ye spied on me enough for one day?”
“I’m no’ here to spy.” He rolled onto his side and propped himself on one elbow. “’Tis a small boat and I’m tired and this is the only place to rest.” Then he smiled at her, because he knew it would annoy her. “But how kind of ye to remind me how pleasant it was to watch ye at your bath. Mayhap I’ll see ye again in my dreams.”
He lay back down, folded his hands across his chest, and closed his eyes.
“Ye’re lucky I havena got a knife, MacLaren,” she muttered darkly.
“My thanks once again.”
Rob sat back up and pulled out his belt knife and boot knife. Then he flung each of them toward the tall neck at the front of the vessel. The blades dug into the wood and quivered there, well out of her reach.
“Canna have ye using my own weapons against me as I sleep. Now come.” He patted the pallet beside him. “Join me.”
“No.”
“Angus will take it badly.” He opened one eye and peered at her. “He’s gone to all this trouble of making the place comfy for ye.”
“No.” Her chest heaved with a deep breath, and her breasts rose, straining against the borrowed bodice.
That tender curve of skin called to him. “Mayhap your bodice is done up too tight for your comfort. I’ll be happy to unlace ye.”
She was on him in a heartbeat, scratching and kicking. “How dare ye!”
He quickly subdued her, clamping her arms to her sides and wrapping his legs around hers. “Easy, lass. Be mindful of where ye are.”
She thrashed and made a sound like a cornered barn cat.
“Everything well, Rob?” Angus called up to them.
“Aye, Angus, fine as frog’s hair. I’m just trying to keep my eyes in their sockets.” Then he lowered his voice. “Now settle, lass, and I’ll let ye go.”
He eased his grip when she stopped struggling. She looked up at him, and the anger drained from her features. Then the worst possible thing happened.
Her little face crumpled, and a tear slid from the corner of one eye.
Oh, Lord. Against a woman’s tears, there was no defense known to man.
“Now, lass, I’ve no’ brought an ounce of real harm to ye, have I?”
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and her tears fairly burned his skin.
“Did I no’ fight a wolf pack for ye?”
She sobbed on the shoulder of his shirt, leaving a growing wet spot.
“Your father knows ye’re alive. That should give him and ye a measure of peace,” he said with hope that she’d take comfort from having seen her sire, however briefly.
She wept a fresh torrent instead.
“I promise ye, lass, I’ll keep ye safe. No one will harm ye.” He grasped at anything he could think of to dry up her tears. “I offer ye the protection of my body and my sword arm for as long as we bide together. And any time ye might have need of them after.”
Her whole frame shuddered with a silent sob.
“Please, lass.” He stroked her from the crown of her head to the base of her spine. She shivered under his touch, so he didn’t do it again. “Elspeth, sweetheart, ye dinna have to cry so.”
She quieted and sniffled for a moment. Then she raised herself up and looked down at him, her hazel eyes going dark in the dim cabin.
“I hate ye, Rob MacLaren,” she whispered. “I hate ye verra, verra much.”
Then she kissed him.
***
Elspeth pressed her lips to his, damning herself for a light-heeled wanton. But she couldn’t be near the man without wanting to taste him.
She’d been all jumbled up since he caught her naked. When his hot gaze ran over her, her insides melted like a dish of butter in the sun.
He’d stolen her from her wedding. Ruined her reputation. Put her parents through the torments of hell, worrying over her. And yet she was drawn to him, and there was no escaping. What was wrong with her?
When she first realized he was there watching her, she couldn’t believe it was happening. There she was, bare as an egg, and his intense gaze made her lose the will to
“I’m no’ here to spy.” He rolled onto his side and propped himself on one elbow. “’Tis a small boat and I’m tired and this is the only place to rest.” Then he smiled at her, because he knew it would annoy her. “But how kind of ye to remind me how pleasant it was to watch ye at your bath. Mayhap I’ll see ye again in my dreams.”
He lay back down, folded his hands across his chest, and closed his eyes.
“Ye’re lucky I havena got a knife, MacLaren,” she muttered darkly.
“My thanks once again.”
Rob sat back up and pulled out his belt knife and boot knife. Then he flung each of them toward the tall neck at the front of the vessel. The blades dug into the wood and quivered there, well out of her reach.
“Canna have ye using my own weapons against me as I sleep. Now come.” He patted the pallet beside him. “Join me.”
“No.”
“Angus will take it badly.” He opened one eye and peered at her. “He’s gone to all this trouble of making the place comfy for ye.”
“No.” Her chest heaved with a deep breath, and her breasts rose, straining against the borrowed bodice.
That tender curve of skin called to him. “Mayhap your bodice is done up too tight for your comfort. I’ll be happy to unlace ye.”
She was on him in a heartbeat, scratching and kicking. “How dare ye!”
He quickly subdued her, clamping her arms to her sides and wrapping his legs around hers. “Easy, lass. Be mindful of where ye are.”
She thrashed and made a sound like a cornered barn cat.
“Everything well, Rob?” Angus called up to them.
“Aye, Angus, fine as frog’s hair. I’m just trying to keep my eyes in their sockets.” Then he lowered his voice. “Now settle, lass, and I’ll let ye go.”
He eased his grip when she stopped struggling. She looked up at him, and the anger drained from her features. Then the worst possible thing happened.
Her little face crumpled, and a tear slid from the corner of one eye.
Oh, Lord. Against a woman’s tears, there was no defense known to man.
“Now, lass, I’ve no’ brought an ounce of real harm to ye, have I?”
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and her tears fairly burned his skin.
“Did I no’ fight a wolf pack for ye?”
She sobbed on the shoulder of his shirt, leaving a growing wet spot.
“Your father knows ye’re alive. That should give him and ye a measure of peace,” he said with hope that she’d take comfort from having seen her sire, however briefly.
She wept a fresh torrent instead.
“I promise ye, lass, I’ll keep ye safe. No one will harm ye.” He grasped at anything he could think of to dry up her tears. “I offer ye the protection of my body and my sword arm for as long as we bide together. And any time ye might have need of them after.”
Her whole frame shuddered with a silent sob.
“Please, lass.” He stroked her from the crown of her head to the base of her spine. She shivered under his touch, so he didn’t do it again. “Elspeth, sweetheart, ye dinna have to cry so.”
She quieted and sniffled for a moment. Then she raised herself up and looked down at him, her hazel eyes going dark in the dim cabin.
“I hate ye, Rob MacLaren,” she whispered. “I hate ye verra, verra much.”
Then she kissed him.
***
Elspeth pressed her lips to his, damning herself for a light-heeled wanton. But she couldn’t be near the man without wanting to taste him.
She’d been all jumbled up since he caught her naked. When his hot gaze ran over her, her insides melted like a dish of butter in the sun.
He’d stolen her from her wedding. Ruined her reputation. Put her parents through the torments of hell, worrying over her. And yet she was drawn to him, and there was no escaping. What was wrong with her?
When she first realized he was there watching her, she couldn’t believe it was happening. There she was, bare as an egg, and his intense gaze made her lose the will to
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