“Tell me about the dream,” she managed tosay. “Sometimes it helps.”
His eyes were so blue that Tess thought shecould drown in them. “I had forgotten how to swim. My legs and armswere not mine to command. And every time I thought I could catchsome air, another great wave would crash over me and take medeeper.”
She edged closer to his side and sat on thebedding. Their hips were touching through the blanket, and she wasvery conscious of the contact.
“That is just a scare held over from yourstruggles during the storm.” Her fingers moved of their own accordand touched the roughness on his chin. She touched the cleft andhesitantly traced his lips. The difference in texture was sointeresting. “You are safe here.”
Tess watched as his expression changed.Shocked by her own behavior, she guiltily withdrew her fingers. Hiseyes focused on her face in a way she could not identify.
“You said you had bad dreams,” he saidsoftly.
“Aye. Many times. Sometimes I still do.”
“Were you ever caught in waves like that,too? Washed ashore?”
“I was.” Tess knew she had made a mistakethe moment the words left her mouth. She tried to pull away, buthis grip on her one hand held her where she was.
“Tell me about it, Tess.”
She shook her head and looked away. “Thereis nothing to tell. I…I almost drowned swimming off the westernbluffs.”
“You blush when you lie.”
She turned sharply to him. “I blush when Iam considering murder, too.”
He had the nerve to laugh for a moment. Sheshivered as his thumb moved slowly back and forth across herpalm.
“How old are you, Tess?”
“Seventy-one this month! Far too old for youto be looking at me likethat.” She pulled her hand free andpractically ran across the room.
His laughter followed her as she crawledbeneath the blankets. She tried to close her eyes and ears to hischarm.
If the filthy dogs find a young and bonnything like ye on this deserted island, they’ll all be thinking thesame thing, lassie…Charlotte’s warnings were losing theirbite. The fact that he was a Highlander wasn’t even enough to worryher.
Tess pulled the blanket over her blushingface and tried to cool her blood. The problem lay not with the manwho was watching her from across the room. The problem was withher. How had she become so stupid so quickly?
She knew she was in trouble if ColinMacpherson didn’t leave soon.
Buffeted by the gusting wind, Colin stood at thevery edge of the rock bluff and scanned the turbulent sea allaround him. Not a ship or a boat for as far as he could see. He’dtaken advantage of a break in the rain at dawn, leaving Tess to thesleep of the innocent. He wasn’t surprised at the lack of anysails, though perhaps the easing of the rain was a sign that thestorm was blowing itself out. Once the skies began to clear, heknew he would see at least one ship on the horizon.
More than looking for his brother’s ship, though,Colin needed to get away from Tess. He’d desperately needed somefresh air to clear his head.
There was something about her. She was bewitchinghim. Young women had always been easy to come by. The Lordabove…and his parents…had blessed him with a fair share of goodlooks. He had a good family name. He’d never needed to pursue anylass. And he’d never seen any need in settling down, either. Theones who’d come looking for marriage, he sent on their way. Colin’splans included no wife—that was certain! He had plans to sail theseas. Adventure, fame, fortune…those were the things he was after.And he’d never considered letting his plans be spoiled by onewoman…in one port…in one bed.
Colin walked toward the chasm that cut diagonallyacross the island. Descending, he followed a freshwater spring anddropped down to a stony beach. The brown eyes of a half-dozen sealswere watching him from the water. Spotting some driftwood that hadwashed in with the storm tide, he began collecting some to carryback.
He was the youngest son of Alec Macpherson, aHighland laird, and Fiona Drummond Macpherson. Through his mother,he was grandson to the great King James the Fourth and cousin byblood to the infant Queen Mary. Naturally, with lineage like that,there were certain expectations. Though he’d tried to fight it, hisparents had insisted that he follow in his two older brother’sfootsteps and finish his education at St. Andrews. But now, by thedevil, that was behind him. Now Colin was ready to follow hisdreams.
From Ireland to Antwerp, Macpherson ships had beenraiding merchant vessels from the continent and from England for atleast five generations. As his grandfather used to say, the bloodof piracy ran in Macpherson blood. Colin’s youngest uncle, JohnMacpherson, had been the Lord of the King’s Navy. His other uncle,Ambrose, a fierce warrior, had also sailed these waters and raidedmany ships before settling down to a life of service to theCrown.
Colin’s older brother Alexander was master of theMacpherson ships now. James, the second son, had chosen topursue—like their Uncle Ambrose—the life of a diplomat. This left aworld of opportunity open for Colin, for he knew Alexander couldonly keep at this for so many years before his time came to assumethe mantle of the next Macpherson laird. When that happened, Colinwanted to be sure he was ready to take charge of the clan’s fleetof ships and continue the family tradition. Hell, the Spanish shipscoming back from the New World were just bulging with silver andgold. They were plums waiting to be picked.
He simply couldn’t allow any woman to interfere withplans like those. Even if she were beautiful and mysterious.
By the time Colin returned to the priory carrying astack of driftwood, his mind was clear and his resolve set. Noattachment. No attraction. No worrying about her, or even goingafter her again should she choose to hide. She had obviously beensurviving perfectly well before his arrival. She would continue onjust as well after he left.
Colin’s resolve, though, only lasted until he cameup the stairs and found her missing. Her bed was neatened. The firewas burning nicely. Some of her blankets were missing, though.
