She made a rather awkward lunge toward him. Jamie caught her, holding her arms tightly to her side with one of his while the other hand pressed her head against his shoulder, and he rocked her gently.
“Go to sleep,” he said.
When Mari woke, it took a moment to realize where she was. Embers of the banked fire glowed softly in the hearth, and the purplish haze of predawn hung in the air. The wind no longer howled like a furious pack of wolves, and she was cocooned in a blanket of warmth.
Warmth not only came from the plaid that covered her.
As her senses awakened, she became aware of a strong arm around her waist, bracing her against a hard body that radiated its own heat. Mari lay motionless, allowing herself to absorb the feeling. Her head rested on Jamie’s other arm, and his breath was soft and warm near her ear. One of his thighs was over hers as well, effectively pinning her to him. She shifted slightly and felt something thick and hard stir against her backside.
Turning onto her back, she caught Jamie’s eyes, gleaming gold in the faint light from the embers, watching her intently. She smiled sleepily. “How long have you been awake?”
“Nae long.” Jamie brushed a tangled wisp of her hair aside and propped himself up on his elbow. “How is yer head?”
“Fine. Should it not be?”
Jamie chuckled. “For a lass nae used touisge-beathaye have a fine, hard head.”
“A hard head? Are you telling me I am stubborn?”
The chuckle deepened. “Ye are that, but I meant ye are handling the effects of the whisky well. Or, mayhap, ye are still drunk?”
“I am nae—I amnotdrunk. I did not have that much.” In the near darkness, she would have missed his raised eyebrow if his face had not been mere inches from hers. “I did not,” she emphasized.
“Nae? Do ye remember what ye said?”
Thank goodness dawn had not broken or Jamie would have seen the telltale blush she felt wash over her. She remembered very well what she had said—and almost done. What shestillwanted to do. But if Jamie thought to bedevil her about it, she would turn the tables on him. “Perhaps you could tell me?”
His voice changed slightly, all trace of the chuckling gone. “Ye said ye wanted to kiss me.”
“I did?”
“Aye.”
“Did you take advantage of that?”
“Nae.”
“Why not?”
“I dinnae take advantage of drunk lasses.”
Mari took a deep breath and felt a slight tremor of anticipation in her tummy. “I am not drunk now.”
He looked momentarily confused, and then his eyes widened. “What are ye saying?”
Oh, Lord. Jamie was going to win this battle after all. He was going to make herask. Maybe she should not. If she had any sense at all, she would crawl out from this precarious position on all fours, get dressed and demand to be taken home. It really was what she should do. Already, she could hear Effie scolding her, and Aunt Agnes would probably swoon if she knew what Mari was contemplating. And certainly, if she were in London, she would not even consider… Mari looked at Jamie’s full, sensual mouth so close to hers and felt his body heat under the plaid that still covered most of them. Her own body started tingling in strange places. “I want you to kiss me.”
He smiled and bent down to brush his lips across hers. “Like this?”
“No.”
“Nae?”
“No.More. I wantmore.”
Jamie hesitated, his eyes searching her face. “Do ye ken what ye are asking?”
Mari wasn’t sure shekennedat all, only that her body felt as though thousands of tiny needles were pricking her skin, making her itch and long to be touched. She had no words to explain it. Instead, she wrapped her hands around Jamie’s neck and tugged his head down.
