My Highland Love: Highland Lords Series (18 page)

"Lass," he said, imitating her secretive
whisper, "we have no secrets."

Elise glanced at the men who spoke amongst
themselves as though she and Marcus weren't there.

"Have you come to wish me a good day?" he
asked.

She looked back at him. "Of course."

"Then ye mean to leave me with one of your
sweet kisses." He lowered her to the ground.

Her heart sped up.

Marcus's eyes darkened.

There was something warm and enchanting in
his humor and, against her better sense, Elise wound an arm around
his neck and pulled him to her. Their lips met. Marcus gave a
gentle but firm thrust of his tongue against her mouth. She jerked,
sure every man present knew of the intimacy, but Marcus held her
another moment before breaking the embrace.

He nuzzled her neck. "You make me feel as
though I err going into the fields today."

Elise pulled back and gazed up at him.

He smiled. "Surely my time would be better
spent with ye in your bedchamber?"

She drew a sharp breath.

"Nay, sweet." She tried to break away, but he
held her fast. "You don't kiss a man thusly and expect him no' to
want more."

Elise dropped her gaze to his chest. Warmth
flooded her midsection at sight of the tan chest visible through
his open shirt. She had sped past embarrassment into idiocy.
Michael MacGregor and the
Sunday Times
be damned, she should
have stayed in bed.

"It was just a simple kiss," she said.

His masculine laugh rippled through the air.
"I would say then that gives me much to look forward to."

She jerked her head up.

Marcus released her. "I had better go." He
gave her a roguish wink. "Or I won't be going at all."

"Wait," she said. "I have a request."

"A request?" He turned to test the cinch on
his mount's saddle.

"Michael hasn't arrived at Brahan Seer as
Erin said he would. Lammas begins tonight, and he promised to be
here yesterday. I would like to make a quick visit to see if he is
well."

Marcus turned his gaze on her.

"I know there is a lot to do," she added
hurriedly. "But I would only go there and back."

"Lass—"

"You can send someone with me. I don't
mind."

"'Tis best—"

"You cannot deny me. It isn't right—"

Marcus grabbed her and she yelped as he
clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Hush," he said. Eyeing her suspiciously, he
loosened his hold, then removed his hand from her mouth altogether.
"I will send Erin to fetch his father."

"And if Michael isn't feeling well?"

"I will send someone along with Erin. If
Michael is unwell, the man can fetch someone to tend him. Erin will
accompany me this morning. I'll send him to his father's this
afternoon. They will be back in time for the festivities."

Her heart sank. "I wanted to see for myself
that he is well."

"If he feels too poorly to make the trip,
he'll need a more experienced doctor."

She scowled. "You think yourself clever,
Marcus MacGregor." His mouth twitched and she gave him a dry look.
"All right." Before realizing her own intent, she gave him a quick
kiss on the jaw.

Surprise flashed in his eyes.

Elise backed away. "I have work to do." She
whirled and hurried toward the castle.

* * * *

A hard day's work hadn't dampened Marcus's
anticipation. He spotted Elise standing on the far side of the
courtyard, winding her way through the throng gathered in honor of
Lammas. Her hair, piled atop her head, left the soft contours of
her shoulders bare. With his gaze, he traced the low-cut bodice of
the olive green gown that hinted at the tender, creamy flesh of her
breasts. She had adorned herself with MacGregor colors—his colors.
A red and green sash of
plaide
crossed one shoulder and
fastened at her waist. She paused in the crowd to speak to one
person, then another.

Musicians struck up, fiddle and bagpipe
leading the music, and the crowd cleared the center of the
courtyard for those who joined in dance. Brian MacGregor swept
Elise into the barn dance being played. She threw her head back,
her delight in her companion obvious. Marcus waited a few turns,
then caught them as they neared.

"You can't keep the lady to yourself, Brian,"
he said.

"Laird," Brian replied, and released his hold
on Elise.

