Page 17 of Transporting a Ruthless Highlander
Then she panicked and backed away from him. If she let him kiss her, it would change the quality of their relationship; they might become lovers, and that would lead to so many complications. Her body was reacting to his nearness and his earthy masculine scent already. No, things were better off remaining friendly and companionable, but she knew that she was lying to herself.
Gavina,she thought,ye can tell yerself that ’til the cows come home, but ye know it is already too late.
10
Struan’s lips had been so ready for that kiss that they had begun to tingle in anticipation, and he felt a plunging sense of disappointment as Gavina turned her back on him and moved away a little. He knew that he would be warm enough, but it would have been lovely to find that soft, pliant body in his arms again. His manhood hardened at the thought of it, and he turned away so that they were back to back. It was the only way he could bear to be close to her and not touch her.
He woke in the middle of the night to find that Gavina was back in his arms, having turned over in her sleep. He should have pushed her away, but instead, he tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead. It was glorious to be holding her but achingly frustrating.
Suddenly she started to wriggle, then writhe in his grasp. She pushed him away with all her strength, then let out an almighty scream. Her face was twisted in anguish as she struggled, but Struan held on to her, shaking her gently.
“Gavina! Gavina!” he cried. “Wake up! You are having a nightmare!”
For a moment longer, Gavina twisted in his embrace, then she opened her eyes, and, seeing him, she burst into tears.
“All those people! All those poor people,” she wept. “It was a’ my fault!” She buried her head against his chest, and he held her until her tears had stopped.
“How was it your fault, Gavina?” he asked gently. “It was a storm, an act of nature. How could it possibly have been your fault?”
“I was the captain,” she sobbed. “I should have done somethin’.”
“It was not your fault, Gavina,” he said soothingly. “No one was to blame. It was bad luck and something that no one could have foreseen. There was nothing you could have done, so forgive yourself. Go back to sleep. I will hold you for a while.”
She made no objection and went to sleep almost immediately. Struan waited to make sure that she was sleeping soundly, then closed his eyes.
He was disappointed to find his arms empty when he woke up but glad to see that Gavina was lying a few feet away, still fast asleep. He got to his feet as quietly as he could, although he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from crying out with pain when his boots scratched against his sore ankle. He tiptoed out and took a penny to the baker, where he bought some bannocks for them to share. Gavina had ordered him to keep the last shilling since she told him she had plans for it, so he had complied, even though he would rather have bought a haggis from the butcher. It seemed that the last few days had been spent in a constant search for food.
When he reached the barn, he cautiously peered around the door and saw that Gavina was fully awake and wearing her breeches again. She looked as though she was about to break into a run.
“I thought ye had left me!” she cried, and put a hand to her chest, looking relieved.
“I would never do that, Gavina.” His voice was gentle and reassuring. “We made a pact to help each other, did we not? I hold myself honor-bound to that pact.”
She smiled then, and it was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. “Thank ye,” she breathed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. “An’ thank ye for rescuin’ me fae my dream last night. It was horrible.” She shuddered.
“I think we will both suffer from many dreams like that in the years to come,” Struan said sadly. “I have heard that experiences like ours change a person forever.”
“But we can help each other as long as we are together,” she reassured him. “Now we should eat an’ be on our way. Ye will have tae tell me where tae go, though.”
“I am fairly sure that the next town is called Haldstane,” he said, “but it is quite a distance away, and we will need food. What are you going to do with that shilling?”
“Wait an’ see.” She grinned at him, her eyes twinkling. “Food? Hmmm…let me think.” A moment later, she raised her eyebrows as an idea struck her, raised a finger in the air, scrambled into her dress, and smiled wickedly. “I wilnae be long.”
“Where are you going?” Struan cried, but he was talking to empty air.
A short while later, she came back carrying a haggis and a flagon of ale.
Struan stared at her, astonished. “I thought we had nothing left except the shilling!”
“We had a groat, an’ I bought the haggis wi’ that,” Gavina answered.
“And the ale?” He frowned in puzzlement.
She stood gazing at him for a moment, then tears began to glisten in her eyes, and he started forward to soothe her distress, but suddenly she smiled. “Men cannae resist a woman’s tears,” she said mischievously as she dried her eyes. “I went tae the tavern an’ asked for a drink o’ water. My tears did the rest.”
Struan shook his head in disbelief. “You witch!” he laughed. “Should I be afraid of you?”
Gavina laughed. “Ye dinnae need tae be frightened o’ me, although ye are no’ the first tae call me that. Now get them bannocks down yer neck an’ let us be goin’. How far away is this place?”
