
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