Page 46 of Healing the Highland Sinner
“Might be easier than the climb tae this place.”
“Suit yerself,” she said. “I can always hire another sword.”
Rosalind turned and headed further up the rocky path, fully expecting Ellair to fall into step behind her. He did. Not that she was really going to leave him behind, but it made it easier if he thought she might. Ellair huffed and puffed as he made his way up the grueling trail that led to one of her secret lairs. Rosalind had many and only she and Ciar knew the exact location of her network. She hadn’t had to use them before, but she liked knowing she had a place to bolt to if everything went sideways. And it had.
After they had overseen the departure of a shipment, they were heading back to the compound when she and Ellair had been set upon by Ewan’s men. The fight had been fierce as Ewan seemed determined to see her dispatched. Ellair had fought off four of them on his own before creating an opening for them to slip through. Once they were moving, Rosalind had led him out of the town and onto the secret paths that led into the bluffs that overlooked Thurso.
Thunder crashed overhead with unrelenting ferocity and the sky flashed as wicked bolts of lightning streaked from the clouds. It had been quite some time since Rosalind had seen a storm so fierce and although she wasn’t the superstitious sort, she couldn’t help but fear it carried some ill portent for them. However, they made it to her secret cave without incident and she let out a quiet breath. She pushed the thick, stone-colored cloth that covered the mouth, camouflaging it from below, aside and stepped in. Ellair followed her in and as he walked around, taking it in, she replaced the cloth.
“What is this place?” he asked.
“’Tis me secret warehouse,” she replied. “One of them anyway.”
“I though ye stored yer goods in the warehouse in town.”
“I dae. But this is where I store the most valuable goods I need tae keep from pryin’ eyes.”
“How dae ye get it all up here?” he asked. “The hike up is brutal.”
“A good smuggler never reveals all her secrets.”
He laughed as Rosalind retrieved a pair of oil lanterns. She checked to make sure they were filled before igniting the wicks and bathing the interior of the cave in a dim, golden light. The cave was filled with boxes and wooden crates that were filled with goods she had received and was keeping safe until they were to be shipped. It was just one of the caves in the bluff face she’d claimed as her private store houses. Given the trek up to the top was as grueling as it was, nobody ever went up there, which made it ideal for her.
With the lanterns lit, giving them enough illumination to see, Rosalind set about getting a fire going. She was chilled to the bone and needed warmth. Outside, the wind whistled and howled and the cascade of rain and thunder continued unabated. She stacked on a little more tinder and splashed some oil from the can onto the logs then struck her flint and with a whoosh, the fire sprang to life. She sat down in front of the flames, holding her hands out, and tried to soak up the warmth. She was shivering so hard, Rosalind felt like she was rattling her very bones.
“’Tis freezin’ in here,” she said.
Ellair was still inspecting the stacks of crates. “That fire will warm things up soon enough.”
He was as curious as a child and if not for how bitterly cold she was, Rosalind might have been amused. Instead, she hugged herself closely and leaned closer to the flames. No matter how close she got though, she did not think she would ever warm up. He finally walked over to the fire and stood over her for a moment.
“Sit down,” she said. “Get warm.”
He surprised her when he sat down and pulled her under his cloak with him. Rosalind immediately stiffened but before she could move, he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him then pulled his cloak tighter around them. She sat beside him, rigid and tense. But it wasn’t long before she realized for the first time since they’d fled from the town, she wasn’t shivering. She was, in fact, starting to grow warmer.
“How is yer cloak so much warmer—and drier—than mine?” she asked.
“’Tis treated with somethin’ that repels the water and keeps the inside warm.”
“Fancy.”
“I pay well fer quality work,” he grinned.
She leaned against him, telling herself it was simply for the warmth their bodies were generating. But the truth was, she enjoyed feeling his toned and taut body so close to hers.
They sat together in silence, the crackle of the fire and the storm that raged outside echoing around the stone walls of the cave the only sound between them. Rosalind felt a weight descend over them. It felt like expectation, desire. When she looked at Ellair, she could see the desire she felt reflected in his eyes. She licked her lips and tried to swallow down the lump that had risen in her throat.
She cleared it and sat up, careful to remain under his cloak, but trying to put a bit of distance between them. Perhaps if she wasn’t touching him, she might not have such inappropriate thoughts.
He was staring into the flames, seeming to be somewhere else entirely. The flames glittered in his eyes and cast a flickering golden light upon his face that somehow made him even more handsome. She ground her teeth together and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to focus her mind on anything but his rugged good looks.
“What are ye thinkin’ about?” she asked, hoping a mundane conversation with him would free her mind of these thoughts.
“I was just… I was thinkin’ about me braither.”
“Tell me about him.”
A wan smile touched his lips. It quickly faded though and one of sorrow replaced it. She could see the burden he carried was great and was pressing down on him. But then something on his face changed and when he looked at her, she saw his grief, his anger. But also saw the walls he had built around himself begin to crumble.
