alone.
Ian stood but an arm's length above them.
Chapter 5
« ^ »
Somehow she managed to tear her mouth free of Jamie's. Frantically she pushed
at his shoulders. "Stop!" she gasped. "Th- there is someone here!"
A curse broke from his lips. He twisted and bounded to his feet, only to come
face to face with Ian. "Who the devil are you?" he demanded. He reached for the
dirk at his waist.
By now Sabrina had struggled to her feet. She grabbed at his arm. "Jamie,
no!" she cried. "It’s Ian!"
Shock flooded his features. She felt the muscles in his forearm loosen.
"Margaret's betrothed?"
"Aye."
This came from Ian; it spun through her mind that never had a single word
sounded so ominous.
His mouth was a forbidding, straight line. His jaw was clenched as tight as a
babe suckling on its mother's teat. It flooded her mind that he was not just
angry. He was furious.
Ian transferred his burning gaze to her face. "I see you are quite
recovered."
His voice was heavily laden with mockery. Though it took every ounce of
courage she possessed, she refused to back down. Deliberately she slid her other
hand around Jamie's elbow. "Jamie and I are to be wed," she informed him
loftily.
He laughed, a sound that held no humor. "Indeed. Well, methinks your father
was right, Sabrina. This lad"— he spoke the word as an insult—"wants naught but
one thing from you."
Beside her, Jamie stiffened. "That is not for you to say—"
"No? My eyes do not lie." Ian made the pronouncement flatly. "I know what I
saw. You touched her as no honorable man would touch a woman he seeks as his
wife."
So he had seen Jamie's band on her breast… Mortified, Sabrina wished she
could vanish into the air, like the faeries of legends past.
Jamie flushed. "You know nothing. And I will not answer to you—"
"And I demand no answer, though indeed, I should kill you where you stand
here and now."
Jamie bristled. He drew himself up to his full height. "I fear no one, least
of all you."
"Brave words, lad. But only a fool believes himself invincible." Ian's hard
was on his dagger. "However, I am prepared to be generous. Leave. Leave, while I
offer you the chance. For I vow I'll allow this tryst to go no further."
Sabrina's heart leaped to her throat. Though Jamie was tall and well-muscled,
Ian was broader and outweighed him. Thin-lipped and tense, Ian's shuttered
features bespoke a chilling coldness. In a contest between the two, she feared
Jamie might well be the loser.
"Go," she pleaded. "I am fine. He will not harm me. There is no point in
staying—"
Jamie gave a muffled exclamation. "And leave you with him? Nay, Sabrina—"
Panic swelled in her breast. "Yes! Jamie, please!" she pleaded.
He scowled. "Sabrina—"
With her eyes she implored him. With her lips she beseeched him. "I will have
no blood shed because of me. Go. Go now."
Time hung never-ending. She feared he would not listen. Then at last his eyes
flickered. His tone conveyed his regret. "Remember I leave two days hence to
join the battle to restore the Comyns to the throne. If you need me before then…
"
"Do what you will… what you must." With tremulous lips she smiled. Her heart
ached, for she knew not when she might see him again. "And remember, I will be
waiting."
His eyes darkened. He dragged her into his arms and pressed a passion-filled
kiss on her lips. Sabrina clung to him desperately, caring not that Ian
watched.
At last Jamie raised his head. He pressed a finger to her lips, and then he
was gone.
Sabrina watched him disappear into the forest. All the while she felt the
fire of Ian's gaze upon her. When at last she turned back to him, the heat of
fit seemed to burn clear inside her.
"Why are you so angry?" she asked daringly. "Because I am with a man? Or
because that man is a MacDougall?"
"It is very clear your father would not approve of a MacDougall.”
“It is none of your affair!" she retorted hotly.
His smile was tight. "As your
Ian stood but an arm's length above them.
Chapter 5
« ^ »
Somehow she managed to tear her mouth free of Jamie's. Frantically she pushed
at his shoulders. "Stop!" she gasped. "Th- there is someone here!"
A curse broke from his lips. He twisted and bounded to his feet, only to come
face to face with Ian. "Who the devil are you?" he demanded. He reached for the
dirk at his waist.
By now Sabrina had struggled to her feet. She grabbed at his arm. "Jamie,
no!" she cried. "It’s Ian!"
Shock flooded his features. She felt the muscles in his forearm loosen.
"Margaret's betrothed?"
"Aye."
This came from Ian; it spun through her mind that never had a single word
sounded so ominous.
His mouth was a forbidding, straight line. His jaw was clenched as tight as a
babe suckling on its mother's teat. It flooded her mind that he was not just
angry. He was furious.
Ian transferred his burning gaze to her face. "I see you are quite
recovered."
His voice was heavily laden with mockery. Though it took every ounce of
courage she possessed, she refused to back down. Deliberately she slid her other
hand around Jamie's elbow. "Jamie and I are to be wed," she informed him
loftily.
He laughed, a sound that held no humor. "Indeed. Well, methinks your father
was right, Sabrina. This lad"— he spoke the word as an insult—"wants naught but
one thing from you."
Beside her, Jamie stiffened. "That is not for you to say—"
"No? My eyes do not lie." Ian made the pronouncement flatly. "I know what I
saw. You touched her as no honorable man would touch a woman he seeks as his
wife."
So he had seen Jamie's band on her breast… Mortified, Sabrina wished she
could vanish into the air, like the faeries of legends past.
Jamie flushed. "You know nothing. And I will not answer to you—"
"And I demand no answer, though indeed, I should kill you where you stand
here and now."
Jamie bristled. He drew himself up to his full height. "I fear no one, least
of all you."
"Brave words, lad. But only a fool believes himself invincible." Ian's hard
was on his dagger. "However, I am prepared to be generous. Leave. Leave, while I
offer you the chance. For I vow I'll allow this tryst to go no further."
Sabrina's heart leaped to her throat. Though Jamie was tall and well-muscled,
Ian was broader and outweighed him. Thin-lipped and tense, Ian's shuttered
features bespoke a chilling coldness. In a contest between the two, she feared
Jamie might well be the loser.
"Go," she pleaded. "I am fine. He will not harm me. There is no point in
staying—"
Jamie gave a muffled exclamation. "And leave you with him? Nay, Sabrina—"
Panic swelled in her breast. "Yes! Jamie, please!" she pleaded.
He scowled. "Sabrina—"
With her eyes she implored him. With her lips she beseeched him. "I will have
no blood shed because of me. Go. Go now."
Time hung never-ending. She feared he would not listen. Then at last his eyes
flickered. His tone conveyed his regret. "Remember I leave two days hence to
join the battle to restore the Comyns to the throne. If you need me before then…
"
"Do what you will… what you must." With tremulous lips she smiled. Her heart
ached, for she knew not when she might see him again. "And remember, I will be
waiting."
His eyes darkened. He dragged her into his arms and pressed a passion-filled
kiss on her lips. Sabrina clung to him desperately, caring not that Ian
watched.
At last Jamie raised his head. He pressed a finger to her lips, and then he
was gone.
Sabrina watched him disappear into the forest. All the while she felt the
fire of Ian's gaze upon her. When at last she turned back to him, the heat of
fit seemed to burn clear inside her.
"Why are you so angry?" she asked daringly. "Because I am with a man? Or
because that man is a MacDougall?"
"It is very clear your father would not approve of a MacDougall.”
“It is none of your affair!" she retorted hotly.
His smile was tight. "As your
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