“Satisfied?” she asked with an edge of sarcasm to her voice when he had finished searching her.
She has guts, I’ll give her that!
“Fer now, aye. Ye can put yer stockings back on,” he replied. Silently, she complied.
“Good. Now, get on the cot.” He jerked his chin at the camp bed.
“All right, but where are ye gonnae sleep?”
“Well, that’s me bed. Where d’ye think I’m gonnae sleep?”
Her eyes flew wide, and her cheeks turned bright pink. “Ye want me tae sleep in there with ye?”
“What’s the problem? Ye were sent tae seduce me, remember? Ye must have been keen enough tae get in me bed then, so why are ye suddenly actin’ like an outraged virgin?” He pointed at his chest. “I’m the one takin’ the risk here—I’ve nae tried tae kill ye, which is more than can be said of ye.”
She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish’s a few times, clearly searching for words. But none emerged. Eventually, she gave up any attempt at protest and climbed onto the cot. The horrified expression on her face prompted him to add, “I told ye I’m nae lettin’ ye out of me sight, and this is how I can be sure ye willnae run or try tae stick me again.”
She said nothing and lay down on the far side of the cot, taking up surprisingly little room. Ewan stepped over to the table and grabbed the length of rope that was looped over a chair back. She watched warily while he used his own dirk to cut two lengths from it. Then, he approached her with the bindings.
“Ye dinnae need tae tie me,” she said, a small frown appearing on her smooth brow.
“Quit yer complainin’, will ye? Ye seem tae keep fergettin’ ye just tried tae murder me,” he pointed out, trying her wrists firmly with one of the lengths of rope and her ankles with the other. “Trust me, if I’m tae have any sleep at all, I need tae make sure ye stay right here next tae me all night, with all the weapons out of reach.” She looked dismayed when he secured one end of the rope binding her hands around his own wrist before lying down next to her on the cot.
Their bodies pressed against each other, hers as tense as a plank of wood. Ewan did not mind, she was warm, and her hair smelled of rosemary. But he could sense she minded a lot because she tried to shrink away. Unfortunately for her, there was nowhere to shrink to. He pulled the blankets over them. “Sleep well,” he said and blew out the candle.
For some reason he did not understand, the sound of her annoyed huff had him smiling into the darkness, and a small flame of excitement flickered low in his belly as he closed his eyes and invited sleep to take him.
CHAPTER FOUR
How did I make such a mess of things? Me mission tae keep Gregory safe has turned out a complete failure so far. I was supposed tae kill him, nae sleep with him!
Unable to lie on her back because of the narrow cot, Isla passed the long hours of the night in a state of sleepless mortification, listening to Ewan Ballentine’s deep, even breathing as he slumbered next to her. She lay on her left side, with the hard wooden edge of the cot digging into her uncomfortably, facing away from her mortal enemy, the man who should have been dead by then. The alternative was to lie on her right side, with her nose jammed against his chest.
I suppose I should be grateful tae be alive. And at least he’s warm, and daesnae snore, she told herself, staring into the darkness, as if searching for any faint glimmer of silver in the cloud that had enveloped her. But despite the farcical yet dangerous situation she found herself in, and the promises she had made to Ballentine, she refused to abandon her mission.
Already, she had tried to reach over and surreptitiously unpick the knot of the rope tethering her to his wrist. But in the darkness, it proved impossible without risking waking him and incurring his wrath. So, with his earlier threats to execute her or give her to his men to use still ringing in her ears, she eventually gave up the attempt.
She thought about Gregory, knowing he would be worried sick about her by now, wondering where she was. She hated the thought of being the cause of any distress, especially as he had so much weighing on his shoulders just then. But for Isla, the need to save him from being hurt or killed in the coming conflict overtook all other considerations, however painful they might be.
I saved his life once before, and I’ll dae it again,she vowed silently.All I need tae dae is bide me time and dae as Ewan says. I’ll blend in with the camp, try tae win the men’s trust and learn as much as I can about his plans. Another chance tae kill him will come along sooner or later. It has tae.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ewan suddenly heaved himself over onto his left side and pressed his entire length against her body, his lap curving against her behind, his thighs against hers, just as though they were two spoons in a cutlery drawer. Isla went rigid, her only relief due to the knowledge she still had her trousers on, and he was sleeping in his trews.
Then, a beefy arm wound around her waist, and a large hand snaked under her body, pulling her tighter against Ewan’s chest, so she was caught in a vice. Moments later, a long, muscular legas heavy as a log was flung over her legs. And that was not even the worst of it. Pinned to the bed as she was, unable to move an inch, she felt his lips resting against her neck. His warm, moist breath tickled her skin as he breathed in and out and murmured softly in his sleep.
It would have been a terrible ordeal at the best of times, for Isla had never shared a bed with a man before. She was a maid who had led a sheltered life. Naturally, one day she expected to share a bed with her husband, but she was certainly not prepared for anything like this!
And the fact that the enemy laird was undeniably the brawest man she had ever laid eyes on, and his proximity was making her body tingle all over, made it all feel so much worse.
How can I betray Gregory and the entire clan like this?Thank God they cannae see me like this, literally sleeping with the enemy!
She silently burned with shame at the way her body was responding to Ewan’s embrace.
The dawn chorus of the birds found her still wide awake, still enmeshed within her captor’s coils, still feeling utterly shamed by her own body. Release only came when Ewan awoke, yawned loudly, stretched luxuriously until his bones cracked, and then swung himself out of the cot. He sat on the side of it for several minutes, first raking his hands through his tousled dark hair, then rubbing his face all over and yawning again.
At last, he got to his feet. For the first time in what had seemed like an eternity, Isla felt she could finally breathe freely. Yet she was still bound at her wrists and ankles, and found herself a captive audience as Ewan strode across to the makeshift washstand, stripped off his shirt as if she were not there and proceed to vigorously wash his naked upper torso with soap and cold water.
The lingering sting of shame at her body’s betrayal during the long night suddenly vanished as Isla’s attention was drawn to the shocking, yet at the same time fascinating, sight before her. Never had she seen a man half naked like this, at least, not so close up! Involuntary thrills shook her as she watched him covertly, through half-closed eyes.