Marcus pulled her close. The music ended. He
remained motionless, his gaze holding hers until the band began
The Scottish.
He realized the quickening of her breath in
the rise and fall of her breasts as he swung her to the right in
unison with other dancers.

Her gaze broke from his, her lashes dropping
demurely. A tremor passed through him. Was she toying with him? Her
fingers tightened on his shoulder as he executed a quick turn.
Elise leaned into him, her hair brushing his jaw. She tipped her
head up slightly. He felt her breath against his neck. A tiny smile
lifted one corner of her mouth, then her brow puckered.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Nay, love."

"You seem deep in thought."

Marcus dodged another couple who strayed
perilously close, then looked down at her. "I was thinking how I
would like to take you from here and ravish your sweet body until
you cry 'enough!'" Her mouth parted in a tiny gasp and he went on.
"Then I would slowly and methodically make love to every inch of
your body until you lie exhausted beneath me."

She stumbled. If not for his tight grasp, she
would have fallen. Delighted, he pulled her closer. "I see the idea
appeals to you."

Her gaze dropped. When she brought her eyes
back to bear on him, she looked at him through her lashes, a shy
expression on her face. "I can only wonder, sir, if you have the
strength to fulfill such outlandish claims."

Deviltry played in her eyes, and Marcus felt
his body harden at seeing more than a little curiosity mixed in the
bargain. "Aye." He pressed her more intimately against him. "I have
the strength."

Her intake of breath told him she felt his
arousal.

"Do you not agree?" he asked.

She remained silent for a moment. The noise
of the crowd filled the air, the music winding between the spaces
as if for them alone.

Her eyes darkened, and she said, "It occurs
to me, milord, that if you fulfilled such a promise, logic dictates
it would be you who lay exhausted on top of me."

"Indeed?" he said with the raise of an amused
brow.

He whirled her into the final spin of the
dance before the music ended. The dance crowd dispersed and new
couples assembled as the music began again. They stood, still in
each other's arms. She moved to step away, but he held her fast.
She gave him a quizzical look.

"Come, take a walk with me, love," he
said.

The dancers began dancing around them.

Elise shook her head. "You can't abandon your
guests, and I promised Winnie I would help with the food." She
pushed his arms from her and backed away.

A couple danced between them. He saw the
bemused look the woman gave Elise and realized she had seen it too.
She was clear of the dancers now.

"I had better go see if any help is needed in
the kitchen," she shouted above the music.

Marcus watched her turn and hurry away. So,
the little minx had ventured a dip in the waters only to yank her
foot back when it had been nibbled. Perhaps next time he would
simply yank her in.

* * * *

Marcus hadn't considered the possibility that
Elise would wish to accompany the women the following day on the
yearly tradition of swimming in the cool waters of Loch Katrine.
Now, the procession had started and, per his order, his guards had
stopped her from passing beyond the gates. He grimaced at seeing
her agitated pacing as he approached. She stopped and glared at
him.

"Do you mean to keep me here while the other
women go to the loch?" Her narrowed eyes dared him answer
yes
.

"John," he called to the nearest guard,
"fetch another man and the two of you accompany the women to the
loch."

John's eyes widened. He cast a quick glance
at Elise, then jerked his attention back to Marcus.

Marcus gave him a dry look. "You are to watch
for trouble, John, not the lasses."

Marcus looked back at Elise and stifled a
laugh at the tight-lipped look on her face. Apparently she didn't
care for being singled out with an escort. Imagine how she would
feel when he came for her in a short while. The most important part
of the tradition was allowing the women enough time to discard
their dresses and frolic in the water. The men later followed to
engage them in a sporting game of chase.

Elise abruptly whirled and strode through the
gates down the path.

"Hurry, lad," Marcus urged. "She's getting
away."

John called to a man on the wall, then
hurried through the gates after her.

Marcus turned his attention to Elise's
retreating back. "Any antics, lass, and I'll turn you over my
knee."

She didn't acknowledge the threat, but he
knew she'd heard him. His first wife, Jenna, hadn't been
predisposed to clan traditions and never participated in the game.
This year, he had reason to participate. Elise disappeared from
view down the path. She didn't understand the game. She soon
would.

