He chuckled, scooping her to him, soaking in the feel of her silken skin against his. “That was incredible, my love. Simply incredible.”

“Mmmmm,” she answered, burrowing against him, her arms about him. “It was lovely. And next time, we’ll use the scarf.”

He chuckled, a deep satisfaction warming him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “As you wish, my lady.”

A lovely peace filtered through him as he held her, their hearts returning to a normal rhythm, their legs entwined in a most intimate manner.

The bed was lovely, full of pillows and far more comfortable than the rock-hard mattress he had to sleep on at Kilkairn. And certainly his bed didn’t smell of lavender and Katherine Macdonald, which was a lovely scent he could quite easily become enamored of.

The thought held him, and he turned to press his cheek against hers, holding still so he wouldn’t wake her. He’d never felt this way before, such a sense of completeness. It was a good thing he was leaving soon, before this magical feeling left.

It was much later that he sighed, kissed her forehead, and slowly climbed from the bed.

Ten minutes later, Simon entered the workshop and lit a lantern by the door. Then he walked to the back of the room to a large red door.

He kicked it open and then held the lantern aloft, lighting a room lined with neat cots. The inhabitants of the room began to stir, cursing at the brightness.

“Bloody hell, Simon,” Donald said. “Put down the lantern!”

“What do ye want now?” muttered Hamish, leaning on his elbows and squinting toward Simon. “Was I snorin’ again?”

Simon plunked the lantern onto the table that stood to one end of the room and then sat in one of the chairs. “We need to talk.”

“Now?” Neal asked, knuckling his eyes.

“Aye, now. I couldna sleep, so I went to the kitchen to see if Annie had left out a little somethin’ to eat.”

“Ye’d better have a reason fer wakin’ us other than Annie forgettin’ to leave ye a hunk of cheese,” Will said, sitting up and yawning.

“I have a better reason,” Simon said grimly. “I saw the Sassenach. He was climbin’ down out of Miss Kat’s window usin’ that old oak.”

To a man, they came awake.

“That bastard,” Donald swore, jumping to his feet.

“I get to kill him first,” Neal said, standing, fists ready.

“No, ’tis fer me to do the killin’,” Hamish growled. “Ye can do the dismemberin’.”

Simon sighed. “Whist now, I know how ye’re all feeling. I was the same. I even thought of takin’ him off his horse and doin’ the deed right there by meself. But ’twould not answer. Miss Kat would skin us alive. Lads, I think the time has come to invite the Sassenach to a meetin’.”