Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 91636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“You are a beautiful woman.”
Fiona seemed taken back by his words and shook her head while her eyes turned wide.
“Aye, you are beautiful. The tales speak of the twins’ beauty, many claiming that the raging red hair provides Fiona with her fierce passion to defend and Aliss with her fierce passion to heal. I wonder what other passion Fiona possesses.”
Fiona froze as Tarr leaned over the table, cupped her chin, and brought his lips to hers.
Chapter 5
Fiona’s senses returned like a splash of cold water to her face, and she jerked free of Tarr. “You presume too much.”
“A kiss from my future wife is not too much to ask,” he shrugged.
“Do not play foolish games with me, for you will surely know defeat,” she snapped, and grabbed for an apple to slice since she momentarily toyed with the notion of using the knife on him. “If a kiss is the type of tactic you plan to use in determining our identities, you are doomed to fail.” She more shredded than peeled the fruit.
“What makes you think it was the kiss I assumed would help me?”
She stilled the knife and stared at him, her irritation growing in leaps and bounds.
“Reaction reveals much about a person.”
Fiona continued her peeling at an alarming speed, furious with herself for not being more alert to his intentions.
He rested his arms on the table. “Your actions now tell me you are annoyed, a response more associated with Fiona than Aliss.”
Fiona bit her tongue to prevent from lashing out at him and sliced at the apple hard, thinking it his head. Pain seared her finger and she looked down to see her blood spilling over the apple.
Tarr immediately reached out to grab her hand.
She pulled it away from him. “I can see to my own care.”
Tarr shook his head and snatched the clean cloth wrapped around a pot. “You are a stubborn one,” he said as he handed it to her.
“My reaction disappoints you?” She took the offered cloth and wrapped her finger, then stood. “Be careful of what you wish for in a wife, Tarr. You may just get her—then what will you do?”
Fiona marched out of the hall, her annoyance obvious in every step she took, and she did not care one bit. She took quick steps in a rush to see her sister. She ignored the two dozing guards at the bedchamber door and entered the room.
Aliss looked up from where she sat in a chair near the hearth grinding herbs in her pestle. Raynor remained unconscious in the bed.
Fiona held up her wrapped hand. Her sister rushed to her side.
“What happened?” Aliss asked anxiously, directing Fiona toward the light of the hearth.
“Do you know what he did?”
“Tarr did this to you?” Aliss asked incredulously, carefully unwrapping the cloth.
“Nay, I did it to myself, but it was his fault.”
“He must have made you awfully angry for you to cut yourself. You are too skilled with a knife for such a foolish blunder.”
“I was damn foolish.” Fiona plopped down in the chair.
Aliss pulled the small wooden stool in front of her sister and went to work on tending her wound. “Tell me what happened.”
“He tried to kiss me.”
“Oh dear!”
“It was not the kiss that upset me, but rather his intention that infuriated me.”
“His intention?” Aliss shook her head.
Fiona eyes sparkled like fiery emeralds. “He wished to see my reaction.”
Aliss looked up. “So the kiss was but a ruse.”
“He did not want to kiss me.”
“Did you want him to?”
“Nay,” Fiona answered hastily, and turned away to stare at the flames in the hearth.
“Fiona,” Aliss said gently.
Fiona slowly shook her head at her own idiocy. “I grew excited at the thought of his kiss. I was foolish.”
“No you were not,” Aliss insisted.
“I was,” Fiona said stubbornly. “I thought he wanted to kiss me and that I would taste my first kiss. How silly of me. I let down my defenses and suffered for it, but never again. I am more wise to his tactics now.”
“You have a right—”
“I have no right to be stupid.”
“But you have a right to find love,” Aliss argued.
“It was a kiss, nothing more,” Fiona said defensively. “You have been kissed.”
Aliss laughed gently. “A few pecks by young inexperienced lads do not qualify as kisses.”
“But they were enough to let you know someone cared, had feelings to take a chance and steal a kiss, if only a quick peck. I have known no such demonstrations of feelings.”
“You wanted Tarr to want to kiss you?”
“No—yes.” She tossed her hands up. “I told you I was foolish. Why would I even consider kissing him? I have no wish to wed the likes of him.”
“He is a handsome man and a fine warrior. Why not share a kiss and see if you like it?”
“And what if I did like his kiss?” Fiona asked. “What then?”