Free Night Thunder's Bride: Blackfoot Warriors, Book 3 by Karen Kay Page B

unnecessarily, “This is where we will sleep.”
    Rebecca nodded.
    “You will sleep in your dress, then?”
    Another nod.
    “It will be mussed.”
    “I know, but…”
    “ Annisa ,”he said, “all right,” and gestured toward the robe. “You will lie down first.”
    “No, I…I think I would rather lie down after you.”
    He shrugged and began to undress, a gleam in his eye. With great preamble and a slow smile, he took the bow off his shoulder, setting it down beside the robe. Then, looking over to her and ensuring her gaze was carefully glued to his, he released his quiver of arrows; they, too, fell to the ground.
    With precise care, he removed his sheath and knife next and bent down, placing the items carefully beside his robe; it was the only time he looked away from her.
    She stuttered, “Wh-why do you set your weapons beside you, thusly?”
    He looked over at her, a half smile curving his lips. He said, “In case an enemy attacks during the night, I will need to grab my weapons quickly. I place them as I do every night so that I might take possession of them rapidly if I have the need.”
    “Even when you are in your own camp you do this?”
    He nodded. “ Aa, even then.”
    He straightened up, and with a teasing glimpse at her, removed his moccasins, firstone, then the other. His hands came to his waist then, and with a ridiculous smile upon his face, his fingers began to fiddle with a string of rawhide at his belt.
    She should be the one to look away; she knew it. Yet she couldn’t.
    He gave her a cocky grin before releasing first one tie on the belt, then the other. Rebecca gasped, yet she didn’t glance elsewhere.
    With a soft thump, his leggings fell to the ground. Bending, he set the articles of clothing neatly to the side.
    She swallowed nervously.
    He straightened up and looked at her as a cat might observe a piece of string. She became more than aware that the only thing remaining on him at the moment was his breechcloth and that belt upon which it rested.
    His hand went to the belt.
    She held her breath. All she seemed capable of doing was watching, waiting.
    He grinned at her and gestured toward the buffalo robe. He said, “Take your position first, I will follow.”
    “M-must we?”
    “It is expected. We are being watched.” It was only then that she remembered the others in their party. Glancing around, she saw that though every single warrior who was sitting nearby was silently attending to some matter close to hand, none appeared to be watching them unduly. But Rebecca knew their politeness was only superficial.
    She muttered, “Surely you don’t think that I would undress in front of them…in front of you.”
    “I do not ask you to do any of that.”
    “Good,” she said. “See that you never do.”
    He grinned broadly, and she thought it odd that he seemed in such good spirits. He said, “There will come a day when I will rejoice to hear you take back those words and beg me to undress you.”
    She gasped. “How dare you! I thought that you were…that I was…that…we are not truly married and you should not feel you can take liberties and say such things to me—”
    He held up a hand, the simple action silencing her. “Is it always your way that you talk too much?”
    “I—”
    “But,” he said, again silencing her, “you also speak truth. If you would like, I will scold myself for teasing you.”
    “Oh,” she said, “is that all you are doing now? Teasing me?”
    He grinned. “ Aa, yes, so it is, young Rebecca. I only tease you. Now, hurry and get beneath the robes fully clothed if you must. I will follow you.”
    “But are you not going to remove your…” Her words fell away as she realized what she had been about to say.
    He frowned. “I am disappointing you?”
    “No.”
    He chuckled. “Too bad,” he said. “I was beginning to enjoy the idea of having your eyes upon me here.” He pointed to that private area of his body and at the same time removed