Page 81 of Sins of a Scot
After Owen had ventured into the darkening woods, Iseabail made herself useful. Clearing dead leaves from underfoot, she unfurled the thin blanket that was tied to her horse, and placed it on the ground. After that, she rummaged through their bags,seeing what food they had left. It wasn’t much, but it would be enough to sustain them for a night.
A little while later, Owen returned with an armful of kindling and larger sticks. He disappeared no less than three times, returning each time with more firewood. When he was finally done, he arranged the wood carefully and began the tedious job of lighting it.
Iseabail watched him mindlessly, for though her eyes were looking at what he was doing, her thoughts were somewhere else entirely. In two days, they would reach Laird Sutherland’s castle. She was more than desperate to see her father and Keane again, and now that she and Owen were in possession of the crystal, the laird would release them unharmed, if he kept his promise.
She ought to have been elated, excited, jumping for joy. Instead, a shroud of sadness wrapped itself around her. Though they had faced dreadful obstacles, and several experiences that had brought both of them close to death, she was certain that all they had gone through had only strengthened the bond between them. That was how she felt, at least.
From a rocky beginning, she had grown to love the man before her. So much so, that she did not want to think of her life without him in it. And yet, they could never be together. That was her reality, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She had only told Owen part of Laird Sutherland’s demands, that he would trade her family’s lives for the crystal. But the biggest secret, which she had been holding onto, now ate at her insides.
Ought she to tell him? If she did, what distress would that cause him? They were deeply in love with each other, that much was clear. If she told him, it would break his heart. She knew it would break hers too, but her heart was already on the verge of shattering, knowing what was ahead of her.
For they only had a few more days together. Did she not want to relish the time she had left with him? Selfishly, she did, even knowing that when he discovered the truth, it may well hurt him even more.
I dinnae want our last days filled with tension and pain. Surely, I want tae treasure the time we have left, and make the most o’ it.
Nodding to herself, Iseabail concluded that she would keep her secret. Nothing good would come of her sharing it now. And perhaps it was for the best. Perhaps Owen would understand why she had not told him when the time came. Her heart would break as much as his, and yet, she would forever cherish every second they had spent on their quest.
“Iseabail!” Owen said bluntly.
Gasping, Iseabail was swiftly pulled out of her thoughts, and blinking, she jerked her head to look at him.
“Are ye all right?” He frowned. “I’ve been talking tae ye fer five minutes.”
“Aye,” she replied hurriedly. “I’m fine.”
Owen gazed at her with the same concern. “Ye are thinking about yer faither and braither,” he said, coming to the only conclusion he could, given what he knew.
“Aye,” she lied. “I am.”
“Ye ken it’s in Laird Sutherland’s best interest tae keep them alive and well, dinnae ye? He’s clearly desperate tae get his hands on what we have. He’s nae going tae put that in jeopardy by harming yer family.”
“Aye. I ken that. I just dinnae trust the man.”
Owen nodded. “I suppose I cannae blame ye. But in a few days, this will all be over. Ye’ll have yer family back, and ye can return home happy.”
She didn’t quite know what to say to that, and so, trying to avoid lying to his face again, she said, “It will be good tae see them. It’s been so long.”
Once the fire was going, they sat and ate the last of the bread, meat, and fruit Ada had kindly packed for them that morning. Later, they shared the bottle of wine, relaxing after yet another stressful day.
“It feels like every day we’ve been together has been one disaster after another,” Iseabail sighed. “And in a few days, we will have tae face the worst challenge o’ all.”
“Perhaps,” Owen replied, taking her hand tenderly in his, “but afterward, all this will be over. Ye can go back tae living yer life again.” He bent his head toward her and softly nuzzled her neck. “Maybe then, we will have a chance at a future together.”
Iseabail gasped at the sensation, her body tingling and sparking at the soft caress of his lips. Moving her head, she offered her throat willingly to him, inviting his touch. With her eyes closed, she heard Owen shift, and a second later, his lips brushed against hers with the lightest, softest touch.
Her arms slid around his body and slowly, she found herself being lowered backwards. Eventually, she felt her back against the earth, while Owen, propped up on one elbow, lay beside her. Parting her lips, she bid his tongue entry. He roved about inside her, heightening her desire, and eliciting an ache at the apex at her thighs. Their kiss became more desperate, Iseabail grasping his body, trying to pull him even closer, as though his proximity would somehow satisfy her deep, innate desire for him.
“I want ye, Iseabail. I want ye so very much,” he growled against her lips.
“And I want ye,” she gasped. “More than anything I have ever desired in me life.”
She felt him tugging at her frock as he continued to express his passion with his fervent kiss. She knew what he wanted, and willingly, she parted her legs to give him access. Owen pushed himself up and positioned himself between her thighs, but to her surprise, he moved further back. Lifting her head to see what he was doing, she watched him smile at her as he lay on the ground, his head settled close to her aching body.
“I want tae taste ye, Iseabail.”
He then moved his head closer. Suddenly she took a sharp intake of breath as a sensation more intense than any other she had yet felt flowered across her body.
“Oh, me God,” she cried, as his tongue flicked against her folds.
