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Darkness met her gaze and an abyss opened its mouth as they entered.
    “It’s just a cave,” Conall said, his voice low and soothing as if he had felt her fear.
    Just a cave. Ha . “I can’t go in there. Don’t take me in there,” she pleaded as she turned around until she almost faced him. She hadn’t even tried to hide the fact she was terrified.
    The thought of spiders dangling from the ceiling as they waited to crawl over her stopped any pretense she might have tried to use. She was petrified, and she must make Conall understand that to bring her in the cave would be bringing her into a living nightmare.
    His eyes stared hard into hers. “With the threat of your father, I must take precautions. Entering through the caves is one of them. It’s not very far to the other side.”
    She glanced over her shoulder at the yawning hole of shadows. “I’m not going in there,” she stated.
    “Aye, you will.”
    Gone was the soothing tone and in its place a voice hard as steel. There was nothing she could say to this man to change his mind, and she knew attempting to run would be stupid with her legs aching as they did.
    Her stomach clenched in apprehension. She shivered at the thought of all the spider legs that would be crawling on her. Fear seized her as its clutches wrapped themselves around her. Her body began to shake as she tried to see into the darkness.
    “I give you my word nothing will happen to you.”
    Strangely enough she knew he would try to protect her. She let him right her in the saddle and took hold of his hand, determined to act more courageous than she felt.
    “I’m going to hold you to that vow, MacInnes,” she said, and hoped she would be able to get his sword unsheathed before the first spider landed on her.
    He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her tight against him. Just before they reached the entrance to the cave he whistled, and Angus ran his horse to the front to take the lead.
    “If there’s anything in there it will get Angus first,” he whispered as they entered the darkness.
    She smiled at his jest while his breath warmed her neck and made her breasts tighten, temporarily setting aside the trembling. His arm, wrapped so snugly around her waist, touched the undersides of her breasts.
    Without the glorious Highland landscape to distract her, she grew conscious of every inch of her body that touched his. She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes as each new sensation swept violently through her.
    His long legs had rather handsome knees, if one could call knees handsome. Thick, muscular thighs helped to hold her securely onto the horse and molded her against a hardness that had been pressing into her back for some time now. Arms so solid, so strong she was sure they could fell an ancient oak with a simple push held her gently but firmly. Muscles in those mighty arms flexed as he moved the reins.
    A soldier behind them slapped at something and muttered about a bug. She tensed, expecting to feel hundreds of hairy legs swarming over her, but there was nothing. Nothing except Conall and his muscles.
    She forced herself to lean back against his shoulder before her head began to ache and was surprised to find his hand grazed her throat then moved to her cheek.
    “See. I told you there was nothing to fash yourself about,” he murmured into her ear.
    She smiled. He was an arrogant laird.
    “Ah. A smile. It’s good you trust me.”
    “You gave me your word and, despite what I should be feeling, I somehow know you’ll honor that vow.” She turned her head toward his, only to find her lips grazing his jaw sprinkled with a day’s growth of beard.
    The spiders were forgotten as she concentrated on the feel of his face against hers. His head moved slightly and she wished for some light, for she was sure it was his lips she felt for an instant against hers.
    “You are my prisoner, and while at my home I’ll protect you. I always protect what’s mine.”
    An ominous mood overtook