humorous."
"Nay, of course no'” the lad said, failing to hide his mirth.
Ignoring him, Ian shot to his feet and made a pallet nearby, then gently lifted Jenny and placed her on the makeshift bed. She made not a sound as he covered her with a blanket. How could anyone call her puny? She was slight of frame but well proportioned and strong of spirit. And a lovelier creature he'd be hard pressed to find.
* * * *
A warmth at her back made Jenny want to snuggle in deeper, but the strong scent of hay filled her nostrils and reminded her of where she was. The question, however, was who or what was at her back.
An arm fell over her waist as a warm breath teased her neck. Okay, a man was at her back, and she knew full well it was Ian. She was grateful that it wasn't some barn animal, of course, but why did the man have to torture her this way? In all likelihood, he was completely unaware of her overwhelming attraction to him. The logical conclusion was that he'd grown cold and she was handy. He wasn't about to wrap his arms around Michael for warmth. But why not snuggle with his girlfriend?
Deciding that none of it mattered, not at the moment, she rose from her bed, one she didn't recall getting into, and left him to his dreaming. She didn't want to think of all the things he might have done or still wanted to do with Innes. Sensing a previous relationship between them had been as far as she let her mind wander. Further than that, her imagination would create some very vivid pictures in her head, although the main players would still be fuzzy since she'd not actually seen either of them.
"And I don't care to,” she grumbled, knowing it for the lie that it was. She wanted to see Ian in the worst way. Aching to know if he was as handsome as Tuck described, as she imagined him to be with nothing but her blurry vision as a guide.
How many times had she looked at him and drawn in the details of his face with her mind's eye? Like a child's coloring book, she'd taken his outline and filled in everything. A smile that would make his eyes twinkle, lips just full enough to bring all sorts of decadent ideas to her head, and oh so much more. What if they did find her a pair of glasses and he wasn't as wonderful as she dreamed?
She'd be better off, she thought with a nod, and made her way outside.
Michael, already up and sitting outside the barn eating breakfast, told her where the privy was. She made her way across the barnyard and stumbled inside the boxlike structure. After dealing with the uncomfortable accommodations as best she could, she figured she was lucky she couldn't see well. The image of every nasty microbial she'd ever studied flashed through her thoughts.
Her task accomplished, she hurried out of the privy and started back across the yard as a figure burst from the barn in a bit of a panic.
Ian. She'd recognize that golden head anywhere, but what was he harassing Michael about? Did he usurp Ian's place with the farm girl last night? No, Michael wouldn't do that. He was too deeply in love with Fiona. Then what had her reluctant escort so upset?
Grabbing Michael by the shirt, Ian hauled the worthless lad to his feet. “Where the devil has she gone?” he demanded. “I told you she could ne'er be out of sight!"
The young fool swallowed his food and grinned stupidly. “I do love tae be right,” he said.
He shook the insolent youth. “Where is she, man?"
With a chuckle, he pointed across the barnyard to where Jenny was carefully making her way in their direction. While her eyes squinted toward the ground beneath her feet, she kept one hand on the fencing at the edge of the yard, and the other holding her skirts up entirely too high, gifting him with a view of her lily white legs, sleek and slender.
Ian forced down the surge of lust as he shoved Michael aside then dashed off toward her. The terror pounding in his heart and in his head when he awoke to find her gone would be a memory he would not easily forget. He
"Nay, of course no'” the lad said, failing to hide his mirth.
Ignoring him, Ian shot to his feet and made a pallet nearby, then gently lifted Jenny and placed her on the makeshift bed. She made not a sound as he covered her with a blanket. How could anyone call her puny? She was slight of frame but well proportioned and strong of spirit. And a lovelier creature he'd be hard pressed to find.
* * * *
A warmth at her back made Jenny want to snuggle in deeper, but the strong scent of hay filled her nostrils and reminded her of where she was. The question, however, was who or what was at her back.
An arm fell over her waist as a warm breath teased her neck. Okay, a man was at her back, and she knew full well it was Ian. She was grateful that it wasn't some barn animal, of course, but why did the man have to torture her this way? In all likelihood, he was completely unaware of her overwhelming attraction to him. The logical conclusion was that he'd grown cold and she was handy. He wasn't about to wrap his arms around Michael for warmth. But why not snuggle with his girlfriend?
Deciding that none of it mattered, not at the moment, she rose from her bed, one she didn't recall getting into, and left him to his dreaming. She didn't want to think of all the things he might have done or still wanted to do with Innes. Sensing a previous relationship between them had been as far as she let her mind wander. Further than that, her imagination would create some very vivid pictures in her head, although the main players would still be fuzzy since she'd not actually seen either of them.
"And I don't care to,” she grumbled, knowing it for the lie that it was. She wanted to see Ian in the worst way. Aching to know if he was as handsome as Tuck described, as she imagined him to be with nothing but her blurry vision as a guide.
How many times had she looked at him and drawn in the details of his face with her mind's eye? Like a child's coloring book, she'd taken his outline and filled in everything. A smile that would make his eyes twinkle, lips just full enough to bring all sorts of decadent ideas to her head, and oh so much more. What if they did find her a pair of glasses and he wasn't as wonderful as she dreamed?
She'd be better off, she thought with a nod, and made her way outside.
Michael, already up and sitting outside the barn eating breakfast, told her where the privy was. She made her way across the barnyard and stumbled inside the boxlike structure. After dealing with the uncomfortable accommodations as best she could, she figured she was lucky she couldn't see well. The image of every nasty microbial she'd ever studied flashed through her thoughts.
Her task accomplished, she hurried out of the privy and started back across the yard as a figure burst from the barn in a bit of a panic.
Ian. She'd recognize that golden head anywhere, but what was he harassing Michael about? Did he usurp Ian's place with the farm girl last night? No, Michael wouldn't do that. He was too deeply in love with Fiona. Then what had her reluctant escort so upset?
Grabbing Michael by the shirt, Ian hauled the worthless lad to his feet. “Where the devil has she gone?” he demanded. “I told you she could ne'er be out of sight!"
The young fool swallowed his food and grinned stupidly. “I do love tae be right,” he said.
He shook the insolent youth. “Where is she, man?"
With a chuckle, he pointed across the barnyard to where Jenny was carefully making her way in their direction. While her eyes squinted toward the ground beneath her feet, she kept one hand on the fencing at the edge of the yard, and the other holding her skirts up entirely too high, gifting him with a view of her lily white legs, sleek and slender.
Ian forced down the surge of lust as he shoved Michael aside then dashed off toward her. The terror pounding in his heart and in his head when he awoke to find her gone would be a memory he would not easily forget. He
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