Captured by a Laird (20 page)

“I’m begging ye not to go through with this.”

“Ye waste your breath,” he said. “I have spoken. The matter is settled.”

He fixed his gaze on the bottom of his cup and waited for the sound of the door slamming. But she did not leave. Though he did not look at her, he was so aware of her in the quiet room that he could hear her breathing, as soft as a butterfly’s wing.

“It doesn’t have to be settled,” she said. “You’re the laird. Ye can change your mind.”

“’Tis because I’m the laird that I cannot change it,” he said. “Men don’t respect a leader who makes idle threats or tolerates disobedience.”

He felt her approach as if she held a line attached to his heart. He closed his eyes against the steady pull.

She halted a foot away, within easy reach. All he wanted in the world at this moment was to rest his head against her breast, to listen to the soothing beat of her heart, to feel her fingers comb through his hair.

God help him, but she brought out a weakness in him.

“Ye must not flog your brother,” she persisted, “for your own sake as much as his.”

He flinched at the thought of the lash marking his brother’s tender, unscarred back. His cup was empty so he took a long pull from the jug.

“You’re a better man than this.” Her voice was strained.

He turned to look out the narrow window at the moonless night, which was as black as his heart.

“I never claimed to be a good man,” he said.

“I believe ye are,” she said, “or at least ye could be.”

“What use is a good man?” he said. “’Tis a strong man who serves his people.”

“Ye can be both,” she said. “’Tis not weak to show kindness or mercy.”

“Ye think our neighbors respect kindness?” he snapped.

She rested her hand on his shoulder. God, he needed her touch.

“I know ye love your brothers,” she said.

She did not understand that it was because he loved his brothers that he had to do this, no matter what it cost him.

“Robbie and Will worship ye,” she said. “You’re the example they strive to meet, and that they’ll judge themselves by as men.”

“I never asked for that,” he said.

“If ye do this, they’ll never feel that way again.” She brought her face in front of his and looked at him as if she were trying to see into his soul. “I am telling ye, David, that if ye do this, you’ll lose them both.”

“As Robbie told me repeatedly, he’s becoming a man,” he said. “He must learn the consequence of not following orders.”

“Even if it destroys his spirit?” she said. “The cost is too high. Why can ye not see it?”

“I cannot appear weak and still protect my family and clan.” He slammed his fist on the table. “My reputation is all that stands between all of you and destruction by our neighbors.”

“I hoped that ye were not as terrible as your reputation, I hoped…” Her voice caught in a strangled sob, and she stamped her foot. “I wanted to believe in ye!”

“I am a lost cause, Alison.” He tilted his head back and took another long drink as she slammed the door behind her.

He was alone again, as he had always been.

CHAPTER 25

Robbie shook off the men who were leading him to the post in the center of the castle courtyard and crossed the courtyard with his head up in a show of bravado. When he reached the post, he turned and met David’s gaze. David knew his brother so well that he could see the fear Robbie hid behind the proud defiance of his stance.

“Go inside,” he said to Will, who stood beside him. “Ye don’t have to watch this.”

“I’ll stay for Robbie,” Will said, giving him an accusing look.

Alison’s words echoed in his head.
You’ll lose them both.

At David’s nod, the men stripped Robbie of his shirt. His brother had shot up to six feet, but he had not filled out yet. The sight of his narrow shoulders and thin arms made David’s head pound and his chest feel hollow.

Sweat broke out on his palms as he watched the men tether his brother to the post.

He would reduce the sentence to fifteen lashes. Nay, ten. Any lad should be able to stand ten. At his age, David had withstood far more. And David would not wield the whip as viciously as his English captors had.

“Give me the whip.” David took it from the man who held it for him and marched to the center of the courtyard. He could have asked another to give the punishment, but it was David’s decision and his duty. Besides, he would never allow one of his men to hurt Robbie. And he believed he should suffer with his brother.

He drew in a deep breath and cocked his arm.

