Page 56 of The Scot

Her words were cut off as Terric pulled her into the room, continuing what her father’s arrival had interrupted the day before. When he kissed her, Roysa forgot everything. The growing resentment at the way he left her out of the discussions Lance so readily shared with Idalia. Doubt at how quickly they’d allowed this to progress.

Nothing mattered except the feel of his lips slanting across hers, Terric’s hands everywhere at once. Roysa kissed back, not caring about anything beyond this moment.

“God, I could do that all day,” he said, breaking away. “’Twas not my intent to accost you like that.”

When he licked his lips, still gleaming from their kiss, all of the things she’d wanted to say to him these past few days fell away.

Am I really as weak as that?

Roysa pulled away. She couldn’t think in his arms.

“We’ve not spoken since yesterday morn.” Turning, she walked toward the table, knowing it had been the center of the council’s discussions. Picking up the corner of a large map, she looked back at him. “I know only what Idalia tells me.”

Terric joined her.

“What would you have me tell you?”

“Everything, since you ask.”

Terric exhaled. “Everything?” He pointed to the map. “Neither my mother nor sister care to hear talk about battle. My mother, especially, forbids talk of it at meals.”

Roysa did not wish to insult his family. “Father and I spoke often of such things,” she said, lifting a silver coin from atop the map. “What is this?”

“A marker, for my mission.”

There was something in his voice.

“The one Idalia had to tell me about?” And because she could no longer hold it inside, she asked, “And what did you tell my father?”

Terric’s smile made him appear almost boyish.

“Which question would you like me to answer first?”

She thought of another.

“And why have you not come to me these past few days?”

“Any others?”

“Aye, but you may start with those, my lord.”

“My lord. I thought we’d agreed my given name would suffice. Or do you address all those you’ve kissed so formally?”

“I’ve kissed few men,” she admitted. “But I’d expect you cannot say the same? That you’ve kissed few women.”

“Is that another question?”

“Nay.”

She ignored the grunt Terric made, concentrating instead on the remaining questions.

“Well, my lord?”

“Shall we begin with the last? I’ve not come to see you because I’ve been here in this chamber. Planning, as you know, for the upcoming battle.”

“At night . . .”

A little smirk crept across his face. “Aye, I’ve thought of visiting you at night. Of waking you, climbing into your bed and courting you with my body, as unseemly as that might appear to your sister.”