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A sneer curved his lips and he said softly, “Your mistake, Baudali…for I will track your magic right to you.” So saying he immediately sent out his feelers.
As those tracking feelers got stronger, he lost the scent. It was as though Baudali realized his mistake and had shut down.
Hunter continued down the drive to the training ring and stopped to stare.
He couldn’t breathe.
He knew his mouth was open and yet, the air wasn’t making it to his immortal lungs. It was as though he had lost the ability to draw in a breath.
He made a valiant attempt to recover, and get himself under control. This was absurd. He had never felt this way before. He had been with exceptionally beautiful women over the centuries, but this…this was different.
He saw her shift in her saddle and look at him. He saw the smile, as he approached and when her green eyes met his, getting control was out of the question. He felt a rush of heat skim through his body and he heard his inner man say, Mine.
Ignore it, he told himself. Ignore it—doona let that dick of yers take control. Ye are not a savage.
He licked his lips and cleared his throat so that he was able to speak and called out, “Ye handle her well.” He moved toward the fence and as he leaned onto the weathered top rail, and put a booted foot on the bottom rail as he attempted to enlist an inner calm. He had to ignore his palpitating heart.
“That is because she is willing,” Exerilla answered with what he thought was the sweetest smile. Och aye, but she drew on something deep inside him. She was a modest little lass. She didn’t seem to be aware of her beauty, or its effect on a man, he thought fleetingly as he murmured, “Ah, that’s the ticket; I do so love a willing female.” He grinned broadly.
* * *
“A willing male, from my point of view is also a pleasant commodity,” Exerilla threw back at him, sure as soon as the words were out, that it wasn’t how a lady of the day was supposed to behave. She had slowed the mare to a walk as she approached him.
He was over the fence with ease and placed a hand around the calf of her black shining boot. “So be it, lass, shall I be that commodity for ye?”
She laughed, “Off with you, my lord. I still want to give her another ten minutes of flat work.”
“Right then, but when ye are done and the groom has her in hand, coom up to the house. I’ll have Mrs. Lyons serve us refreshment in the garden room.”
She frowned. She may not be up on every nuance of this era, but she knew young women did not visit bachelors alone in their homes. “That is very kind, but, would not be seemly.”
“Nonsense. I will keep Mrs. Lyons in the room to play chaperone. You have been working hard out here in the sun. You must be hungry and thirsty.”
She was hungry and thirsty. It had been a workout for herself as well as for the mare. She hadn’t been on a horse in a month’s time, and her legs were already feeling achy. A bit of a respite would be nice.
However, even so, she hesitated. She knew in this day and age, it would be frowned upon. Ridiculous, but, she did have to fit in?
“Och aye, lass, ye may rest easy. I shan’t attack ye up at the Towers, at least not today,” he teased, his blue eyes dancing.
She found his smile very difficult to resist, her lips curved appreciatively and she cocked a brow at him, “Not today, huh?”
“In fact, if ye like I shall ask Mrs. Lyons to keep a gun at m’head to make certain of it.”
She laughed, “Do you need that sort of discouragement?”
His eyes stroked her and the look he gave her made her tongue travel the inside of her mouth. He was so damned hot.
“Aye, when ye are near, perhaps I do,” he said on a low voice.
Her entire body responded to him. She felt her entire body twinkle for him—what the hell was that? It was as though all of her White Magic became electrified and intensified when he interacted with her. What would be the harm if she had a quick glass of water or something, she asked herself.
“I will agree but only if Mrs. Lyons stays with us and keeps a gun pointed at your head.”
“Done!” he chuckled and walked off back toward the house.
“I’ll be up shortly.”
Exerilla watched his departure and told herself to get the hottie out of her head. He was from this century and she was from the future. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he was human and she an immortal and that was that. Nothing but hurt could come of it if she let herself fall for Lord MacTorry, she told herself. She sighed heavily, regretfully. She knew, it was time to walk away but she wasn’t sure she could.
