If they missed the tide changing, they would be stuck in the cave and inevitably drown. It was why Liam and the adults allowed no one to go in alone. As children, Callum, Alex, Tavish, Magnus, and Mairghread would go together. There was always someone to stay outside in case someone became trapped, and at least two people to run for help.
“Nae long. Mayhap a quarter of an hour. Well before the tide changes.” Saoirse waded into the low surf and picked her way to the slippery rocks. Magnus took her hand when she raised it to keep her balance. His sure-footedness made it look easy, but Saoirse knew to take her time lest she slip. Water swirled around their ankles, and the wind gusted around the cave’s entrance. Magnus’s solid frame buffeted the wind and allowed her to move faster than usual. Normally, she would inch along the mossy boulders until she could slip inside the cavernous space.
Saoirse inched along the ledge that the low tide exposed. She slipped her dirk from her belt and squatted to shave the algae from the rocks that the waves would submerge once they came in. Magnus remained out of the way, careful not to block the dim light. He remained close in case Saoirse should stumble or lose her balance. But he was content to watch her work, her concentration on her task absolute. He knew nothing about the plants she gathered, but Saoirse appeared purposeful and certain.
“I’m going to move further inside, Magnus. I wish to collect more from the pool.”
“Can ye see that far back? The clouds are shifting. There willna be much light back there.”
“I’ll be quick.”
“Ye dinna need to rush. I just—” Magnus stopped himself before he said too much.
Saoirse came to stand in front of him. “Ye just what?”
“Worry.”
Magnus gazed into her earnest brown eyes. He didn’t catch himself until after he tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. She leaned her cheek into his hand and closed her eyes. His other hand took the basket from hers and placed it on the ground. He dropped her dirk into it. He cupped her jaw with both hands until her eyes met his. He waited to see if she would pull away, but she lifted her chin instead. This moment had been building for weeks. Her eyes fluttered closed again as he drew closer. His lips brushed against hers. He paused to see if she would regret it. Her body swayed toward his. He eased his right hand to her waist, and she took a step closer.
“Saoirse, I wish to kiss ye, lass.”
She nodded, her eyes still closed. But they opened when he did nothing to further their embrace.
“Please?” Saoirse felt the heat creeping into her cheeks. It embarrassed her to ask. She was tired of questioning herself, but she would have regretted it if Magnus didn’t pull her against his body and press his lips to hers. He kept the pressure light, not forcing her to give more. Her hands rested on his biceps, but when the muscles bunched beneath her palms, she tightened her grip. She lifted her chin higher. Magnus slid the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips. Her lips parted, but her teeth were still together. He flicked his tongue between her lips until she opened her mouth. He eased it into hers. He went slowly, ensuring he didn’t scare her.
Her hands slid up his arms, over his shoulders, and around his neck. She was unprepared for how silky his hair would feel. The dark locks slid through her fingers as she tunneled them into his hair. She went up on her toes, trying to make it easier to kiss him. His arms tightened around her as her hands cupped his jaw. When they pulled apart, breathless, their foreheads pressed together. Magnus laid gentle kisses to her cheeks before brushing his thumbs over her freckles.
“Saoirse, I dinna want to push ye too fast.”
“One kiss isnae too fast, Magnus. Can I let ye ken if we’re moving too fast after our sixth or mayhap hundredth kiss?”
“Ye’d like more than just the one?” Magnus regretted his question the moment she withdrew. He didn’t understand what went wrong. “Saoirse?”
“I would like more than one.” Saoirse’s voice was so low that he could barely hear over the crash of the sea outside the cave.
“Why’d ye just retreat from me? Ye said we werenae going too fast, but ye’re uncomfortable telling me ye want more.”
Saoirse shrugged. She suddenly felt overwhelmed, uncertain how to handle her attraction to a man with so much more experience than her. She didn’t know what he expected or how she should act.
“Saoirse, are ye embarrassed that ye wish to share more than one kiss?” Magnus waited until she nodded. “Did I scare ye?”
“Nay. I just dinna ken what to do.”
“Lass, I dinna understand. Do ye mean ye dinna ken what to do now that we’ve kissed? Or what to do when we kiss?”
“Aye.”
Magnus smiled at her shy response. It reminded him of her youth and inexperience. It should have warned him away, but he wished to see her reemerge as the confident woman he’d spent time with earlier.
“If ye wish for me to kiss ye again, I will. If once is all ye wish, then I willna press ye.”
“I want ye to kiss me again. But I dinna ken how to do it properly.”
“Wee one,” Magnus whispered before he kissed her forehead. “Ye did it properly. Are ye worried that ye dinna have the experience I do?”
She nodded.
“Saoirse, we dinna need to rush aught.”
