by Mia Pride
“You need not dress me, Maggie,” he said with a hoarse voice. “I can manage.”
His gruff voice must have made her believe he was frustrated and she frowned again. “Oh, I am sorry, Flynn. I was only trying to prevent you from pulling the stitches at your side. I did not mean to take on such intimate duties as a… wife would, or insult your pride,” she whispered, and lowered her eyes.
He could not stand to see her become submissive, not to him or anyone else. “Look at me, Maggie.” Putting a finger gently under her chin, he prompted her to look up to his height and was more than pleased when she willing did so without a flinch. “I did not mind your help. I appreciate it. You are a good woman.”
“Am I?” Her brow furrowed as she considered his words. “I seem to question everything I do when I am close to you…” Maggie’s words faded off, as if she meant for her thoughts to be private. But he had heard them. Could it be that she had feelings for him, as well? His heart pounded and his stomach clenched, but he had to keep his excitement from taking over.
“I seem to do the same,” Flynn whispered, and looked down at her upturned face. Rosy cheeks and plump pink lips called to him and he knew his eyes were hooded with lust. She would likely not even recognize the look on his face as anything other than companionship, and it was best it remained that way.
“Nonsense,” Maggie said, shaking her head. “You have not once shown any signs of questioning yourself this passed sennight.” He had questioned nearly every word he said and every emotion he felt. The woman even made him question if he was ready to give up his life as a scout and to take a wife. Not just any wife. Only Maggie would ever do. But that was a ridiculous notion and he knew it. This pull he had toward her could not be allowed to develop further.
Deciding to change the subject before he did what he wanted to do most in this world and take her lips with his own, he stepped back and turned away. “I am ready for my walk. Thank you, Maggie.”
“I am coming with you,” she said matter-of-factly. “I will not risk you injuring yourself again and being alone in the cold.” Wrapping her cloak around her neck, she pulled the large hood over her head and walked toward the door. “Are you ready?”
With a nod, he followed her through the open doorway. If she wanted to accompany him on his walk, he would not say nay to the company of a beautiful lass. They walked in silence for a few moments and he was more than pleased to do so as he absorbed the first bit of fresh air and nature he had witnessed in over a sennight. The air was crisp and heavy, the smell of new rain lingering in the breeze. It would begin to snow soon and that would surely complicate matters if Brennain did not return before then. He could use Arawn to transport Maggie back to Ráth Mór, but he had promised Brennain that they would stay and await his report. If Brennain needed help and Flynn had left to return Maggie, it could mean life or death for his brother. He could not do that, and yet, it meant Maggie was stuck with him indefinitely.
Spotting a plant he now recognized, thanks to Maggie’s nightly discussions about her findings, Flynn gently nudged Maggie and pointed to the wet earth floor. “Look, Mags. ‘Tis burdock, is it not? You like their roots, aye?”
Her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands with excitement. “Aye! That it is! You have been paying attention to my ramblings, I see,” she said with a wide grin. The wind blew her hood off and beautiful blonde waves flew around her face. He could not help it, he had to touch her. Stepping closer to her, he placed his hand on the side of her face and swept the hair back so he could better see her bonny features. He was pleased to see that she did not seem frightened of his touch. Her hair was like the softest silk and he longed to run his fingers through it every night. Her small nose was nipped pink from the wind and her lips parted slightly when he placed her hood back onto her head. Did she wish to kiss him? If it was any other lass, he would believe so, but Maggie was afraid of intimacy and he could not risk it. It was not a matter of bruised pride or fear of rejection. If he moved to kiss her, he may frighten her and ruin all his work to make her trust him.
“I listen to everything you say, Maggie.” Stepping away from her, he slowly knelt beside the burdock and began digging in the soft soil to expose the roots, stifling a groan as pain shot through his side. She stayed quietly behind him as he eventually pulled the roots out of the earth. His wound hurt from the pulling motion, but it had not been enough to cause any damage.
