Rebel Kiss: A Historical Romance Novel (Scottish Rebels Book 1) (16 page)

“Will you tend tae
him?” Quinn whispered very quietly into Anna’s ear so that Rowan wouldn’t
hear.  “I’m afraid that he’s hurt worse than he’s lettin’ on.  He’s got tae
much pride tae let me take a look at it.”

Anna nodded to
Quinn and patted his knee as she stood.

Anna’s heart sank
as she walked silently over to where Rowan was sitting on the log.  “How badly
are you hurt, Rowan?” she whispered, crouching down in front of him.

“It’s nothing that
willna heal, but my ribs hurt something fierce,” Rowan confessed, still doubled
over with pain, cradling his right side.

“How did they get
broken?” Anna asked quietly, needing to know so that she could fully sympathize
with what Rowan had endured on her behalf.

“With a chair. 
One of the bastards broke a chair against my side.”

“Oh Rowan, this is
all my fault.  I’m so sorry,” Anna stammered as she saw how badly Rowan was
hurting.  She wanted to touch him but was afraid to.  He was in too much pain.

“Yer fault? It’s
not yer fault.  It was
his
fault for touchin’ ye!  I wanted tae kill
that bastard!” Rowan said, his eyes lit with rage.

Anna swallowed
hard, not sure of what to say.  Despite Rowan’s denial of this being her fault,
she knew deep down that it would not have happened had she not been traveling
with the Murray brothers.  They would be far better off without her.

“May I take a
look?” Anna asked cautiously, afraid that Rowan would rather nurse his wounds
in private.  “You’ll need to come closer to the fire so that I can see,” she
coaxed, reaching down to take Rowan’s hand.

“If it makes ye
feel better.  There’s no much that ye can do tae help broken ribs,” Rowan said,
knowing that he would get little relief from his pain.

Anna led him over
to the fire and helped him sit down again.  Quinn and Malcolm were already
snoring peacefully beneath their blankets, being completely exhausted from the
day’s events.  Anna was thankful that she could now be alone to tend Rowan,
knowing that he wouldn’t want to reveal any sign of weakness in front of his
brothers.

Anna settled
herself down next to Rowan and gasped when she saw his face in the firelight. 
“Rowan,” she whispered, reaching up a trembling hand towards his face. 

Rowan looked away,
focusing his eyes down at his hands.  Anna traced her fingers carefully along
the line of his jaw, gently taking his chin between her finger and thumb,
tilting his face from side-to-side so that she could look at his injuries.

His upper lip was
split open badly on the right side of his face.  There was dried blood from a
bloody nose crusted to his top lip.  Rowan’s nose looked like it had been
broken; it was swollen badly, but still straight.  There was a nasty gash on his
left eyebrow that had left a trail of blood down the side of his face. 

Anna reached up a
finger and traced it ever so lightly down the bridge of Rowan’s nose, causing
his eyes to flicker up at her and then dart away.

“Doona fash…it
was
broken, but I fixed it already.  It’ll heal straight and I’ll be handsome as
ever,” Rowan chuckled and then stopped abruptly.  Laughing hurt his broken
ribs.

Anna’s finger
slowly traced the lines of Rowan’s lips, watching the firelight dance off his
skin, illuminating his purple bruises.  She ran her fingers carefully down his
jaw line, her feather light touches exploring his skin.  Again, she grasped his
chin between her thumb and forefinger, forcing it up so that he would look at
her.

Rowan’s eyes met
hers to see tears streaming down her cheeks as she examined his face.  “Doona
cry, sweetheart,” he whispered, reaching up his uninjured right hand to wipe
away her tears.

“Thank you,
Rowan,” Anna said softly, leaning forward to brush her lips over his.  Her kiss
was as light as butterfly wings so as not to hurt Rowan further.  She caught
his hand and held it up between them, examining it in the firelight.  He had
beautiful, masculine hands.  Anna extended each of his fingers carefully. 
Rowan watched her intently as she checked to see if he had any broken bones. 
His knuckles were swollen and bloodied.  Being that Rowan was left- handed,
this was the hand that had taken the brunt of his punches.

