Page 32 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

“Yer blush betrays ye, Scarlett.”

“Damn,” she muttered, quickly covering her cheeks with her hands.

He opened the satchel and kneeled, reaching inside.

“What is this game?” she asked for a second time.

“It’s simple, really.” With a flick of his wrist, he produced a small dagger and dropped it to the ground. The strength he possessed drove the blade into the ground, leaving only the wooden handle visible above ground.

Scarlett was impressed. She was certainly skilled with a knife and always carried one with her. She felt around her waist for the belt that held her knife, but it wasn't there. There had been nowhere to put it in her fine gown. She cursed herself for not hiding it in the lining of her boot.

“Here’s the game.” Noah went back to the basket, reaching for six apples. “Come this way.” He took the apples and beckoned her to follow.

At the side of the meadow was a fallen oak tree, so old and wide with age it was a behemoth, its width almost as tall as Scarlett. Noah placed the six apples along the trunk in two groups of three.

“We each try tae hit three of the apples with the knives. It’s a tricky game,” he said, turning to face her with an excited smile. “Ye have tae get the tip of the blade just right tae pierce the skin. ’Tis nae easy task.”

“I imagine nae.” Scarlett pretended bafflement, amused by the game Noah presented. I can certainly give ye a fair fight in this endeavor.

How many daggers had she thrown in the tavern? She knew she could throw them all blindfolded. If Noah thought he could beat her and make her hang her head in shame, this was not the way to do it. Nonetheless, she saw an opportunity to play with him, making him believe he could outwit her. In the next few minutes, she devised a strategy and raised her hand to the neckline of her gown. She reached for her necklace, as she often did, but there was nothing to be found. She lowered her hand, disappointed that she kept forgetting.

“Ye do that quite often,” Noah noticed. He’d gone to fetch a satchel of daggers and now returned to her side.

“Do what?”

“This.” Instead of touching his own neck, he touched hers. Despite feeling a pleasant jolt through her skin down to her very core, she didn't even flinch at his touch. He brushed his fingers against her collarbone as he moved, where she fidgeted so often with the gold chain. It was an intimate touch that had them gazing at each other irresistibly. “Yer used to wearing a chain around yer neck, and it isn’t there today.”

“I am. My favorite chain is broken, that is all.” She lied and shrugged, pretending it did not matter to her. When his hand moved away, she breathed easier, though she told herself that fear of discovery had made her so breathless, rather than his touch.

“So, that’s the game. We will go one at a time, firing daggers into the apples.”

“And we have tae stand so far back?” Scarlett feigned a shocked voice and turned about in a circle. “As a beginner, surely ye will let me stand a little closer?” She took a giant step toward the tree, purposely lifting her boot past the hemline of her gown in exaggeration. Noah was tempted to laugh but resisted the urge. Instead, he walked forward, putting himself between Scarlett and the tree, then walked back toward her.

“What are ye—ach!” He grasped her waist with one arm and steered her back to her original place.

“Ye could have stepped easily out of that touch if ye wanted tae, and ye ken it.” He bent toward her just an inch. “Yet ye didnae.” The whispered words twisted her gut, uncertain if she hated or loved what he said. Lowering his hand, he stood beside her. “As it is yer first go, I will give ye a chance. Ye can have a few practice shots at the tree. I will show ye what tae do, if ye wish a lesson?”

Scarlett saw a great opportunity to cause mischief. She pretended to consider the idea, wringing her hands together before she nodded.

“Aye, please. Maybe one lesson wouldnae go amiss.” She moved next to him as he handed her a dagger.

“One more thing before we begin,” Scarlett murmured. “We need tae decide what the winner of the game receives.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Oh?” Noah turned to face her, seemingly startled by the idea.

“Were ye fighting for pride alone?” Scarlett was discovering it was easy to tease Noah. There was something about his stern countenance that she sorely wanted to shift.

“I was thinking of it.”

“What if we played for something more than pride?” As she spoke, she pretended to fumble with the dagger in her hand as if she didn’t know how to use it.

“Such as?” he hesitated, his eyes darting to the dagger. “If ye continue to hold it like that and ye’ll hurt yerself.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Aye, as fine as a deer shot through with an arrow.” He snatched the dagger from her palm. “Hold it like this.” He demonstrated his best handle grip, and Scarlett saw it was almost a mirror image of hers. “Now, what are we playing for?”