Reaching over, he brushed aside a lock of hair that fell across her flawless skin. Then as an afterthought, he lifted the fragrant strand to his nose and breathed in the sweet, aromatic smell that was uniquely Adrina. She appeared so delicate and innocent. But she was no longer a virgin, he knew. Duncan shifted uncomfortably with the knowledge that he was to blame for this state. He wasn’t proud of the loss of his self-control. It wasn’t as if he had a shortage of women to bed. Those women were experienced, and would have gladly tumbled with him if he asked them. In all his life, he had never taken a virgin to bed, yet with Adrina he couldn’t understand why he was powerless to resist her. And the unrestrained passion that she displayed boggled his mind. When their bodies joined in the dimly lit cavern, he felt a fierce, unfamiliar joy spreading through him like wildfire. Never had he experienced this with any woman. Simply recalling what occurred a mere hour ago made him harden again.
He shifted to his side, and watched the shadows jump and shudder across the rocky walls. There was no way that he could fall asleep in this aroused state.
Adrina turned in her sleep so that she lay on her back. The faint glow from the fire danced over her oval visage, accentuating her delicate features. She was a pretty lass, although there were other lassies more beautiful than her. Yet despite all that, Adrina seemed more captivating somehow. The alluring, ethereal beauty she possessed was rooted in something that was beyond the obvious, and the more time he spent with her, the more he became drawn to her. Perhaps she really was a fae princess who had come to tempt him away from civilization. If this was the case, then she would have no difficulty in luring him…
Duncan curled his lips, and he made a low sound of disgust. What was happening to him? He wasn’t normally prone to the ridiculous. Perhaps he had spent too long listening to his younger sister’s stories.
A soft murmur escaped from Adrina, and he tilted his head to look down at her. A frown creased his brow when he saw the sweat that beaded her forehead. Her serene expression had changed into one of pain and distress. Her head thrashed back and forth as if she battled with some inner demon.
A sharp, distressed note burst from her lips.
“Adrina.” He placed his hand on her slender shoulders, shaking her lightly. “Wake up, lass.”
When she opened her large, luminous eyes, she appeared disoriented, as if she was still lost in her nightmare. When at last she fixed her gaze upon him, her fingers reached over and dug into his forearm.
“Duncan?”
“Aye,” he said, prying her cold hand loose, and holding it in his palms for warmth. “Ye were dreaming.”
“’Twas terrible,” she whispered, her fingers squeezing his hand as if she needed something to anchor her to the physical world. She sat up and gathered the plaid to her shoulders. “My parents were standing at the gallows…”
Duncan looked at her, waiting for her to explain further, but a haunted look appeared on her countenance and she became mute. It was obvious that she wasn’t going to say anything more. There was more to her terror, he realized. But what was it?
CHAPTER 12
With her eyes still closed, Adrina snuggled closer to her heat source. But when that heat source moved, her eyelids flew open. It took her a moment to realize where she was. Almost immediately she saw that she was nestled against Duncan’s side.
His scent wrapped around her as she realized that his plaid covered her like a blanket. Glancing down, she was relieved to discover that she and Duncan were dressed in their underclothes. Sometime during the night he must have put her back in the shift, and covered her with the plaid so that she wouldn’t be chilled. Her heart softened at his thoughtfulness. He was a considerate, sympathetic man, although he took pains to hide these traits, and only showed his tough exterior.
He was different from the men she knew back home. Finally she was able to admit to herself that he wasn’t as hateful as she first believed. Her heart quickened as she thought about the large man lying beside her. In the dim light that streamed through the cave opening, she could make out his features. Raising herself up on her elbow, she took a closer look at him. In his sleep he seemed almost boyish — far from the cynical, calculating man that she had come to know. She was fascinated by him, and wanted to know everything about him. There was something that had hardened him. She was sure of it. He appeared to have a polite, relaxed charm that set the opposite sex aflutter, but there was something dark and restrained about him, something that made him keep everyone at an arm’s length. Was it the wars that he fought, or was it the woman that he had lost that made him this way?
