“He can’t see us,” the prince replied, and fondled her other breast. “Jesu, madam, you have the sweetest tits.”
He stole another kiss from her.
Adair stamped upon James Stewart’s foot and
yanked his hand from her bodice. “Shame on you, laddie!” she scolded. “I know that Conal Bruce is of little importance, but one day you might need his goodwill.
He is a stubborn man, and a proud one. Do not shame him in this fashion. And do not shame me. I will shortly be his wife.”
The young prince looked appropriately contrite. “I will apologize, madam, but you must share the blame for my bad behavior. You are really quite delicious, and a most tempting confection to resist.”
“I can see you have been very spoiled, Your Highness,” Adair teased him.
Then, turning away from the prince, she looked to see Conal Bruce taking his turn at the caber toss. His back glistened with sweat. His muscles bulged with the efforthe was expending lifting the great log. He ran forward a few paces, and then heaved the wood across the field.
There was a long moment of silence, and then a great cheer arose from the assembled spectators.
“There’s none who can beat that toss,” a man standing nearby said.
Adair turned to Prince James. “Would you like to try, Your Highness?” she taunted him wickedly, her violet eyes dancing.
The prince laughed. “Nay, madam, I must give way to the better man in this case,” he said. And then he gave her a wink before turning to Lord Home.
Adair walked over to where the laird stood breathing hard. She slipped his shirt over his head. “You will catch a chill if you are not careful,” she told him, standing before him and half lacing the shirt up. “I do not expect you are an easy patient. You won, you know. They say it was a most grand toss.”
“I did it for you,” he told her.
“Why?” she asked.
“To prove to you that I am the man for you, my honey love,” he replied.
“I know that, Conal, but until you love me there shall be nothing more between us than there is now. Perhaps that is enough for you, but it is not for me.”
“You belong to me!” he said fiercely, looking down into her face.
“Only until the end of September,” Adair reminded him.
“Nay! You will be mine forever!” he said.
“Not unless you love me,” she replied as stubbornly.
“You are an impossible woman,” he raged at her.
“And you a most difficult man,” she countered. “Why can you not love me? Or why can you not say you love me if you do?”
“You are going to wed me, Adair. I will not permit another man to treat you as the prince did. Had he been another I would have slain him where he stood.”
“Then you love me,” Adair said quietly.
“I don’t know,” he told her. “What the hell is love anyway?”
“When you find the answer to that, my lord, then I will consider marrying you,” Adair told him. “I’m going back to the keep now.”
“Not without me,” he said.
“I am capable of walking back myself,” she insisted.
“There are clansmen from all over the border here today,” he replied. “You could be accosted by some stranger.”
