My Highland Bride (12 page)

Chloe’s owl circled above them, hovering and maneuvering against the breeze to keep the shadow of his wings across the baby’s face.

Kenna reluctantly slid her hand free of Colum’s arm, immediately missing the warmth of his touch as she pulled a flap of the light blanket over little Chloe’s face. “He’s right. I shouldn’t have her out here in the direct sunlight. She’s still too new for such brightness.” A pang of guilt twitched through her as she turned and hurried to the shaded canopy of the newly leafed-out trees in the corner of the garden. “I’m sorry, Chloe. Auntie Kenna will do better.”

Colum smiled down at the drowsy-eyed infant. “She looks no worse for it. Sunshine and fresh air are good for bairns.”

“In small doses.” Kenna swayed back and forth, rocking Chloe in her arms until the baby’s eyes finally closed. “When she’s older, I’ll take her for walks outside the garden. It’s so beautiful here, I can’t wait to go exploring.”

Colum’s face hardened into an immediate look of disapproval. “Ye must never travel alone outside these walls. Never. Do ye understand?”

“Calm down. It’s not like I’ve never walked around in the woods before. I’ll be careful.” Kenna resettled the baby in her arms as she rose and started back across the garden to the bench beside the oak.

A strong grip around her upper arm stopped her in her tracks. Colum turned her back to him. “Whene’er ye wish t’do yer explorin’, I will accompany ye—see to it that yer properly protected. Swear it. Swear ye will ne’er stray from these walls without me.” His hand tightened the barest bit as he continued. “The only safe place for ye t’walk alone is in
this
private garden.”

Kenna didn’t know if it was the urgency in his voice or the look in his eyes that touched her most. “
Protected,” he’d said.
No one but Granny and the girls had ever fretted about whether or not she was safe. A warm feeling blossomed through her. “I swear I will never go exploring without you.”

She flattened her hand on his chest, smiling as the pounding of his heartbeat thudded against her palm. Colum was dead serious. She felt it with every beat of his heart.

It was time to change the subject and ease Colum out of overprotective mode. “You’ll find I never break my word—ever. But I do have a favor to ask of you.”

Colum’s eyes narrowed the barest bit, wariness reflecting in their depths. “A favor?”

“If I’m going to stay in this time, I’ve got to learn to ride a horse, and who better to teach me than you? Would you have time tomorrow to show me a bit of the land?” Kenna bumped against him with a playful nudge. “You said you’d accompany me anytime I breached the safety zone.”

Kenna didn’t know if it was the sun’s rays flooding Colum’s face or that he heartily approved of her suggestion, but the man fairly glowed. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a warm kiss into her palm. Kenna shivered clear down to her toes, then shifted in place against the sensual ache that was currently making her more than ready to divest herself of her virginity.

Colum treated her hand to another kiss, a slower kiss spiced with a knowing look as he held her palm to his mouth. “Aye. Yer riding lesson will be on the morrow.”

Riding lesson. Tomorrow. Horse totally optional.
Kenna wet her mouth and nodded. “Tomorrow, then.”

“Aye. Tomorrow.” Colum flattened her hand to the center of his chest, then leaned forward and nibbled the softest of kisses across her mouth.

“Oh my,” Kenna whispered as a tingling shiver fluttered through her.

“Aye,” Colum responded, then gently deepened the kiss.

The babe rustled in Kenna’s arms, reminding her that she should be tending to her niece and not her libido. With a bit of guilt pinging her conscience, Kenna regretfully eased a step back. “I need to get the little miss back to her cradle.” She cleared her throat, struggling to steady her voice. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Aye,” Colum replied with a knowing smile. “As am I, m’love. As am I.”

Chapter 13

“Ye must do yer best to be one with the horse. Geal can feel yer every move. Relax, lass. Use the pressure of yer knees to tell wee Geal where ye wish her to go.” Colum urged Rua a few steps closer, grinning his encouragement from the huge mount’s back.

“Be one with the horse”? Was he serious? Kenna plucked the reins free of the rippling strands of Geal’s white mane. Geal calmly glanced back and flicked a disinterested ear. Kenna lifted the reins higher, then leaned to one side and looked up and down the length of the horse. “Well, then what are these for? Don’t you steer with the reins?”

