on the ground?” she asked, trying to lace her voice with tight dismay. In truth, she’d slept in far worse conditions than on a forest floor, but if she were going to get him to trust her, she needed him to feel compassion for her.
“Aye,” Colin said, swinging down from the saddle. “How is yer shoulder?”
Sabine started. She actually hadn’t thought of it much all day.
She glanced down at the sling he’d made for her. Though she’d never been farther north than she was now in the Lowlands, she knew enough about Scots to comprehend that the blue and green patterned scrap of wool was Colin’s clan plaid.
“It truly does feel better—thanks to your ministrations this morning.”
Colin tilted his golden head back and pinned her with his gaze where she sat atop the stallion. Those vibrant blue eyes seemed to penetrate to her very core. A slow smile curved his lips, and suddenly his whole face transformed from hard granite to honeyed sensuality.
Sabine nearly gasped, but she managed to catch her breath in her throat before revealing her shock.
He’d been undeniably handsome before—all hard lines and trained control. But now…by God, seeing him smile was like staring into the sun. He radiated a seductive heat mingled with a mischievous playfulness. Those sea-blue eyes danced suggestively, his curved lips promising wicked delight.
“I’m glad I could bring ye pleasure, lass,” he murmured.
This time she couldn’t stop the sudden inhale of breath through her parted lips. The wheels of her brain ground slowly as she kept mentally tripping over the word “pleasure,” spoken so softly in that lilting Highland brogue.
“Oh, aye, my shoulder,” she blurted at last. “Thank you again.”
He sent another honeyed smile at her before wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her from his horse’s back. Heat licked at her skin where those large hands gripped her through her dress.
Had her seduction worked so quickly and easily? Was he truly already succumbing to her after little more than a few mysterious comments about her past and a couple of bats of her eyelashes at him?
It was possible. She’d taken men down quicker than this, and with less effort, though they’d been lonely and desperate for female attention.
Her thoughts churned as he went about unsaddling the horse. She was forced to stand in close proximity to him as he did, for he’d left her bound to the pommel.
That was proof aplenty that he didn’t trust her enough—care for her enough—to let his guard down just yet. She’d laid the groundwork for her plan, but she still needed him to free her wrist—and that was only the first of many steps to get her close enough to the missive he carried over his heart.
While his back was turned, she gave herself a little shake. She couldn’t become distracted by Colin’s handsomeness or near-blinding smile. She had to remain in charge, which meant getting him to believe and trust her.
And if he were like most men, the fastest way to turn him into a bowl of willing porridge was to guide his mind toward lust.
As Colin turned toward her, an idea began to form.
“I need privacy,” she said, lowering her chin demurely.
“Again?”
“Not for that,” she replied quickly. “I…I have been wearing this dress and shift for three days now, and my skin is beginning to itch. If there is a stream or pond nearby, I would like to wash.”
To Sabine’s surprise, she only had to half fake the nervous flutter in her voice. The thought of undressing and bathing near this lion of a man sent an unnerving spike of heat into her belly. She could only hope that the thought had a similar effect on him.
As she watched, one of his golden brows lifted slowly. With any luck, his mind was running a string of images across his eyes.
Sabine was always amazed at how little she actually had to do when seducing a mark. Just a mere suggestion, and men’s minds usually did most of the work for
“Aye,” Colin said, swinging down from the saddle. “How is yer shoulder?”
Sabine started. She actually hadn’t thought of it much all day.
She glanced down at the sling he’d made for her. Though she’d never been farther north than she was now in the Lowlands, she knew enough about Scots to comprehend that the blue and green patterned scrap of wool was Colin’s clan plaid.
“It truly does feel better—thanks to your ministrations this morning.”
Colin tilted his golden head back and pinned her with his gaze where she sat atop the stallion. Those vibrant blue eyes seemed to penetrate to her very core. A slow smile curved his lips, and suddenly his whole face transformed from hard granite to honeyed sensuality.
Sabine nearly gasped, but she managed to catch her breath in her throat before revealing her shock.
He’d been undeniably handsome before—all hard lines and trained control. But now…by God, seeing him smile was like staring into the sun. He radiated a seductive heat mingled with a mischievous playfulness. Those sea-blue eyes danced suggestively, his curved lips promising wicked delight.
“I’m glad I could bring ye pleasure, lass,” he murmured.
This time she couldn’t stop the sudden inhale of breath through her parted lips. The wheels of her brain ground slowly as she kept mentally tripping over the word “pleasure,” spoken so softly in that lilting Highland brogue.
“Oh, aye, my shoulder,” she blurted at last. “Thank you again.”
He sent another honeyed smile at her before wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her from his horse’s back. Heat licked at her skin where those large hands gripped her through her dress.
Had her seduction worked so quickly and easily? Was he truly already succumbing to her after little more than a few mysterious comments about her past and a couple of bats of her eyelashes at him?
It was possible. She’d taken men down quicker than this, and with less effort, though they’d been lonely and desperate for female attention.
Her thoughts churned as he went about unsaddling the horse. She was forced to stand in close proximity to him as he did, for he’d left her bound to the pommel.
That was proof aplenty that he didn’t trust her enough—care for her enough—to let his guard down just yet. She’d laid the groundwork for her plan, but she still needed him to free her wrist—and that was only the first of many steps to get her close enough to the missive he carried over his heart.
While his back was turned, she gave herself a little shake. She couldn’t become distracted by Colin’s handsomeness or near-blinding smile. She had to remain in charge, which meant getting him to believe and trust her.
And if he were like most men, the fastest way to turn him into a bowl of willing porridge was to guide his mind toward lust.
As Colin turned toward her, an idea began to form.
“I need privacy,” she said, lowering her chin demurely.
“Again?”
“Not for that,” she replied quickly. “I…I have been wearing this dress and shift for three days now, and my skin is beginning to itch. If there is a stream or pond nearby, I would like to wash.”
To Sabine’s surprise, she only had to half fake the nervous flutter in her voice. The thought of undressing and bathing near this lion of a man sent an unnerving spike of heat into her belly. She could only hope that the thought had a similar effect on him.
As she watched, one of his golden brows lifted slowly. With any luck, his mind was running a string of images across his eyes.
Sabine was always amazed at how little she actually had to do when seducing a mark. Just a mere suggestion, and men’s minds usually did most of the work for
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