Page 36 of The Highlander's Illicit Bride
A slow, mischievous smile touched her lips. “Let’s play hide and seek.”
“Hide and seek?” he said with one of those laughs that made her tingle from head to toe. “Are we playin’ at bein’ bairns now, then?”
Isolde shrugged. “Why nae? We could use a bit of fun. Especially ye.”
“Especially me, eh?”
“Aye. Ye take everythin’ too seriously,” she replied. “Ye need tae learn tae laugh more.”
“Is that so?”
“Aye. ‘Tis so,” she said. “If ye dinnae find me, then ye’ll have tae take me with ye even after I tell ye where Finlay is.”
“Take ye with me? Tae Achnacarry?”
“Aye.”
“Is that what ye want?”
“It is,” she said simply.
He seemed to think it over for a moment then smirked. “Very well then. If I dinnae find ye, then I’ll take ye with me. Ye have me word.”
“Good,” she said.
“And if I dae find ye?”
“Surprise me.”
She breathed and with another mischievous grin, turned and disappeared into the fog. Isolde ran, careful to avoid falling into any holes or tripping over the roots of the scant few trees around them.
“This is silly,” Struan’s voice echoed out of the fog. “We’re nae bleedin’ bairns.”
The fog was so thick, it distorted sound and his voice sounded as if was coming at her from everywhere at once. She couldn’t tell exactly where he was. But she knew that worked in her favor as well. Isolde giggled.
“There’s naethin’ wrong with lettin’ go of yer concerns now and then,” she called back. “’Tis called havin’ fun, Struan Cameron! Ye should learn tae dae it more often! It keeps the wrinkles away from yer face.”
Putting a hand to her mouth to stifle another giggle, she ducked behind the wide, thick trunk, carefully peering out from around it, although it was pointless. She wouldn’t be able to see Struan moving through the fog until he was right on top of her. But she thought she’d found a good hiding spot and knew it wouldn’t be long before he gave up.
“’Tis foolish!” Struan called out again, his voice muffled, sounding a thousand miles away.
Isolde giggled to herself. “Then we’re foolish!”
“This is fun tae ye?”
“Aye. ‘Tis a load of fun tae me.”
She pressed her back to the tree trunk and put a hand over her mouth, laughing to herself. But then a shape materialized from the fog in front of her. It was so sudden and unexpected, Isolde yelped and jumped. Struan was quick to put his hands on her shoulders and push her back against the tree, his smile wide and his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I found ye,” he said.
“How? How the hell did ye find me? Ye must have cheated!”
His chuckle was a deep rumble and slid across her skin like bathwater, warming her from head to toe and every space in between. She shifted in his grasp feeling an uncomfortable heat blossoming between her thighs she’d never felt before. Her mouth grew dry but her palms grew damp.
“I’ve been a soldier a long time, lass,” he said. “I’ve had tae fight in fogs like this before. I ken how the fog plays with sound.”
“That still counts as cheatin’.” she muttered and crossed her arms in front of her.
