“Then, what—”
“I’ll make ye tired, then,”he decided, pulling her across the bed.
She landedon the other side, stumbling slightly. If it weren’t for Ryan’s hold, she thought she might have fallen. When she regained her balance, she looked up at the Laird.
His expression was unreadable.While she feared what he had in store for her, she reminded herself that he’d yet to pose a threat to her. So, when he tugged her toward the door, she didn’t fight it.
“We’ll have to be quiet,”Ryan said, his eyes scanning the corridor as he stepped out. “I daenae want to get caught. Especially since ye arenae dressed.”
Margaret glanced down at herself,regretting the fact that she hadn’t stopped him long enough to drape a cloak over her body. It was too late now. They were already traversing the castle halls.
“Where are we going?”Margaret whispered, her eyes straining in the stilted darkness.
“It’s a surprise,”he said, glancing around a corner before guiding her along with him. “I promise ye it’ll tire ye out though.”
She frownedand considered demanding he tell her everything, but a part of her told her that she needed to trust him more, and she was unable to deny that sneaking around the castle with him was fun.
I can’t rememberthe last time I felt like this. It must have been when Eva and I were still girls, sneaking sweets from the kitchen after my aunt and uncle retired to their room.
Instead of slippingthrough the front doors of the castle, Ryan led her through the great hall and into the kitchen. There was no one there; all the cooks had already retired for the evening. Then, they snuck through a small door and stepped into the moonlight.
“Stay close to me, aye?”Ryan said, stopping abruptly to turn toward her. Their eyes met. “We’re tryin’ to avoid me guards. I ken their patrol schedule.”
“All right,”Margaret agreed, the giddiness from early returning with full force.
With a nod,Ryan held tight to her and began crossing the grounds. They made it a few paces before he pulled her behind a shed, putting a finger to her mouth. She waited with wide eyes, and a few seconds later, she heard footsteps passing by.
“Now’s our moment,”Ryan told her once they’d faded into the distance. “We’re runnin’. Keep up.”
That was allthe warning Margaret got before she was dragged away from their hiding spot. For a moment, she was sure she was going to trip over her own feet then she fell into step.
As they ran,her lungs burned with excitement. It didn’t matter what their destination was; she was enjoying the journey. Somehow, she thought that she wouldn’t enjoy this as much if she were escaping with anyone else.
I thinkI like this side of him. He seems more… human, somehow.
Once they successfully got throughthe gates, he pulled her against the wall and said, “I’m impressed with ye. I didnae think ye’d be able to keep up.”
“I didn’t have a choice,”Margaret replied breathlessly. “Besides, I’d like to see whatever your surprise is.”
“It’snae too far from here,” he said, glancing around the area before he took off again.
Their pace was steady,and Margaret still had to jog to keep up. She didn’t mind, though. Her anticipation built with each passing second.
Several minutes later,Ryan came to a stop and released her. She gasped when she saw where they were. Beside her, Ryan adjusted his clothing. Then, he took off.
Moonlight reflected off the loch.The water was still and inviting. When Ryan dove forward, ripples spread through the liquid, making the entire scene feel dreamlike.
“Come now, Sassenach,”he called when his head breached the surface.
She giggled as she approached.For a moment, she considered complaining that she wasn’t dressed for swimming, but the call of the loch was too strong to ignore.
Margaret waded in slowly,stopping when the water was waist deep. Ryan approached her with a devious look on his face. She didn’t get a chance to chastise him before he grabbed hold of her and dunked her below the surface.
“You beast,”she laughed when the two emerged. As she pushed hair from her face, she said, “Perhaps I didn’t want to be submerged.”
“Ach,”Ryan said, sounding a little farther away. His eyes were focused on the places her chemise clung to her body. “But that’s the only way for ye to get the full experience.”
Her breath caughtin her throat as his hands tightened around her waist. It was like he couldn’t take his eyes off her, and when she chanced a look down, she realized that the drenched fabric left nothing to the imagination. She itched to cover herself, but something about the fire in the Laird’s eyes stopped her.