Chapter Five #4
She gave a confident smile, and he was glad he'd been able to turn her mood from gloomy to merry.
He hoped this would be only a wrestling match, where she ended up pinning him to the ground—he'd let her do that.
Aye, indeed. His body went on high alert, for he'd long imagined what her slight weight might feel like upon him. Like a dream come true.
"We'll have to use sticks instead of real knives," he said, trying to focus on the issue at hand and not his growing arousal.
"You fear me?"
"Aye, indeed," he said in a wry tone.
She laughed.
He'd love to know where on her body she had the rest of those hidden knives secured. He wanted to take them off her naked body, one by one. How delicious that would be.
"I often see red deer coming from that direction." She pointed toward the grassy sand dunes to their right.
Unexpectedly, Torrin tripped over something, and someone shoved him from the back at the same time.
His face plowed into the sand. "What the hell?
" The words blasted from his mouth. Spitting out the salty sand, he quickly rolled to his back and grabbed the dirk from the scabbard on his belt.
He froze when he didn't see a band of attacking outlaws.
Only Jessie stood above him, grinning like a banshee.
Of course, he'd known she was the only one near, but he couldn't believe she'd gotten the best of him like that.
Damned if she wasn't strong. His warrior skills were slipping, or mayhap he'd simply been distracted with his fantasies of stripping her naked.
"You tripped me!" he accused.
"You mean, I tricked you." Her smug smile was clear, even with the blinding sunlight behind her.
He narrowed his eyes. "Proud of yourself, are you?"
She shrugged, and he pushed to his feet. He'd have to be more careful around her. She was more wily than he'd anticipated. He glanced back at the castle, hoping Iain nor any of his men had witnessed that. He'd never live it down.
"You don't fight fair," he muttered.
"Most Highlanders don't. We're too canny. Fighting fair will get you killed, you ken?"
He laughed, then faced her with his arms down at his sides. "Are you ready to try it again, then, lady warrior?"
"Nay. I prefer surprise attacks." She backed away from him, moving farther along the beach.
He knew what he had to do and 'twas naught more than she'd asked for, knocking him to the ground like that. He ran toward her, his body hunched low.
She screamed and bolted like a deer, flying over the sand. He quickened his pace, caught up to her and grabbed her. With one arm wrapped around her waist, he lifted her off her feet.
Kicking and elbowing, she fought him. He grasped her right hand so she wouldn't grab one of those knives. He hoped she wouldn't stab him, given the opportunity, but he didn't know for certain. She was a hellion… and he loved that about her.
She hooked her heel behind his knee. Losing his balance, he dropped to the sand, taking most of the impact with his shoulder and hip, but he didn't let go. Having captured both her wrists in one hand, he pinned her to the ground, half on her side and half on her stomach.
"Aha," he said against her ear. "Now we're even."
"Don't be so sure, MacLeod," she said through clenched teeth.
Something slammed painfully into his arse. Glancing around, he saw she'd kicked him hard with her bare heel.
He grabbed her ankle and pinned it close to him with his leg, then he tickled her foot with his free hand. She shrieked and squirmed about. With a sudden hard shove backward with her whole body, she flipped him onto his back. He tightened his grip on her wrists.
"Bastard!" she growled like a she-wolf and tried to untangle herself from him.
He laughed but feared she might get the best of him if he gave in to the amusement. He rolled her beneath him again.
She giggled but tried to scream at the same time. Squirming, she twisted and contorted her body, trying to wrest herself free. All she accomplished was turning to face him a bit more.
Her face was flushed pink, her eyes a glaring flash of blue, while her lips were scrunched with determination.
Damnation, how he wanted to kiss her. But she might break his nose if he did. He chuckled, amazed at how the thought of a violent woman aroused him. He had always thought he wanted a sweet, biddable wife. Now he knew he wanted one who would knock him to the ground unexpectedly.
"Admit defeat, warrior woman."
"Never!" One of her sharp elbows speared him in the stomach.
"Omph. Truce!"
She laughed. "The mighty MacLeod brought down by a mere woman?"
Releasing her, he leapt to his feet. "You are no mere woman, but a fierce and formidable one."
She smiled proudly, stood and dusted off her skirts. Her confidence was another thing he loved about her. Her rosy lips teased and taunted him. Again, he was staggered by how badly he wanted to kiss her, but he would wait until she was ready for it.
"I would like to learn to shoot a bow," she said, surprising him.
"Good." Now he simply had to figure out how to convince her to kiss him.