“It would give me strength to see ye there.”
I swallowed hard, his statement moving me more than I cared to admit. “I’ll think about it.”
“Fair enough. Let me just do one thing, then we can go.” And with that, he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me full on the mouth before stalking out of the room.
Affected beyond reason by the simple kiss, I forced myself to refocus. All I had to do was prevent the witch from hurting anyone else before I could remove her evil vessel from Doon. And watch the boy I loved be crowned king and announce his engagement to a mini Italian goddess. While I was at it, maybe I would schedule some time to have my heart cut out of my chest.
CHAPTER 25
Veronica
The journey back to the castle alternated between tortuous bliss and blissful torture. I didn’t know which I wanted more: for our time to be over quickly or to drag it out as long as possible. In the end, the beauty of the day tipped the scales toward procrastination. Well, that and the company—Jamie hadn’t left my side all morning, taking my hand to help me across a fallen log, lifting me over puddles, brushing tendrils of hair off my cheek, all of which made maintaining a comfortable emotional distance next to impossible.
We made our way out of the forest and through the lush hills, past rushing streams, flowing clear and pure, around fields of golden gorse and wild heather, and along meadows populated with grazing stags. In the light of the lovely summer countryside, it was almost as if the hellish blizzard of the night before never happened.
“Not far now, Vee. Come, I wish to show ye something.” He grabbed my hand.
Walking so close beside him, I felt small—in a delicious, protected kind of way. I squeezed his hand, smiling as he led me off the path to the edge of a steep drop-off.
“Oh my—” The entire kingdom of Doon stretched before us. Slate-blue castle turrets soared into the sky, replicated in the sparkling mirror of the lake. The steeple of the Auld Kirk towered above the trees, standing sentinel to the winding cobblestone streets of the village. My Christmas village, I thought, wishing I could stay here forever. My stomach twisted in longing.
Shaking off my melancholy, I pointed west and asked, “Are those the flags of the tournament stadium?”
“Aye.” The single word contained all the pride and adoration he felt for his kingdom.
“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Not me.”
I met his eyes as they moved possessively over my face, and my pulse soared like a hummingbird taking flight. Desperate to divert his attention I blurted, “Someone should build a house here. This view is amazing!”
“That is an excellent idea. Maybe I shall.”
“You?” I stared at him in mock horror. “Don’t you think an enormous castle and a hunting lodge are enough for one young monarch?” But I couldn’t stop the impish grin from spreading across my face.
“Dear Miss Welling,” he teased, the long dimple appearing in his cheek, “the castle is a public building and the lodge is used by many. Maybe I long for a place o’ my own.” He pulled lightly on the end of my braid, his eyes full of insinuation. “Or maybe a retreat to share with another. I imagine it shall be advantageous to have a wee bit o’ privacy once I”—he winked—“take a queen.”
“Oh, don’t be a perv!” I smacked his arm and immediately clutched my stinging fingers with my other hand. The guy’s biceps were ridiculous.
Jamie just laughed and hopped away from me.
Turning around, I headed back down the trail, leaving him to follow me or not. The image of him building a house on this hill to share with Sofia made me almost blind with jealousy.
After a few moments, I heard him jog up behind me. “What is a perv?”
I glanced at him. “You know, a pervert … a sexually depraved lunatic.”
“You think I’m some kind o’ crazy sex fiend?”