“Ilisa,” Alrek warned, voice tense. Did he fear for her safety? Did he not realise her countryman was a far safer escort than a Viking? And while Galan still lusted after her, she could convince him to stay quiet.
“We shall not be long,” she said brightly and tugged on Galan’s arm again. She needed to diffuse the situation before both men decided to turn on each other. As much as she disliked Galan, she had no wish to see him dead.
Galan relented, slipped his sword into his belt and allowed himself to be drawn away from the cottage. They followed the cliff top away from the farm. Salty air blasted her face and whipped through her hair but the day had remained clear for a change.
“What were you thinking, Ilisa, allowing a Viking into your home?”
“I was thinking it was the right thing to do,” she replied without looking at him.
“He is a savage. He could have raped and killed you.”
“He has done nothing. He is thankful for my help and will be gone before long.”
“You are too trusting.” Galan’s tone was tinged with bitterness.
“I could not leave him, Galan. It was not the Christian thing to do.”
“Christian?” he scoffed. “Most are only Christian when it suits them. What appeal does the Viking have to you?”
Ilisa paused and tried to unhook her arm from his but he held it tightly in place. “Release me. I have no time for your insults. I took him in because he had nearly drowned. As soon as a ship is nearby, he will return to his home and we shall all forget a Viking was ever in our midst.”
“Ilisa, you of all people should not be harbouring a Viking. What of your brother? And Donnie? Not to mention you are alone with that man. You are too good a woman to understand but your virtue is at risk.”
“My virtue? I am a widow. I have little of that left.” She heard him grind his teeth.
“It is wrong. You should not be alone with a man, let alone the enemy. Remember the bloodshed the Vikings have brought upon us. Who is to say he will not turn on you? Send him on his way and we shall forget this happened.”
“You cannot command me, Galan,” she said lightly, not wishing to provoke him in spite of the rising heat inside her. She would not be told what to do, particularly not by Galan.
His jaw twitched as he stared at her. His grey eyes were cold. Though Galan was handsome—too handsome to her mind for it made him vain—there had always been something innately ugly to the man, as if his soul was rotten. She shuddered when he gripped her hand tightly.
“If it is discovered you have a Viking in your home, at best the village will turn their back on you. At worst they will burn your cottage to the ground and kill your Viking. I will not be able to guarantee your safety.”
“Then perhaps it is best that it is not discovered.” She arched both brows and eyed him.
He ran a hand through his hair and huffed. “If you had just accepted my offer of marriage, none of this would have happened.”
“Well, it did happen.”
“I vow when you are my wife I will not tolerate such talk.”
She resisted the desire to roll her eyes. The man refused to be dissuaded no matter how many times she told him she held no interest in marrying him. “I will not be your wife.”
“Surely you can see it is only right? You are a beautiful woman and I am the most eligible man in the village. You hold this vast land and my father owns much. Together we could be very powerful.”
“But I do not care for power.”
“Come now, do you not feel anything for me?” He tugged her into him so she sprawled against his chest. His arms crept around her waist while she struggled to push herself back. “Many women long to be in your place.”
“Release me,” she pleaded through gritted teeth. “You are behaving most dishonourably.”
He skimmed his lips across her ear and she trembled. “Tell me I do not affect you. Tell me you do not long for me. I understand and admire your loyalty to Donnie, but you cannot live alone forever. You cannot deny me forever.”
Ilisa shoved hard and managed to break his hold. She stumbled back and his expression darkened. “I do not wish to marry you. Forgive me, but I will not change my mind on that.”
“You shall regret denying me, Ilisa.” He stepped forward to grab her but she dodged him and edged back.
“I shall regret nothing.” Another step forward, another step back. Her heart began to pound. Galan had never been angry with her before but from the deep set of his brow and the clench of his jaw, clearly fury simmered beneath those fine looks. “Return home,” she insisted.
“I came to check you were well after the storm,” he pressed through a clenched jaw, “and now you will not even give me a moment of your time. Is it the Viking? Have you taken him as your lover?”