Just Wait For Me (Highland Gardens Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

sisters,” said the one who spoke first.
    “Best we tell our lad,” said the third. “Come, lass.”
    “Wait—”
    The three women abruptly turned and ducked into a narrow
tunnel, the children at their heels. Except for Duff and Keita. They waited
solemnly.
    Could the women help her?
    Jillian shivered. Another tunnel. Although these caves
didn’t feel as threatening as the old train tunnel on the bike trail had.
Tugging her warm fleece top back on, she swallowed rising anxiety before it
overwhelmed her and smiled at the children. “Shall we?”
    A short trek through the rough-sided tunnel brought them to
a smaller cavern. Jillian inhaled sharply when one of the torches shed light on
a large lump in the corner. A blond man, wrapped in her stolen space blanket,
sprawled motionless on plaid blankets spread over the stone floor with his back
to them.”
    “Stephen dear, we have company.”
    The man turned slowly and rose to a seated position. He wore
an impassive expression, a long, sharp-looking, knife clutched in a big hand.
    “How did you get my space blanket?” Jillian curled her hands
into fists, anger making her braver than prudent.
    The man’s head tilted to the side as he studied her, and the
blanket slipped revealing a massive bare chest. A terribly scarred chest. The
blade disappeared and a smile curved his mouth. Jillian’s mind turned to mush.
She took a step back and tried not to drool. Though he was scruffy, his
gorgeous blue peepers knocked the air from her lungs.
     
    With effort, Stephen blanked his features. ’Twas quite a
feat, being he gazed upon the loveliest creature, eyes wide, a hand clutched to
her chest. Damn! She was repulsed by the sight of him. He tugged the cloth up,
covering the puffy, pink scars on his chest, hoping to ease her distaste.
    At least his face hadn’t been damaged in the battle.
    Her arm dropped to the side, lips parting ever so slightly.
Maybe she wasn’t offended by his scars? He smiled again.
    “What have we here?” he asked, voice gruff from lack of use.
    The lass moistened her lips. Becoming aroused, he stifled a
groan. Damned luck. Of all times to find a woman to have such an effect on him. Him with serious injury and, perhaps worse, handfasted with another.
Though loath to have gotten into such a predicament with a lass he disliked and
didn’t trust, the fact remained another woman already laid claim to him.
Refusing to dawdle on that path of thought, he shook off unwanted memories.
    The lass standing before him must be the one of whom Munn spoke.
Her garments were strange. Of a type of cloth unknown to him. But it was her
heart-shaped face framed by hair the color of the rich earth in Castle
Lachlan’s garden that left him spellbound. Dark lashes graced warm brown eyes
specked with gold that made his insides shiver. And the tip of an impish nose
sprinkled with fern-tickles—as if the lass were descended from the fae—begged
to be kissed.
    Her lips—
    Grrr! He’d never be able to fulfill the desire to kiss those
sweet lips. Why did she drop into his life now? When he was already handfasted
and only half a man?
    “Like what you see?” The angry tone of her voice snapped him
out of the rude perusal.
    “What is your name?” he demanded.
    She raised her chin, and he thought she would refuse to
answer.
    “Jillian O’Donnell. And you have my space
blanket.” Her hands fisted on slender hips.
    “I never meant… Here.” He dropped the odd silver plaide and struggled with his crutch to stand. Heat flushed his face and pain burned
his muscles. He wobbled before finding secure footing for his wounded leg. He
held out the cloth. “Take it.”
    The lass gasped. Eyes wide, she clutched the plaide to her chest. “You’re…”
    “What? Have you not seen a naked man afore?” Fool .
Now she kenned the enormity of his injuries.
    Without waiting for an answer, he leaned on the crutch and
hobbled across the chamber and, less stable than he would have liked,