I blinked back tears and kissed both their foreheads. “Thank ye.”
I could feel James watching me as I mounted, but he didn’t say anything, and I did my best not to meet his gaze so he wouldn’t see the sheen of unshed tears. When my arse hit the saddle, the tears broke through, and I averted my gaze completely.
“We’ll miss ye, Auntie Katreine!” Dyron called, and the tears came harder.
“Take this,” James said quietly.
I had no choice but to turn to him, so I quickly wiped my cheeks and glanced his way. I was surprised to see a wine skin and a torn piece of plaid clutched in the hand he extended to me. “What’s this for?” I said, grasping the items.
“The wine is to comfort ye. ’Tis hard to say goodbye to those ye love, and the plaid is because, well, ’tis, uh, ye’ve a smudge on yer cheeks.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. Not only was this man trying to comfort me, but he was also trying to do so without making me feel embarrassed by noticing my tears. An instant liking for him sprang up in me, and, unfortunately, so did the memory of Gillie’s words about allowing myself to know the pleasure a man could bring me. Heat singed my cheeks, so I mumbled, “thank ye,” and quickly turned my face back toward the passing village. James didn’t try to speak anymore, and I appreciated his respect for my wishes as well as his kindness.
If I were going to give myself to a man, he was certainly not a bad prospect. He was more than pleasing to look at. He hada ruggedness and vitality; I would wager he had drawn many women to his bed, so he likely knew exactly how to pleasure a woman. The thought amused and horrified me at the same time. Why was I even considering Gillie’s suggestion?
I stole a glance at him. He was staring off in the other direction, so I allowed myself a moment to study him. His powerful legs rested on either side of his destrier, keeping him firmly in place. He rode the beast easily, as if he had been born in a saddle. His body swayed in a natural rhythm with the horse, somehow telling me he had complete and utter command of the beast. Still, I noted he rolled his shoulders as we cantered along, almost as if he had too much restless energy to be contained by simply sitting and riding at a leisurely pace.
I let my gaze travel up to the dark curls clinging to his neck, then to his profile. His full lips and strong jaw held a certain sensuality. He was, I thought, suddenly, the most compellingly handsome man I’d ever seen. Even more so than Alec, whom I had ruined my life for.
As the horses clopped down the dirt road and the shadows lengthened across the sky, slowly swallowing the sunlight, I judged we would not have long before darkness fell. Surely he did not mean for us to ride through the night? Da had always said it was dangerous to do so, not only because it was harder to spot wild animals and any enemies who might be lurking in the cover of night, waiting for you, but also because you could simply fail to see the correct path and ride yourself straight off a mountain.
“Will we stop when night falls?” I asked.
James turned toward me, and a slash of the last rays of sunlight struck his black hair, making it glisten. “Nay, I want to travel straight through to a small settlement near Loch Sunart.”
“Loch Sunart?” I asked, confused. Admittedly, I wasn’t good at geography. I’d always struggled with the lessons Da had givenus, and I recalled that he would chide me, saying, ‘What if ye must escape an enemy someday, lass? Ye must ken yer east from yer west and yer north from yer south.’
Traveling so much with the Summer Walkers had helped me, but I would still be hard-pressed to find my way to Skye alone, which was another reason I’d known I needed not only a man who could be my protector but also my guide. “Isn’t that in the wrong direction?”
The line of his mouth tightened a fraction before he spoke. “I’m avoiding the coast. ’Tis too exposed.”
“I see,” I replied, nodding. I’d have to trust him. Still… “How many days will the journey take us?” I asked. I may have to put my faith in him, but I’d like to hear the details to ease my mind.
He gave me a long look, and I had the distinct feeling he was judging me. “Eight, if I were traveling alone,” he finally said.
“Are ye implying I’m going to slow ye down?”
His firm mouth curled as if on the verge of laughter. “Aye, lass. ’Tis simply that ye’re a woman.”
I scowled, and he pressed his lips together as if he were holding back laughter.
“If I were nae with ye, ye would be able to do it in eight?”
“Aye, but I would be riding hard and fast, as I said, and I would stop very little.”
“Then we will do it in eight,” I announced. I was an excellent rider, and I desperately wanted to reach the Dark Woods, face Morgana, and, hopefully, reclaim my life.
James shook his head. “Ye’ll nae last.”
“Men!” I grumbled. “Why are ye always so certain ye are superior?”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, then he shook his head. “I do nae think I’m always superior. There are many things I ken well that a woman can do better than me, but I can outlast ye on horseback. I’m hard in all the right places, but ye—”
His gaze swept over me, lingering near my arse. When his eyes met mine, I sucked in a breath at the heat I saw there. Was that desire? My belly tightened at the thought, but I pushed it away. If we had eight days together, there would be time to consider what, if anything, might happen between us.
“Ye’re soft,” he finished, then quickly added, “’tis nae a bad thing.”
Had his voice grown husky, or was I imagining things?
