Lord, but the way she said his name sounded sweet as pie, and he nearly groaned from thinking about what his name would sound like on her lips as he kissed her and made love to her. Nay. Nay, nay. None of that. Focusing on the race and the thrill it would give would hopefully scratch the itch his desire thrust upon him.
“Ye asked for it.”
“Did I?” she taunted.
Ian’s grin widened. He supposed that if they were going to be in a race for their lives, they might as well enjoy it. He urged his horse into a full-out gallop, and Rhiannon kept pace beside him. They raced down the road, putting distance between them and their enemies at neck-breaking speed.
A quarter of an hour went by like that, with Rhiannon pulling ahead, her body braced over her horse’s neck and Goosie poking her head out to find out what her mistress was playing at.
Ian didn’t try to catch up. The view from behind was mesmerizing. He would have painted her like that if he knew how to paint. Her glorious hair flying behind her head, the sun just starting to rise, lighting the world anew, and the smile she tossed behind her—one of triumph, one of confidence. My god, he’d never seen a woman so beautiful before.
“Ye win,” he said, and he didn’t just mean about the race. She was winning him over second by second. A dangerous combination of desire and dreams.
“Oh, really, laird?” she teased as she slowed down so he could catch up. “And here I thought you were a man of adventure.”
It was as if she were speaking to the silent part of his thoughts, the ones that warred within him about his exact desires to do just that—adventure—and the other part that was starting to long for Rhiannon to be his. And that part needed to be laid to rest.
As mesmerizing as she was, as much as he wanted to lift her off that horse and splay her out on the slowly warming grass beneath him, that would be a complete twist and turn of his lifelong intentions. A betrayal of his vows.
Ian was not his brother. He could not be his brother.
Noah was the one who’d settled down. Had a wife and a bairn on the way. That was his way of life. But not Ian’s. And Ian didn’t want it. He wanted adventure. To be able to leave whenever the wind blew. Ian planned to pass the Orkney Isles onto all the bairns that Noah and Douglass had together.
But what if he didn’t? The tiny voice inside him slithered around, painting pictures of him and Rhiannon at his castle. Pictures of them riding horseback along the shore. Frolicking in the waves. Feasting, dancing, playing. He imagined them making love in his bed. Rhiannon round with his bairn, with more children surrounding them.
It was absurd. And Ian decided to chalk it up to lack of sleep.
After all, when was the last time he’d had a good night’s rest?
“The only adventure we’re going to get is some distance between us and the enemy and a camp in the woods tonight where we can rest before continuing.” His voice came out gruffer than he wanted, and he flicked his gaze to her to see if he’d hurt her feelings.
He was not a man to apologize for his actions typically. Yet, for some reason, when it came to Rhiannon, he was making all sorts of changes.
She was not offended, and instead was laughing. “Now you’re just being a sore loser.”
“I am no’ a sore loser.”
“The only adventure we’re going to get is some distance between us and the enemy…” she mimicked him, her throaty voice deep and her face full of mirth.
Ian rolled his eyes. “I ought to take ye over my knee and give ye a good walloping.”
“Would it make your loss feel less…loserish?” She pressed her lips together in an obvious attempt to stifle a laugh.
“Is that even a word?” he grumbled.
She shrugged. “It is now.”
Ian chuckled. “Ye’re something else.”
“I think you mean, a winner.”
“Aye, a winner.” A beautiful, enticing winner.
“And what shall be my prize? Hmm…” She tapped her chin, her gaze moving toward the heavens, which were thankfully clear of clouds, as the sun lit their surroundings. A day without storms would get them some good distance.
“I didna know we were racing for prizes.”
“What would a man want as a prize?” She cocked her head toward him.
