his way.
“Let me do that,” Arran said, coming up beside her and reached for the spear.
She snatched it out of his reach. “I can do it myself.”
“But you don’t have to. I’ll catch the fish for us.”
He grabbed the pole from her so fast, it took her a moment to realize it was gone. She was sorry she had invited him along. She enjoyed spearing the fish and had gotten quite adept at it.
She sat near and watched him remove the hide coverings on his legs and his boots and was about to warn him that the water was cold, but held her tongue. He’d find out soon enough. Besides, she was too focused on the strength of his long legs.
He didn’t even flinch when he stepped in. He found a spot and stilled, waiting.
She fished more from the water’s edge, though there were times she ventured into the water. She enjoyed the quiet and keeping a steady hand, waiting for the fish to come by.
Purity jumped when he jabbed the spear into the water with speed and agility and captured a fish. He dropped it on the ground and turned to spear another. She smiled watching King drag the fish off.
“He stole the fish,” Arran said, watching the cat make off with it.
“I forgot to warn you that the first catch always goes to King,” she said.
Arran snarled. “That was a good-sized fish.”
“And King will enjoy it,” Purity said with a lilt of laughter in her voice.
“And does Princess get the next fish?” he asked, annoyed.
“No, Princess doesn’t like fish. She hunts her own food, though she does share with King at times.”
“Not by choice I would guess,” Arran said, shaking his head.
“Neither would let the other go hungry. They are family.”
“They are animals,” he reminded.
“Who are family,” she insisted.
He shook his head again and speared another fish and another soon after.
“You are proficient with spear fishing,” she said, holding the spear, the two fish on it, as he covered his legs and slipped on his boots.
“One learns to perfect the craft to avoid hunger,” he said and took the spear from her.
“You went hungry?” she asked, following alongside him while Princess meandered ahead of them.
“At times.”
His short reply warned that he would say no more and so she held her tongue.
They ate with barely a word said between them and as night rolled around he reminded, “We leave tomorrow, be ready.”
The crack of thunder late in the night sounded as if it split the cottage in two and had Purity vaulting out of bed. Princess raised her head from where she slept near the fire, then plopped it down again, her eyes closing. King looked at her from where he lay curled at the foot of the bed, annoyed at being disturbed.
They were safe, but what of Arran?
She hurried to the door and opened it. Rain lashed at her and she tried to peer past it. “Arran,” she shouted and he appeared so suddenly it frightened her, but she was quick to grab his arm and urge him inside.
“Step away from me,” he ordered. “You’ll get wet.”
She shivered from the chill his wet garments cast off. “You need to get out of those soaked garments.” She went to the bed and grabbed the blanket, receiving an angry screech from King for disturbing him again. “You can wrap yourself in this blanket.”
“No, you need it. The wet night holds a chill.”
“I’ll wrap myself in my cloak.”
“No, you’ll keep the blanket. The fire will keep me warm enough.” And he began to remove his garments.
Purity hurried to the bed and told herself to turn away, not look at him, but something wouldn’t let her. Was it curiosity? She had seen a good portion of his private parts in the barn all those years ago when he and a willing woman had enjoyed an agreeable poke. Somehow it felt different now, more intimate. And never had she ever believed she’d be intimate with Arran.
He removed his garments piece by piece, setting them near the fire to dry until he stood naked. His body stole her breath. Lean and hard with muscles that were not to be ignored. He had a firm backside and when he turned, she caught the gasp before it could escape. His manhood stood proudly enlarged, jutting out from the thatch of dark hair it nested in. She remembered he had a large manhood, women always having made note of it. But she had only gotten a brief