She had asked for a riding lesson, but she was also hoping for some greatly needed sexual relief if they happened to find a nice secluded spot along the way. Lord have mercy, she’d been one big knot of preorgasmic misery ever since that damned tingle. She wouldn’t let him pop her cherry, but he could damn sure heat up her pie. The mere thought of a little blanket bingo made Kenna squirm in the saddle.

Thumbs rubbing against the coarseness of the heavy reins, she smoothed them neatly across her lap. She’d had no idea riding was going to be this complicated. Thank goodness sitting on gentle Geal’s back reminded her of waiting for Granny to put a quarter in the mechanical horse in front of Thatcher’s Grocery. Geal resettled her stance, then patiently waited for Kenna’s orders.

Colum and Rua circled about. The reddish stallion pranced forward, then danced back, anxious to get on with the outing. An overstuffed leather pouch and a skin of wine hung down from a strap tied to the saddle.

Kenna’s stomach growled. She’d fallen in love with Cook’s delectable barley and oat breads and could clearly see the outline of several rounded loaves in the bag. Colum had promised a fine picnic if she did well with the lesson.

Kenna didn’t miss the fact that more than one blanket was rolled and tied across Rua’s rump. From the look of that bundle, Colum had brought along enough plaids to make quite the comfortable pallet. A shiver of anticipation triggered another aching surge of heat. A lovely picnic in the Highlands, and Colum for dessert.

Kenna’s heart fluttered again as she remembered overhearing several serving lads grumbling about betting away prized possessions because one of MacKenna keep’s infamous playboys no longer played. They’d tested him by allowing the fairest of the serving maids in on the wager—even going so far as to hide the women in his private rooms. But Colum had held strong—firmly sending the maids out of his chambers and bolting the door behind them. Bless his little sexually starved heart.

“Yer no’ listenin’.” Colum brought Rua closer and tapped Kenna on the knee.

Kenna blinked and straightened in the saddle. “Oh. Sorry.” She lifted the reins and wiggled in the saddle until the folds of her skirts were bunched up across the tops of her thighs. She scooted forward and tried to reach Geal’s creamy sides with her bare knees. This had to be why she hadn’t seen any women from the keep riding horses—it was damned uncomfortable. “I don’t think this is gonna work. My legs are too short.”

Colum arched a brow at Kenna’s legs, bared to mid-thigh. He turned away, expanded with a deep breath, then turned back with his mouth clamped shut. After another glance at her awkward position in the saddle, Colum shook his head, then quickly looked away again.

Kenna glared at Colum’s trembling shoulders. “You said you wouldn’t laugh at me.”

Colum snorted and turned Rua farther away.

“Fine. I’ll just figure it out myself.” Kenna rocked forward and hugged her knees as close to the horse’s sides as she could get them. “Giddy up, Geal.”

Geal flipped an ear.

Kenna blew out an exasperated breath and lightly flipped the reins. “If you’ll go, I promise I’ll get you a carrot when we get back.”

Geal slowly swayed three steps forward, then stopped again.

Colum’s deep, rumbling laughter filled the air just as Rua deftly swooped close enough for Colum to reach out an arm, scoop Kenna from the saddle, and plop her down in front of him. “Enough wi’ the lesson. I hunger.” He leaned forward and deftly kissed a searing trail along Kenna’s neck as Rua headed them up the hillside.

Pulsing heat spurred her on as Kenna twisted in the saddle and wrapped her arms about Colum’s neck. The current position might be a bit awkward, but she wasn’t about to miss the opportunity of returning the favor. She inhaled the taunting spice of him as she flicked her tongue along the salty sweetness of his neck. She slipped her fingers up into Colum’s hair and nipped along his jawline.

“I’m kind of hungry myself,” she said, then underscored the statement by licking him.

Colum let out a groan and pulled her tighter against him.

Kenna happened to glance back over Colum’s shoulder, and there stood Geal, still waiting back at the clearing. Poor Geal. It was such a lovely day for an outing, but the docile mare stood rooted to the spot. “What about Geal. Will she be okay?”

Colum’s chuckle vibrated against her. “Geal will be fine. One of the stable lads will see to her.”

“Good.” Kenna smiled against Colum’s warmth and returned to nibbling on his throat.
What a lovely appetizer. Highlander alfresco.

“Lore, woman. I swear ye’ll be the death o’ me.” Colum halted Rua, tightened his arms about Kenna, and covered her mouth with his.

