Page 29 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

It felt like hours ago that she had been pouring her heart out to him, but so far, he had not said anything in reply.

Deva could only watch and wait and wonder what was going on in his head. But before she had a chance to ask, the harassed-looking compere came back over.

“So, come on then, look lively, yer to start the dancing off!”

This caught the pair of them by surprise. Deva looked at Niven unsurely. The very thought of him leading her out into a dance was doing untold things to her.

“Och, I suppose,” said Niven, unenthused. The look on his face told Deva everything she needed to know about his feelings. His face had dropped a mile as he glanced around at the surrounding melee.

“Right then, lad,” chuckled the red-faced compere, “Ready to do the honor for yer clan?”

Niven smiled, but it looked forced. And Deva had to feel a bit sorry for him. From the back of the crowd, her father jostled, pressing them to dance. Deva looked to Niven, who eyed her warily.

“Do we really have to do this now?” Niven asked. “I mean, cannae it wait, the dance?” he said, spitting the word out like it was a stone in his mouth. Deva suppressed an urge to giggle.

Still, his hand remained tucked into her palm, its warm snugness building inside her, making her ache for more.

Shyly, she glanced back at him. Did he even realize his hand was still in hers? From the look on his face, it was possible he didn’t. Unsurely, Deva smiled.

“Aye, I reckon,” she said, bringing the full force of her smile on him. He did not move, and she knew she had him. Then, she added, “It’s nae so bad, ye might even enjoy it!”

Niven looked so aggrieved that Deva had to work hard at not laughing right in his face.

“Hmmm,” he said, unsurely.

She smiled teasingly, as inside, something uncoiled. She could feel her juices flow just at the thought of his touch.

“Och, dinnae say ye’ve got two left feet an’ cannae dance.”

It was intended as a joke, but it misfired badly. Or maybe he had just changed his mind. Because Niven looked at her sharply. “Nae,” he said and walked away.

Deva’s heart plummeted. Her eyes followed as he headed towards the field, oblivious to the shouts of the crowd. But before he reached it, he turned to look at her, the sun catching his eyes with a strange glimmer.

“I cannae,” he said simply.

Then he turned to leave. Deva watched him go, her heart thundering as he went.

She had to do something. But what?

Chapter Nine

“I cannae…”

Niven’s words echoed in the lea. For a moment, it felt as if the crowds had gone, and it was just the two of them, alone together.

Maybe it was the whooshing of her chest which had silenced them because as the clouds scurried past the sun, she could no longer hear them at all.

“I cannae, I’m sorry,” he said. To her disbelief, Niven had simply packed up and walked away. And inside, Deva’s chest gave a desultory thump.

And it wasn’t just her who could not believe it. The jeering crowd grew loud again, with scuffles and shouts for action.

Dance! Dance! Dance!

Deva looked over to the nobles’ stand, where undoubtedly her father had something to say about this. Then, there was chaos; shouts going backward and forward across the field.

She nearly gave in to the despair, telling herself it was for the best, and she shouldn’t get too close. Her brain tried its hardest to spin this as a good thing as if her heart had not just been fired like a mortar.

Inside, she berated herself, crossly. She had been stupid to expect him to forgive her. What did she expect? But none of it could block a sudden determination from leaping in and stopping him in her tracks.