Page 52 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
She saw him nod but knew he wouldn’t. This was a working man, and he would probably overuse the injured limb to put food on his family’s table. She watched him hobble away and then quickly began the walk to the loch, aware that the sun was getting lower in the sky.
She was excited when she reached the edge of the water to immediately see some sundew flowers, their little beaded heads popping out from the ground below her on the bank. A willow tree grew a few yards away from where she stood, its long tendrils dipping into the water. The scene was so calm and serene she took a moment to stare out at the water, feeling safe and untroubled for a few precious minutes.
When she had retrieved the willow bark and ensured that she had gathered everything on her list, she looked again at the water, feeling too hot in the sunshine. She missed the lakes of her own clan where she used to swim freely whenever she liked.
She glanced back the way she had come but the path was completely devoid of people. The castle rose in the distance, dark against the setting sun in the sky, streaks of gold painted behind it over the green hills and meadows.
“Beautiful,” she said to the world at large, as though complimenting it on a job well done.
She looked at the water again and made up her mind. There was no one to see her, and she yearned to feel the cool water against her skin. She stripped off her new dress and placed it carefully over a low-hanging branch of the willow tree. But she kept her undergarments on, leaving her bag by the edge of the water, and dove into the cool bliss of the loch.
CHAPTER21
Noah watchedthe white figure dive beneath the water and felt a variety of emotions warring within him.
On the one hand, he was annoyed at her recklessness given her situation, but he was also impressed by how bold she was, how independent.
He was hard as stone in his trews again. He had been aroused ever since he had watched her strip off her dress. The wind had picked up, even as he watched, tightening her white undergown against her body and showing him every inch of her perfect form.
When Daisy had told him Keira had left the castle to gather herbs, he had followed her as quickly as he was able. He had been determined to forbid her from leaving the castle grounds for her own safety. Now he couldn’t think of anything but joining her in the water.
He stood up from his crouched position where he had been observing her, glancing down the path to ensure they were not seen by anyone, and walked to the bank. Keira was swimming away from him with long, elegant strokes, and did not notice his approach.
He pulled his léine from his body, throwing it carelessly to the ground, and kicked off his boots. He walked down to the edge of the water, his kilt still fastened at his waist as he waded out to meet her.
For a little while, she had no idea he was there until she spun in the water and lay on her back. His shape must have caught her eye because she righted herself abruptly and floundered backwards, gasping in surprise.
He took her body in his arms to steady her as she caught her breath, looking at him angrily. He had been right; her eyelashes looked beautiful covered in droplets of water, just as he had known they would.
Her black hair trailed in the loch behind her, framing her face. The water ran over her cheekbones, making his heart beat faster in his chest.
“Ye cannae just disappear, lass,” he said sternly, treading water beside her. Her body immediately molded against his to keep from going under. “Ye are me responsibility, and it isnae safe?—"
“And sneakin’ up on a woman whilst she is swimmin’ is alright, is it?” she asked, giving him an irritated look.
“Aye. I own this loch, ye are trespassin’,” he replied. “Ye’d best climb out of this water and get yerself home.”
“Is this an order, me laird?” she whispered.
Yes.
“It is for yer own good, lass,” he said, feeling the folds of her undergown brush against him in the water.
“So I must ask yer permission before I do anythin’, is that it?”
He finally lost the battle with himself as his arms encircled her waist, holding her close to him. He loved the sound of her gasp of shock as her hands came to rest against his forearms, as he kept them both afloat.
“Exactly, lass,” he said firmly, “ye must ask nicely and always follow me orders to the letter.” His voice was a low rumble as he added, “Or I will punish ye and see how much ye like it.”
She was panting in his arms as he kicked his legs more assuredly toward the bank. Her beautiful face, slick with water, the droplets dripping over her full mouth, was a sinful temptation he could barely resist any longer.
Slowly, as they swam through the water, the ripples lapping around them, he moved a hand up her back toward her neck. She did not protest, looking at him with the same need that raged within him.
He moved his hand to her neck, pulling her slowly forward, rubbing his cheek against her jawline as she trembled. A low moan fell from her as he caught a droplet that was running down her neck with his tongue. Her head fell back on a groan of pleasure, as he felt her surrender to him.
“We shouldnae…” she breathed, but her body was leaning into him even as she spoke.
His hands shifted, lifting her higher against him in the water as they approached the bank of the loch. The uneven earth allowed him to position her slightly above him, the water shallow enough for him to stand, feeling the peaty soil between his toes.
