Wager with a Warrior - Emma Prince Page 0,3
about his hands reminded her of the enormous paws on the ancient bear skin that had once hung in Castle Bharraich’s great hall, before her mother had insisted that her father remove it. It was too crude, her mother had said. A rather unappetizing sight hanging over them for every meal. Her father had laughed, kissed her, and done her bidding.
Yet Birdie had been sad to see the bear skin tucked away. She’d always found it mesmerizing—and a wee bit terrifying.
When she looked up again, her eyes locked with his. To her surprise, she found a hint of curiosity in their rich brown depths, along with amusement. But mostly, he looked weary.
“Go on, then,” he urged softly. “Take yer hit.”
She sidled closer still, until her balled fists hovered in the empty space between his relaxed hands. His steady, easy breath rustled the wisps of hair around her face.
Now what?
Her gaze darted up to his once more. Out of nervousness, her tongue flicked over her suddenly dry lips. Those sable eyes dropped to her mouth. They widened ever so slightly.
In that instant, Birdie knew what she needed to do.
Her hands shot out and closed on his tunic, yanking him forward. In the same heartbeat, she rose on her toes and softened her lips for impact with his.
But when their mouths collided in a kiss, his lips were astonishingly smooth and supple, like the press of a bolt of silk.
He froze at their first contact, yet beneath her balled fists, she could feel the heat and strength of him, coiled tight and ready to explode. Her lips melted incrementally against his. Her heart hammered in her ears once, twice, thrice. The kiss stretched, and with it, her wits.
Distantly, she was aware of the crowd hooting and whistling, yet to her surprise, she felt no shame in her brazen act. It is for my people, a stern voice whispered in some sane corner of her mind, no’ for myself.
But if that were true, why hadn’t she managed to pull away yet?
She lingered another long moment, storing away the feel of the Black MacLeod’s lips against hers. But as it always did, her sense of duty encroached on the selfish indulgence. Enough, Birdie. Finish this mad scheme.
Abruptly, she broke the kiss. With all her strength, she shoved against his chest where her hands still clung to his tunic.
She might as well have tried to topple a mountain with her bare hands. He didn’t budge. Yet his head snapped up when she withdrew her lips, his eyes blazing with surprise.
He took a stunned step backward and nearly plowed into half a dozen men who’d crowded close to get a better view. Most of the men leapt out of the giant warrior’s way, but a Sutherland deep in his cups had other ideas.
Just as the Black MacLeod took another staggering step back, the Sutherland stuck out his leg. His wide gaze focused on Birdie, MacLeod stumbled into the unseen obstacle. He lurched, his balance suddenly thrown off. His feet tangled with the Sutherland’s extended leg further, sending him reeling backward.
To keep from tumbling straight onto his arse, the Black MacLeod dropped one knee onto the alehouse’s floor, then the other.
A stunned silence crashed over the alehouse. A gasp died in Birdie’s throat, and not just at the sight of the fierce Highlander on his knees before her. Her lips tingled with the memory of their kiss. Heat raced across her skin beneath her gown. That was…
The moment shattered when one of the men in the crowd spoke up.
“The wee lass…she bested the Black MacLeod!”
“She brought the Black MacLeod to his knees!”
The crowd erupted in a riot of shouts, jeers, and more than a few bellows of glee.
The Black MacLeod surged to his feet, casting a murderous glower over those gathered, but they were too elated now to cower.
“What say ye, MacLeod?” a portly MacKay with cheeks reddened by ale shouted. “That wee slip of a woman bested ye. Are ye hers to command now?”
“Aye, MacLeod!” one of his fellow clansmen added over the laughter of the others. “Will ye honor yer wager, or will ye back out like a coward?”
Spending the last of her courage, Birdie stepped forward. “Well?” she said, lifting her brows at the seething giant before her.
His eyes narrowed, and a muscle leapt wildly in his jaw. But after a long moment, he lifted his voice over the mob. “I am a man of my word.”
He turned to Birdie. Though his gaze could