Page 28 of Stealing a Kilted Heart

“I’ll come with ye,” Knox said, but Magnus was quick to hold up a hand.

“Nay. Ye’ll go tae the loch like we agreed. I’ll take a few men with me an’ we’ll be back afore sunset.”

Magnus wouldn’t take no for an answer, Knox knew. He had that determined look in his eyes, the one that made it clear no one would stand in his way now that he had made up his mind. Instead of trying to convince him, and since he didn’t want to go to the lake alone, Knox turned to Effie instead as Magnus hurried off to gather the men and the horses.

“Dae ye need Fia today?” he asked her.

“Aye,” said Effie, but when Knox narrowed his eyes, giving her a meaningful look, she stammered, “… dinnae need her at all! There really isnae much tae dae today.”

“Excellent,” said Knox, before turning to Fia. “Would ye like tae come tae the loch with me, Mrs. Mackenzie? I’m goin’ tae fish.”

Fia seemed as confused by the invitation as Effie was, glancing between her and Knox. In the end, she nodded timidly, and Knox didn’t know if it was because she truly wanted to join him or because she thought she didn’t have any other choice. Either way, he was glad to have some company.

The ride to the lake was spent mostly in pleasant silence as he and Fia shared the same horse once again. She still didn’t trust her riding skills and if Knox were honest, he agreed with her. Sharing the saddle, though, meant that they were once again very close to each other, with his chest pressed firmly against her back, and the more Knox thought about it, the more he had the urge to shift and move away from her, even if he knew there was nowhere to go.

He was attracted to Fia—there was no doubt about that. He wanted to spend a night with her. More than one night if he had to be honest. He was so attracted to her that a part of him feared the proximity would lead to an embarrassing situation, and so he tried his best to distract himself, thinking about anything other than the woman right in front of him.

Much to his relief, it worked, and by the time they were at the lake, Fia didn’t seem to have figured out any of his internal anguish. Knox helped her off the horse and grabbed the fishing rods they had brought with them, his boots sinking into the mud the closer he got to the bank. The lake stretched before him, a steel grey that reflected the cloudy sky and glimmered under the soft morning sun. It was a chilly day, his breath fogging in the air in front of him, but it was brighter than the days that had just passed. The rays that pierced through the clouds were not enough to warm him, but they brightened his mood just as they brightened everything else around them.

Just watching the water was enough to bring about a sense of calm in Knox’s mind. He stood there for a while, simply staring into the distance, as Fia approached him slowly, coming to a stop next to him.

“Are we fishin’ from here?” she asked.

Her words set Knox back into motion and he turned to her with a smile. “Nay. See that shed? There is a boat in there.”

He and Magnus had stashed the small boat there, so it would be ready any time they wanted to use it. Knox made his way to the shed, frowning a little as he considered his next steps. With Magnus there, moving the boat had never been an issue, but now that he was alone, pushing it into the lake was a rather difficult task. By the end of it, sweat coated his brow and the back of his tunic was soaked, but at least he had managed to place the boat in the water.

Pulling it closer to Fia by the rope that was attached to its end, Knox helped her step inside before doing the same and putting on his cloak to battle the chill that the sweat on his back only intensified. Then, he rowed them to the middle of the lake, where the waters were deeper and the fish plentiful, and he cast his line with ease, watching as it flew far from the boat.

Fia watched him, too. Then, without saying a word, she stood and cast her own line—only to have it land right in front of the boat. Knox had to bite back a chuckle at that, watching with fascination as the color flooded Fia’s cheeks, turning her skin a pretty pink.

“Never done it afore?” he asked. There was no shame in it; he would gladly help her, but Fia pressed her lips into a determined frown as she reeled the line back in.

“I can dae it,” she insisted and once the rod was ready, she tried once again. This time, she sent the line flying with plenty of strength, but her momentum got the better of her and before Knox could do anything to stop it, he watched her stumble on the boat and then fall right into the lake.

“Fia!”

Does she ken how tae swim?

Standing up in a panic, Knox peeled off his cloak and tossed it aside carelessly, ready to jump into the waters. Just as he was about to jump off the boat, though, Fia resurfaced, her head breaking the surface of the water with a gasp.

“Fia!” Knox called once more, hands instantly reaching for her to pull her back up onto the boat. “Are ye alright? Did ye swallow water?”

“I’m fine,” Fia said, her voice coming out in a pained gasp. “Just very, very cold.”

With Knox’s efforts and her assistance, Fia was back onto the boat within moments, shivering from head to toe. She was soaked to the bone, her honey blonde hair sticking to her face and her tunic sticking to her body, the fabric clinging to her skin in a way that left little, if anything, to the imagination.

Knox couldn’t help but stare. It was far from proper, but he had spent several nights wondering what he would find under Fia’s clothes and now that he had gotten a taste of it, it only made him crave more. It was even worse when she rushed to remove her now soaked cloak, which was doing more harm than good, and so revealed to him all the ways in which her dress clung to her; the fabric pressed over the small swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips, trapped between her thighs.

The fear of an embarrassing situation returned with a vengeance, and this time for good reason. Knox could feel himself harden under his tunic, his manhood taking an obvious interest in the sight of her like that.

It wasn’t until a few moments later when he realized neither of them had moved or spoken at all, and it was then he also realized Fia had noticed him staring, her arms coming up to hide her breasts.

Blood rushed to Knox’s cheeks, and he immediately sprang into action, unclasping his cloak to wrap it around Fia’s shoulders. It was the least he could do, not only to warm her up but to atone for his very obvious ogling.

“Forgive me,” Fia said in a small voice, much to Knox’s surprise. If anyone should be apologizing, it was him, not Fia.

“Fer what?” he asked.