“Do be careful, Flynn,” she said, just as he stood up, his hands muddied and holding the roots. “My thanks.”
One large raindrop fell from the cloud-covered sky and landed on Maggie’s cheek. “I think we must head back home before the storm comes.” Flynn stepped forward and wiped the raindrop away with his thumb, leaving a dirt smudge from the soil he had just been digging in. Had he imagined it, or did Maggie cradle her face into the curve of his palm when he touched her? Again, he would believe it so if not for the knowledge of her fears.
She nodded at his request to go back and they continued side by side in silence. There was a tension between them that he could feel so keenly, it thrummed through his body like an energy begging to be released. He ached to know her deepest thoughts. She was a mystery to him but every day he understood a little more about her. And, every day he found himself more and more desperate to penetrate her walls, to make her smile and trust him with her life.
The rain began to fall in earnest just as they approached the hut. Maggie squealed as a flash of lightning lit up the sky and she jumped, bumping into Flynn, and causing him to tumble through the open doorway of the hut. Maggie came tumbling down after, landing on top of him with a grunt. His side seared with the pain, but he bit back the urge to shout. He did not want her to feel guilty for harming him, nor did he want to scare her off. He had noticed that she seemed to go into some hidden place in her mind whenever a man raised his voice.
“Oh, Flynn!” she wailed, scrambling to sit up. Her legs were straddling his as she fumbled to pull at his tunic. Was she undressing him? He dropped the muddy burdock root and watched in wonder as her warm hands found their way under his tunic. He licked his lips, pain forgotten as he felt himself grow hard. Her skirts were shoved up past her knees and he could see her slim calves pressed against his large thighs. Silently, he watched as her eyes grew wide with understanding before wandering downward, where his hardness pressed against his trousers painfully.
Pushing to her feet, she heaved and blushed profusely, adjusting her skirt around her legs. “I am so sorry. I only meant to check your wound. Did I hurt you? Are you all right? I did not mean to… to…”
“I am fine, Maggie, though I will need some help up, I am afraid.”
“Oh. Right, aye.” Shoving her hair behind her ear, she leaned over to brace herself, putting both hands out for him to grab. With a groan, he grabbed her hands and pulled himself up as much as he could without dragging the wee lass back down onto him again. She teetered precariously as she strained back to balance her weight, but together they finally got him to his feet.
To his surprise, she did not flinch, cringe, or back away when he towered over her. “Let us get you into bed, Flynn. ‘Tis enough exercise for one day. I fear we have only set your healing back.”
“Nonsense, I am well,” he lied. His insides felt as if they were on fire, but he would not admit it. He would grit his teeth against the pain if it meant he had more mobility and opportunities to truly interact with Maggie. He allowed her to guide him to the bed, but his mind reeled for more ways to spend time with her. She was quickly becoming a person he was not certain he could live without, and that thought jolted him. He had to remind himself that he had a job to do that would keep him away for longer periods of time and all he could do was help her gain confidence during this small amount of time they had together.
“I would like to start teaching you self-defense on the morrow,” he said, just as he positioned himself into a sitting position in the bed.
Her eyes widened and she chewed on
her lower lip. “I am not certain. You are still weak. My priority is to help you. ‘Tis why I am here. I cannot allow you to harm yourself to help me.”
“I want to do this. I need to do this. Do you trust me?” His eyes searched her face for any sign of fear, and he was pleased to see no outward indication. It had been a very long sennight being locked up in a hut with a woman as enticing as Maggie, but he had made certain to remain calm and gentle, and to keep his hands to himself even though he ached to feel her against him. When she stumbled through the door and landed on top of him in such a way that she straddled him, he could not control his body’s reaction to her nearness. She was all soft curves, warm, smooth skin, and a body built for pleasure, yet with the mind of a frightened, innocent woman. It was a most challenging combination.