Anna brought his
hand to her lips and gently kissed each of his knuckles, looking up into his
eyes as she did so.

There was a storm
brewing in Rowan’s eyes.  The intensity that Anna saw in their green depths
terrified her.  Rowan had fought for her honor, and in doing so, he had exerted
a silent decree of possession.

As if reading her mind,
Rowan broke the silence, “I wanted tae kill that bastard when I saw him
touching you.  He’s bloody lucky that I didna.”

Anna knew that
Rowan was dead serious.  “I’m glad you didn’t.  You cannot risk losing your
chance at freedom over me,” she said, still holding Rowan’s bruised hand in her
own.

“I would risk it,
Anna.  I would risk anything tae keep ye.”

Rowan’s words hung
silently between them for a moment.  Rowan had already risked his opportunity
to begin a new life, his chance at freedom, and with every step closer to
Williamsburg, his chances of capture increased.  By now the ship’s register
would have been read and the Murray brothers had not been judicious about
concealing their identities.  If they were found out, they would surely be
indentured immediately.  The precious hope of freedom and a new life would slip
through their grasps.

“We could leave
now, Anna.  They’d never find us,” Rowan whispered, heart thudding anxiously in
his chest.  He was surprised that he had even uttered the words that he had
worked so hard to repress.

Anna’s breath
caught in her throat.  She had denied her feelings for Rowan, pushed them away
and fought them despite knowing that he was what her heart wanted.  She had
tried to tell herself that it was merely lust that attracted her to Rowan
Murray, but her heart knew better.  What had grown between her and Rowan was
far deeper than lust.

She loved him.

“You know that I
cannot,” Anna said, stone faced. 

“Then why the hell
is it that when ye kiss me…I know that yer fighting it, fighting this
attraction that is between us just as hard as I am?” Rowan said between his
clenched teeth, his emotions playing openly on his bruised face.  “Ye canna or
ye willna, Anna?  Which is it?”

Anna felt fresh tears
welling up in her eyes.  She bit her lip in an effort to hold them back.  She
looked at Rowan’s face knowing that he was everything that she wanted and yet
everything that she could not have.

Rowan reached out
and grabbed both of Anna’s hands in his and leaned forward, locking her eyes
with his own.  “Come away with me, Anna.  If we can get away now, I promise
that he’ll never find ye.  We can build a life with Quinn and Malcolm, a good
life for ourselves…we’ve got some money tae get us started,” Rowan’s green eyes
were intense as he searched Anna’s face.  “I’ll make ye happy, Anna,” he
whispered.

Tears rolled down
Anna’s cheeks.  “I know you would, Rowan.  I cannot even dare to dream of how
happy I would be to run away right now, to be with you, to let myself…”

“Then do it. 
Choose me, Anna,” Rowan whispered as he brought Anna’s hands to his bloody lips
and kissed them softly.

“You know that I
cannot,” Anna said remorsefully.

“Dammit, Anna,”
Rowan said with conviction.  “Choose me and ye willna regret it a day in yer
life,” he promised as his eyes implored Anna to follow her heart.

 “Jonathan knows
that I survived the shipwreck.  There are men out looking for me, and my
family…”

“Damn them all! 
Ye canna go through yer life always puttin’ others before yer own happiness. 
This is
your
life, Anna.  Choose it as ye will!”

“I have a duty to
my family and you of all people should understand what that is like,” Anna said
harshly, voice heated now as she glanced over at Malcolm and Quinn.

“And above all, ye
have a duty tae yerself that ye’re refusing tae acknowledge,” Rowan said, voice
escalating.  “And for that matter, ye have a duty tae
me
!  God doesna
put two people on this Earth and have this…this feeling between them if they
are not meant tae be together.  Can ye no se it?  Can ye no feel it, Anna?”

