For a long moment, neither of them moved, their bodies tangled, their breaths mingling.
Then Niall lifted his weight, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Ye are mine, Charlotte,” he murmured, his voice possessive.
Charlie reached up and wiped a damp curl of hair from his forehead. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Niall rolled onto his back and she curled against him, her head resting over the steady beat of his heart. Charlie lay still, her body still thrumming in the aftermath of what they had just shared. The loch stretched out before them, its surface smooth and untouched, save for the ripples where the wind skimmed across the water. Niall lay beneath her, his bare chest rising and falling with each breath, his sandy hair tousled from her hands.
“This place is beautiful,” she murmured. “Where are we?”
“A place I used to come to when I was a lad,” Niall said, his voice low and content. “When things at home grew too loud, too much, I’d slip away to this loch. No one ever thought to look for me here. It was mine—my escape.”
Charlie turned to look up at him. “And now?”
His gaze softened as he reached out, brushing his knuckles over her cheek. “Now I wish we could stay here forever.”
“Me too.” She leaned into his touch, unwilling to let the moment slip away. She wanted to stay here forever too, wrapped in the warmth of him, in the peace of this place. But reality tugged at the edges of her thoughts, pulling her back to the world waiting beyond the loch. “We should probably go,” she whispered, though she made no move to rise.
“Aye,” Niall agreed, but neither of them moved for another long moment. He dragged his fingers slowly down her arm before pulling away, reaching for his clothes.
Charlie sighed as she did the same, stealing glances at him as he dressed. He loved her. Dear God, Niall Campbell loved her. When he turned to help her onto the horse, she let her hands linger on his, savoring the feel of him.
They rode back slowly, Charlie leaning back against him in the saddle, Niall with one arm clamped tightly around her waist. She had no desire to rush, no desire to face the burdens that waited for them back at the estate.
But all too soon, Glennoch came into view.
They clattered into the courtyard and Niall pulled the horse to a stop and dismounted. She didn’t like it when he released her to do so. She didn’t like being away from him for one second. Reaching up with both hands, he lifted her down as easily as if she weighed no more than a doll and Charlie was more than happy to let him. Niall set her on her feet but didn’t release her. His hands tightened on her waist and Charlie found herself staring up at him.
God, those eyes. She could lose herself in those eyes. Heat spiraled through her and she found herself stepping closer, not caring who was watching. They all thought she was Niall’s mistress anyway.
Niall’s hand brushed down her side, across the skirt of her dress and she heard the sudden crackle of paper.
She froze. The letters! How had she forgotten?
Stepping back, she fumbled in her pocket and pulled out the crumpled package.
“I forgot,” she murmured. “With everything that’s happened, I forgot!”
“What’s that?” Niall asked.
She held the bundle towards him. “Letters. Coded ones. I found them in MacAllister’s desk. There was a whole bundle so I stole some.”
Niall’s expression darkened as he took them from her. The parchment was slightly crumpled from being pressed against her body for so long, but the inked symbols were still clear in the twilight. His jaw clenched as he scanned the writing.
“Aye, these are coded all right,” he said quietly.
“Can you break it?”
“I can try. But I’ll need Joseph.”
Together, they strode through the halls and up to Niall’s study, Niall shouting for someone to send Joseph up to him as soon as the older man could be found. The room was dimly lit and Niall quickly lit a candle, casting long shadows across the heavy wooden desk.
Niall dropped the letters onto the desk and took one of the seats. Charlie’s heart was beating a little more rapidly now and not from Niall’s proximity this time. How could she have forgotten the letters she’d stolen from MacAllister? That was the reason she’d gone to his manor house in the first place! Would they contain anything they could use against him?
Knowing my luck, they’ll be letters from his mother checking he’s eating enough,she thought grimly. But if they weren’t important, then why were they in code?
There was a knock on the door and Joseph pushed it open, stepping into the room. A look of relief passed across his face when he saw the two of them. “Where have ye been? We were getting worried.”
Niall ignored the question, unfolding the letters on the desk. “Joseph, we need to break this code.”
