The Imposter (8 page)

Just as our
conversation had begun to delve into the dangerous realm of my family, we heard
the bells. I knew immediately from the expression on Devon’s face that this was
not a good signal coming from the keep.  The sound that reached us in the hills
was faint, but the urgency that it struck into Devon was alarming.

He sprang up from
the plaid. “Hurry lass!  It’s an alarm from the keep.  Something’s wrong!”  I
stood up, unsure of what to do.  My heart was hammering in my chest and the
tiny hairs on my arms bristled with fear.  Devon shoved the rest of the food
into the saddle bag and slung it over the horse.  I picked up the plaid that we
had been lounging on and held it in my arms as he readied the horse. Suddenly, Devon
had changed from amiable companion into the fierce warrior that I knew he was. 
Devon’s movements were efficient and precise.  I could sense the intensity in
his concentration and I knew that whatever was taking place back at the keep
was serious indeed.

He mounted the
horse in one swift movement and held his hand down to me, swinging me up and
settling me on his lap.  His arm was too tight around my waist and although I
was comforted by the security that it provided, I knew that he would open up
his wound again.  He spurred the horse into motion and we were traveling at a
much faster speed than I was comfortable with.

I clutched the
plaid to my body with one hand and held onto Devon’s arm that was secure around
my waist with the other hand.  I made a conscious effort to ease up my grip on
his arm after I realized that my nails were digging into his skin. We raced
through the clearing towards the forest.  I closed my eyes and held on for dear
life.

 My eyes sprang
back open when Devon suddenly reined the horse to an abrupt stop.  My heart was
pounding and my breathing was ragged.  I was terrified.

We were at the
edge of the forest.  Devon swung down from the horse with me in his arms and
pulled the saddle bag off the back of the horse.  He strode into the trees,
still carrying me.  His movements were rapid, his stride purposeful as he
walked deeper into the woods.  He swung me down, settling me onto my feet, and
tossed the saddle bag at my feet. My knees were weak.  Devon pried the plaid
from my fingers and settled it firmly around my shoulders, one hand resting on
each of my shoulders. 

“I canna take ye
back with me, Kate.  Ye must take tae the heather.” His words were urgent as he
demanded my obedience by staring directly into my eyes.  “Doona move from this
place.  If ye hear people, hide in the brush.  Cover yerself with the plaid.  
There’s the rest of the food in the bag.  It should be enough tae keep ye for
awhile.   I’ll be back for ye, but I canna say when.  The keep may be under
attack.  Do ye understand me, lass?” he demanded.

“No, take me with
you!” I pleaded, scared by the prospect of being abandoned.

“I doona have time
tae argue with ye!  Yer stayin’ here, Kate.  It’s not safe back at the keep,”
he said, glaring down at me, green eyes impatient.

“What if you don’t
come back?” I questioned, terrified about being left alone in the forest.

“I’ll be back.  Doona
fash yerself,” he said, looking anxious to get back to the keep.  “I promise,”
he added for extra assurance.

I crossed my arms
in defeat and exhaled slowly in an effort to slow the raging beat of my heart. 
“Hurry,” I added, looking up at him.

He nodded at my
response.  His hand moved from my shoulder to the base of my neck.  He drew me
towards him and placed a quick, hard kiss on my lips.  I was stunned by the
unexpected kiss and by the smoldering look in his eyes.  Then he was gone.

I leaned back
against the tree behind me.  The bark was rough and scratchy, even through the
plaid.  I tasted Devon on my lips.  His kiss stirred feelings of arousal that
were new and foreign.  I wanted to kiss him again.

My knees quivered
and I allowed them to give out, sliding my back down the tree until I was
settled at its base.  I gathered the plaid around my shoulders and picked up
the saddle bag, hugging it to my chest.  I leaned forward and rested my head on
my bent knees.  I would not cry.  I would be strong.  I willed myself to
believe that Devon would come back for me.

Hours passed
slowly and there were no more bells.  My mind raced with fear about what could
be happening at the keep.  I knew that it was serious because of the urgency
that I saw in Devon.  He was the war-chief and injured or not, I knew that his
role in protecting the Clan was a vital one.

