As she dared?She gave him a silly grin as she scooped up handfuls of water and splashed him. If only the burn was deeper, she could show him what a fine swimmer she was.
She screamed as he gently tackled her, dunking her head in the water, her hair coming loose from the many pins used to keep it in place. “Ye’re not a verra good wrestler, lass.”
“And ye are a wee bully, me thinks,” she shot back. “Dunking me head in the water. Now look at me!”
He sat on his knees in the burn and looked Kali up and down. “Perhaps I was wrong for calling ye a fairy. Ye resemble a water sprite more at this moment—a verra wet one.”
She climbed atop him and slapped his chest playfully. “And what are ye?”
He thought for a long moment before answering. “A helpless prisoner under yer spell.”
“Helpless is hardly how I’d describe ye.”
“All right,willingmay be a more honest assessment.”
“That is better.” She tried to sound serious.
“I like ye this way, Kali. Free of all yer burdens. Happy.”
“I like feeling this way,” she admitted.
“Good,” he said, brushing a soft kiss over her lips. “And now…”
“I will ride with ye,” she whispered.
“That’s even better,” he said, sweeping her off her feet and standing. He carried her out of the burn and then lifted her into the saddle of his mare. “Scoot forward, I will sit behind ye, keep ye warm.”
She straddled the horse, tucking her skirts around her thighs, unashamed of riding this way. ’Twas how she had first learned to sit upon a mount as a young girl. Her sire had never discouraged her from riding as a man would. That’s why she could ride as well as she could today.
A moment later, with his arm wrapped tightly about her middle, his rock-hard chest pushed against her back, they rode off into the darkness, the lantern light fading as she looked back to where he had left it on the ground. The rain would put out the candle, but the rain would not cool the heat building inside her for the next laird of the MacKays.
Hadn’t his father warned her off from him? Told her that she was to keep her distance from everyone and everything that belonged to him? Did Adam even know about the meeting they’d had? The content of their conversation? There must be eyes and ears everywhere in that castle. Loyal people who either served the laird or Adam.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To where the moon meets the sea,” he offered.
The sea surrounded this place, for the MacKay lands occupied a great peninsula. She could only imagine where the enchanted place he described would be. He gave her a squeeze and kissed the top of her head.
“We must speak of important things, Kali.”
“Such as?”
“What exists between us.”
She’d rather not talk about it, for whatever time they had together would be short and sweet—bittersweet. But Kali could face anything as long as she had memories of Adam to carry with her. Even if forced to marry Lord Nelson.
Sometime later, they rode up a hill, then down, and the firm soil turned to soft sand. The moon sat large and silvery on the horizon, reflecting off the roaring waves. Just as he had described…in this secret cove, the moon indeed kissed the ocean.
He halted his horse and dismounted, then reached for her and gently lifted her down.
“This is a very secret place, Kali. A bit of land that belonged to me mam that she left to me.”
Kali slowly turned about, taking in their surroundings. Though draped by the dark, she could clearly see the water, tall trees, and a field. There was a boat beached in the sand with a pair of oars. “That is yers, too?”
“Aye.”
“I have never stood on a beach before.”
