“You will not dally. You will get what you need, and we will be on our way,” he ordered.
“As you say, husband,” she said with a nod and a smile, and out the door she went.
Rannick grumbled to himself, little good that it did, annoyed that his wife had almost forced a smile from him when he had turned to see her simply standing there. He had been struck with a moment of joy and it had almost forced a smile, but he had stopped it as he did just now when he wanted to return her smile that seemed filled with happiness. How could she find any joy with him at all? She was a fool, but she was his fool, and he foolishly found the thought pleasing.
He grumbled some more as he shut the door. This was not good. He could not let himself care. In the end, she would suffer for it and his heart would suffer for it far worse than it ever had, for try as he might, he could not stop Bliss from touching his heart and he was powerless at stopping the curse from claiming her.
Rannick actually enjoyed watching the pleasure Bliss got from digging in the soil and the way she handled each rooted plant with such gentle care. He had not found such contentment as he did this day with his wife and all he had done was lean against the tree and watch her. It was a simple pleasure and simple pleasures had long been denied to him.
She stood from where she had squatted down to dig at a plant and wiped her hands free of the dirt on one of the cloths she had brought along. She stretched out her back and winced when a stitch caught her in the side.
Rannick pushed himself away from the tree and went to her. “You have done enough for today.” He reached for her basket and her hand on his arm stilled him.
“I have one more root to harvest and then I am done.” Seeing a slight scowl wrinkle his brow, she said, “Just one more if you do not mind.”
“Show me which plant and I will see it done while you go rest against that boulder over there,” he said with a nod to a large stone while keeping his scowl at bay.
He was not annoyed at her. He was annoyed with himself for letting the simple touch of her hand on his arm spark such an urgent desire in him. He wished he had told Lawler to return sooner than a week.
“Rannick,” she said softly, her finger pointing to the plant she wanted dug up.
He shook his head, annoyed his mind had wandered where it should not have gone.
“Go rest while I see to this,” he said more abruptly than he intended.
“You must tend the root as gently as you tended me,” she advised and without thought she quickly stretched up to kiss his cheek.
It was too much for him to ignore, instinct had his arm shooting out to hook her around the waist and yank her against him. His lips came down on hers and he kissed her with a need that he feared would never be satisfied.
Bliss was so shocked that for a moment she froze, then she freed her own desire and returned his kiss.
His other hand went to the back of her head to hold it tight, fearful she would slip away from him or somehow disappear. He could not let her go, he needed her in so many different ways and the eagerness in which she returned his kiss told him she felt the same.
It was almost as if with each kiss she restored a part of him, a good part, and he hungered to have not only that goodness in him restored, but to once again feel whole. His hand roamed down over her backside, and he pressed her hard against him. He wanted badly to do more than just kiss her, so much more.
He lingered in the kiss until it grew too dangerous to continue, then he wisely ended it and eased her away from him.
“Go rest,” he ordered, releasing her only to grab hold of her arm again when she swayed ready to fall.
Her befuddled look told him much. This was all new to her. She was feeling things she had never felt, and she did not know what to make of it. She would learn soon enough.
She stepped back and he let her go, his hand falling off her, though the confused look on her face made him want to take her in his arms once again. Wisely, he kept his hands at his sides and when she reached the boulder, he quickly turned his back to her and his attention to the plant, dropping down to start digging.