Why had he kissed
me?  Why was I so attracted to this man despite trying to keep him at a safe
distance?  The spark that I had felt at the touch of his lips to mine lingered
with me.  It was getting dark.  I would not be afraid.  I chanted this mantra
over and over again in my mind.  I gathered his plaid around me and listened to
the sounds of the forest as night overtook daylight.  He would come back for
me.

My eyes flew open.
This was my chance to escape.

Chapter
Six

I heard a rustling
in the brush and instantly awoke.  Had I actually fallen asleep?  After hours
of traipsing around in the maze of the forest, I must have rested for a moment
and fallen asleep.  My heart thundered in my ears.  I had lost this precious
chance to escape.

“Kate?” his voice
was calm, questioning, almost a whisper.

I jumped up from
my hiding place in the bushes, and was enveloped by Devon’s strong arms.  The
feeling of safety overwhelmed me as he wrapped me up in his arms, held me tight
against his expansive chest and kissed the top of my head.  I knew that I should
let him go but I was so happy, so relieved that he was back safe to rescue me
that I couldn’t find the strength to pull myself away from him.

“Why did ye move
from the place where I left ye?” he asked eyes stern, yet heavy with concern.

“Thank God you’re
safe,” I said ignoring his question, surprised by the tears that were flowing
freely down my cheeks.  I wasn’t sure if they were tears of elation or tears of
relief that I was rescued and Devon was safe.

He chuckled. 
“Thank God that I’m safe?  Ye amaze me woman!  Worrit about me, when ye were
the one who was dumped alone and unarmed in the forest!  I couldna get back tae
ye soon enough.”

He pulled away
from me and held me at arm’s length in the moonlight. “Are ye well, lass?” he
questioned, brushing the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs.

“Yes.  I’m fine,”
I sniffled, suddenly self-conscious by the tears that stained my face.  I
sniffled and resolved to stop crying at once.  My tears were replaced with a
strong surge of anger.  I was angry that Devon had left me alone in the
forest.  What  would  I have done if he hadn’t returned to collect me?

“Now, why did ye
move from where I left ye?” Devon asked again, eyes flaming as they scrutinized
my face.

“I umm…I went
looking for a more comfortable place to lie down,” I lied terribly, defeated
that my attempt at escape had culminated with walking in circles, then giving
up and falling asleep under a clump of bushes.

Devon’s intense green
eyes scanned my face.  He didn’t believe my story.

“Next time, stay
where I put ye,” he ordered with an air of challenge in his voice.  “If it was
escape that ye were after, even the smallest child could have tracked ye tae
where ye slept. Ye left a quite conspicuous trail.  Doona try that again,” he
warned.

I crossed my arms defiantly
and looked down at the pine needles by my feet.  Admittedly, I had failed this
time, but I vowed to be more prepared when I planned my next escape.

He continued
easily now, the anger having dissipated from his voice, “It was the Camerons. 
Relations between our clan and theirs have been strained at best for some time
now.  Their Laird and a group of men dressed for battle were spotted entering
our lands.  They came peacefully, but threatened war. Jamie knew that I was
needed, but couldn’t find me, so he sounded the alarm.  All is well for now.  Doona
worry, lass.   Let’s head home.”  He looked down at me and abruptly noticed
that the expression on my face had changed to anger.  His eyebrows to drew
together in question.

I slapped him hard
across the face, catching him completely off guard.  “Don’t you EVER do that to
me again, Devon McClain.”

His hand reached
up to tentatively explore the terrain of his face.  My palm hurt like hell from
the impact and I figured that his face must at the very least be stinging.

“Next time, take
me with you.  I demand it.  I’ll not be left at the mercy of the forest hoping
for you to come rescue me.  I can take care of myself, and I do NOT appreciate
being left stranded, waiting on you.”

“I’ll not
compromise yer safety by taking ye straight into danger.  Listen here, woman,”
he commanded, “I ken what I’m doing, and ye’d be wise tae do as I say in the
future.”  The sting of the slap resounded through his skin.  He had never in
his life been slapped by a woman.

“No man will tell
me what to do!” I barked, seething with anger as I glared up at him, hands on
my hips.

