Knight of the Highlander (10 page)

"Forgive me." He leaned forward and traced warm trails down her face with a feather like touch.

Arywnn closed her eyes and leaned into his caress, savoring the warmth and comfort.

"What has led you out this night? If not your search for me, then what?" He continued to caress her face as he whispered the words against the curve of her neck.

"I needed… I wanted tae gather my thoughts," she spoke hesitantly as her skin prickled with heat from the tender touch of his lips on the soft flesh of her neck.

"Had they run from you?"

Arywnn stepped back and shook her head, trying to clear away the hazy fog of desire he effortlessly had woven over her.

"No… thoughts dinnae' run." She clasped her hands in front of her skirts. "I needed time tae think. Time for myself."

"And I've interrupted, my apologies—"

"Nay, ye've not interrupted…"

"But?"

"But… I just dinnae' ken. Who are ye? And how do ye have such a hold on my heart when I know so little about ye? Do ye know who I am? What I could do if I told my father about ye? And yet ye find me, kiss me till I forget my name and…" Arywnn trailed off, frustrated and confused.

"Secrets are heavy burdens to bear. I apologize that mine is added to the weight you already carry." His voice was soft.

A slight breeze shifted through the trees, and Arywnn shifted her plaid higher to add warmth against the sudden chill.

"I know who you are… and what ye can do if you share my secret, sweet Arywnn. I simply find you worth the risk."

"Why? How well could ye possibly know me?"

"Well enough to take the chance."

"Why?" Arywnn's question was barely a whisper.

"Why not?"

Arywnn shorted. Why not indeed! A few thousand reasons for the lunacy of their friendship, let alone love interest in one another, flew through her mind in quick succession.

"I know what you're thinking… and that's not what I meant." His voice was firm but still gentle.

"What did ye mean then?"

"Do you trust yourself so little? Do you not think yourself worthy of the trust I have in you? Do you not think yourself worthy of being pursued? I though we discussed this earlier, and I made my intentions quite clear. I'm not after anything save your heart. A noble prize for a worthy man."

"But I—"

"How do you fair after the passing of your mother?"

Arywnn paused.

"Just because you don't see me, doesn't me I don't see you, Sweet Arywnn.

"Is…" Arywnn began as the pieces began to fall into place in rapid succession. Could he be the one? The one whose eyes she felt watching her?

"Have you ever…?" Arywnn tried again, but was unable to word the question. Straightening her shoulders, she spoke clearly.

"It's ye… ye are the one that's watched me."

"Ah, sweet Arywnn… watching is what I'm trained to do."

****

Colin stepped forward tentatively, watching her body shift then still at his approach. He narrowed his eyes. Was he not as hidden as he had originally thought? If so, was she the only one who had noticed, or had others? Fleeting questions spun through his mind, but were halted as his attention was drawn to her tongue darting out to moisten her lush lips. Again he stood with the moonlight to his back, drinking in her silver beauty enhanced by the moon.

"Ye are trained tae watch… whom?" Arywnn asked in a hesitant tone. She worried her lower lip, and gripped the front of her plaid in her small fists.

"Everyone."

"Why me?"

Colin paused a moment, then plunged in, hoping the small measure of truth he could provide would not be his undoing.

"Must we start this again?" Colin shook his head. "Love, watching you is like breathing. Not seeing you is like holding my breath. I can only go so long without my heart falling silent. The heart is true, but it isn't always wise."

"No, it isn't always wise," Arywnn whispered as she took a step forward. Her green eyes were silver in the moonlight as they searched his hidden face.

Colin's breath caught as she reached out and ran her fingers down his arm, sending heated shivers through the cloth of his black tunic.

"How many times did I dream about ye? Wonder who was so silently watchin' when no one else seemed tae care." Her other hand reached down, and her dainty fingers laced through his gloved hand.

Colin's heart raced at her intimate touch, at how her hand fit perfectly within his own.

"Now I only wished I had a face tae carry with me in my dreams," she whispered the words as a plea.

It was almost Colin's breakdown. To be known, to no longer hide his face when she searched for his watching eyes. Yet the risk was too great. A risk he couldn't take because of the depth of his love.

Rather than speak the words he so desperately wanted to say, he reached up to remove the shroud from covering his lips, but Arywnn's touch to his shoulder stilled him. Her delicate hand reached up and lifted the shroud till his lips were uncovered. With achingly graceful motion, she rose up on her toes and placed a feather light kiss across his lips. The touch was like a hot coal searing his lips. He pressed for more, leaning in as she drew away. With ravenous hunger, he feasted on her lush lips and dove into the warmth of her mouth, tasting her flavor and savoring its essence. A sigh escaped her lips. Colin's body shook with passion, but he carefully restrained himself, holding his emotions in check.

He reached out and pulled her soft body into the hard plane of his chest, inhaling deeply. The scent of rosemary colored the kiss he continued to lavish on her. The kiss she shared. Soft hands trailed up his solid chest, and left shivers of hot desire in their wake. She finally reached behind his neck and pulled his mouth in closer, deepening the kiss. As her tongue flicked against his teeth, Colin's heartbeat broke into a sprint and he lifted her, pressing her carefully against an old oak. Her legs surrounded him, and desire tightened every part of his body. Before he abandoned all, he broke the fiery seal of their lips, and trailed warm kisses down her soft neck as he regained his self-control.

His blood roared in his ears; demanding he take her and claim her as his own, yet he knew he must not. It would be a passionate moment, but would leave her wondering if any of his words were true, or if he only wanted her for pleasure. He refused to torture her soul in that way. So with a heavy heart, he leaned away from her warm body, and stared at her face. Her eyes were still closed in rapture, and her lips were swollen from his fierce attack, but a smile lifted the corners of her mouth ever so slightly. Pride welled in his chest, as well as tenderness.

