Highland Strength (Book 3)

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It took a moment for him to realise exactly what word had been formed by his own lips. When it did finally sink into his mind, rather than panic, or worry, he felt a rightness in his chest, around the vicinity of his heart. Though from the shock on the face above him, he could tell she had not expect any such declaration from him. His eyes widened as he tried to figure out what she would do, would she bolt now? Leaving him still vulnerable, alone in a place where…he glanced around, now his head was clearer, he really did not know where in heaven and hell he was.

Furrowing his brow, he took a moment to sweep her face with his eyes, watching as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled upon it. He wanted to tug it free and take it in between his own teeth. Shaking his head a little to clear his mind and focus upon the moment at hand. “Sheena…” he trailed off, both of their heads flicking in the direction of the snap of a twig. He could not say how close it was, as the forest and glade seemed to echo the sound around, as if trying to disorient them on purpose. Putting them on the back foot to start with, it was not the position he wished to find himself in ever again.

Trying to pull himself up, he suddenly found Sheena pushing down upon his shoulders, her brow pulled together as a tiny little line appeared between them. And he fought the urge to reach out and smooth the wrinkle away from the otherwise perfection of her delicate face. “Stay down, you foolish man, do you wish to cause your death which I have tried too hard to keep at bay.” Her words were whispered but harsh, though he thought he could very much see her worry for him beneath the anger at his movement.

Holding his hands up and out a little, in a sign of surrender to her wisdom, he could not stop the wry smile from appearing on his face as she turned her gaze back to the tree line once more. As she held her breath, trying to watch for the danger that approached, he just could not find it in him to do the same, as the view before him was utterly bewitching. It went against everything that he had been taught, but he let her look out, and he focused his attention on the open ties on the front of her shirt. The gaping material afforded him a view he had only dreamed of before, and he had pictured this many a time, though the reality was much more than he had expected. Her skin pale even after the amount of time she spent in sun merged perfectly all over. Just as he had pictured. Pretty pink, hmm, little berries for him to bite into. Her sudden movement upwards made him release his eyes from her now covered chest and look over to the tree line where she had her gaze fixed, unblinking.

A shadow moved, and he glanced back at her to see she had not yet noticed it. His brow furrowed once more, and he had a fleeting thought that he had done that action a lot since he had met Sheena. Her eyes darting back and forth in the trees, not seeing what he had noticed, it made him pause a moment. If she had not seen, could he have been mistaken, looking back at the tree line, he knew that he had to watch but a moment.

There.