Page 25 of The Highlander’s Gypsy Temptation

Moments later, Idalia emerged with his horse, wearing a huge smile. Bran’s heart thundered in his chest at the sight. “How did ye convince the stable lad to let ye have my horse?”

“His brother had already mentioned me to him. There is something to be said for a sweet smile and a kind word.”

“Ye caught his eye,” Bran noted with understanding. He could not blame the lad for being interested in her. She was devastatingly beautiful, especially when she smiled. “Let us leave before he seeks ye out further or August’s men discover I am gone.”

Idalia nodded and they both mounted their horses. They rode through the night as quickly as the darkness would allow. Bran’s shoulder was throbbing painfully. There had been no time to tend to his wounds and his body was paying the price. He gritted his teeth and did not let a sign of his discomfort show.

He did not want to put Idalia at risk of capture by their stopping. They had to use the night to their utmost advantage. As long as August’s men believed he was still in the room at the inn, they would be safe. The moment they realized he was gone, Bran and Idalia would be hunted down like vermin.

I will nae be responsible for her death. I will take her tae Strathnaver, where she will be protected. I only pray I will be able tae find the help I will need tae free Mahala from August’s grasp without bringing her or anyone else I care about tae harm.

* * *

Idalia rode beside Bran, her heart racing. They would never put enough distance between themselves and August’s men to suit her. She wished she could just close her eyes and instantly be transported to her family’s side. Bran needed medical care as soon as they could manage it. She prayed he did not bleed out passing out before they were able to reach Tor’s stronghold.

They rode all through the night. As they approached a small fishing village along the coast, Idalia’s borrowed mare stumbled. “Bran,” she cried out as she came off the back of her horse. In one swift motion, Bran used his good arm to scoop her up and onto his own horse before she could hit the ground. “Thank you,” she breathed, pressed firmly against his muscular torso. “The mare?” she asked, her eyes turning to take in the damage. The mare was limping, her hoof having gotten caught on a protruding root.

“She will nae be able tae take ye further. I will need tae arrange for her care and once she is healed have her returned tae her owner. Hopefully, someone in the village will be able tae aid us in the matter.”

“Do you believe it to be safe?”

“We dinnae have a choice.”

Idalia nodded. She felt sorry for the mare. “How will we get to Strathnaver? Your horse will be slowed with the two of us on it.”

“We will hire a boat if we must.” Bran dismounted his horse and went to examine the injured mare. He ran his hand down over her leg. “It is nae broken.”

“That is good.”

“She will nae be able tae continue on, but she will be fine.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Idalia was quiet as she sat on the boat next to Bran. She looked out at the water surrounding them, no other boat in sight. She tried to quell the blush that had risen from her neck up to her face and which she knew was staining her cheeks and ears crimson. Glad her hair remained untied, Idalia used the tangled mess to block his view of her face.

She could not help but think of what had transpired before they had gotten on the boat, when her horse’s fatigue and injury had caused them to share a ride. Idalia tried to remind herself that they had already been in such close proximity before.

However, Idalia could not help her thoughts. After their shared kiss in the room, his every touch ignited something in her, as did being pressed against him like that. Idalia did not know if he felt what she felt when they had ridden together. Bran had seemed more interested in scouting their environment and making sure they had not been followed, which she appreciated. He had continued to look down at her, asking her if she was all right, while her back and behind molded into his body and remained glued to him.

Are ye all right? Bran had asked her this constantly, to the point of annoyance, and she did not know why she had been so angry at the question. Maybe it was because he sounded unaffected in any way by her body pressed against his, while it was all she could think about. Or maybe it was simply because if he had not kissed her earlier, she might not be suffering as she was now.

Idalia had constantly reassured him that she was, indeed, all right despite her state of mind. Although, she was nearly injured and felt a bit of ache in her leg, it was not something she wished to worry him about.

When they reached the shore, they were faced with an even bigger problem which they had not accounted for. They did not have the money to pay for a boat to take them across. She had looked to Bran in hopes that he might have some coins, but his face soon revealed the truth. He had only taken enough to pay the captain of the birlinn for their board and his silence, and afterward return to his daughter. His thoughts immediately went back to her.

“What do you say we steal a boat?” Idalia suggested in a desperate attempt to get across to the other side and distract him from his melancholy.

Bran had frozen in place for a moment before turning to her with his eyebrows raised. “How surprising, it seems I have created quite the criminal out of ye...” he quipped.

She reared back at his words, but at the same time, she was glad he looked somewhat less morose. “A criminal? I am only giving you a suggestion… I mean, how else are we to cross the water? Surely, we cannot swim that far… ” she said, in her defense.

Bran chuckled, but said nothing more, silently agreeing to her suggestion. They had found a boat at the shore, and she had stood guard as Bran untied the ropes before quickly joining him aboard, allowing him to take her by the waist and lift her onto the boat.

Idalia felt terrible. She did not know if she was depriving a family of their means to survive, and maybe that might have stopped her from going along with the plan any other day, but this was a matter of life and death. She vowed silently to repay the owner when they returned, which would be as soon as they explained everything to Andrew and the others and got the men to return for Bran’s daughter.

So far, they had lied, cheated, fought, and now they were stealing. She should not be rattled by it, but she could not help how she felt. Still, Idalia was glad to finally be off the land and in the water, hoping the men would not follow after them. Bran had been kind enough, without any word from her, to leave the belongings of the men whose boat they had just stolen on the shore, so that when the owner arrived, they would find them there.

Idalia watched Bran. He worked the oars smoothly, pulling them away from the shore, until she could no longer see the pier through the heavy fog that surrounded them.