rounding the corner, I leaned against the wall and struggled to control my breathing.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t still my mind. So I could choose to stay and accept the Calling, but Jamie could still choose Sofia? If so, I’d be stranded in Doon and bound to Jamie for a lifetime; an aging spinster, living for a brief glimpse of his beautiful face as he swept through the village, his lovely queen at his side. Screw that.
Needing to move, but having no plan of where to go next, I hurried along the circular hallway toward an open window. If I couldn’t get outside, this would have to do. I stood on my toes and leaned on the thick ledge, pulling in a deep breath of the crisp night air. The full moon illuminated a panorama of pristine mountains and forest. The kingdom’s unspoiled beauty quieted my soul. It was truly a marvel.
“I wouldna jump if I were you.”
With a squeak, my heart accelerated like a stampede of wild horses as I spun around to find Jamie leaning on the wall directly behind me. His arms were crossed in front of his broad chest, one knee bent, his booted foot propped on the rough stones behind him. The bored look on his face made it appear as if he’d been standing there for hours.
“I wasn’t planning to, Your Highness.” Sarcasm seemed to be my best defense. I needed to keep him at a distance until I could work through my jumbled feelings.
Jamie answered with a disdainful smile and pushed himself off the wall. Arms still crossed, he moved to stand in front of me, stopping so close I had to tilt my head back to see his face.
“What are ye doing out of bed?”
“Why are you such a close talker?”
“Pardon?” He narrowed his eyes and took another step forward. “I asked why yer out of bed?”
“I … ah.” My sarcasm shield dissolved on the spot. I gulped down the nervousness his nearness brought out in me and summoned the image of him gliding across the dance floor with Sofia in his arms. I cocked my head to one side and continued in a calm voice, “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get some air. Is that a crime?”
Turning my back on him, I moved back to lean against the windowsill.
The opening was wide, but when he leaned down next to me, resting his forearms on the ledge, our shoulders touched. His heat reached me through the thick fabric of the robe, causing my nerve endings to tingle, but I couldn’t move away. I glanced at his left ear where he’d taken a club to the head for me the day before, but there was no sign of the injury beneath the golden layers of hair. I jerked my gaze away; no way would I ask him about that again.
After several seconds of silence, my attention shifted from the moon-washed landscape to his large, well- formed hands as he played with a ring on his right index finger. The thick gold band had an intricately carved lion head in the center, its onyx eyes glinting in the moonlight.
As if there’d been no break in the conversation, Jamie said, “Of course being out of bed is no’ a crime. As long as you dinna leave the tower.”
I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what he could do with his tower when he said, “Why can’t ye sleep?” His voice sounded strained, as if it took a herculean effort for him to form a polite question.
Choosing to accept his peace offering, I answered truthfully, “I feel antsy.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head angle in my direction.
“What do ye mean by antsy?”
I glanced at Jamie, and turned back to the view so I could think rationally. “You know, restless. I’m used to physical activity, which I haven’t gotten much of since we’ve been here.”
“Aye. That I can understand.” I got the feeling he could relate to more than just the physical nature of my restlessness. “We’ve been cooped up in meetings to plan the Gathering and the Centennial for weeks.” He cleared his throat. “Speaking of the Gathering—the committee was wondering if you or your friend have anythin’ that would be of benefit to examine. Such as inventions, devices, or footwear.”
“They want to see my shoes?” I stared at his profile, the strong nose and the high slope of his cheekbone shaded by dark gold stubble.
“You can tell a lot about a civilization by the construction of their garments.” He turned and met my stare, coffee-colored eyes raking over my face. “But anything ye brought with you from the mortal world would be helpful.”
“Okay … I did bring a cell phone, and—” I choked on my next words, my stomach jumping into my throat. I’d been about to tell him about Gracie’s journal, but something—some instinctive warning—stopped me.
“Are you all right?”
Gasping for breath, I muttered, “Yes” and looked away from his searching eyes. I’d finished reading the journal, so what was my deal? I had no good reason for keeping it a secret. All I knew was I needed to keep it to myself for the time being.
“What is a cell phone?”
Grateful for the change of subject, I said, “Oh, it’s a tiny communication device. But the battery—” His brows drew together over his nose. “I mean, the energy source died, so it doesn’t work.”
“I would love to take a look at this cell phone. It seems we will learn much through this Gathering.”
We both turned back to the view, a sudden silence stretched between us and I became very aware of his large body so close to mine.
Abruptly, Jamie stood up, and I turned to see him drag his fingers through his gold hair. As he lowered his hand, his bangs fell over his forehead, softening the strong angles of his face. In that moment he looked exactly like the boy I’d first seen in the parking lot.
“Why are ye smiling, lass?” I hadn’t realized my lips were curved until he spoke. Jamie smiled back, looking sheepish.
“Ah … nothing.” The smile dropped from my face. I wasn’t ready to have that conversation yet.
His eyes narrowed, and a muscle began to flex in his jaw. Clearly, something was on his mind, but I was oddly content to drink in the sight of him as he worked it out. What was it about this boy that I couldn’t resist? It was more than his appearance. The pull felt natural, like gravity or thirst—an inevitable force drawing me toward him. A force I needed to find the strength to fight … or did I?
“Shall we plan to get some exercise on the morrow?” Jamie asked, his dark eyes lighting up with boyish excitement. “We could take a hike to Muir Lea and then have a bit of archery practice?”
Finding my knees unexpectedly weak, I was grateful for the steady wall behind my back. Was Jamie MacCrae asking me on a date? Should I say no? Ask him what Sophia would think? Or maybe I needed to see this thing through, get to know him as a person, find out if he’d been envisioning me too. How could it hurt to spend a single afternoon with him?
Pushing off the wall, the question that popped out of my mouth surprised even me. “I thought you believed me to be in league with the witch.”
He arched a brow and considered for a moment before answering. “That remains to be seen.”
“But aren’t you afraid to be alone with me?” My pulse accelerated as he moved closer again, his eyes traveling from my bare toes up my body and finally resting on my face.
His lips slid into a slow grin. “Not in the way ye might think.”
Unwilling to analyze what he meant by that, I focused on answering his original question. “Okay, I’ll go. Sounds like fun.” I shrugged, trying to appear calm even though my pulse accelered with every heartbeat.
“Excellent.” He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine. I crossed my arms in front of my chest. Feeling the voluminous folds of fabric under my arms reminded me that I must look like a drowning rat in the huge robe. Jamie stopped so close I could smell the warm sweetness of his breath. “After chapel, then?”
I nodded, my eyes wandering to the adorable dimple in the center of his scruffy chin.
“Verranica?” I jerked slightly, wondering how the sound of my name on his lips could rock me every single time. Raising my eyes to his, the intensity of his stare took me by surprise. “Is that my brother’s robe yer wearing?”
“Uh-huh,” I answered distractedly as he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. The gentle touch of his fingers sent a wave of something like magma all the way to my core. Quickly, he jerked his hand away from my face and clenched his fingers into a tight fist. A vein pulsed in his throat, but his expression had gone stony again.
“See that Fiona gets you your own.” And with that parting order, he was gone.
Even as the echo of his footsteps faded, I questioned the sanity of agreeing to go anywhere with this boy.
