At the close of the service, Jamie had stood in for his father and led the kingdom in song, his rich voice flowing into the darkest corners of my spirit. Then he’d smiled that smile of his, and I’d sensed half the population of Doon, young and old, swooning along with me. And how could they not be affected by someone possessing such internal and external beauty?
Pebbles dislodged under Jamie’s boots and my focus shifted to the view directly in front of me—powerful legs, agile as a mountain lion, dashing up the path. Jamie was wearing a kilt. For the ten-thousandth time, I doubted the wisdom of this little outing. Really, I was setting myself up for an epic fall.
As if in fateful confirmation, I stubbed my toe hard and fell to my knees in the dirt. “Mother cusser!”
Dusting my hands off, I looked up, blew the hair out of my eyes, and saw Jamie hovering above me, one eyebrow arched, his lips wobbling with suppressed laughter.
“Do ye need to turn back?”
I glared up at him, refused the hand he extended to help me up, and attempted to get back on my feet. But as I moved to stand, my foot anchored the edge of my skirt to the ground and I pitched forward, right into him. My momentum pushed him back a step as he caught me under my arms.
“I’m starting to think you throw yourself at me on purpose, lass.”
The joke struck far too close to home. Getting my feet underneath me, I tried to pull away but his hands tightened around my sides, locking me in place.
“Let go!” I grabbed his solid forearms, pushing back in a futile attempt to extricate my ribcage from his strong fingers. But he just stood there, unmoving, a sort of dazed half-grin on his face.
Gradually, I became aware of the steady pressure of his warm palms against the sides of my chest. Unwilling to acknowledge how our intimate contact affected me, I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind. “Do you maul all the females in your kingdom? Or just those that will be gone in two weeks?”
Jamie’s face turned to stone, and his hands dropped to his sides. Immediately filled with regret for my unkind words and the loss of his touch, I reached out and grabbed his hand as he turned away.
“Jamie, I’m sorry … I didn’t mean it.”
Slowly, he turned back toward me, his face an unreadable mask. I returned his stare for several long seconds, and then he squeezed my hand, his mouth tilting into a thoughtful closed-lipped smile before he replied, “Do you realize that’s the first time ye’ve used my given name?”
“No, I hadn’t realized that.” I shrugged and stared at the toe of my boot as I made circles in the dirt.
He was right, of course. I hadn’t once, since arriving in Doon, addressed him by his first name, even though he’d invited me to do so and I’d thought of him as Jamie all the time. But after having said it, I felt as if my two images of him, the unattainable dream guy and the real-life Jamie, were inexplicably merging into one.
“I liked it,” he said, lifting my chin with his thumb and forefinger. His warm brown eyes swept over my face, lingering on each individual feature. Would he kiss me? Blood rushed in my ears—
A thrashing sound behind us drew Jamie’s attention. Looking over my head, he dropped his hand from my face, his posture alert.
I turned to see a fawn, its liquid eyes wide and unblinking, a cluster of leaves forgotten in its mouth. Half expecting it to trot over to us like an animal in a fairy tale, I held very still.
“’Tis but a wee babe,” Jamie whispered close to my ear. “When I was a lad, I tried to keep one as a pet.”
In a blink, the fawn whipped around, showing us the cottony underside of its tail as it leapt back into the forest.
Turning, I asked, “What happened with your deer?”
He grinned, and I could see him as a little blond boy, dirt smudged on his dimpled cheeks.
“I lured it into the castle with a trail of raspberries. But my ma wouldna have any of it. Said deer droppings were not an appropriate addition to the castle motif.”
I burst out laughing at the image of the spoiled princeling thwarted by his mother, the pragmatic queen.
“Come. We’re almost there.” He tugged my hand and we set off together up the path.
The rocky trail opened onto a plateau, surrounded by forest and guarded on three sides by soaring mountains.
“Oh.” It was an inadequate response, but the beauty of the glen that lay before us stole my breath—and apparently my ability to form words.
Jamie squeezed my hand in understanding. “Worth the hike, eh?”
“Absolutely.”
Hand in hand, we stepped off the path and into a rainbow of prairie grass and wildflowers, our movement releasing a fusion of bright, sweet perfume that I wished I could bottle and save for a rainy day.
“I’ve taken the liberty of selectin’ a spot for us on the far side o’ the glade. Are you hungry?”
I tore my gaze away from the deep-red poppies, golden buttercups, and delicate bluebells brushing my skirt to glance at the impossibly gorgeous guy gazing down at me, and felt a little faint. Whatever happened in the future, I had to stop analyzing Jamie’s every move and seize this moment. Taste it, touch it, smell it, feel it—etch the memory forever in my heart.
A smile burst from deep inside me. “Yes, ravenous, and thirsty too.”
With an amused grin, he hefted the basket in his hand like a dumbbell. “Well, ye’re in luck then. By the weight of this thing, I’d say Fiona packed us a right feast!”
Down a short hill and across a gurgling stream, we found Jamie’s perfect spot and spread out a tartan blanket under the trees.
I stepped onto the fluttering plaid cloth and sat with my legs crossed under my skirt. “So, how did you find this place?”
“As lads, Duncan and I made it our life’s goal to explore every inch of Doon.”
Jamie moved to the opposite side of the blanket, lowered himself to one knee, and began unpacking our lunch. “As large as Doon is, it is finite, and what adventure is to be found …” He glanced up, mischief dancing in his eyes. “Well, two lads such as m’ brother and I were determined to find it.”
“Did you accomplish your goal then? Have you seen every inch of the kingdom?” I asked before popping a grape into my mouth.
A cloud passed over his eyes as he looked at me. “Aye. Every glade, forest glen, and mountain peak.”
As he spread out the amazing selection of food, the tension in his shoulders lessened, but he remained pensive. I wanted to say something cute to distract him, but nothing came to mind, so I busied myself filling my plate with cheeses, fresh rye bread, fruit, and a variety of salads. A feast fit for a king, I thought as a tense giggle slipped from my lips.
“Lemonade?”
“Yes, please.” I punctuated the two words by another giggle. Now that we’d stopped moving, my nerves were catching up to me.
Like a predator sensing fear, he fixed his gaze on my face, a hungry smile curling his lips. I froze, the laughter dying in my throat. Our eyes locked as he leaned forward with feral grace. In the shadow of the trees, his eyes took on the hue of a midnight sky. My mouth opened, and I suppressed the urge to bite my lip as he moved closer.
Never breaking eye contact, Jamie reached toward me and carefully took the glass out of my hand. Then he sat back on his haunches, and picked up the carafe of lemonade. When he handed me the filled glass, I avoided touching his fingers.
“Thanks,” I said, pleased my voice didn’t squeak.
“You’re quite welcome.”
He smiled and I had to look away. Get a grip, Veronica! What was is it about this guy? I mean, besides the fact that he resembled a male model with the build of a professional athlete, his accent consistently melted the bones from my body, and, last but not least, he was a real-life freakin’ prince? Really, what did I have to be nervous about? That ridiculous conclusion made me giggle again.
“I like that.”
Startled out of my private thoughts, I looked up at Jamie, who during my preoccupation had devoured his first plate of food and was now loading up his second.