He remembered the crack of the whip and the effort it took not to cry out when it cut through his skin and tore at his muscle. After twenty lashes, he had given in and screamed like a lass. After forty, he had passed out. He heard that they cut him down that first time after fifty or so.

Sweat rolled into his eyes, and the cold wind whipped his shirt against his damp skin. He reminded himself that the flogging the English gave him had served a useful purpose. It had hardened him, had helped him learn to withstand pain and fear and never show it.

And yet, he could not do it to his brother.

He tossed the whip to the ground. Pulling his dirk from his belt, he went to cut his brother down. He waved the others away.

As he sliced the ropes that bound his brother like an animal, he hated himself.

“You’re not going to flog me?” Robbie asked in a strained voice.

“I was wrong to do this,” David said. “I’m sorry.”

“I thought a man never apologizes,” Robbie said.

“I don’t feel like much of a man today,” David said, and clenched his teeth as he cut through the last rope.

Panic flashed through Robbie’s eyes as his knees started to give way, but David had seen it coming and held a steadying arm around Robbie’s shoulders.

“They’ll think I’m a coward for being weak-kneed when ye didn’t give me a single lash.”

“Ye showed courage facing your punishment,” David told him. “Just keep your feet until we get through the door, and that courage is all they’ll remember.”

That, and their chieftain’s weakness.

“Davey,” Robbie whispered, “I’m not certain I can walk that far.”

“Of course ye can,” David said. “You’re my brother, and I won’t let ye fall.”

***

David dragged his sorry arse up the stairs, feeling like hell. All he wanted was to be left alone.

When he opened the door to the bedchamber, he was surprised to find Alison standing at the window with her back to him. He thought she would be in the kitchens, where she usually went when she wished to avoid him. She must have watched the entire miserable scene.

She whirled around, and for one breathless moment, she stared at him, unmoving. Then she stunned him by running across the room and leaping into his arms. He was so caught off guard that he staggered backward.

He buried his face in her neck, needing to hold her more than he could ever admit.

“Ye did the right thing,” she said. “I’m so proud of ye.”

After all the daring feats for which he was famed—or infamous—
this
is what earned him her praise?

“I showed weakness in front of the men,” he said, resting his forehead against hers. “That can only lead to trouble.”

“Ye put your brother before your pride,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “They should respect ye for that.”

He gave her a faint smile. “Ach, ye don’t understand men.”

“What ye did was brave.”

He was going to ask her what in the hell was brave about making a fool of himself, but then she kissed him. And it was not a sweet kiss. Nay, this was a hot, hungry kiss that sent shocks down to the soles of his feet and emptied every thought from his head.

Her tongue was in his mouth, and she had one hand in his hair and the other around his neck, pulling him closer. He felt lightheaded from all the blood surging to his cock, and that was before she began rubbing her thigh up and down against his.

He cupped her sweet bottom and groaned as he pulled her against his erection. When she responded by wrapping her legs around his hips, he feared he would explode then and there.

He had no notion why his reluctant bride was suddenly behaving as if she wished to eat him alive, but he needed her to want him like this.

Without lifting his mouth from hers, he carried her to the bed and they fell across it. Her hands were all over him—under his shirt, over his bare chest and down his belly, driving him to madness. He was sucking on her tongue when her hand found his cock through his breeks.

“
Jesu
.” He flopped onto his back to give his full attention to the sensation of her stroking him.

When she snatched her hand away, he groaned in disappointment.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her face turning pink. “I’m behaving badly.”

“Sorry?” he said in a ragged voice. “I wanted to die that felt so good.”

A purely feminine smile curved up the corners of her mouth. “Truly?”

“Aye,” he said. “I haven’t seen this wild side of ye before.”

“I haven’t either.”

Her breath hitched when he cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her swollen bottom lip.

“Don’t misunderstand me. I like ye when you’re sweet and shy,” he said. “But when you’re like this, I’m at your mercy.”

Though he had made his admission in all seriousness, she laughed and proceeded to cover his face with kisses. Ach, this lass was a mystery. Yesterday she cursed at him in front of his men. But now that he’d made an utter arse of himself, she was kissing him as if he was a hero returned from battle.

