Una and Aileen had been sitting on her other side and been included in the group and enjoyed the tales too, but Dwyn had notmissed the scowls and dirty looks Catriona and Sasha had been casting toward her from down the table where they sat on theother side of Geordie’s uncle Acair. The two women had rushed to sit next to her when Geordie had set her down. Next to herwas as close as they could get to Geordie since Jetta and Aulay were on his right, but his uncle had forced them to move fartherdown the table to make way for he and Dwyn’s sisters when they’d come to the table. The two women had been no more happy aboutthat than they were now at Dwyn having Geordie all to herself, and she supposed she could understand. She was taking up alot of his time and attention.
But it had been Geordie’s idea to accompany the women out here this afternoon when Una and Aileen had mentioned their desireto find wildflowers to plait into Dwyn’s hair as the nooning meal had broken up. Jetta had announced that she’d planned onsending servants out to gather flowers to strew in the rushes for the feast, and would accompany them for the task. The nextthing Dwyn knew, Geordie was suggesting they should join the small group and enjoy some sun while the others found their flowers.The moment she’d agreed, the rest of the women had begun clamoring to join the party.
Had Dwyn realized they would want to accompany them, she would have refused Geordie’s suggestion and claimed a desire to rest.But it was too late by then, so here she sat on a plaid in the middle of the clearing, as Geordie continued to talk abouthow his brothers had encountered their wives. The stories were almost too much to believe with various villains after thewomen, and the brave Buchanan men battling to keep them safe. But there were some very amusing parts to the tales too, suchas Conran being kidnapped in Rory’s place by mistake, and Dougall meeting his wife when she tried to escape her home on abull named Henry.
“Ye have a beautiful smile, lass. Ye should do it more often,” Geordie said suddenly, and Dwyn felt herself blush at the compliment.Her gaze slid to the flower he’d plucked from the small mound her sisters had dumped on the corner of the plaid. He was nowtwirling it between his thumb and fingers, but looking at her. When he leaned forward to brush the petals of the flower downher arm, she closed her eyes briefly as the gentle caress sent shivers down her back.
“Yer very responsive, lass,” he murmured, repeating the act.
“I’m sorry, m’laird.” Dwyn sighed the words and ran her hand swiftly over the goose bumps that his action had given rise toon her arm.
“Do no’ apologize. I like it. A lot,” he added in a near growl, and another shiver slid through her. He noticed, of course,and a purely male grin curved his lips.
Shaking her head, Dwyn whispered so that no one else would hear, “I do believe ye’re a very naughty man, m’laird.”
“Naughty?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “And why is that?”
“Because ye ken what ye’re doing to me, and not only persist, but ye’re enjoying it,” she said at once.
Her honesty seemed to catch him by surprise, and Geordie stared at her briefly in silence before reaching down to slip hishand under the hem of her skirt to clasp her ankle lightly. “And what am I doing to ye, lass?”
Eyes widening, Dwyn glanced anxiously around. Much to her relief, no one appeared to be looking their way.
“Hmm?” he murmured, letting his hand glide up to her calf under the gown.
Dwyn reluctantly turned her gaze back to him. But her breath was now reduced to short, shallow gasps as his touch sent warmheat gliding through her, and she couldn’t have answered him had she wished. Instead, she bit her lower lip, and simply staredat him helplessly.
“Would that I could bite that fer ye meself, lass,” Geordie growled, his gaze focusing on her bottom lip as he let his handdrift up to her knee.
Dwyn released her lip at once, but was wishing he could too. She was wishing she could allow him to continue running his handup her leg as well, but was aware of the women around them, and put her hand down to clasp his through her gown, preventingit from moving farther.
“I think,” she began, but paused as Jetta suddenly appeared at the edge of the plaid they sat on.
“Geordie Buchanan, I know you are not taking liberties with Dwyn out here for anyone to see.” Jetta’s words were hushed toprevent anyone else hearing, but grim for all that, and Dwyn peered at her with alarm.
“Oh, nay, he was—”
“About to unwrap her feet to examine them,” Geordie interrupted calmly, his hand sliding out from under hers to clasp hercalf and draw her leg out so that she sat with it now straight.
“Oh, aye. I am sure it was her feet you were thinking of unwrapping,” Jetta said with a snort of patent disbelief. But shedropped to her knees on the blanket and smiled at Dwyn, and said, “Stick both legs out straight, Dwyn, so we can have a look.’Tis probably better not to sit with them curled under ye like that anyway—’twill cut the blood off to your feet and theyneed the blood to heal.”
“Oh, aye.” Dwyn uncurled the other leg from under her so she sat with both