He smiled a
crooked smile and didn’t hide the fact that he was appraising my body as he
looked me up and down approvingly.  “Ye are a feisty wee hell kitten,” he
smiled, still rubbing the sting out of his skin where I had slapped him.

This was not the
response that I had expected when I was trying to assert my independence to
this insolent man.  Anger boiled up inside of me as he chuckled, still smiling
that devilish smile.  I reached up and smacked him across the face again, this
time using all of my might.

A low growl
escaped his throat and he was inches away from my face, backing me against the
large fir tree.  His muscled frame towered over me and he placed one arm on
either side of me, resting his palms against the bark of the tree and glowering
down at me.  “I happen tae like my women on the feisty side.  But I’m warning
ye, Kate.  Ye’d best not try that again.  Doona play too close with fire wee
hell kitten.  Ye might get burned,” he warned, voice challenging me. 

His lips settled
on mine in a shocking surprise, demanding that I open my mouth to receive his
kiss.  Devon’s hand was at the base of my neck, wound in my hair, pressing me
towards his mouth.  His touch sparked the fire inside of me again and I
couldn’t deny that I wanted more of him. I forgot all about being mad at him
and met his kiss with fervor, body pressed between the contrast of his
insistent muscled chest and the rough bark of the tree.  His velvety lips
slanted over mine and I opened my mouth in response. 

I pressed my body
against his, and ran my fingers over his arms and back.  I felt his desire for
me pressing into my belly and I wantonly pulled him against me more fully.  I
felt him stiffen against me and a masculine growl escaped from deep in his
throat.   He slowly ended the kiss and drew slightly away from me.  As the heat
of the moment passed, I realized much to my shame that I had not wanted him to
stop.  Thank God that he had stopped.

“I thought ye
might be like that,” he whispered, using his hand behind my neck to draw me in
again and place a chaste light kiss on my lips that were swollen from his
greedy assault.

“I am not a whore,
if that’s what you mean,” I said looking away, suddenly embarrassed by the
impassioned response that my body had to his touch.  I was ashamed of myself
for kissing him back, for prodding him onward, for encouraging him.

“That’s not what I
meant, Kate.  I ken yer not a whore.”  He took a deep breath, recalculating his
thoughts.  “I meant that I thought ye might respond tae me in such a way.  I
felt it between us the first time I saw ye.”

I felt the color
flush my face, which tingled from the scratching of his stubble where he had
kissed me so passionately.

“Doona tell me
that ye dinna feel it as well,” he challenged, alluding to the chemistry, the
energy that was between us.

“I don’t know what
you’re talking about,” I whispered, lying, eyes downcast looking at the leaves
fallen on the forest floor.

“Aye, ye do,” he
said sternly.  “I can feel it within ye.   I ken that ye feel it too,” he said,
lifting my chin with his finger, forcing my eyes to make contact with his.
“Believe me, I didna want tae stop, but someone had tae or well……ye might have
taken advantage of me right here against this tree,” he joked, seeking to
lighten the mood between us, but still not allowing me to deny the energy that
was there, palpable, right between us.

“I’m sorry for
taking advantage of you in such a way, but it serves you right after abandoning
me in the woods.” I said tartly, slipping out of his arms and stomping off
towards the horse.

He shook his head
and walked after me, running a stray hand through his disheveled hair.  “Ye are
likely to drive me insane, Kate.  I swear that I will never understand women,”
he mumbled underneath his breath as he followed me towards the horse.

Devon settled the
plaid about my shoulders and lifted me in his arms.  He strode, carrying me as
if I weighed nothing, from the forest and mounted his horse while still holding
me.  I felt warm and safe against his solid body.  We did not speak. I was ashamed
of myself for kissing him.  Not for just kissing him, but for kissing him and
liking it. 

Chapter
Seven

I awoke slowly, my
thoughts and dreams still swirling about in my mind. I reached for the cup of
water that I kept on the bedside table and took a deep gulp of the cool
liquid.  I finished the glass greedily, realizing that I had not drank anything
or eaten since yesterday afternoon.  I sat the earthen cup back on the table
and it landed with a loud clunk.  I stretched my arms over head, trying to
shake the last grips of sleep from my body.