Page 49 of Highlander’s Burning Touch

“Well, what?” she asked, uncertainly.

Niven took her hand and led her to his stallion, harrumphing insolently by the side of the road.

“Ye ride wi’ me, Titania can follow on behind,” he said. Then, he arched his eyes. “Hopefully, without yer muckle weight on her, she’ll be able to keep up!”

He grinned impetuously. Deva twisted her head around. “Och,” she pouted. “Ye’re nae too big for a skelping…”

But she did not argue. Within a second, the two of them were on the back of Odin, racing off without another thought.

As Deva’s arms fastened around his waist, Niven felt all his resolutions melt away. He was in absolutely no doubt what was going to happen next.

Chapter Sixteen

She was burning up. Deep inside, everything was heating up. Deva felt the seat of her petticoats warming as she leaned towards Niven and held him tight.

This had been the excuse she had been needing, and when he had suggested they ride together, she had to work at playing it cool.

“Are ye sure this horse can take my weight?” she said, teasing, as she tightened her grip around Niven’s waist. The question was not entirely serious, but it wouldn’t do to sound too keen.

A whole glade sped by before Niven deigned to answer her.

“Och, I think he’ll cope, beneath yer muckle weight,” said Niven, keeping his eyes straight on the road ahead and his tone serious. He gave a little pause before turning around to glance at her. “But if he starts to flag, ye can get off an’ run alongside us!”

Then he turned his face back toward the road, clamping down on a smile that curled from the sides of his mouth. Pulling deeper on the reins, he bade the stallion to go faster – and before she knew it, the landscape raced by in a blur of green.

Deva steeled herself. This was a good deal faster than her jaded mare was capable of. Deva held on tight, her fingers digging a little deeper into Niven’s waist.

Despite the wind, Deva felt a warmth bubble inside her. This was like nothing she had ever felt before, and suddenly, Deva did not know what to expect. Closing her arms around Niven, Deva flushed, a hot sweetness pumping all through her. Without warning, a heat had taken her and spread beneath her skirts.

Niven rode on silently, his eyes firmly pressed to the road ahead and only occasionally looking around at her. But those times he did, Deva was certain he gave her a knowing grin. Quickly, he thrust his lips towards her, pursing them up tight into a ball, and just for a minute, Deva thought he was going to turn and kiss her.

Maybe it was on his mind, but before he had got a chance to act on it, the capricious horse, which had been behaving itself far too well, suddenly reverted to type.

Without warning, it bucked, almost leaping straight into the air, unseating the pair of them.

In a split second, Deva’s world turned upside down, leaving her clinging onto Niven for mercy. It took a minute before he regained control of the stallion, raging in the icy glen like a fury. Finally, they were back on their feet. And as the skittish beast sulked silently and ate oats, Niven turned anxiously to Deva.

“Alright?” he asked the minute he’d stabilized the horse. It had taken what Deva felt like was forever to come to a stop, and it was some time before her heart slowed its multiple beats enough to answer.

“I, I think so,” she said when she could eventually compose herself. Warily, she looked around. The landscape had moved at such a dizzying speed she was barely aware of where she was. Inside, her heart thundered like a drum, but outside, her extremities were suddenly stung by the cold.

The world spun as Deva struggled to get a grip of it. Immediately, Niven dismounted and came over to her side.

“Here,” he said, extending his hand toward her. Gently, he helped her down, shaking like a leaf.

“Ye’re shaking,” he said softly, putting a shawl around her. He pressed his warm brown eyes upon her, and even though she was cold, his eyes lit a fire within her.

Deva’s emotions crashed like a wave inside of her. Before she knew anything, tears were pouring down her cheeks, splashing onto Niven like rain.

“Och, take nae notice of me,” she said, her voice still trembling a little. Quickly, Deva struggled to get herself back under control. But it was difficult. “I didnae even fall off. It’s daft…!”

“Deva, I’m sorry,” apologized Niven. “I should nae have made ye get on the back of such a stupid beast!”

Niven looked at her with such horror that Deva’s heart instantly melted.

“It’s nothing,” she said, getting herself into some sort of check at long last. Instantly a rush of red heat burned into her cheeks. This was embarrassing, bawling like a bairn at virtually nothing.

Quickly, Deva straightened out her dress and smoothed back her hair. She looked a fright, and nearly catapulting off a horse didn’t help any.