Highland Strength (Book 3)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The sharp pain in his neck is what woke him. The angle of it sent shooting pain throughout the area, and made turning over and sleeping once more impossible. The rough stone had not been the most comfortable of sleeping places, but he was sure he had slept in worse in his life time…though he was not entirely sure he could come up with any instances at that very moment. With a long suffering groan he gave up on any more slumber, and pulled himself up into a sitting position. His hand automatically going to his cramped shoulder and neck. Twisting and turning his head, he tried his hardest not to wince too dramatically at the pain, though he was sure he failed miserably.

The small, almost silent chuckle from beside him told him that much at least. Turning to find Sheena was looking up at him from her back. An arm casually thrown behind her head to prop it up slightly and her plaid loosely wrapping her body, causing a tightening in his. Even though he knew she was fully clothed beneath that plaid. Moving too quickly towards her he winced once more, and was rewarded with another chuckle from her. “I am glad to cause you such entertainment this morn.” He was irritable, and knew it, but could not stop the retort even if he had wanted too.

“Oh, you do amuse me so, even if you did wake me at such an ungodly hour this very morn.” Her raised eyebrow expressed her point further, and he painfully turned his head towards the cave mouth, where the first stirrings of dawn were appearing above the treetops. The ground covered in a strong, white, swirling mist that made him think he had slipped in to the land of the Fae while he had slept. Looking down at the tiny blonde beside him, he had to wonder if he had slept beside their princess all night. The fanciful thought had a wry smile appearing upon his face. Her brow furrowing as she tried to work out what had made his mood change so quickly, he suspected that she would never even think it was her.

“Must I apologise once more in your presence? It seems to be all I do around you, and yet I have been known to only do so, and mean it of course, once or twice in my life.” Her lips twisted in the beginnings of a smile, before she caught herself. “Of course, you would be conceited enough to only believe you have done something wrong when it is pointed out to you. And only very, very rarely.” Her body seemed to undulate as she placed her clasped hands over her head and stretched out her whole body. A body he had had plastered against his only the night before, as he had taken her lips in a heated possessive move that had left them both panting for breath as he had forced himself to release her, or do something she would hate him for this morn.

Yet, while he ached all over from the sleeping provision found in their current abode, she looked as fresh as if she had slept on a pile of furs, in a golden meadow…he shook his head, only for the lancing pain to affect him once more as he gritted his teeth. Since when had he become so flowery in his thoughts? He could be with his words of course, if he wished to find something, or use something more the like. But never to himself, and never about a woman. Yet, Sheena was something else entirely. She seemed to shine from an inner light, an ineffable quality that drew him in, and attracted him as if a moth to a flame. Only if he came to close, he would not get burnt, possibly slapped…hard, but not burnt.