But Jamie understood. “I dinna know,” he said softly, pressing his forehead against hers. “But we’ll figure it out.”
He rolled onto his back and pulled her possessively into his arms. Elise was content to fit herself alongside his warm body, resting her head against his shoulder and allowing the solidity of him to chase away some of her fears.
The future would arrive whether she thought about it or not, so for this moment she was determined not to ruin her enjoyment of the present with worries of the future. For now, she was warm and safe and wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.
For now, it was enough.
Chapter Sixteen
Jamie lay awakelong after Elise’s breathing had deepened into sleep, watching her as she slept. She was beautiful. Passionate. Powerful beyond anything he could have imagined.
And she washis.
How was that possible? How could this incredible woman, this MacFinnan spellweaver from the future, possibly feel the same things for him as he did for her? What had he done to warrant such a blessing?
He ran his thumb lightly along her cheek, careful not to wake her. She deserved rest. She deserved warmth and safety and a better life than the one he’d dragged her into.
He pulled his plaid that he’d thrown over them both tighter around her shoulders. The small movement made her groan and burrow closer.
Outside, the storm had settled in. Rain battered against the roof of the cottage, against the crumbling walls, and the wind howled like a banshee. That was good. Nothing, not even Phillip with his devilry, could track them in this weather. It bought them some time. But not much.
Phillip would expect him to go north, to rouse the clan and march on Dun Arach. He wanted to do just that, to ride in fury and vengeance against the man who’d betrayed him, betrayed Islay and the Kingdom of the Isles.
But that would bring only ruin.
By now the so-called pirates would have converged on Dun Arach and taken both the town and the keep. Jamie was under no illusions that the keep would be able to hold out against such a concerted attack. Phillip had the king’s warriors at his command. Even if he roused the entire island and called in his loyal garrisons from along the coast, Jamie could not hope to retake the keep without it being a bloodbath, with the outcome anything but certain.
He wouldnotlead his people to slaughter. But neither would he leave them at the mercy of King James and his puppet, Phillip MacClelland.
But how could he take back his island, keep his people safe,andprotect Elise?
It was impossible. Every way he turned there seemed to be a yawning chasm at his feet, waiting to swallow him. Jamie closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself. He did not have the luxury of falling apart. He might be bruised, angry, and mortified by his own blindness, but he couldn’t let it rule him now.
Think, man, he growled at himself.Think.
Elise shifted, her cold toes brushing his calf. He pressed a light kiss to her hair, breathing her in—the faintest hint of lavender beneath the smoke.
He would die for her. He had known that long before he admitted he loved her.
But he would live for her, too.
That meant being wiser. Shrewder. Stronger. It meant finding a way through the maze that his future had become, a path that brought them all safely out on the other side.
His thoughts spun like a ship caught in a whirlpool, and no solution presented itself. Finally, sleep dragged him under.
A log rolling out of the fire jolted him awake. He jerked, eliciting a muffled moan of complaint from Elise. The fire hadburned down to embers, and light spilling from under the door told him that it was early morning. The storm had blown through overnight, and the silence was almost deafening.
He allowed himself to lie still and breathe deeply, taking in the stillness. Elise was warm and soft against his side. He could feel the gentle caress of her breath against his shoulder, hear the faint hiss of her breathing as she slept.
What more could he ever want than this moment? If he could have lived in it forever, he would have.
But this was no fairytale, and he knew that the world beyond the door was waiting. He shifted his weight, rolled onto his side. Elise muttered something in complaint but didn’t wake. She was most definitelynotan early riser.
He pressed his lips against her forehead, and she stirred a little, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheek. He kissed her again—slow, warm, deliberate. This time her eyes opened, hazy with sleep. A faint smile curved her lips, and she lifted her chin so he could kiss her properly.
“We need to go,” he murmured.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I was afraid you were going to say that.” She sat up, shivering as the plaid fell away.
