Page 12 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

“Ach, I’ve embarrassed ye, I’m sorry,” he said wistfully. She could feel his eyes as they cut into her from across the room.

Flustered, Deva made a big show of pouring some of the water out into the basin and began adding potions to it. Watching her intently, a small smile grew around his mouth.

She was being watched. She knew it. It seemed as if everything in the room had gone silent, except for the sound of their breathing.

The noise of Deva’s heart, thump-thumping in her ears, was so loud that she was sure he must hear it, too. Even from the other side of the room, the gentle rise and fall of his breathing could be heard, with both of them desperately aware of the other but not wanting to make the first move.

Her chest pounding hard, Deva stopped herself mid-thought.

First move? What was she even thinking? She needed to cleanse herself of any such thoughts. First move?

Just the notion of it made her pinken, sending a glow all through her. Then Deva’s heart wavered. This was crazy.

She pictured her father’s face if he were to walk in and see her now. It was not pretty. Blocking such thoughts from her head, she picked up the bowl to leave the room. But before doing so, he stopped her.

“I’m sorry, I didnae mean to embarrass ye,” he said. Deva hesitated.

“Nae, ye havenae,” she said while cursing her father.

“Och, but ye saved my life, that’s got to be worthy o’ making a fuss about, has it nae?” he smiled.

Deva adjusted her arasaid self-consciously. All she could think about were his eyes, the ones that had shone out to her across the glade. And every second she stood in front of them, her feelings deepened.

Fidgeting with the pitcher by the bed, Deva wondered what to do. Her heart was telling her it was dangerous to get too close and that she should leave him alone. But then his eyes told her otherwise.

Grinning, he propped himself back up in the bed again, and, for a bit, she wondered if he was trying to move again. Seeing her consternation, he laughed a little and shook his head.

“Nae, I’m nae going anywhere,” he broke off, his words left twirling in the air as if blown about by the storm outside. “But there is just one thing I need to ken, wise woman…” He stopped and watched curiously, his eyes reaching for hers.

And this time, she did not deny him her response. Helpless, she lifted her eyes to look at him. Now propped up in the bed, with nothing but the covers around him, his positioning afforded him a tantalizing glimpse of his naked torso.

Deva felt herself color at the sight of his unclothed body. She had already had to pretend that she hadn’t seen it before. But there was no escaping it now.

And it seemed that the lad had only just noticed. Glancing at his gaping chest in surprise, he quickly covered himself up, abashed.

“Sorry,” he murmured demurely. But his innocent blush did things to her, setting off a chain of heat within Deva’s head. Suddenly, the room was too hot.

“Well, ye must be a wise woman because I cannae remember getting out o’ my garments…” Puzzled, he scratched his head. “I dinnae ken what even happened to me, but all I can remember is coming around an’ ye being there, rubbing some potions or other…,” he grinned again, as Deva found herself magnetized by his gaze, “But I just have to ken, what on earth was it?”

There was a pause as the wind picked up speed again, whistling around the glen and rattling the doors.

“It was the sword,” she said, coming over to the bed and drawing out the black sgian dubh that he had been found with, “It had a salve on it…we had to act fast, afore the poison worked….”

Deva lay the sgian-dubh on the bed for him to examine, although, in truth, there wasn’t very much to see anymore. Curiously, Niven took the blade in his hands and turned it around, looking for the substance.

Quickly, Deva filled him in. “It’s nae there. We cleaned it off,” she said, her voice hanging in the air.

“Aye,” said the lad, putting the sword down. He did not seem bothered by it. Instead, his attention was on her. “But there’s still one thing I need to ken, miss, it’s been around an’ around in my head…see, I forgot to do something very important, I didn’t tell ye my name afore. I’m Niven…”

He smiled, looking at her closely. Deva felt he’d been staring ever since he first clapped eyes on her. Not that she was complaining. He could watch her all day if he liked.

“Pleased to meet ye, Niven,” Deva said, her heart creaking under his intense gaze. She had been trying her hardest to resist this moment, but finally, Deva could fight no more. Slowly, she raised her eyes to him, unable to avoid his gaze.

“So now, ye tell me, what is yer name, lass?”

Of course, she had known it was coming, but all the same, it unseated her.

Smoothing herself down, Deva smiled and then answered.