Bride of Ice (The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch #2) - Glynnis Campbell Page 0,51
brown eyes smoldering like coals and dancing like sparks…
Aye, she’d like to search him. She’d like to tear his clothing from him and explore every inch.
But she had to ignore that urge.
Before all else, she was a warrior.
He had something of hers. And she needed it. Now. Before she fell prey to his lusty distractions.
Chapter 19
Colban figured he had Hallie at a disadvantage now. He’d slipped the notebook into the back of his trews. It was lodged against the small of his back. As long as he didn’t turn his back on her, she’d never find it.
He could see the frustration in her eyes. She knew he had the book. She did want to search him.
Of course, she’d never admit that. Nor would she do it. His proximity was having an effect on her. He saw it in the trembling of her lips. The flush of her cheek. The softening of her gaze.
At first he thought she might be afraid of him. Impressed by his size. Intimidated by his dominance.
Now he recognized the signs of desire.
He should know. He felt it as well. A yearning to draw closer. To haul her into his arms. To bury his face in her silky blonde tresses.
For one brief instant, as their gazes connected, he felt a surge of something even more irresistible than desire.
Fascination.
He wanted to know more about the Valkyrie. Wanted to thaw her icy layers and expose the unique woman beneath. Wanted to know her thoughts, her hopes, her dreams.
Then he felt the sudden prick of sharp steel against his belly.
He stiffened as his fascination curdled into disappointment.
Her glare was hard now. “Give it to me.”
He wasn’t going to surrender the precious notebook without a fight. Not now. Not when she’d had the audacity to draw a blade on him. A blade he was almost certain she didn’t have the nerve to use.
Deciding it was a wager he was willing to make, he straightened to his full height and dared her, “If ye’re so certain I have somethin’ o’ yours, why don’t ye take it from me?”
“You realize I’m holding a dagger?”
“I know ye don’t want to damage me. Ye’ve said as much. And ye won’t kill me. Isabel said ye’d ne’er killed a man.”
The subtle twitch of the dagger was the only indication that his words had rattled her.
But her gaze was steady as she replied, “Do you think I’d tell Isabel if I had?”
She had a point. One he hadn’t considered. Perhaps it was best to get her mind off of violence. Perhaps he should try to confiscate that dagger.
“She also said ye’d ne’er kissed a man.”
The second accusation seemed to rattle her far more than the first. She drew in a sharp breath and found herself at a loss for words.
“’Tis true then, isn’t it?” he pressed, lowering his gaze purposefully to her mouth.
If he could distract her with a kiss—nothing seductive, just a sweet, simple brush of his lips—maybe it would be enough to tease the dagger from her grip. Maybe he could even make her forget about the notebook.
He continued to gaze at her pink, ripe, inviting mouth and let his tongue slip out to wet his lower lip.
Every bell in Hallie’s head was ringing in alarm. The hostage was too close to her, literally and figuratively.
Thanks to her conniving sister, Colban knew two of her most closely held secrets. And that put her at a disadvantage.
Even now, she could feel the melting heat of his lusty gaze.
What he didn’t know was, while she’d never been kissed, it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. In the past few years, several lads—most on a dare from their fellows—had tried to kiss Hallie. Most of them had been discouraged by an icy glare. A few had earned scars from the attempt.
For Hallie, hostility was the swiftest natural defense against aggression.
But that was when she wanted to eliminate the aggressor. In this instance, when she needed something in return, different tactics were required. She had to keep Colban off-balance to claim with stealth what she couldn’t seize by force.
She lowered her gaze to his mouth. Her heart fluttered at the prospect of what she was about to do. But surely it was no different than the way her pulse raced when she entered the free-for-all fighting in a tournament melee. In the melee, she’d found it was best not to dally, but to go on the offense and charge in with confidence.