Chapter 19
Sheena lay stretched out on a smooth rock, basking in the sun slanting through low-lying clouds.
The water had indeed been cold, but that had not diminished her delight in the least. She had enjoyed herself thoroughly.
Now she was warming her chilled body. It had been much too long since she had enjoyed herself so.
Sheena’s hour of privacy was drawing to an end, and she could no longer lie there letting the sun caress her bare skin.
She had to dress and dress quickly. She hurried into her clothes, grinning as she thought, How surprised he would have been to find me like that!
I’ll wager he would have been too shocked to take advantage.
She saw him the moment he rounded the steep crag that hid the castle from view. He galloped over, pulling her mare along. Sheena frowned. Why was he in such a hurry?
“Is something wrong?” Sheena called out to him.
Jamie chuckled and slid off his horse, leaving both animals to graze on the heath. A few long strides brought him around the pool, and he climbed up the rocks to Sheena.
“Can a man no’ be eager to join a bonny lass?” He grinned. He reached her side and shoved a sack into her hands.
“What is this?” she asked.
“I recalled that you’ve no’ eaten yet today, so I brought along a wee bit of food for you.”
Sheena opened the sack and then looked up at him. “A wee bit? This sack is full.”
“Well, ’tis not all for you,” he replied lightly. “Come, sit with me.”
Sheena hesitated. He was in such high spirits, and he seemed so utterly pleased with himself for some reason. Why?
She turned a little, so she could sit facing him.
As soon as they were settled, Jamie grabbed the sack from her and began tossing things to her, a skin of wine, bannocks, half a roasted hen, ginger cakes. She started laughing as the food began to spill out of her lap. “Enough, Jamie!” she cried.
Jamie settled back against a rock, stretching out his long legs.
Sheena relaxed, a grin on her lips as she watched him rummage through whatever else there was in the bag.
He finally settled on the other half of the hen.
They ate, and she watched the play of clouds across the blue sky.
She watched Jamie, too, unable to stop from looking his way every so often.
Each time she did, her eyes met his and she looked away, flustered.
It was ridiculous, the way her eyes were continually drawn to him, almost of their own accord.
There was a sort of unreality to what was happening, enforced by the silence.
Her pulse picked up its beat each time their eyes met, and she felt a warm, giddy rush.
The wine, no doubt. She shouldn’t have drunk so much.
It made her cheeks hot. No. She was blushing under the constant regard of those hazel eyes.
At last Sheena reluctantly broke the silence. “Should we no’ go back?”
“There’s no hurry.”
Jamie had no intention of leaving yet. He had long ago decided to devote this day to her. It had taken much willpower to leave her alone here. And as he had had no pressing business, it had meant even more willpower to stay away a full hour. But he had wanted her to have her swim.
She was certainly changed! Not one bitter word had crossed her lips since he returned, and there was no fear in her eyes when she looked at him. Instead she blushed, and most becomingly. It was all Jamie could do to still keep his distance.
Sheena got up to wash her hands, kneeling by the water’s edge.
The rock was too high, and she had to lie down on it to reach the water.
As soon as she ran her hands through the pool, Jamie lay down close to her, the whole length of his side pressing against her, his hands cupping the water.
She knew she should have jumped right up then, but she didn’t.
For some reason she couldn’t move at all.
His hand caught hers as it trailed in the water, and he slowly raised it, holding it to his lips, his eyes on hers.
Keeping his gaze on her, he began to suck the drops from her fingers.
Tingling spread up Sheena’s arm and rushed down her back.
All the while, he was moving closer and closer.
Swiftly he closed the distance. He leaned over her, kissing her ever so softly, his tongue running along her lower lip and then slipping inside her sweet mouth.
If Sheena had thought about what was happening, she might have stopped it. But she had abandoned thought. There was no fear, either, only a strange, warm rush flowing through her. She reveled in it. Nothing that felt so good could be bad.
Jamie pulled them away from the water and gently pushed her down onto his plaid, which he had spread out on the smooth rock before joining her at the water’s edge.
She had a glimpse of thick, curly hair at the opening of his tunic.
Then his mouth covered hers completely, his tongue exploring, and the warmth rushed through her again.
Those large, strong hands moved across her cheeks, along her neck, down her arms, while his lips clung to hers.
Vaguely she realized the clasp of her cloak had come undone but dismissed the thought. The lacing on her bodice was unraveling, and Jamie’s fingers were tickling just above her breasts. Thought pushed past the warm, rushing feeling: did he mean to undress her?
