Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife. Michelle Styles

your hand deliberately.’

      ‘No, that was your fault. You should not have chased me around the bed and I wouldn’t have fallen.’

      ‘You were the one to issue the challenge.’ Vikar pushed away the memory of them falling into bed together, her lips giving way under his, her arms pulling him down. ‘The fact remains you were incapable of playing to a crowd.’

      ‘I never ever said I could. Asa twisted my words. She made me.’

      ‘You don’t like to take the blame for anything.’

      ‘Only for those things I actually do.’ Sela stamped away, her backside slightly swaying as the trousers tightened across them. His body reacted instantly to the sight. Vikar frowned. Why should his former wife have this effect on him?

      ‘It can be a bit tricky at this stage, but I have rediscovered the proper way.’ She glanced backwards over her shoulder and gave a bright smile, transforming her face. ‘I had to be certain.’

      ‘Indeed.’

      She had grown into her beauty. Four years ago, she had shown promise, but now there had been a full flowering, an enriching and deepening. Idly he wondered what had caused it, and why she did not use it to try to entice him into making an error. He would have to guard against it, for he had little doubt Sela would escape and leave him stranded in the middle of this forest if she could.

      ‘Sela…I am warning you.’

      ‘It is.’ Her lower lip stuck out slightly. Then she laughed, running her hand through her long hair, and Vikar caught a glimpse of the carefree woman who had been his wife, so briefly, the one who sometimes populated his dreams with her musical laugh and quick-fire wit. He had never known what she would do next, from what scrape she would need rescuing, what misdemeanour would have to be explained away. ‘I am starting to sound like Kjartan now.’

      ‘Kjartan?’ A cold prickling down went his back. Her entire being changed when she said the name.