Cimmerian Sunrise

Chapter 13 - ***REVISED***

Breanne sighed, returning to her chair. She closed her eyes against the heavy, painful thrumming that filled her head. Fatigue relaxed her limbs, causing her arm to casually drape across the arm of the chair.

Rough fingers touched her temple; her eyes popped open and she jerked at the contact. Reese rested on his haunches on the side of her chair; his concerned countenance gave way to irritation when she hastily inched to the other side of the cushion, taking the little space it afforded.

"Wha' happened?" Reese demanded.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Yer head, 'tis bruised. Did yer parents—"

"No!" Breanne quickly denied. "How could you think that?"

"Wha' happened?" he repeated, ignoring her question.

"I fainted. It was only a small mishap," she hurried to assure him. "I have been fainting quite a bit lately," she finished, shrugging daintily.

His responding roar made her flinch.

"Would you be so kind as to stop that?" she snapped, glaring at him while holding her head. "I do not feel well and when you growl like a bear it does not help the situation."

He looked her over. "Yer unwell. I could tell when I saw ye," he accused. "Ye should be abed."

"Yes, well, I have guests as you can see," she responded. Another wave of dizziness swept over her and she closed her eyes.

"Wha's wrong?"

"Stop yelling. It's just a touch of vertigo, that is all," she snapped impatiently, and then paused. "Why are you behaving so well towards me, and why have you come to visit? I thought we'd agreed upon limiting our association with one another."

Reese stood up and snorted. "We agreed on nothing. Yer daft tae think I would listen tae anything ye 'ave tae say."

Scooping her up, he ignored her gasp, carrying her up the stairs. "What do you think you're doing? Release me at once!"

"I'll see tae it ye rest until this dizziness is gone 'n tha' bump on yer head is mended."

"No, I have guests. I thank you for your suggestion—"

He snorted again.

"—but I wish to stay downstairs."

Breanne gasped when his booted foot slammed against her bedroom door, causing it to swing open and lightly bounce against the wall. It was surprising, though, the care he took in gently laying her on the feather stuffed mattress and pulling the quilts over her. After he had tucked in the coverlets a bit, he paused; his eyes staring into hers with a warmth akin to flickering candlelight. She lay perfectly still as she stared back; and though on the surface, she appeared as calm and placid as an unrippled pond, her heart hammered within her chest. Beneath the layers of sheets and patchwork, her fingers began to tremble.

"This is so very improper," she whispered, unevenly. "Mother would have a hysterical fit if she witnessed this."

His answering smile disarmed her defenses. His eyes sparkled in amusement, a far more pleasing expression than the fierce frown that usually blazed against the world at large. Her eyes, of their own blasted accord, lowered to his generous lips, which were presently stretched wide. Rough, russet stubble grizzled his jaw line. Breanne realized that she was still staring at his mouth when his smile slowly melted away. Her eyes bounced up to his, and the heat from his stare almost became her undoing.

Breanne tore her gaze away from his, extracting her arms from under the sheets and uncomfortably fiddling with tails of yarn that adorned the corner of each quilt square. "This is really quite ridiculous. I am more than able to function on my feet," she declared, anxious to lighten the mood. Her distraction had the desired effect. Reese straightened, his expression hardening.