“Aye, I do trust you, Flynn. I am surprised to say so because I did not think it possible, but I do trust you.”
His heart beat against his ribs and he released a deep breath. Her words washed over him, giving him a sense of pride that a lass who had lived through so much could find her way to trust him.
“I know you have been through much in your life, Maggie. And I know Àdhamh has always protected you, but ‘tis time you learned to protect yourself. I wish to give that gift to you while I can. Do not worry about my wound. I can help you without exerting myself overmuch.”
“All right. If you are well enough on the morrow, we shall begin. I suppose it will be a pleasant way to pass time,” she smiled sweetly and walked away, leaving him with a perfect view of her swaying backside.
He bit his knuckles to stifle a groan. He could think of much more pleasant ways to pass time, but those thoughts would be left unsaid.
Chapter Eight
Gooseflesh ran up Maggie’s arms when Flynn reached around her to adjust her stance. Fortunately, the long sleeves of her dress covered her skin from his view or else he would see the physical evidence of her growing interest in him. Despite her best efforts, Maggie was finding it impossible to ignore the thoughts running through her mind or the sensations coursing through her body. She was a lass of twenty summers, after all. She had not been so much as kissed by a lad due to her aversion to men. But what she felt for Flynn was anything but an aversion.
Once her trust in him began to take root, it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Aye, she had trusted Brennain, as well. The two Mac Greine brothers were very similar in both appearance and temperament, and she trusted both, which she found odd. But something about Flynn had always drawn her. She used to wish fervently to be in his presence, but once she was, she would freeze up and act like a frightened mouse. However, the past several days had taught her to speak freely around him and they shared meals, laughter, and stories of their past. He had had a very interesting life as the son of a Sister of Danu.
The Sisters of Danu were renown across the lands of both Alba and Ériu. Not only were they said to be reborn goddesses of the ancient people and have control over the elements, but they had helped King Tuathal defeat his enemy and take the throne.
Aye, Flynn’s mother had special skills to control nature and his father was once a king. It was intimidating for Maggie whose father had been an abusive, hateful man, and her mother had defended his actions while also being his victim. They came from two entirely different places in life and yet, she could talk to him easily without fear of judgement. He wanted to help her be a stronger woman, like his cousin Aislin, so she could defend herself. No man had ever taken the time to help her and she felt her heart fluttering wildly in her chest as his hand held onto her wrist, guiding her movements.
The storm from the night before had let up for a few hours, and Flynn decided it was ideal to train outside before the snow began to fall, as he suspected it would very soon.
“There you go, lass. Just like that.” His warm breath grazed her neck and a tingle of pleasure ran down her spine. By the gods, she could not concentrate when one of his hands rested on her hip and his thighs pressed against hers from behind. He was only trying to teach her proper form for knife throwing, she knew, but new and exciting energy flowed through his body and into hers.
She knew he found her bonny. She had seen his desire pressing against his trousers on more than one occasion and it did not frighten her as she suspected it would. He had never tried to push himself on her and as grateful as she was, she wished he would at least attempt a kiss. Mayhap he had no further interest in her. He was the most handsome man in their entire tuath and certainly had several bonny lassies to keep him warm at night. Why would he bother with an inexperienced, timid lass like her?
“Like this?” she whispered, flicking her wrist while she still held tightly to the dagger.
“Aye, just so,” he replied, stepping back and releasing her from his grip. Her body went cold from the loss of contact and disappointment consumed her. How could she want his touch so much, and what did that even mean? She was frightened of the violent act of love. Her father used to make her mama scream in pain. So what was it that Maggie’s body was crying out for? And why did she only hope to achieve it with this one man, and no other?
“You are ready, Maggie. Flick your wrist and aim for that tree trunk,” he pointed straight ahead to a towering oak just a few yards away. Most of its leaves rested around the base of its trunk in limp, soggy layers of reds, yellows, and browns. Indeed, winter was well on its way.