“You know that I
do,” Anna whispered, leaning forward and kissing Rowan ever so lightly on his
bruised lips.  The taste of his blood was coppery in her mouth.  “And I will
think of you for the rest of my life, Rowan Murray…but I know that I cannot
keep you.”

“Sae ye’ve made
yer choice,” Rowan said remorsefully.  His eyes searched Anna’s face.

Let her go. 
Let her lead the life that she deserves.

Malcolm’s boots
crunched across the ground, announcing his most inopportune presence.  “Ye
really should bind those ribs, brother,” he said, crouching down next to Rowan.

“Bugger off,”
Rowan said angrily, not in the mood to deal with the nagging of his brother and
wanting to finish his conversation with Anna.  He glanced up at her as she
wiped away the last of her tears; she looked relieved that Malcolm had woken
and joined them.

“What did ye do
tae her?” Malcolm asked accusingly as he saw the tears streaming down Anna’s
face.

“I’m fine,
Malcolm,” Anna lied coolly as she wiped away her tears.

“Ye better not
have made her cry,” Malcolm threatened protectively, glowering down at his
brother.

“Stop it,
Malcolm.  I said that I’m fine,” Anna said dismissively.  “We were just talking
about what happened, and I got emotional.  I’m fine.”

Rowan exhaled
slowly, shakily from the pain of his broken ribs.  “I’m going tae be fine,
Anna,” he whispered, seeking to give her an excuse that would explain her tears
to Malcolm.  “Can ye bind up my chest as ye were talking about earlier?  It
might help.”

“Sure,” Anna said,
glad to have something purposeful to do with her now shaking hands. She reached
up and unbuttoned the first three buttons on Rowan’s shirt, then slid it up
carefully over his head.  Rowan winced in pain at having to lift his right arm. 
Anna tore a strip of material from the lining of her dress, causing Malcolm’s
face to turn crimson as she exposed her legs.

 Malcolm stood
abruptly and walked back over to where Quinn was sleeping.

“Holler if ye need
me, Anna,” he called over his shoulder, apparently still not trusting Rowan to
be alone with her.

  Anna wound the
fabric from her dress tightly around Rowan’s ribcage, securing it with a knot. 
She allowed her fingers to linger for a moment over the hot skin of Rowan’s
pectoral muscles, savoring the feeling of his bare skin beneath her
fingertips. 

“Aye, it feels
better already,” Rowan lied through his teeth, seeking to lift Anna’s spirits.

“Liar,” Anna said,
not buying his ruse.  “Let me help you lower down to the ground so that you can
sleep,” she said, standing and extending her hand to Rowan, taking his left
hand in both of hers and helping him slowly lower himself down to the ground.

“Bloody hell!”
Rowan exclaimed under his breath, groaning as he tried to find a comfortable
position.

Anna grabbed a
blanket and lowered herself down to lie next to Rowan, fitting her body up
against his and trying to be careful not to bump his ribs.  Unspoken words hung
heavily between them.  Anna began to speak but the words choked in her throat.

 “I’m sorry,
Rowan,” Anna said brokenly.  A lump choked the words in her throat.

Rowan sighed with
defeat as his body relented to the grips of his physical and mental
exhaustion.  He vowed to save his unfinished battle for Anna’s heart for tomorrow
and kissed Anna’s hair before drifting off to sleep, secure in the knowledge
that Anna was wrapped safely in his arms. 

Men. 
Anna
huffed in her mind.  One minute he was pouring out his heart, begging her to
choose him and the next minute his breath was hot on her neck as he slept,
holding her tight against his chest.

Anna swallowed
hard and felt the burning in her throat that happened only when she tried to
choke back tears.  She held her emotions inside until she felt Rowan’s rhythmic
breathing take on the characteristics of deep slumber.  Only then did she let
the first warm tear trickle down her cheek.

She had made
her choice.

Anna silently
wriggled out from under Rowan’s arm and looked at him one more time in the
darkness.              Rowan had risked enough for her benefit.  She could not
allow him to give up his chance at freedom.

