“Thank you,” she murmured and took a step away from him.
“Wil you tel me now why you wil na’ admit yer fears, Aileanna?”
She shrugged. “Why should I? I think you’ve been
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entertained enough for one day.” Her attention was drawn to Lucifer, his black stal ion—a beast of a horse that even now pawed the ground in his stal .
“No one is without fears, Aileanna. I wouldna’ laugh at yers.”
She tipped her head to look at him, her eyes taking his measure. “I doubt you have ever been afraid of anything, Rory MacLeod.”
She was wrong. He was afraid of her and what she made him feel. She awakened emotions he thought he’d buried with Brianna. He cleared his throat. “Come.” He motioned for her to fol ow him. “Doona’ worry, I’l choose a docile mount for you.”
She moved across the hay-strewn floor with a dis
cernible limp. Her gaze widened as she scanned the horses, a look of relief when they lit on the last stal . “I’l take that one.” She pointed to the white fil y. Rory choked on his laughter. “Nay, Aileanna, she’s no’
ful y grown.”
Hands on her hips, she rounded on him. “Are you saying I’m too big for her?”
“Nay, only that she’s too smal for you. Why doona’ you wait outside and I’l bring yer mount to you.” Having de cided on the horse for her, he thought it best if they met outside the close confines of the stables. Aileanna left without an argument while Rory retrieved her mount.
“Come, girl, ’tis time to meet yer lady.” The honey-colored mare shot him a baleful look and went back to her oats. Anyone else would be offended if he suggested old Bessie be their mount. Most could walk faster than the mare, but it was al Aileanna required for now and, Rory surmised, al she could handle. Rory saddled the horse and brought her out to where Aileanna waited.
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“What’s her name?” Aileanna asked, keeping herself wel away from the horse.
“Bessie. Aileanna, she wil na’ bite. Come closer.”
She gave him a disgruntled look before she took a cautious step forward. “Nice horsie.” Aileanna held out her hand in the direction of the horse’s muzzle. Bessie gave a disdainful snort and Aileanna jumped away. Rory sighed. “We doona’ have al day, lass.”
“This was your idea.” She sucked in what sounded like a panicked breath when he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her onto the saddle. “You could’ve warned me,”
she snapped, her nails biting into his shoulders. He eased himself away from her hold. “Now take your left leg and put it around the pommel.” She swung her leg over the horse, and now sat astride, giving him and anyone else who happened to wander by a tantalizing view of a bare and shapely leg.
“No, I’l fal off. I like it better this way.”
“’Tis no’ proper you showin’—” He ran his hand through his hair, then gestured at her leg. Aileanna huffed out a breath. “It doesn’t matter. No one else wil see.”
She might think it fine for him to see her naked flesh. After al , he’d seen his fair share of her satiny smooth skin of late. But it did not aid in his intention to keep his hands or his thoughts off of her. Nor for that matter had his bril liant suggestion that she meet
“I wil na’ let you fal . Now, do as I say.” His hand at her waist, he tried to ignore the heat of her skin beneath his fingers. He watched as she complied with his order, al the while muttering under her breath. LORD OF THE ISLES
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When Rory lightly slapped her hindquarters, Bessie began to saunter across the courtyard while Rory walked alongside. Aileanna sat frozen in the saddle. He gave her knee a squeeze of reassurance. “Now, that was no’ so bad, was it?” he asked as they made their way out of the courtyard and onto the tree-lined path. The reins clutched in her white-knuckled grip, she mut
tered, “I’l tel you once she gets going.”
“This is aboot as fast as it gets with Bessie.”
“Oh.” Her lips curved into a wide smile that took Rory’s breath away.
Bessie stopped short and lowered her head. “Wha . . . what is she doing now?”
Rory laughed. “Eatin’.”
Aileanna wrinkled her nose. “I think I could’ve walked faster to the Chisholms’.”
“Aye.” He grinned. “But then you’d hurt yer feet.”
He saw the tension ease from her shoulders as she in