He pulled her on top of him so that she was sitting up straddling him. She looked so lovely with her cheeks flushed and her hair falling loose that she took his breath away. He ran his hands up her thighs under her gown.
Ach
, he could feel her heat through their clothes.

How far would she let him go this time…

“I’m ready,” she said, sounding determined.

“Ready?” His heart hammered in his chest. He was afraid to hope. Yet all the signs pointed to the answer he’d wanted to hear since the first moment he saw her.

“To truly become your wife,” she said, looking straight at him with her wide violet eyes.

He held his breath and waited, still afraid he mistook her meaning.

“I want to consummate our marriage.” She paused and wet her lips. “I want ye, David Hume.”

God, yes!
How long had he waited for her to say those words? He felt as if he’d suffered a lifetime of longing.

“Are ye certain, Allie?” He had tried to ignore the quaver in her voice, but he couldn’t.

She gave him a slow nod. “Aye.”

He wanted her so badly his hands shook, but he must not frighten her. No matter what it cost him, he would be gentle and go slowly.

“Does this mean you’ve given up on your brothers rescuing you?” he asked, though he should not care why she was willing.

“I have, but that’s not the reason,” she said, her gaze unwavering. “Ye were right when ye said if it wasn’t you, I’d be forced to wed some other man.”

He tried to ignore the stab of disappointment that she had simply accepted the inevitability of marriage and the loss of her freedom.

“If the choice were mine to make,” she said, “I’d choose you.”

His foolish heart wanted to believe her, but the truth was that she’d had no choice.

“Ye prefer the devil ye know?” he said, forcing a smile.

“Today I saw what was in here,” she said, and placed her hand over his heart, “and you’re no devil, David Hume.”

She was wrong. But he would do his damnedest to protect her from the darkness in his soul.

***

Alison was startled by her own boldness. After the unbearable tension of waiting to see if David would go through with the punishment, and then the burst of joy when he tossed the whip aside, all her pent-up emotions had turned quite suddenly—and unexpectedly—into flaming desire the moment she flung her arms around David.

If he had not halted their headlong rush into passion, the bedding would be over and done with by now. She wished it were. Now that she had time to think, she was losing confidence.

Though David would never rant at her for failing to please him, she feared she would disappoint him. With Blackadder, the joining had often been painful, and always unpleasant, so that made her a tad nervous as well.

“I want to take this slowly.” David lifted her to her feet beside the bed. “Let me undress ye.”

She would miss this naked hunger in his eyes. Whether he was disappointed or not, one thing was certain. Once she gave David what he wanted, he would never desire her this much again.

His hands, which were usually so sure, shook as he unfastened the hooks down the back of her gown. Her skin was overly sensitive and her breasts felt heavy. With each hook he released, the tension mounted between them.

After he unfastened the last one, he pushed her gown off one shoulder and kissed her bared skin. His lips felt warm and soft as they moved across her collarbone and up the side of her throat. He eased the gown off her other shoulder, and it fell in stages, catching on her breasts and hips before cascading into a pool around her feet. Taking her hand as if she were descending from a carriage, he helped her step out of it.

He swept her shift over her head in one motion. She felt awkward to find herself suddenly naked before him in the firelight, but it was too late to turn back now. And she did not want to.

“Ah, lass, you’re so verra beautiful.”

He stared at her, his gaze scorching her skin and making her nipples taut. When he finally pulled her into his arms, his tunic felt deliciously rough against her breasts. He gave her a slow, deep kiss that made her forget her embarrassment.

As they kissed, he moved one hand to cup her breast, and she moaned into his mouth when he found her nipple. When he broke the kiss and leaned back, he looked sinfully handsome with his hair falling over one eye.

“I should get naked too, aye?” he said, a smile curving up the corners of his mouth.

She smiled back at him. “Aye.”

Before the word left her lips, he had pulled his tunic and shirt over his head and tossed them across the room. He managed to discard his boots and breeks nearly as quickly, so that he now stood before her in all his naked glory.