“Aye,” she answered quickly, and waited, breathless.
He made her wait several long moments, his expression betraying nothing. Finally he sighed.
“I suppose ’tis a matter of trust—my trusting your word. And as I’m wanting you to trust me, too, the trusting between us must start somewhere.”
Sheena’s eyes gleamed. “I can stay then?”
“Aye.”
“For how long? I mean, how long before you return?”
He grinned. “I’ll give you at least an hour, whether I finish ’afore then or no’.”
Sheena turned away so he couldn’t see how much this small gesture meant to her. “I thank you,” she said softly.
“It pleases me if I have made you happy, Sheena.”
He sounded so serious that she turned around tolook at him again, worried over what he might be making of this. But she found him grinning.
He mounted his horse and grabbed the mare’s reins. “I’ll be taking your mare, as you suggested,” he explained. “Just so you’re no’ tempted.”
As he rode away, back toward the castle, she smiled. Was that charming, agreeable man really her enemy? she asked, then chided herself. Hewas. She would have to guard against that charm. It mattered not at all that he was devilishly handsome, or that he could dispel her fears with a smile. He was still James MacKinnion, sworn enemy of her clan. He might trust her all he wanted—but she would never trust him.
Chapter 19
Sheena lay stretched out on a smooth rock, basking in the sun slanting through low-lying clouds. The water had indeed been cold, but that had not diminished her delight in the least. She had enjoyed herself thoroughly. Now she was warming her chilled body. It had been much too long since she had enjoyed herself so.
Sheena’s hour of privacy was drawing to an end, and she could no longer lie there letting the sun caress her bare skin. She had to dress and dress quickly. She hurried into her clothes, grinning as she thought, How surprised he would have been to find me like that! I’ll wager he would have been too shocked to take advantage.
She saw him the moment he rounded the steep crag that hid the castle from view. He galloped over, pulling her mare along. Sheena frowned. Why was he in such a hurry?
“Is something wrong?” Sheena called out to him.
Jamie chuckled and slid off his horse, leaving both animals to graze on the heath. A few long strides brought him around the pool, and he climbed up the rocks to Sheena.
“Can a man no’ be eager to join a bonny lass?” He grinned. He reached her side and shoved a sack into her hands.
“What is this?” she asked.
“I recalled that you’ve no’ eaten yet today, so I brought along a wee bit of food for you.”
Sheena opened the sack and then looked up at him. “A wee bit? This sack is full.”
“Well, ’tis notallfor you,” he replied lightly. “Come, sit with me.”
Sheena hesitated. He was in such high spirits, and he seemed so utterly pleased with himself for some reason. Why?
She turned a little, so she could sit facing him.
As soon as they were settled, Jamie grabbed the sack from her and began tossing things to her, a skin of wine, bannocks, half a roasted hen, ginger cakes. She started laughing as the food began to spill out of her lap. “Enough, Jamie!” she cried.
Jamie settled back against a rock, stretching out his long legs. Sheena relaxed, a grin on her lips as she watched him rummage through whatever else there was in the bag. He finally settled on the other half of the hen. They ate, and she watched the play of clouds across the blue sky. She watched Jamie,too, unable to stop from looking his way every so often. Each time she did, her eyes met his and she looked away, flustered. It was ridiculous, the way her eyes were continually drawn to him, almost of their own accord. There was a sort of unreality to what was happening, enforced by the silence. Her pulse picked up its beat each time their eyes met, and she felt a warm, giddy rush. The wine, no doubt. She shouldn’t have drunk so much. It made her cheeks hot. No. She was blushing under the constant regard of those hazel eyes.
At last Sheena reluctantly broke the silence. “Should we no’ go back?”
“There’s no hurry.”
Jamie had no intention of leaving yet. He had long ago decided to devote this day to her. It had taken much willpower to leave her alone here. And as he had had no pressing business, it had meant even more willpower to stay away a full hour. But he had wanted her to have her swim.