With a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes at her target, flicked her wrist and watched in wonder as Flynn’s dagger spiraled in the air… and landed with a thwack on the hardened forest floor. Not only had she missed the tree, she did not even stick it into the ground.
Her lip protruded with disappointment and she put her hands on her hips with a huff. She was rotten at this. Flynn would think her pathetic.
Flynn chuckled and bumped her gently with his hip, almost making her lose her balance. “’Tis all right, lass. Nay need to pout. It will come to you.” His thumb and forefinger came up quickly to yank playfully on her bottom lip, causing her eyes to go wide and she sucked it in. He laughed at her reaction and carefully bent over to grab his dagger.
“I am nay good at this,” she sighed.
“Not true. That was your first attempt. Here, let’s try this…” Flynn grabbed her hips with both his hands, and she was mesmerized by how easily his large fingers nearly wrapped around the entirety of her waist. He was truly large, and yet no fear whatsoever took hold of her. She smiled at that realization and he cocked his head in question, clearly wondering how she went from a frown to a smile so quickly. However, he did not ask and she did not say.
“Shift your left foot forward… like so,” he used his own foot to push hers outward. “Good. Now twist yer hips this way,” his hands maneuvered her body as if she was a cloth doll and she found she enjoyed it entirely. “Put this shoulder back… aye, like that!” Placing the dagger back into her right hand, he wrapped her fingers around the handle of the blade and aimed her arm for her. “That’s it. Try again.”
He stepped back once more and she did as he commanded, narrowing her eyes and sticking her tongue out to the side in concentration. After a few practice flicks of the wrist, she let it go and watched in slow motion as the blade flew. This time, it hit its mark, the sharp blade wedging itself into the bark of the oak tree.
“I did it!” She jumped into the air and clapped her hands, squealing with excitement. When she turned around to smile up at Flynn, Maggie almost gaped at the look on his face. A crooked, proud grin spread across his beautiful face, his dark beard now framing his jaw after several days without shaving. He looked feral and masculine, but his eyes twinkled with delight. He was a walking contradiction to all things she ever thought about men.
Their gazes locked for a brief moment and she felt the air between them shift. Something had changed about their relationship, though she could not say what, nor was she going to ask. Her body tingled with awareness as he stepped toward her slowly, his large arms crossed o
ver his chest, biceps bulging beneath the fabric. “You are truly something, do you know that, my wee Maggie?”
Her eyes widened and she felt all the blood rushing to her cheeks. Had he just called her his Maggie? It should have frightened or upset her, but only anticipation flooded her veins. How she longed for him to lean down and give her a kiss. He stepped closer and her breath hitched in her chest but no words would escape her lips.
Flynn walked past her and yanked the dagger out of the oak’s large trunk. Disappointment made her frown. “Why are you frowning, lass? ‘Twas amazing what you just did. You are a quick learner. I will have you fighting as well as Aislin by the time my brother returns from his mission.”
“Do you ever wonder if he made it safely?” she asked. He barely spoke of the mission his brother was on or made mention of his concerns.
“Of course, I do. But I cannot do much for now and I have to believe he is just as capable as I am. Brennain is an incredibly well-trained warrior, hunter and tracker. If any man could do this, it’s him.”
She nodded and sighed, her shoulders going limp as she thought about their time together coming to an end. She had so many things she wished to say to him, but she knew it was best to keep her secrets. If she put her heart on the line for the first man she ever truly cared for, and he did not return her feelings, she would leave this hut more damaged than before.
“You look sad,” he whispered, and he came forward to tuck her loose blonde waves behind her ears. Her cloak whipped in a sudden gust of wind and he silently regarded her for a moment before speaking. “You care for my brother, don’t you, Maggie?”
Her brow creased as she looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You trusted him before you trusted me. You mention him frequently and he seemed to be very protective of you when he delivered you here. Are you awaiting his return so you two can… be together?”