Kenna pulled back, maneuvering around until she faced Colum and sat astraddle his lap. She wrapped her legs about his waist and snugged against the delightful hardness hidden beneath his plaid. A delicious shudder shook through her as she rocked against Colum and drowned his rumbling groans with a deep kiss.

Burning desire. Insatiable need.
Kenna welcomed Colum deeper into the kiss, rubbing harder against his promising length as his emotional energy echoed her own.
Dammit, I want him. How in the hell am I going to keep my gate closed?

Colum finally lifted his head and stared down into her eyes. He filled his hands with her behind and pulled her harder against him. “I’ll spread the blankets so we can…” Colum swallowed hard and sucked in a deep breath. He exhaled a slow shaking groan as Kenna ran her hand down inside his
léine
and teased a finger across one of his nipples.

Colum rumbled in her arms with another heated sound, a deep sensual purring, as he splayed his hand across the base of Kenna’s throat and with aching deliberation worked his way lower until he cupped her bare breast. Need echoed in his whisper as he nuzzled a searing trail along her jaw. “I’ll spread the blankets so we can enjoy the fine lunch Cook put together for us.”

Kenna loosened the neckline of her tunic wider and guided Colum down to her nipple. Unbearably delicious twinges shot through her as he moaned and sucked her deep into his mouth. Kenna laced her fingers through his hair and pulled him harder against her. She leaned back and panted out her words. “Yes. Blankets. Do.”

Damn, she ached, and risked exploding as Colum kissed his way across to the other breast. Kenna shuddered and molded against the delectable hardness she couldn’t have until she’d said “I do.”

“We must hie to the blankets afore we fall from Rua and break our necks.” Colum kissed the tops of her breasts, then the end of her nose. He slid down from the saddle and pulled Kenna into his arms. Another rumbling groan escaped him as he slid her down his front and tasted her mouth again.

Kenna fanned her skirts about her overheated body as she took the lunch pouch from Colum. She kicked off her shoes and followed him to a patch of softly waving grass overlooking the sparkling sea. This place was perfect. So much beauty.

Colum spread the blankets across the grass, layering them into an inviting pallet. He knelt in the center of the square and held out a hand. “Come.”

I’m counting on it.
Kenna settled down beside him. With shaking fingers, she plucked at the leather ties tightly cinching the lunch sack.
Dammit. Get a grip.
She paused, rubbed her fingers together, then tried the laces again.

Colum eased the bag of food out her lap and dropped it on the opposite corner of the blanket. “Later.” He slid his fingertips along the curve of her jaw as he leaned in and gently nibbled her bottom lip. “I would taste ye first.”

The rest of the world fell away as Kenna leaned back across the blankets and pulled him down with her. A myriad of sensations flooded her, whetted her need for more. Broad, muscled chest against her breasts. A promising hardness snugged against her thigh. She raked her fingers up across his shoulders, then laced them into his hair, pulling him harder against her.
More.
The word pounded through her as she opened to the urgency of his kiss and welcomed him in.
Dammit, I need more.

Colum slowly rose above her, a faint smile accenting the pleasure shining in his eyes. He kept his gaze locked with hers as he trailed one finger across her collarbone, then lightly brushed it lower.

Kenna arched her back, struggling to breathe as she rocked against Colum’s erotic touch.
Screw virginity. I need relief.
“I need you,” she whispered, sliding her hands down his back and pulling his hips forward.

“Nay,” Colum whispered against her throat as he nibbled ever lower. “I mean to pleasure ye, but we’ll no’ be breakin’ yer oath.”

Now, he gets a conscience? Now?
Kenna blew out a strained breath, closing her eyes as Colum flicked a teasing tongue lower, nipping and kissing until he reached her nipple and sucked it deep with a deliciously slow pull.

A gentle breeze stroked across her flesh as Colum shoved her skirts higher until they were wadded about her waist. Without lifting his head from her breast, Colum trailed his fingertips up and down her inner thighs. She squirmed beneath his touch.

“You’re killing me,” Kenna gasped, bucking as Colum lightly brushed his fingertips up across her slit, then slowly gyrated his thumb in a tantalizing circle against her throbbing nub.

“Nay,” Colum rumbled against her as he pressed a gentle kiss to her flesh. “I’ll no’ kill ye, but I’ll do me best t’take ye straight to heaven.” He moved lower, replacing his very talented thumb with his even more talented mouth. He kissed and suckled her aching button, all the while brushing his fingertips across her opening without once dipping inside her.