Highland Legends 04 - Captive Highlander (29 page)

“Up for a little adventure?” he
asked.

“Aye,” she breathed. “We are man
and wife now.”

“About time,” Ian retorted.

Laughing, Katie stepped away from
him and began unfastening her gown. Ian came over beside her and staid her
hand. “Please, allow me,” he said.

Dropping her hands to her sides,
she felt his fingers ringing the neckline of her gown then ever so slowly
opening her bodice. She inhaled sharply when he ran both his hands inside her
gown to kiss her breasts and gently push the top of her dress down around her
waist. Katie reached over and pulled his plaid off his shoulder. She lifted his
shirt until he took the task from her, jerked it over his head, and discarded
it on the floor. Katie dropped her head back as Ian bent to caress her neck.
Her breasts rubbed against his muscular chest as he spent an eternity kissing
her neck and shoulders.

At length, Ian straightened and
unfastened the clasp that held the skirt around her waist. His hands ran down
her ribs to her hips pushing the gown with them. It fell to the floor. Only her
veil remained. She went to remove it, but he stopped her. “I will do that,” he
told her. He took off her headband and removed the veil. Ian wrapped the sheer
beaded material around her naked body.

“You look like an angel,” he
whispered touching her breasts through the transparent covering. He teased her
nipples to tight peaks with his play then moved lower to feel the heart of her.
The tiny glass beads rolled across her skin enhancing the feel of his probing
fingers. Katie drew a ragged breath. “There is much more to come,” he told her.
Ian pulled the veil off of her and discarded it.

Looking into his eyes, Katie
smiled, freed his plaid, and let it drop away. “What now, love?”

“Lie down upon the bed I prepared
for us,” he entreated. She did as he asked and he settled down beside her. He
propped on one elbow. “How does it feel?” he asked.

“It is wondrously soft.”

Ian leaned over her and spread
her hair out like a fan around her shoulders. He took one of her curls and
traced her nose, her eyes, and her cheeks. Leaning back, he let his eyes travel
over her. “I would like to blindfold you, sweet Katie. Do you mind? I will use
my fur glove and ostrich feather to please you. The blindfold will block out
all distractions. What say you?”

Katie grinned. “Why not,” she
agreed.

He wrapped the soft silk around
her eyes blinding her. “I am putting on the fur glove,” he told her. “I have
the feather in my other hand. Relax and find pleasure in each new sensation.”
He began a torturous slow path over her shoulders, arms, hands, and then moved
to her torso. Ian hovered over her breasts so that only the fur tips caressed
her willing flesh. The teasing touch moved to the juncture of her thighs. Katie
took a deep breath and spread her legs. He ran it over her inner thighs. “You
find this pleasing.”

“Aye,” she whispered, not wanting
to break the spell he cast upon her.

“There is more.” She felt the
feather stroke her nipple. It was different, but equally pleasing. With his
tender tools, Ian did a fiery dance over every bit of her. Katie found she held
her breath waiting for the next amorous touch of fur or feather. After a while,
she gasped her delight each time he found a particularly sensitive site. This
encouraged him to linger longer in those areas.

“Ian, you torture me with your
slow play,” she moaned.

“Fair lady, I am far from done.”
He removed her blindfold, dropped the feather, and pulled off the glove. “I
would do something more.” He dipped his finger into the bowl. “Honey,” he said.
“Care for a taste.”

She took his finger in her mouth
and sucked it off. He drew it away from her. “Enough of that for now,” he said.
Sampling the sweet liquid again, he painted a trail across her breasts.

“Ian,” she murmured knowing what
would come next. Katie inhaled sharply when he tasted the sweet treat.

Ian laughed and leaned back.
“Fair Katie, you never disappoint.” He procured more of the honey and traced
the golden liquid down across her abdomen. She trembled when he licked it off.
The next sample went lower then Ian bent over her and tasted the sweet delight.

