that it would have made a difference. At any moment, he would climb the sheer wall to the great height above where she would be swallowed by a dark hole in the rock. Terror gripped her mind, poisoning her heart and causing a layer of perspiration to blanket her brow despite the chill in the air. Once again, her body betrayed her as tremors surged down her limbs and a knot gathered in her throat.
“No, Ronan”, she whispered as wet tears filled her eyes. “Please, do not put me in there.” Shame settled over her as the pleading tones left her lips, but there was naught else to be done. She could not face the darkness.
“Hush, lass”, he crooned as his arms encircled her. “Are you so afraid of the height?”
“No”, she cried.
“’Tis a very deep cave. You will not fall, if that is what worries you.”
“That is not why I am afraid.”
“Then why?” he asked.
“’Tis the dark”, she whispered. Her head hung heavy with disgrace.
She felt the pressure of his finger under her chin as he forced her to meet his gaze. She expected him to scorn her, but instead his eyes glowed with amber warmth.
“You are a rare lass”, he breathed, “so strong and yet so vulnerable.”
He stroked her cheek, and she felt herself succumb to the gentle caress. “You will find yourself quite at home up there, Bridget. You must trust me.”
“But, I have no reason to trust you.”
He said nothing in reply. A slow, sensual smile pulled at one side of his lips, and she could not help but admire his easy confidence. She made no further protest as he finished tying the folds of his plaid. Then grasping the rope firmly in his hands, he proceeded to scale the daunting precipice.
Shoney turned away at last and looked out to sea. The water reflected the dusky shades of sunset. Pinks and oranges imbued each wave’s approach, but the colors were cut away by the shadow of the massive cliff. Each wave that struck the rock face was as grey and stark as the stone itself.
“You must hurry. Dusk is upon us,” she said.
“I am sorry if my pace displeases you,” he chuckled as he crossed one hand over the other, pulling them ever higher, “but if you care to muscle the two of us up this rope, then by all means, you may take over.”
Mother of all, he was maddening.
“I have a different purpose for this rope in mind”, she began. “It involves a strong branch and you dangling beneath.”
“Hmmm, it would seem that my warrior has vanquished the vulnerable maid. I think I prefer when you are frightened.”
Shoney intended to give him a tongue lashing meant to wipe the smug smile off his face for good, but one of his hands released the rope and covered her mouth. He lowered his head, and she felt his warm breath on her ear. Her mind spiraled back to the moment when his kiss first grazed her neck as her wet, naked body pressed against his hard, muscled physique. She shivered but this time not from the cold or fear of the dark.
“Be silent for once woman”, he whispered, “or the light will be gone, and I will be forced to sleep in the cave with you.”
Shoney’s eyes opened wide, and she pressed her lips together. His eyes mocked her, daring her to speak, but she kept her silence.
Ronan continued to climb the rope with seemingly little effort, occasionally catching a foothold in the wall. She dare not look down; instead she clung to his frame and focused on the feel of his back muscles shifting beneath her hands and the smell of his skin. Finally, they reached the mouth of the cave. As he pulled their bodies inside, he twisted to avoid pinning her beneath him.
Her worst nightmare realized, she was frozen, drenched, and famished, cowering at the entrance of a perilous cave, surrounded by darkness. Which would truly be the worst fate—being left alone to freeze or starve to death in a desolate cave or confessing her true identity and putting her fate in the hands of the MacKinnons?
He walked deep inside the cave into
“No, Ronan”, she whispered as wet tears filled her eyes. “Please, do not put me in there.” Shame settled over her as the pleading tones left her lips, but there was naught else to be done. She could not face the darkness.
“Hush, lass”, he crooned as his arms encircled her. “Are you so afraid of the height?”
“No”, she cried.
“’Tis a very deep cave. You will not fall, if that is what worries you.”
“That is not why I am afraid.”
“Then why?” he asked.
“’Tis the dark”, she whispered. Her head hung heavy with disgrace.
She felt the pressure of his finger under her chin as he forced her to meet his gaze. She expected him to scorn her, but instead his eyes glowed with amber warmth.
“You are a rare lass”, he breathed, “so strong and yet so vulnerable.”
He stroked her cheek, and she felt herself succumb to the gentle caress. “You will find yourself quite at home up there, Bridget. You must trust me.”
“But, I have no reason to trust you.”
He said nothing in reply. A slow, sensual smile pulled at one side of his lips, and she could not help but admire his easy confidence. She made no further protest as he finished tying the folds of his plaid. Then grasping the rope firmly in his hands, he proceeded to scale the daunting precipice.
Shoney turned away at last and looked out to sea. The water reflected the dusky shades of sunset. Pinks and oranges imbued each wave’s approach, but the colors were cut away by the shadow of the massive cliff. Each wave that struck the rock face was as grey and stark as the stone itself.
“You must hurry. Dusk is upon us,” she said.
“I am sorry if my pace displeases you,” he chuckled as he crossed one hand over the other, pulling them ever higher, “but if you care to muscle the two of us up this rope, then by all means, you may take over.”
Mother of all, he was maddening.
“I have a different purpose for this rope in mind”, she began. “It involves a strong branch and you dangling beneath.”
“Hmmm, it would seem that my warrior has vanquished the vulnerable maid. I think I prefer when you are frightened.”
Shoney intended to give him a tongue lashing meant to wipe the smug smile off his face for good, but one of his hands released the rope and covered her mouth. He lowered his head, and she felt his warm breath on her ear. Her mind spiraled back to the moment when his kiss first grazed her neck as her wet, naked body pressed against his hard, muscled physique. She shivered but this time not from the cold or fear of the dark.
“Be silent for once woman”, he whispered, “or the light will be gone, and I will be forced to sleep in the cave with you.”
Shoney’s eyes opened wide, and she pressed her lips together. His eyes mocked her, daring her to speak, but she kept her silence.
Ronan continued to climb the rope with seemingly little effort, occasionally catching a foothold in the wall. She dare not look down; instead she clung to his frame and focused on the feel of his back muscles shifting beneath her hands and the smell of his skin. Finally, they reached the mouth of the cave. As he pulled their bodies inside, he twisted to avoid pinning her beneath him.
Her worst nightmare realized, she was frozen, drenched, and famished, cowering at the entrance of a perilous cave, surrounded by darkness. Which would truly be the worst fate—being left alone to freeze or starve to death in a desolate cave or confessing her true identity and putting her fate in the hands of the MacKinnons?
He walked deep inside the cave into
Similar Books
