Page 29 of Kilted Abduction
Magnus chuckled to himself but nodded. They were running out of time.
“All right. I need tae run back tae the lodge and fetch some rope,” he said.
“Just… hurry up!”
“Aye, aye, I’ll hurry,” he replied then grinned again. “Dinnae go nowhere.”
“When I get out of here, I’m goin’ tae kick ye somewhere ye willnae enjoy!”
“If ye’re goin’ tae kick me, why should?—”
“Get me out of here!”
Her howl of outrage echoed around the small clearing, making Magnus laugh out loud. But the rumble of thunder, closer this time, dried up his good humor. Time was running short.
“I’ll be right back,” he called down to her.
Running as fast as he could, Magnus returned to the lodge and gathered up the rope stored in a box. Once he had it, he returned to the clearing. Part of him expected to find that Ciara had somehow managed to escape and was on the run once more. So, when he found her still in the hole, a snarl on her lips, eyes narrowed, and looking like she wanted to disembowel him, Magnus let out a small breath of relief. She had her arms wrapped around her midsection, holding herself tight, and even from where he stood, Magnus could see that she was shivering.
“It took ye long enough,” she shouted.
Thunder crashed right over them, the peal so loud, it felt like it shook the entire clearing. Fat flakes of snow began to flutter to the ground and a frigid gust of wind made Magnus shudder. Uncoiling the rope, he quickly tied a loop into the end of it then lowered it down into the hole.
“Put yer foot in that loop and hold ontae the rope,” he called.
She did as he’d instructed. “All right.”
Planting his feet firmly, Magnus put his back into it and going hand over hand, hauled the small woman up and out of the pit she’d fallen into. Before she was able to get to her feet though, Magnus moved quickly and tied the rope snugly around her waist then tied the other end around his. Standing so close to her, Magnus felt the heat of her body and looked deeply into her eyes. She licked her full, heart-shaped lips, making his breath catch in his throat. Ciara was the first to turn away though, breaking the moment as she looked down at the rope, then up at him.
“What in the bleedin’ hell are ye doin’?” she asked.
“Makin’ sure ye dinnae go anywhere,” he replied. “I’d hate tae have ye fall into another hole.”
She rolled her eyes and scowled at him, making Magnus chuckle to himself. Now that she was safe though, those confusing feelings that had been swirling around inside of him before returned, seemingly even stronger and he didn’t understand them now any more than he had earlier. As the snow began to grow thicker and it sounded as if another peal of thunder ripped the heavens above them wide open, he tore his eyes away from her and gave the rope a gentle tug.
“Let’s go,” he grunted. “We need tae get out of the cold before the storm really hits.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Magnus had collected some snow in a pot and melted it over the fire he’d built, stepping outside and letting her clean some of the mud off herself. There was no helping her clothes, but it felt nice to clean off her face and body. It was an unexpectedly thoughtful gesture that reinforced her belief that he wasn’t a monster. Of course, the fact that her wrists and ankles were bound tightly challenged that belief.
“Here,” he said. “Drink this.”
“I dinnae want wine.”
“’Tis nae wine.”
He thrust a cup into her hands and Ciara raised it to her nose, immediately wincing when the odor hit her nose. She recoiled.
“What is this then?” she asked.
“’Tis a bit of whisky,” he said. “It’ll warm ye from the inside.”
“I’m fine,” she said and handed the cup back to him.
“Ye should drink it.”
“I dinnae want it.”