Katie lost all control during his
tender ministry. Her need for him became so keen she begged to feel his steel
shaft inside her. Ian heeded her pleas and came into her hard. She gasped as he
began to move. With each powerful thrust, her craving raged further out of
control. Katie rose to meet him taking him deeper.

Ian rolled them over as one.
Arching back, Katie took control. She rode him in a frantic rhythm until they
both erupted into the paradise of fulfilled desire. Their naked bodies tumbled
restlessly in the sheep skins as all boundaries fell away. She was his wife
now. Their union blessed by the church. They were one. Neither could get enough
of the other. Through the long night, they brought each other new levels of
pleasure with sweet tastings and searing touches. Their lovemaking went on for
hours. Each time he took her, she knew a different kind of heaven.

At last, they snuggled tight
together and found sleep.

Epilogue

Rapping sharply on the door to her
father’s chamber, Katie tapped her foot restlessly.

“Come,” his voice sounded.

She entered the chamber. Her
father recovered under Asilinn’s care. The whole room changed since he regained
his position as head of the Blackburn Clan. The corner formerly reserved for
Sorcha’s potions now served as his work area. A large desk and comfortable
chair brought in and set near the hearth served him well. He sat there now
looking over some parchments on his desk.

He looked up at her as she
entered. “I have no news of Robert’s campaign into England. We must assume your
husband fights on for his king.”

“I am not here for battle tales
though Ian’s safety weighs heavily on my mind,” Katie said. She glared at her
father. “How could you? You didna even give us a chance to say goodbye to
Brianna.”

“I expected you to object,” he
said. Brian Blackburn leaned back in his chair. “Katie, I ken you dinna
understand what I have done, but Brianna will have a chance for a new start
with the MacLeods.”

“I ken exactly what you have done,”
Katie fumed. “You gave my sister to the old MacLeod laird. You uprooted her
from her family. She will be alone in a time when she needs us.”

Bowing his head, Brian sighed.
“Brianna agreed to go,” he said quietly. “It is for the best.”

“Is the old goat going to marry
her?”

“Nay, Katie, he took her to marry
his son. He has promised she will be wed as soon as she arrives.” He arched his
brow. “If she carries Rannoch’s child, his son wilna abandon her. She will have
a good life.”

“Why would his son agree to such
an arrangement?”

“The son is a bastard himself,
but one that his father recognizes.” Brian shrugged. “Laird MacLeod and his
wife had no children. His dalliance with one of the servants in the keep
produced a son.”

“Brianna deserves better, Father.
I dinna understand.” Katie groaned. “She is our blood no matter how Rannoch
deceived her. Why couldn’t you find her a husband here instead of with one of
the clans of the Western Isles?”

Brian snorted. “You dinna
understand the way of the world, Katie. In a distant place, Brianna has a
chance of putting all this behind her. Fine lairds and their heirs dinna want a
spoiled bride that may have another man’s baby in her belly.”

“Why couldn’t she just stay here?
We dinna ken if Rannoch even took her.”

“He had time. You and Ian found
them naked in the bed. I try to find a place for her where none of this will
haunt her. Besides, you and Ian will leave for Cairngorm Castle when he
returns.”

Pacing the floor, Katie tossed
her head. “I would go after them and get Brianna back.”

“And risk Ian’s babe? I ken you
are with child.” His face softened. “You are sick almost every morning.
Sometimes you turn away at the first whiff of food. Tell me I am not right.”

Katie felt the color drain from
her face. “Aye, Ian’s child grows inside me.”

“You and Brianna are much alike,
born of fire and passion. You gave yourself to Ian before you wed and you are
just lucky he is a man of honor and still wanted you for his wife. You would
not be showing already if it were not so.”

Flushing, Katie sank into a chair
beside her father. Running her hands across her stomach, she knew her father
was right. She could feel her thickening waist and the small bump that
indicated her fervent dreams of bearing Ian’s child were going to become
reality. “Can others tell?”

