Highland Knight Of Dreams - Amy Jarecki Page 0,19

deserved better than to be ravished and cast aside. Worse, every time Quinn looked into her blaeberry eyes he yearned to kiss the lass. Hell, he wanted to do a great deal more than kiss.

If only she were a simple maid, a tryst might assuage his inexplicable lust. But no, the woman had to be a clan leader in her own right—the only living heir of the Lamont line. Of all the clans who feuded with the Campbells, Lamont was the most hated. Before the massacre, Alice’s grandfather had led his kin on raids putting Campbell women and children under the knife. They’d reived Campbell cattle, burned out their crofts and attacked their castles, yet Quinn’s grandfather had repaid their deeds tenfold.

By the time Quinn returned to the cottage, he was bone-weary, but a good fatigue, the kind that made a man feel as if he is on the mend after a bout of sickness. The sun shone like an immense yellow ball on the horizon of the western sky and, after a polite knock, he strode inside—a home far more meager than the lass deserved.

Alice set her mending aside and stood from the rocking chair, blushing scarlet. “I-I wasn’t certain you’d return.”

Was she embarrassed about catching him bathing? He hadn’t given his nakedness a second thought, other than wishing they’d been naked together, other than wanting her more than he’d ever wanted a woman in his life.

He rubbed the back of his neck and let the door swing closed behind him. “I needed to regain my strength.” And clear my addled head.

She’d brushed out her hair and the waves shimmered in the candlelight as she gestured with an upturned palm. “I made roast chicken.”

“Is that what smells delicious?”

“Mm hmm.” Feminine hips swayed while she moved to the hearth and tugged on the hob’s cast iron handle. “If you’ll open the bottle of wine, I’ll set to serving.”

Quinn found the squat flagon on the table and used his dirk to cut away the wax sealing the cork. “You look bonny this eve.”

“Oh?” Placing the chicken on the table, she didn’t seem to appreciate the compliment. “Not any different than usual, I suppose.”

“Och, you’d look bonny dressed in sackcloth. The first time I laid eyes on you I thought ye were the loveliest creature I’d seen in all my days.” He raked his fingers through his hair. What am I about? Why must I become a lovelorn fool whenever I’m in her presence?

A wee smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “A selkie.”

“Nay, that’s what my brother said. But I thought…”

She smoothed her hands down her apron. “Yes?”

“I thought you were as beautiful as a goddess.”

His words produced not a smile or blush, but a coy expression with wide, teasing eyes. “You’ve seen many goddesses, have you?”

“Dreamed of them quite a bit.” Giving up on hiding his emotions, he grinned lopsidedly. “As it turns out I was dreaming of you.”

Alice sat and nodded to the bench opposite. “Och, Lord Quinn, your banter is enchanting. If I’d not been born a Lamont, I might think you wanted to court me.”

“Why should I not?” he said, barely believing such a question had slipped through his lips. “I enjoyed kissing you.” Mercy, can I not keep my mouth closed?

The purse to her lips transformed into a grimace as she turned redder than a blood rose. Not meeting his gaze, she picked up a carving knife and pointed it across the table. “We must pretend that never happened.” She set to chopping up the chicken as if it were tougher than leather.

Quinn leaned in. “Allow me, if you will.”

Alice presented him with the knife’s handle. “I never should have brought out your clothes.”

Ah, so the incident out back was what had her bothered.

Quinn carefully sliced a juicy breast and set it on her plate. “It was very kind of you to do so.”

“But weren’t you…”

Ignoring the fluttering low in his gut, he focused on the task as he served himself. “Hmm?”

She scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “Embarrassed?”

“Nay.” He looked her in the eye but doing so peeled away a bit of the cool exterior he was trying to project. God Almighty, she was bonny—merely having her eyes upon him sent his heart aflutter. “I hope I didn’t make you feel that way.”

Alice suddenly became very interested in her food, pushing her chicken about the plate with her knife. “You’re making me nervous now.”

“Forgive me. ’Tis difficult not to look at you.”

“Well, you