She blinked and gazed into the darkness where his face would be, if not partially covered by the shroud. Her eyes darted back and forth, seeming to search for something before her gaze dipped down to his lips. With two fingers raised, she traced the outline of his lips and smiled.

"If I cannae' have a face to dream of, then at least I have yer kisses tae warm me. T'will be wonderous dreams indeed," she whispered, and then leaned forward to kiss him once more. Quickly, she leaned away.

"Aye, let my kisses follow you wherever you are, Sweet Arywnn. For wherever you are, that is where I wish to be. Always."

Colin lay back on his pallet, willing his ridged body to relax so that he might succumb to the blissful ignorance of sleep. Long after he saw Arywnn back to the keep he had lain awake, indeed he still did. The moon had set long ago and the brilliant stars littered the sky. He focused on the twinkling lights, but they only reminded him of how Arywnn's eyes sparkled with laughter when she rode Garten. He rolled over facing the glowing embers of the fire. Yet even there, his mind called forth a vision of her auburn hair dancing in the sunlight with highlights the same color as the embers. After a frustrated growl, Colin rose. He dressed and headed out to his only known salvation from the fire within, the forge.

Dawn was beginning to break as Colin placed another horseshoe into the water. The steam rose and hissed till the hot metal was cooled, and he removed it setting it to the side. The words between the Laird and Rian echoed in Colin's mind once more. He had only a short time to devise a plan that would free both him and Arywnn.

Would she abandon her family for him? Would she dare leave it all behind? Would she regret her decision if she did follow him, only to find out his duplicity? Colin shook his head and closed his eyes. And what about whomever Rian planned to frame as the traitor? In good conscience, Colin could not leave behind a poor and innocent man to take his punishment. No, he'd have to carefully arrange it so that Rian couldn't frame another, yet time it so that he and Arywnn couldn't be found. Colin's mind spun as he factored in the window of time needed to get from the Clan Chattan lands to the port at Aberdeen. Surely they could board a ship for England across the North Sea. His orders stated those instructions. Silas would help them.

"I dinnae' ken that ye were as daft as they say," a voice sliced through Colin's planning. Though silently berating himself for being caught unaware, he shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Rian.

"I'm no a one tae care what people are sayin' about me. What is it that ye need, Rian? Horse toss a shoe?" Colin adjusted his expression into a bland indifferent mask. Rian's brown eyes scanned his shoulders then glanced about the forge.

"No. I'm after a different somethin'. Can ye mold me a dagger, about this long?" Rian held out his hands about six inches apart.

"Aye." Colin nodded.

"Nothin' fancy, and I'll pay ye well. I'll need it two day's time. Can ye do that?"

"Aye."

Rian regarded Colin, and seemed to question the simplicity of his answers. Suspicion was evident in his eyes before it was dismissed, and an arrogant twist of his lips made Colin's teeth clench.

"Word is that ye fancy Arywnn." Rian sneered and took a step toward Colin.

"Words are spoken often, yet many hold little truth," Colin replied carefully.

"Aye, yet I have it on good authority that Arywnn is wanting tae choose her husband. She watches ye. Surely ye've noticed." Rian circled Colin like a bird of prey. Colin's instincts of danger flared to life, but he kept his demeanor unaffected.

"Why would she look twice at a humble smithy? I dinnae' believe ye." Colin shook his head.

"Aye. What would she see in ye, indeed?" Rian smirked then paused his circling. "Verra well. I'll see ye in two days."

"Verra well." Colin waited for Rian to leave. He closed his eyes. Rian was more of a threat than he had originally thought.

His mind spun. A dagger? Colin was sure he knew its intention. If Rian said two days, then Colin's plans would be far too late. Colin could see the wheels turning in Rian's mind as he evaluated him. He was searching for weakness. Watching his reaction as he spoke about Arywnn. If Rian approached him, would he approach Arywnn as well? He now only had two days to see to their freedom before Rian would surely take the dagger, frame a man and certainly try to kill Colin for knowing the dagger's true owner. Everyone knew that dead men told no tales. Time was running out.

****

Arywnn was just waking from a blissful dream. The sounds of birds chirping outside invaded the last moments of the scene unfolding in her mind, yet she refused to wake. Knight had just kissed her, and she was reaching up to remove the scarf shrouding his face. Her hands trembled as she lifted the dark fabric higher till she could clearly see the outline of his full lips and the dark stubble of his beard. As she lifted higher, a straight nose came into view as well as a defined jaw line. She swallowed nervously as she removed the last of the mask and came face to face with a pair of familiar blue-black eyes.

"Arywnn, tis I lass," Colin's voice shattered the rest of her dream and sent her gasping. She glanced about the room and breathed deeply, trying to still her racing heart. What could that have meant? Was her heart somehow pining for Colin when her body was responding to Knight? Hadn't she always wanted her watcher to be Colin, yet now that she knew it wasn't, was that disappointing? She didn't think so, yet the dream gave her pause and caused an uneasy feeling to creep in and steal the joy from the night before. Her body yearned for the kisses of Knight, yet she couldn't deny the elated joy she felt after the shock of seeing Colin's face behind the mask in her dream. Discouraged, Arywnn rose from bed and began to ready herself for the day.

After performing her duties in the keep she headed to the stables. As she approached the forge, her heart began to pound out a fierce rhythm. Would Colin see her? Yet her mind convicted her of being fickle. How could she kiss a different man at night then pine for another come daylight? It wasn't done! Scolding herself, she focused on the road ahead and almost ran into a man.

"Och, lass. Where are ye off tae on such a bonny day?" Rian's voice sent shivers of fear up her spine, and she glanced up quickly. His brown eyes were cold and calculating. Arywnn swallowed and offered a nervous smile.

"Just tae the stables."