Chapter 54
The princess was standing so close to Eli, and the scent of her, lavender and honey, mixed with a tinge of her own unique perspiration, made him want to move closer to her still. He watched quietly as she worked, trying to keep his thoughts as wholesome as possible but failing miserably.
“The light is poor over here,” she said, bringing him back to reality. “Maybe if I….” She moved so that she was standing between his legs, leaning over the table, her neck hovering just in front of his face, and it took every bit of will power he had within him not to reach over and gently place his lips on that warm alabaster skin. “That’s better.”
His breath must’ve been tickling her because she giggled, looked over at him out of the corner of her eye, and then stretched her neck away. “Pardon me, princess” he said, hearing the huskiness in his own voice. “It’s only… you smell lovely.”
“You smell like blood and sweat,” she said, glancing at him again. She studied his hand for a few seconds before she added, “And leather, and that calming scent that lets me know when you are always nearby.”
He took that as a compliment. He’d known for years that she could detect him that way, through a deep breath, and he’d hoped that his presence had served to calm her in times when she otherwise would’ve been beside herself. A few instances came to mind, one in particular, but not an incident he cared to dwell on, especially when she was standing so near to him now, her abdomen pressed against his knee. If she had any idea the effect she had on him, she didn’t show it. He felt his manhood hardening beneath his trousers and thought he needed to put some distance between them if he was to save his sanity.
“You know he would’ve never done this for you,” Kit murmured, her stitches now running almost halfway up his palm. They were small, like the ones she used for her embroidery, but he’d rather have clean, careful stitches than large ghastly ones.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Jecob. He would’ve never cut his own hand open so that it appeared as if you were bleeding in order to attempt to save your life. He would’ve laughed hysterically as Jowl took his best swings.”
So she’d figured them out. He wasn’t too surprised. After all, Kit was the cleverest person he knew. Eli thought back to the insult Jecob had hurled at him during the slingball match, one about his mother, and shook the thought away. Kit was right, of course. Jecob wouldn’t have done this for him or anyone.
“I didn’t do it for Jecob,” he said quietly, and once again she turned to face him. “I did it for you.”
She stared at him for a moment before she closed her blue eyes, not moving, and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she said nothing, only slowly turned her head so that she could see what she was working on, and he imagined there were things she could not say.
Kit paused in her sewing to wipe away more blood and then picked up the needle again. A glance across the room told him no one was paying them any mind, and unable to help himself any longer, he reached up and tucked a loose curl behind her ear, letting his fingertips trace down her neck, just brushing against her soft skin. She acted as if she hadn’t even noticed, though he could see a blush rising up her cheeks.
“Are you leaving soon?” she asked as he settled his hand on his knee.
“Yes, as soon as I can. Everything is set to go.”
“Aeros is ready to leave again? Won’t he miss that filly in the barn, the one he’s so fond of?”
He chuckled, thinking he had a lot in common with his horse. “I am sure he will, but we will be back in a few days.”
Kit turned to look at him momentarily before swiveling to put in another stitch. She was nearly finished. “Do you think she’ll let you stay?”
“I do.”
“Why would she?” Kit asked, placing what was likely the next to last stitch. “She seems to prefer it when you’re gone.”
“Clearly, she is also fond of torture.”
That had her attention, and he thought perhaps he’d said too much. She turned to face him, though, setting the bone needle down on the table. He glanced over her shoulder. No one was watching. “Eli…” she bit her bottom lip.
“You don’t have to say anything, Princess.”
“I feel like I do.”
“No, you don’t.” He wanted to touch her, to pull her even closer, to inhale her, but she wasn’t his and never would be, couldn’t be.
“You risked your life today to save someone who wouldn’t do the same for you—because of me.”
“I would do anything for you, Kit. Anything.”
She swallowed hard. “Would you?”
“So long as it didn’t put you in danger as well, yes.”
“Would you run away with me, right now? Leave this place and never look back?”
There was a lilt to her voice that made it difficult to distinguish whether or not she was teasing or hopeful. “I said anything that wouldn’t endanger you, Princess. That would be a foolhardy scheme that could cost us both our heads.”
“But if it wouldn’t? If you knew we couldn’t get caught, would you go?”
Of course he would, there was nothing more he’d rather do than take her away from her dreadful mother, from this ridiculous method of finding a husband. But there was no reason to wish for something he could not have. “I believe you have another stitch, my Lady.”
She held his eyes longer than necessary and then turned back to his hand to make the final stitch. With the precision of an artisan, she made a knot and cut the thread. “I’ll need to fetch some salve.”
