Page 14 of Jack (Highland Outlaws #1)

Ian cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Wee lassies.” Laughing, the girls scrambled to their feet and charged toward their new target.

Bella shifted her gaze back to Jack, who was still sprawled out on the ground.

He lifted his head, and they locked eyes.

His smile softened, but his gaze did not waver.

And though she trembled and grew nervous, she also did not look away.

His dark eyes bore into hers with a power to unlock yearning.

She imagined that the night sky had found its source in their black depths.

They blanketed her sensibility with coercive warmth.

He stood and walked toward her, his gaze ever constant. A shadow of a beard speckled his cheeks and strong jaw. Her heart pounded as he approached. She fought to swallow her nerves as he eased down onto the blanket. “Are ye feeling better today, Princess?” His tone was void of yesterday’s sarcasm.

She tore her eyes from his to hide her warm cheeks. “I am quite well, thank you,” she said, still not daring to meet his gaze. Then, to her relief, one of the littlest girls scrambled onto Jack’s lap.

He wrapped his arm around her. “Have ye met Florie?”

Bella reached out and tapped Florie’s dirt-smudged nose, earning a giggle in response. “I have. We were just breaking our fast together.”

He rested his chin on the little girl’s mop of blonde curls. “I’m glad ye’re feeling better,” he said to Bella.

“Were ye sick?” Florie asked, her pink bow lips pushed out in a pout.

“Nay,” she said, smiling at the little girl. “I was just rather tired.”

“But ye slept well?” Jack asked softly.

Bella cleared her throat and straightened her back before she dared to meet his midnight eyes.

“Aye,” she answered. “I slept very well.” He wore a plain linen tunic over simple brown hose.

Black curls grazed his shoulders and fell across his eyes.

He flashed a smile that forced her gaze to drop yet again.

He was gorgeous, raw and masculine and so very strong.

She chewed her lip while she studied his hands.

They were large and calloused. It was no wonder none of the men at court had been able to set her heart to race when there were men such as Jack in the world.

A breeze swept the glen, lifting her unbound hair from her shoulders.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the new sensation.

Normally, if she were to venture outside, her hair and neck would have been confined by a fitted wimple.

Only her face would have been exposed to the sun and wind.

She laughed outright when the breeze quickened. “This is lovely,” she said.

Jack nodded. “’Tis a beautiful stretch of earth.”

“Indeed it is,” she said quickly. “But I was speaking of the wind. You know what I am accustomed to wearing. Feeling the wind on my skin is a rare pleasure. It feels like freedom.”

Jack’s eyes flickered with something that Bella couldn’t quite read. She watched as he swallowed, a muscle in his jaw jumping. “Aye,” he said, his voice rough. “Freedom is a rare and wonderful thing.”

Bella frowned at the sudden shift in his demeanor.

A sad smile curved his lips. “I see little freedom surrounding us. We’re all exiles, and ye’re a lady bound by convention.

” He lifted Florie from his lap and turned her toward the other girls, who were throwing rocks into the river with Ian.

Then he stood and reached out a hand to help her up.

“Freedom is an illusion—all anyone has are moments in time.” Then his expression brightened a little, and he winked at her.

“And more often than not, those moments must be stolen.”

She smiled, feeling the power of his words. “Freedom is stolen moments.” She took a deep breath, reveling in the ease of her clothing. “Look how quickly I’ve become a thief.” Then she put her hand in his. He pulled her to her feet and stepped close.

“Would ye care to steal another moment?” he asked softly.

Her heart fluttered as she met his gaze. She nodded.

“Join me for a walk along the river, Princess?”

Isabella looked down at her homespun dress. “I do not look the part of princess anymore.”

His appreciative gaze traveled the length of her figure. “Nay,” he breathed. “Ye do not.”

“Call me Bella.” She blushed and looked away, embarrassed by her boldness.

He stepped closer still and crooked his thumb beneath her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. “Shall we take a walk...Bella?” Her name, he said in a whisper.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

He laced his fingers with hers. As he gently pulled her away from the others, she felt alive, excited, and terrified all at once.

She could not believe all that had occurred since she’d left home.

Of course, she had known she was taking a risk, and that anything was possible.

But never could she have imagined that her carriage would be attacked by villains, only to be rescued by bandits who were secretly saints, whose leader was making her a thief in her own right—a thief of stolen moments where she walked about with her hair unbound and in the company of whomever she chose. And in that moment, she chose Jack.