Page 27 of Highlander’s False Identity

Entranced, Beathan watched, as she laced herself up and slipped on the man’s léine, which instantly reduced her womanly curves to the merest hint.

She could feel him staring, and Edme had to fight hard not to grab him and take him there and then. But instead, she smiled shyly.

“We cannae stay here like this; it’s too dangerous, in full view of whoever comes along. Nae, we are close enough to Duncan tower by now. If we make good time we can be there by the close of day. There’s still hope,” she said, looking at the deepening skies.

“Aye, we can,” said Beathan, reluctantly. But he didn’t look in too much of a hurry to continue the journey. Edme watched his eyes looking out into the distance as if looking for a reason to stay. Then, he fastened upon her face.

“Och, Edme, ye cannae go anywhere like that!” he said as if suddenly noticing her for the first time.

Edme felt disappointment gnaw at the pit of her stomach. Here it comes, she thought to herself.

“What is it?” she asked with foreboding, “I told ye I look a state!” she said. “Ye made a mistake, I understand…,” she continued, but Beathan merely dismissed her with a turn of the hand.

“Dinnae talk such fannybaws!” said Beathan, stroking a hair back from her face. “Ye couldnae look anything other than beautiful!” he said, gazing into her eyes, and before she knew it, he was kissing her again.

It was hard, so hard to resist him, but Edme fought back with the little control she had.

“It’s just, well, there,” Beathan said, suddenly closing in on the side of her neck. “I think I got it now. I dinnae ken how I missed it afore!”

He leaned into the nape of her neck and dabbed it softly. To her surprise, it stung.

“Och!” Edme yelped. “What on earth are ye doing, Beathan!”

“Yer bleeding. I think ye must have been scratched in the fight!” Beathan grabbed his handkerchief and started stemming the drops that were coming from the scratches.

“Och, really,” said Edme, only noticing for the first time. “I wondered what that nip was!”

Edme’s eyes were diverted to the smear of blood that remained on the handkerchief. During the kiss, her body had been so overcome with passion that she hadn’t noticed any aches or pains.

“Och, an’ there’s more!” said Beathan, his fingers tracing down along her spine, but this time pulling the clothing back properly to take a good look. “Edme, we need to get ye cleaned up!”

Edme’s eyes widened.

“Aye an’ I’m nae the only one. I dinnae know if ye ken it, but yer bleeding too, all over me!” Edme said, taking in Beathan’s toned but scratched limbs.

A delicious sensation ran through her at the way he took care of her. She couldn’t remember anyone who had given her this much attention before.

“Och, it’s nae bad, dinnae fash, lass,” said Beathan, ignoring what she was doing and looking in her eyes.

Edme could feel the weight of his gaze. She wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss him, and to pick up where they had left off, but there was something she had to know.

“So then, Beathan,” she started as he stood staring at her.

“What is it, lassie?”

Edme chewed her lip and hesitated a bit. “Well, I just, um, I need to ken, was there any particular reason ye kissed me now?” she asked.

Beathan, watched her face, puzzled. He scratched his head, hesitantly.

“What do ye mean?” he asked with a slow smile.

“I just mean, after all this time, what made ye pick now? I mean, ye didnae think a lot of me before,” she said earnestly.

Beathan looked astonished. “I dinnae ken how ye can say that, lass!”

“I can say that because it’s true,” she said, her eyes were shining as she looked at him.

It had taken her a long time to pluck up the courage even to ask this question. All the time they had been kissing, it had been preying on her mind. She had worried that he would laugh or think her stupid. Perhaps he didn’t even like her, and this was just something he was playing at, but she needed to be sure.