Page 31 of Highlander’s False Identity

He reminded himself that he’d already tried it once, and it was too late to go back and undo it. But then, he remembered why he had been unsure of her in the first place.

He had wanted to know whether the charges against her were true. He hadn’t been sure about the girl’s intentions. But since then, it had all changed. Just by taking one look at her, there was no way that he could believe she was a sorceress. However, there were still questions that needed answering. Like why she had been robbing him.

Beathan opened his mouth to ask her, but the question hovered on his lips, not going anywhere.

His body felt heavy and strange, and his head ached. But it didn’t stop his wanting her. Beathan fought to get his feelings under control. He was trying to get up and move when a jarring pain started in his temple and rippled through him.

“Are ye alright?” Edme asked, pressing something cold to his head. “Just rest awhile, dinnae rush,” she said, trying to hold him back. But Beathan pushed himself up.

“Och, come on lass, we cannae stay here like this. It’s a deluge!” he said.

It hurt to get up, but he did it anyway, assessing the damage to his body. It wasn’t as bad as it felt, mainly cuts and bruises.

Edme stood up with him, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady him, looking around to the skies above. It was as if she had not noticed the rain descending from the heavens and soaking her every pore.

Beathan stared at her, entranced by the sight of her dripping wet hair. It was so cold that he could see her breath. And yet, when he felt her steadying hand on his shoulder, he felt a massive zing of energy leap through him.

Now, despite the arctic temperatures, he felt warm, a flare of heat passing across him. The spark reignited his passion, which had been smoldering for some time.

Just as he thought he had himself under control, a fire, unbidden, started raging within. All he could think of was this maiden leaning over him. Drops of water fell from her hair and trailed down her face. He needed to feel her lips on his.

A tingle ran through him, his nerve endings on fire. Gadzooks! Had she kissed him before, trying to restore life to him? His body shivered at the very thought of it.

“Edme?” he said urgently. He couldn’t help himself one second longer; he took her by the wrists and drew her close.

If Edme didn’t want his touch, she did not resist. Instead, she watched him closely, her blue-gray eyes becoming more gray than blue in the deepening night sky.

This was crazy. The sky was showering them with frozen rain. Beathan was aware that his extremities, from the tip of his nose to the ends of his fingers, were becoming numb, but inside he felt hot.

“Edme,” he murmured as she leaned into him.

Temptingly, she offered up her mouth for him to taste, as if it were a ripe fruit. Standing in front of him, ready for the taking.

Beathan did not hold back.

Chapter Eleven

They kissed deeply and passionately. Edme did not know how long they stayed like that, entwined, lying together in the rain. All she knew that from the back of her head, a nagging doubt started up. There was a reason why she had run off as she did, and it was because, as much as she liked him, she needed to be sure of his intentions. The Beathan she remembered was arrogant and aloof. He hadn’t been the type to fall for a woman, except perhaps Sheelagh.

The memory of Sheelagh Ross loomed large in Edme’s mind. She was the tall, dark-haired daughter of the Laird of Ross. She was easily the most beautiful girl for miles around, and all the boys knew it. There was no way that she could compete with her, was there?

Edme’s face locked into a pensive frown.

“Edme?” said Beathan, gesturing to her. Edme looked up, perhaps a little startled.

“Now, yer nae going to get yer running clogs on again are ye?” he asked, half-jokingly. “Because I’m nae much in a state for chasing ye right noo.”

Edme turned to him, her eyes wide.

“Och, I’m sorry about…,” she said, for the millionth time. But Beathan waved his hand and dismissed her.

“Nae, I already said forget it,” he said, taking her by the hand. “Nae, it’s just, we cannae stay here like this, getting soaked. Let’s go over to that tree an’ sit there. The branches will give us a little cover.”

Edme simply nodded, allowing herself to be led beneath the large branches of the Scots Pine, where it was a little drier.

He led her to a small log that had fallen there some time ago and made a convenient seat.

He patted down the wet tree bark with the back of his jacket, skimming off the worst of the water, finally letting her take a seat. Once she had arranged herself, he sat beside her with a sigh.