“I’ll not make any demands of you, Rionna. I would do nothing to frighten you. But I’ve missed the feel of you next to me and your warmth and scent on my skin. I would have that tonight if it causes you no upset.”

She put her hand on his chest and stared up at him, her heart going soft at the tenderness in his voice. “You do not frighten me, Caelen. ’Tis the truth I feel safest when I’m near to you.”

He laid his hand over hers and then pulled it to his mouth. He kissed the inside of her palm and left it against his lips for a moment before lowering it once more.

“Come to bed. ’Tis cold tonight and the wind howls through the furs at the window.”

Rionna climbed underneath the furs and watched as Caelen disrobed in the glow of the fire. When he turned to the bed, she pulled back the furs, an invitation.

As soon as he got into bed, she snuggled close, sighing as his warmth enveloped her.

Caelen chuckled against her hair. “You sound near to purring, wife.”

“Mmm. You feel good, husband.”

He laid the flat of his palm over her back and stroked up and down, his even breathing sounding close to her ear.

“I’ve been thinking on things,” he said.

She frowned against his neck. A conversation never ended well that started with such words. She pulled away and his hand stilled on the small of her back.

“What matters have you been thinking on?”

“Tell me why you dress as you do and why you’ve put so much practice in with a sword.”

Her eyes widened. Of all the subjects she thought he might broach, this wasn’t one of them.

“ ’Tis plain to see you’ve devoted a lot of time to the practice of warfare. You have to admit ’tis an odd undertaking for a lass. Your father wasn’t approving. I saw his reaction when you bested the McCabe warrior when you were visiting McCabe keep.”

When she remained quiet, he stroked over her back again, his touch light and soothing.

“And now, when you were attacked and sorely beaten, a traumatic event for anyone, much less a lass as slight as you are, I thought it had made you afraid, but you were angry because you’d been stripped of the ability to defend yourself.”

“Aye,” she whispered. “It made me feel helpless. I hated it.”

“What has made you so fierce in your determination to protect yourself, Rionna? ’Tis not something a lass usually thinks upon. ’Tis up to her kin, her father, brother, or husband to watch over her and protect her from harm, and yet you ask no one to do these things for you.”

She closed her eyes as shame crowded in. Caelen knew of her father’s disgraceful actions, but saying her fears aloud only made it worse.

“Rionna?”