“Finlay. Finlay?”
He stirred. All his movements were beautiful. Those of his hands at her breast. The way his body bowed when he came inside her. Even now, he reached those graceful fingers to her cheek before he opened his eyes.
“Katrin?”
“Call me alanna.”
“Alanna.”
“Am I Katrin, or am I someone else? Someone out of your stories.”
He said nothing, but she could feel him watching her.
“I dreamed I was caught back in one of those stories, I did. Dreamed it while I lay in your arms.”
“Which tale?”
“Ye were Deathan. I, Darlei.”
“The Caledonian princess.”
“With the heart o’ a wild woman, so ye said.”
“Aye. Och, aye.” He stroked the hair back from her temple. She ached for him to kiss her again. But if they kissed, they would make love, and she had something to say first.
“Deathan was wise enough to know better than to try to change his Darlei. Would ye change me, Finlay?”
“Never.”
“Then ye will ha’ to let me go, day after tomorrow.”
“I canna’ stay ye or hold ye. Only your own heart can do that.” Was that grief she heard in his voice?
“Then mak’ love to me again. Just in case we do no’ get the chance tomorrow night.”
She did not have to ask him twice.
*
They garnered nomore sleep there in the forest. Instead, once theyhad again made love, when Finlay had felt the wheel of his life turn beneath him, Katrin rose and caught up his cloak, held it out to him.
“I maun go back. If Da is looking for me, he will be frantic.”
“Aye.” Finlay swirled the cloak around him. It was damp from the ground and smelled of her. Of their lovemaking. The two of them entwined.
She said, “I would no’ cause Da the kind o’ worry ye caused me today.”
“I had no intention to grieve ye.”
She reached up and laid the palms of her hands on either side of his face, kissed him deeply. For an instant he felt certain she would tell him she loved him. For surely she did? No such words came. Instead she said, “If ye would no’ cause me grief, then promise ye will wait here at Murtray while I am gone.”
“Katrin, I canna mak’ that promise.”
“Verra well. It seems that neither o’ us will gi’ the other what he or she wants.”
“It seems no’.”
*