But he had shown no restraint last night, she thought as a blush rose to her cheeks. While her thoughts drifted to the previous evening, two realizations hit her as abruptly as if large stones were tossed at her head. She was no longer a virgin, and she felt no remorse over losing her innocence. For some strange reason, she felt a sense of liberation. Her true destiny was unknown, since that knowledge wasn’t revealed to her. However she was certain of one thing — she had experienced pleasure and passion on her own terms. And she had made love to the man of her choice. Neither her father nor Fingal could take any of that away from her.
Adrina traced the outline of Duncan’s rugged face with her eyes. His eyelids were closed and his dark lashes lay across his cheek. The fine lines that had surrounded the corners of his eyes were gone. His mouth was opened slightly, and his breathing came out in a deep and steady rhythm. At his jaw line dark stubble grew, and she longed to run her fingers across the rough surface, and memorize the contours of his masculine visage. It was almost sinful how braw this Highlander was.
But an unexpected heaviness settled over her heart. In all respects, she had used him to satisfy her curiosity, and on his part, she was only a small diversion. Her hand clenched at the plaid. It was a bad idea to become attached to this Highlander, but she knew that it was already too late. Perhaps there was one more day of travel. And once he brought her to her home, he would leave, and forget that she existed. Her father would then find a husband for her, and she would never again experience the happiness she had found in Duncan’s arms. The brooding thoughts over her hopeless prospects overwhelmed her, and she needed to get away from Duncan before she burst into tears. She shifted slowly away from Duncan. Careful not to make any sound, she slipped out of the cave.
As soon as Adrina made it outside, she heard the thunderous roar of rushing water, and she momentarily forgot about her dilemma. When they arrived at the cave last night, the sound of the waterfall was masked by the heavy downpour. It appeared that they were now closer to the fall than she thought.
Taking a deep breath, she noticed that the air that surrounded her was surprisingly mild and balmy, while the smell of rain and damp earth lingered in the air. It appeared more like mid-summer rather than autumn. She looked up and saw that the sky was still a soft pink. Turning around to glance back into the hollow, she saw that there was no movement from within. There was enough time for her to wash up, and return to the cavern before Duncan noticed that she went missing. She followed the thunderous sound to the back of the shelter. And as she rounded the bend, she paused at the rocky ledge. Looking at the steep gully, she took a moment to absorb the stunning beauty.
Above the noise of rushing water, she could hear the sweet trill and whistle of a yellowhammer perched somewhere in a nearby birch tree branch. While the sun was starting to rise, its rays had yet to touch the loch. Meanwhile a soft mist hovered over the waterway, slowly drifting across the surface, alternately obscuring and then revealing the alder and rowan trees that grew on the opposite end of the bank. It felt as if she had somehow stumbled upon a fairy haven.
Yet it puzzled her that the waterfall wasn’t as large as she had imagined. The water rushed over a narrow path that was forged by a series of large dolerite boulders. And as it reached the edge of the cliff, it made its rapid descent, pooling at the bottom, and combining with the crimson and golden leaves that swirled there.
From her vantage point, she saw the morning light finally rising above the trees, and beaming into the loch, and making it appear as if it was on fire. As the minutes passed, the mist completely dispersed, and Adrina had a fine view of the stately trees that surrounded her newfound sanctuary. To the right of her grew an old rowan tree which leaned precariously over the waterway, its burnished leaves reflecting off the crystal loch below.
Adrina felt a sudden urge to be at the water’s edge, and to wade into the clear pool. Placing one foot on a rock and then another, she made her slow, and careful descent toward the body of water.
When she finally reached the bank, she looked about her in wonder. A slight breeze blew across the watercourse, ruffling it and the long grass that grew along the edge. She didn’t know how it was possible, but up close, the sight was even more beautiful to behold.
Remembering that she needed to cleanse herself, she eagerly removed her boots. Then hiking up her skirt, she waded into the shallows. The shocking chill that met her made her want to turn back, but she stayed where she was, and quickly finished her chore.
A moment later when her task was done, she started to return to the bank. Setting a foot on a submerged rock, she glanced up, and found Duncan standing at the water’s edge, waiting for her.
“Ye scared me,” she said, pressing her hand over her heart, and willing it to slow down its pace. He seemed comfortable traversing in this terrain, and moved with surprising stealth.
“My apologies,” he said, offering his hand to assist her out of the loch. “I noticed that ye had awoken, and I was curious tae see where ye were going.”