Twenty minutes later, unable to resist the
idea of Elise's scantily clad body gliding through the water,
Marcus emerged from the trees at the bottom of the mountainside. He
hurried across the twenty-foot clearing where he ducked behind one
of the larger patches of juniper bushes lining the jagged
shoreline.

Peering through the foliage and across the
rocky shore, he witnessed the exact scene he had imagined. Elise,
stripped to her chemise, dove into the blue waters of Loch Katrine
along with the other giggling women. The thin cotton chemise she
wore the night he accosted her in his library revealed far more
than the heavy flannel the women wore in the interest of modesty
during this adventure, but he envisioned the revealing shadows he
knew would be visible through the wet material. A giddy
anticipation settled in his stomach. She would, at first, be
furious. With gentle persuasion, however…

Marcus emerged from his hiding place and
strode to the shore's edge. The women splashed one another, the
recipients shrieking when their companions' aim found a mark. A
woman squealed. He had been spotted. Elise looked his way. Just as
he thought, the surprise on her face said she hadn't been informed
of this part of the game. He suspected that, if she knew the real
reason behind the yearly ritual, she would have declined
participation. She insisted on being a part of Brahan Seer; logic
dictated that she receive full measure.

Eyes steady on her, Marcus stripped off his
boots. He stepped into the loch, his shins, then thighs, slicing
through the water as he ventured deeper. The women blazed a path
for him, shrieking with delight while Elise remained frozen.

"You had better move, lass," one woman
called. "He's coming for ye, and if he catches you…" Peals of
laughter followed.

Elise's eyes abruptly shifted and she scanned
her surroundings before returning to him. Marcus smiled. Her eyes
narrowed, then she dove into the water. He halted, waiting for her
to resurface. Seconds ticked by and she didn't reappear. He scanned
the water. A sudden round of triumphant shouts went up from the
women and he whirled to see Elise rising from the water some thirty
feet behind him. She started for the shore, her progress labored
through the hip-deep water. By God, he would have to put his back
into it to catch her before she reached her clothes! She glanced
back, throwing him a satisfied smirk.

Oh ho!
She may not have known the
game, but she caught on fast. Marcus dove into the water, his
strong strokes speeding him through the deeper water until he
reached knee deep. He rose, the water no longer a hindrance to his
fast pumping legs. His feet pounded onto the shore and, with a
burst of energy, he closed the gap between them. In a final sprint,
he dove for her, his arms encircling her waist as he brought her to
the ground.

Elise sputtered and he realized she had
gotten a mouthful of sandy dirt.

"Oh!" she spat. "Let me go!"

Marcus allowed her to thrash in his grasp
until she had twisted into a prone position facing him. He settled
his weight on her. She beat at his chest. He chuckled and hugged
her closer, trapping her arms between them.

"Let me go!" she howled, kicking her heels on
the ground like a spoiled child.

Marcus tried looking innocent but knew he
failed miserably. "Nay."

"What in God's name are you doing? Why have
you attacked me? This is an outrage!" Her voice rose as she twisted
in a serious effort to dislodge him.

"Now, why do you say that, love? I am only
playing with you."

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
Her eyes narrowed to slits. "One does not attack a defenseless
woman."

"Lass, I think you are anything but
defenseless. Although, I am enjoying myself at your expense."
Marcus bent his head to whisper in her ear, "The women didn't
explain the game."

He went on to explain how, each year, the
women came to the loch, and their men later followed. Those with
wives sought them out, some in sport, some with the intentions of a
child arriving nine months later. Those wanting to make a woman
their wife came with the hope that the love play would lead to the
consummation of a betrothal. When Marcus finished, a blush had made
its way from Elise's cheek to the delicate ear he'd been whispering
into.

"
No
," she said, her eyes wide.

Marcus grinned. "Aye."

She looked past him and he glanced over his
shoulder to find several women regarding them with interest.