Sheena brought her hand up to push him away, but Jamie caught the hand and moved it to his cheek.
“You…must stop…Sir Jamie.”
Her voice was no more than a breathless whisper, and, looking at her, he smiled a knowing smile. His eyes moved over her face, admiring every facet of it. Then his lips followed the path of his eyes, his breath warm and caressing, mingling with hers as he licked her lips ever so gently.
“You taste of ginger, and I’ve no’ had dessert yet,” he murmured.
Dessert? Did he mean to devour her? She started to protest, but he cut her off.
“Hush now, Sheena. Let me taste of your sweetness.” His voice was beguiling. “Let me.”
His mouth closed over hers again, and again she felt herself losing control. He plundered her, sucking away her breath, her will.
He let go of her hand then, and the hand instinctively moved to his neck. This time, when she again felt his fingers working on her lacings, she didn’t move to stop the magic.
Jamie peeled back the edges of her gown, and she shivered as his hand closed over her warm breast. The large hand moving across her breasts, exploring, gently squeezing, touching where no man had ever touched before, took her beyond the point of protesting.
Jamie felt it. She was his now. He knew it, gloried in it.
He was near exploding with need, hard and throbbing, and she moved against him, making it worse.
With any other woman it would have been unthinkable to restrain himself.
But this was Sheena. He desired her above all others.
He had aroused her, and he wanted her to know the full force of that arousal.
He wanted her need to be as great as his.
His lips moved to the side of her neck, and as he kissed the sensitive area below her ear, she moaned, trembling.
His hands slipped under her back, lifting her, and she gasped as his hot mouth closed over her breast. She grasped his head with both hands, gripping his hair.
She was on fire, and the heat moved lower, bringing an ache to her whole being.
“Jamie! Ho, Jamie!”
They both heard it. Jamie looked up, his eyes flashing dangerously when he saw his brother coming around the steep crag.
“I’ll throttle that lad, so help me I will!” Jamie swore between gritted teeth. He looked down at Sheena. She was frowning, and in an instant she released him, the color draining from her face. Her eyes widened accusingly as she gazed up at Jamie.
“Dinna look at me like that, Sheena,” he said levelly. “You’ve done nothing wrong, and I’ve done nothing I’ll apologize for. What happened was meant to happen, and we’ll be finishing it some other time. Now lace yourself quickly. I dinna want my brother seeing you.”
The color returned to her face, hot color now, her cheeks crimson. She turned away from him, mortified. Oh, God! What had she done?
She fumbled until she had her bodice tightly closed, then turned to pick up her cloak but found Jamie holding it out to her. She grabbed it, unable to meet his eyes. She never wanted to meet those eyes again.
“Are you all right, Sheena?”
Colen had reached them, stopping his horse just across the burn.
“Nothing is amiss, Colen,” she answered, her voice shaking. “We’ve been for a ride.”
Colen raised a brow. “And a swim? Do you no’ think the weather’s too cold for swimming?”
“How did—?” She caught herself. Of course, her heavy braid was still wet. Slowly, she inhaled deeply. She was suddenly fed up with both men. She started around the pool to her mare, walking quickly.
“Where do you think you’re off to, lass?” Jamie called.
“To the castle. I can find my own way, thank you,” she retorted angrily.
“Sheena!”
She didn’t look back. She swung up onto her horse, positioning herself astride, her skirt hiked to her knees. Digging her heels into the mare, she jumped the burn, surprising both men, and galloped off.
“She rides with unusual skill, and no mistake,” Colen remarked as he gazed after her. “You wouldna think a MacEwen would possess enough horseflesh to let his women learn to ride.”
He looked back at Jamie, flinching under the murderous regard he hadn’t expected. “If you were no’ my brother,” Jamie said icily, “I would take pleasure in killing you right now. What the devil brings you here?” he finished with a shout.
“We’ve guests at the castle,” Colen explained quickly. “Will Jameson has come to look over your horses and he carries a fat purse. I thought you’d want to know.”
“He could have waited until I returned, Colen. He’ll no doubt be staying the night as it is.”
“True. But I had no way of knowing I’d be disturbing you, Jamie. I’m no’ sorry I did,” he added, then chuckled at his brother’s black scowl. “You’d best cool off with a swim now. Don’t worry. I’ll see that Sheena returns to the castle safely.”
He rode away before his brother could get his hands on him, and he didn’t try to hide his grin.