Page 403 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“Christ,” Iain muttered. “Do you mean to say, you are surprised they would ask for your help?”

Her face reddened, but Iain comprehended it was out of anger and not modesty.

“I am not saying anything.” She gave her arm a good yank, but he held tight.

Iain shook his head. “Fool that I am. Come along, my lass.” He began leading her in the direction of the door. “A waterwheel awaits you.”

* * *

Iain stiffened. His balance, one foot on land and the other on a rock three feet out into the water, teetered at the pressure of Victoria’s fingers sliding up his back and over his shoulder. The rope he held slipped an inch, and the branch that hung out over the water creaked with the weight of the waterwheel hanging there. The wheel swung at his attempt to twist around in an attempt to see what his wife was doing.

“There is something wrong.” Her gaze shifted from the wheel to the water. “It should slip in. Steady now.” Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. “Push it down into the water,” she instructed the men who were in the small boat in front of the wheel.

Her leg brushed Iain’s thigh as she stepped over the water to place her foot next to his on the rock. She wrapped an arm around his waist. Ducking beneath the arm he had extended to steady the wheel, Victoria peered down into the water.

“Ahh.” She moved as if to slip past him and step onto the boat.

“Collin,” Iain yelled to the man who stood on the bank, “grab her!”

Collin pulled her back before her foot made contact with the bottom of the boat, and Iain motioned for one of the other men to take his place. He handed the rope to the man who came forward, then stepped from the rock and strode to where Collin stood with Victoria. Collin winced as she worked to pry his fingers from her arm. Iain clamped a firm hand around her wrist. Collin shook his head and, with a compassionate look for Iain, wasted no time in leaving the two alone. Iain pulled her several feet away, then rounded on her so quickly she ran into him. He grasped her shoulders, but she twisted her head around in an effort to watch the men.

“What were you doing?” he demanded. The question had no obvious effect, so Iain added a hard shake for good measure.

“Cease pestering me,” Victoria muttered as if to a disobedient child, still not looking at him.

“How long do you plan on ignoring me?”

Her head snapped around. “What?”

“I said, how long do you plan on ignoring me?”

A general round of cursing went up amongst the men, and Victoria again twisted in an effort to see what was happening.

“Oh, no.” Iain cupped an arm beneath her buttocks, lifted her from the ground, and started toward the village.

She swayed backward with the force of gravity and threw her arms around his neck to keep from toppling over. Iain wrapped his other arm around her neck and buried her face in his chest.

“Release me this instant,” she said into his breacan.

“Nay. I believe I like this.”

“You like this?”

“Aye.”

“Why?”

“Perhaps because a man married but four days should take exception to the fact that his wife has not even bothered to kiss him.”

“’Tis a kiss you want, then?”

His groin pulsed. “For a start.”

“I see,” she said in a voice that revealed she knew exactly what he meant. “A kiss is not enough. You want more?”

“Aye, lass, I want more.”

“What is it you want?”