“I dinna think so.” He smiled.
“You must let your sister find her fate. She will be alright.”

“Will we ever see her again?”

“In time we shall arrange a visit
and see how things have turned out. Until then, she is lost to us. We must have
faith she will find happiness with this new start.”

Hot tears traced down Katie’s
cheeks. “I am afraid for her,” she confessed.

“Tessa tells me all will be well.
I hope she is right.”

Wiping away her tears with the
back of her hand, Katie pulled herself up straight in the chair. “As much as I
have doubted Tessa, I have seen the truth in her predictions. I shall pray this
is true.”

“Go now and get some rest. I
dinna want you so pale and out of sorts when Ian returns.”

Forcing a smile, Katie stood. She
leaned down and kissed his cheek then left his chamber. Her father was right.
She needed a good night’s rest. Heading for her chamber, she tried to be brave
about Brianna’s fate.

Katie grinned when she entered
the room. Maura had a hot bath prepared in Katie’s bathing chamber. Peeling off
her clothes, she sank into the steaming lavender-scented water. Again, she ran
her hand over her once flat belly feeling the growing roundness. A life grew
inside her that was part of her and part of Ian. The thought filled her with
joy, but her babe’s father fought with Robert the Bruce in England.

Tales of the battle at Byland had
reached Duntaigh weeks ago and still no word came from Ian or Jared. From all
accounts, Robert sent the Highlanders up a rocky cliff to surprise Edward’s
troops from behind while earls Moray and Douglas led the frontal attack. They
were victorious, but the Scottish army still searched for Edward hoping his
capture would force recognition of Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland.

Katie had to put these thoughts
aside for the good of her child. Leaning back against the tub, she let her eyes
drift closed. Visions of Ian filled her head. She remembered their first kiss,
the fateful day she gave herself to him, and reveled in his mastery over her
body.

The creek of a door opening
brought her out of her dream. Startled, Katie looked up and saw Ian coming
toward her. “I thought you’d be asleep,” he said. “I even cleaned up down below
so I wouldna wake you.”

“Husband, you ken full well you
would wake me.” Smiling, she dangled her leg out of the tub. “You caught me in
my bath.”

“I am a lucky man,” he said.

“That you are,” she agreed as she
slowly stood up.

In a few quick strides, he
reached her. Their lips met in a slow savoring kiss. “God how I missed you,” he
murmured as he kissed her over and over. Finally, he pulled back and looked her
up and down. “Love, how is it possible you grow even more radiant?” His hands
ran down her slick, wet body. “Have you grown a little belly since last we
met?”

“’Tis entirely your fault,” she
teased. Putting her hand over his, she held it to the roundness of her stomach.
“I carry your child,” she whispered.

Her husband had tears in his
eyes. “Oh, Katie, you have made me the happiest man in all of Scotland.”

“I have never seen you cry.”

“Tears of joy,” he assured her.
With a wicked grin, he lifted her out of the tub. “Let’s get to bed.”

“I am yours, Milord.”

“Always and forever,” he said as
he captured her mouth with a kiss that wiped away all other thought.

Dear Reader,

If you liked CAPTIVE HIGHLANDER,
look for the first three books from the series Highland Legends. These are:
ENCHANTED LOVER, PHANTOM BRIDE, and FIRE ANGEL. Book five will be THE STRANGE
TALE OF SAMANTHA RAVENWOOD in which Samantha tells you first hand all her darkest
secrets. This book fills in a side of the story not told in FIRE ANGEL.

Subsequent Highland Legends books
will include the stories of Conner MacLean, introduced in FIRE ANGEL, and the
tales of all the Blackburn children who came to life in CAPTIVE HIGHLANDER.
Although all books in the series stand alone, some characters repeat across the
story lines.

In addition to the Highland
Legends books, I will be releasing some mysteries with a romantic twist.
VICTORIAN LACE, currently available, is the first of these.

Hope you enjoyed the read.