She finished with Tanin and intended to make herself scarce until Burke and Malcolm left, but then she turned to find Burke standing in front of her.
“Was my kiss that bad or that good?” he asked.
“Neither. It was a mistake.” She tried to push past him.
He held her in place. “I don’t think so.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think. Now let go of me,” she ordered him quietly and calmly, not wanting to attract attention.
“Not until I have an answer.”
“I gave you one.”
“Not good enough,” he insisted.
“You need to be going. Malcolm is waiting.” She gave a nod to where the young man stood near the edge of the woods.
“He can wait. I told him I needed to speak with you first.”
“This mission is too important to be held up by a kiss,” she scolded.
“My sentiments exactly, so give me an answer and be done with it.”
“I can order—”
His eyes narrowed. “An answer, Storm, here and now.”
She knew he’d go nowhere until she responded and she thought to lie to him, but she had a feeling he’d see through it.
“Like or don’t like,” he reminded. “It’s that simple.”
He was right. It was that simple, and she was being foolish. It would be her choice whether he kissed her again. Her answer would make no difference.
“Like,” she said, getting it over with quickly.
Burke grinned. “I liked it too.”
Her cheeks burned red as he walked away, and she turned so that no one would see her blush. She did not have a problem baring her naked breasts to this man, and yet knowing that he liked the kiss made her blush like a young lass enamored of a lad.
But then removing her shirt had been her choice and had also been meant to put him in his place. The kiss was entirely different.
I liked it too.
She hadn’t considered how he had felt about their encounter, and learning that he had enjoyed it only made her more uneasy. And more apt to think that he would attempt to kiss her again. She would have to speak to him about this and make it clear that he should never kiss her again.
Why not?
The question nudged at her mind. She did not intend to fall in love again and Mr. Longton would return to America when this was over. So what harm would there be in enjoying a few kisses with him now and then? It would be nice to have a man’s arms around her once again, share a kiss, a gentle touch.
Storm walked over to lean against the rock she had sat by last night with Burke.
Would it be so wrong for her to think of herself? Hadn’t she thought of others for most of her life? She hadn’t considered the consequences of her actions when she attempted her first rescue. It was simply necessary, and when it was done she had been marked an outlaw. With little choice left to her and a burning need to fight injustice, she set out to free the helpless with no regard for her own life and no thought of her future.
It didn’t matter anymore. Her reputation had grown, and as Peter had warned her, there were plans for her capture. She always thought it would happen someday and she’d be sent to Weighton to await her death.
Weighton housed the most wanted criminals, those whose acts branded them traitors to Scotland. She didn’t think of herself as a traitor, and many believed her a savior to the common Scot. However, the ruling class thought otherwise and they were the law.
So what was left to her but to enjoy what she could of the life she had left? Perhaps a kiss or two from Burke would brighten her day and lighten her heart, if only for a short time.
She glanced at Tanin, who was speaking with Angus and William. She had advised him long ago that when the day came that she was caught and sent to Weighton, he was to disperse the group and direct the members to make their way out of Scotland. He was not to help her, for they both knew he would die trying. Tanin had objected, but she insisted that she wouldn’t see Ellie suffer the pain of being a widow. He had finally agreed and given her his word.
Burke would never have agreed.
She smiled and whispered. “He would foolishly attempt to rescue me.”
Her smile faded and she recalled her husband’s words.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to save you, I love you that much.
She had felt the same, but unfortunately, she had been too late.
Chapter 14
It didn’t take long to determine that the market would pose no problem for them. The amount of activity kept everyone busy, with children laughing and running around the tables. A sleight of hand could easily go on unnoticed, and in no time the group would have the few items they needed.
Burke made his way through the market stalls, taking note of areas that were more private and therefore more conducive to a successful theft. He wandered along slowly, taking in everything he could, when out of the corner of his eye he caught a woman staring at him. She quickly turned away when he looked in her direction.