brief moment, Nareen was able to ignore everything. She was immersed in the
feeling of the horse moving beneath her and the way the wind ripped at her hair, making
her smile.
But she heard Saer closing the distance between them.
His stallion had heavier steps, and her mare let out a shrill cry before moving faster.
Nareen leaned low, hugging the sides of the horse with her thighs and moving in unison
with her.
The sounds of the stallion came closer. Anticipation tingled along her nape, raising
the tiny hairs and rippling down her spine. She’d never realized she might feel so
much sensation from just knowing a man was near.
With Saer, she felt his presence keenly. The darkness seemed to be intensifying the
connection between them. The urge to look behind her was impossible to ignore. She
turned her head and caught a glimpse of him.
He was magnificent. Like some legend from eras past.
His hair was held back with a thin braid along the left side of his face, telling
one and all he’d been born outside the bonds of matrimony.
It suited him.
There was nothing about him that fit into the model of what civilization lived by.
She drank in the details of his rugged physique. Strength radiated from him, hitting
her like a gust of wind. He surged past, taking the lead. In the night, stallion and
master were like living shadows. He rode hard, out across Ross land, until the fortress
was out of sight. Nareen never ventured so far, but she had no fear tonight. In fact,
she felt freer than she could recall ever feeling. Saer slowed and shook his head,
letting the stallion rear up and paw at the night sky.
She laughed, the sound silvery and refreshing. Her mare slowed, her strength spent
as she covered the last few paces to where Saer’s stallion was prancing in a small
circle. Saer kept the beast under control, his bare knees pressed into its sides to
keep himself firmly in the saddle, but he didn’t force the animal to stand still.
He clearly understood the creature’s nature. In fact, she was sure he shared it. Both
were powerful and unsatisfied by stillness.
“Come, lass, let’s rinse the ride off our skin.”
His words confused her until she realized the roaring she heard was the sound of water
nearby. She suddenly became aware of how sweaty she was, and the idea of bathing was
pleasing. At least it was until she looked up to see Saer leading the way.
Her mare was already in motion, following the stallion. Saer never looked back. She
watched the moonlight turn him silver as he sat strong and proud in the saddle.
She tightened her hands on the reins, beginning to pull up. The mare let out a disgruntled
nicker, making it clear she wanted to follow the stallion.
The reason was plain.
Nareen found herself envying the mare. The animal had far more freedom than she did.
For the horses, the instinct to touch was not wicked, yet it was for her.
Or was it?
The question was a valid one. There was no one about to stop her from doing whatever
she wished. Saer MacLeod might be a savage, but he was also one of the few men she
didn’t have to worry about running home to her brother with tales of her behavior
and how it didn’t fit what society expected of her. Besides, she did not even have
to fear the loss of her reputation—no one thought her a maiden any longer, even though
she was.
Freedom. Wasn’t that what she craved? Saer was offering it.
That much was also true. He wanted something as well. Still, she was as tempted by
him as she was weary of pretenses. So weary. Saer offered her the one thing she craved
above all others, the opportunity simply to be as she liked.
Now that was true freedom. It was an offer she’d never had from another human being,
except for her brother, Kael, when they were young. The memory shimmered, gleaming
with the allure of a time when she was the happiest she had ever been.
Saer tempted her in more ways than she’d ever
feeling of the horse moving beneath her and the way the wind ripped at her hair, making
her smile.
But she heard Saer closing the distance between them.
His stallion had heavier steps, and her mare let out a shrill cry before moving faster.
Nareen leaned low, hugging the sides of the horse with her thighs and moving in unison
with her.
The sounds of the stallion came closer. Anticipation tingled along her nape, raising
the tiny hairs and rippling down her spine. She’d never realized she might feel so
much sensation from just knowing a man was near.
With Saer, she felt his presence keenly. The darkness seemed to be intensifying the
connection between them. The urge to look behind her was impossible to ignore. She
turned her head and caught a glimpse of him.
He was magnificent. Like some legend from eras past.
His hair was held back with a thin braid along the left side of his face, telling
one and all he’d been born outside the bonds of matrimony.
It suited him.
There was nothing about him that fit into the model of what civilization lived by.
She drank in the details of his rugged physique. Strength radiated from him, hitting
her like a gust of wind. He surged past, taking the lead. In the night, stallion and
master were like living shadows. He rode hard, out across Ross land, until the fortress
was out of sight. Nareen never ventured so far, but she had no fear tonight. In fact,
she felt freer than she could recall ever feeling. Saer slowed and shook his head,
letting the stallion rear up and paw at the night sky.
She laughed, the sound silvery and refreshing. Her mare slowed, her strength spent
as she covered the last few paces to where Saer’s stallion was prancing in a small
circle. Saer kept the beast under control, his bare knees pressed into its sides to
keep himself firmly in the saddle, but he didn’t force the animal to stand still.
He clearly understood the creature’s nature. In fact, she was sure he shared it. Both
were powerful and unsatisfied by stillness.
“Come, lass, let’s rinse the ride off our skin.”
His words confused her until she realized the roaring she heard was the sound of water
nearby. She suddenly became aware of how sweaty she was, and the idea of bathing was
pleasing. At least it was until she looked up to see Saer leading the way.
Her mare was already in motion, following the stallion. Saer never looked back. She
watched the moonlight turn him silver as he sat strong and proud in the saddle.
She tightened her hands on the reins, beginning to pull up. The mare let out a disgruntled
nicker, making it clear she wanted to follow the stallion.
The reason was plain.
Nareen found herself envying the mare. The animal had far more freedom than she did.
For the horses, the instinct to touch was not wicked, yet it was for her.
Or was it?
The question was a valid one. There was no one about to stop her from doing whatever
she wished. Saer MacLeod might be a savage, but he was also one of the few men she
didn’t have to worry about running home to her brother with tales of her behavior
and how it didn’t fit what society expected of her. Besides, she did not even have
to fear the loss of her reputation—no one thought her a maiden any longer, even though
she was.
Freedom. Wasn’t that what she craved? Saer was offering it.
That much was also true. He wanted something as well. Still, she was as tempted by
him as she was weary of pretenses. So weary. Saer offered her the one thing she craved
above all others, the opportunity simply to be as she liked.
Now that was true freedom. It was an offer she’d never had from another human being,
except for her brother, Kael, when they were young. The memory shimmered, gleaming
with the allure of a time when she was the happiest she had ever been.
Saer tempted her in more ways than she’d ever
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