Master of Chains - Jess Lebow [84]
"You're feeling guilty," she said, not a question, just a matter-of-fact statement.
Ryder swallowed. "Yes."
"That's understandable." She paused. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For your honesty," she said. Then she leaned down and kissed him. "And for not turning me down."
Ryder blushed. He'd never been in this situation before, but he felt tremendous relief. Much of his guilt was simply concern over what this attractive woman would think of him when she found out the truth.
"Listen, this life is very short," she said. "I learned a long time ago that every moment I waste regretting something I did or didn't do is another moment I don't spend actually living my life."
"Spoken like a true farmer," said Ryder.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Giselle frowned.
"Just that before you can truly move forward, you have to be willing to live with the consequences."
Giselle looked puzzled. "And what does that mean?"
"It's something an old farmer in Furrowsrich used to say. To him it was a bit of wisdom about how and where to plow a piece of land into a new field. I've always thought it had a larger meaning."
"All right, philosopher. How?"
Ryder lifted himself up onto his elbows. "Living your life is a scary proposition. The more you gain, the more you have to lose. The more you have to lose, the harder it becomes to live with the consequences. But that shouldn't stop you from living the life you think you should live." He looked into Giselle's beautiful brown eyes. Then he touched her face. "You and I aren't that different."
Giselle leaned into his touch. "No?"
Ryder shook his head. "No."
There was a long silence with both of them just gazing at each other.
After a long while, Giselle broke the silence. "So, this wife of yours must be the reason you've been so eager to leave Fairhaven."
A sudden chill ran down Ryder's spine. "You're not going to have me locked up again, are you?" He didn't struggle or try to get away. Whatever she wanted to do to him, he was going to let it happen.
Giselle laughed. "Oh," she said, "what a good idea. I could keep you here as my personal love slave." She smiled then lay down on him, pressing her breasts against his chest. "Then you couldn't feel guilty. It wouldn't be your choice."
"Would I have to live in that dirty, rusted cage? I don't think I would like that very much."
Giselle shook her head. "No. You could stay up here. Of course, I'd have to make you work for your keep."
"I have one question." He sat up and, in one fluid motion, turned to his side, lifting Giselle off the ground and into the air as he got to his feet. Holding her in his arms, he stepped forward until her back was pressed against the stone wall. "Would this work-" He interrupted himself by kissing Giselle- "require any heavy lifting?"
Giselle's face was flushed. Ryder could feel her heart pounding through her chest as he pressed his skin against hers. "I think it might," she said.
Ryder nodded, kissing her neck. "Just checking."
* * * * *
Inside the closed, private room, Samira helped Liam unbuckle his armor, placing it piece by piece back on the rack in the corner. Underneath, his long woven shirt was stained in places with blotches of blood and sweat.
"Oh, Liam," said Samira, taking off his ruined undershirt to reveal several recently scabbed wounds and a pair of massive bruises on his shoulder and chest. She cringed as she ran the tips of her fingers over the blackened skin. "Do they hurt?"
All Liam could feel was the soft caress of her fingers. He shook his head. "No."
Going to the chest of drawers, Samira retrieved a wet cloth from the washbasin. "Lie down on the bed," she said.
Liam did as he was told. As he lay down on the soft linen, he realized how exhausted he was.
Samira stood with her back to him now, dipping the cloth in the washbasin. The back of her gown came down low, exposing everything from her shoulder blades to the small of her back.
She wrung out the cloth and came back, smiling