Her eyes lingered
on his face in the darkness.  The fire danced over Rowan’s skin as he slept.  He
was perfect, despite the bloody cut running across his angular jaw and the
bruises that covered his face.  His battle wounds made him even more beautiful
to Anna, more beautiful because he had acquired those wounds defending her. He
was everything that she had ever wanted.  And to make things worse, Rowan had
just told her so openly, so honestly that he wanted her too.

Despite her best
intentions, Anna had fallen in love with Rowan Murray.   There was nothing that
she wanted more than to stay with him forever, to choose him as he had begged
her to do.

“I love you,
Rowan,” she whispered, brushing a soft kiss over his forehead.  “And I’m sorry
that I’ve hurt you.”

 Every so quietly,
Anna stood up, brushed off her skirts and walked into the darkness, knowing
full well that she was about to break Rowan’s heart as well as her own. 

Chapter Eleven

Rowan awoke just
before dawn; his rough transition into wakefulness gave him a painful reminder
of the injuries that he had sustained last night.  His broken ribs throbbed
terribly and a relentless headache pounded in his skull. 

Something wasn’t
right.  His eyes flew open. 

Anna
.

“Anna?” Rowan
croaked as he pushed himself up painfully from the forest floor.  “Anna!” he
said more urgently, his voice wringing with alarm.  Rowan was on his feet now, his
panicked eyes scanning the trees and dense undergrowth of the forest, still
hazy with morning’s first light.

“Anna’s gone!  
Get up ye lazy bastards!” Rowan bellowed, frantic now to find her.

Quinn rolled over
and squinted up at his brother.

 “She left last
night,” Quinn said lazily as he gathered his blanket more securely around his
shoulders to fight off the chill of the morning.

“She what?” Rowan
growled angrily as he hastily balled up his blanket and began to saddle his
mare.

“After ye fell
asleep, she left.  The lass has a fair bit more sense about her than ye do and
I figured that she made up her mind tae leave before she did ye anymore harm. I
thought it best that she was leaving sae I pretended tae be asleep and let her
go.”

“Ye just let her
go?  Just like that ye let her go?” Rowan exclaimed, voice surging in
exasperation with his brother.

Quinn nodded and
yawned loudly.

“Have ye any idea
how stupid…how dangerous it is for Anna tae be out in the forest at night
alone?” Rowan raged, pacing back and forth and glowering down at Quinn.

“She’ll be fine. 
Anna’s plenty capable.  This place is crawling with English and they’ll get her
safely tae Arbor.”

Rowan shook his
head in blatant disapproval.  “I canna believe ye, brother.  Ye ken that I…that
I care about her and…”

“Yes, I know
precisely, Rowan,” Quinn snapped, cutting his brother off.  “I can see it
written all over yer face.  I’ve watched ye fall for her, and I warned ye…”

“I couldna help
it!” Rowan raged.  “Do ye think that I wanted this?” he asked, green eyes
wild.  “Do ye think that I asked for this?”

“No, I doona, but
this is the best thing that could have happened – her leaving ye.  Ye need tae
let her go and think of our future here.  Leave her be,” Quinn threatened.

 “I’m going after
her,” Rowan said defiantly.  He untied the mare from her tether, fumbling with
the reins due to his battered left hand.  The horse pranced eagerly before him,
ready to be on the road.

“Anna has made her
decision brother,” Quinn said, rising to his feet and glaring up at his younger
brother, eyes clouded with warning.  “If ye really do love her, ye should let
her go.  Let her find the life that she was meant tae lead before she met ye.”

“If anyone
understands what it means tae love someone, it should be
you
!  I’ll not
live the rest of my life wonderin’ if I should have gone after her,” Rowan said
as he mounted the horse.  “If it was Mairi…”

“Doona dare bring
Mairi intae this,” Quinn seethed, eyes dark and foreboding.

“I’m going after
her,” Rowan said defiantly.  He kicked the mare into motion, guiding her
towards the road.  When he reached the pale dust of the road, he saw the
unmistakable pattern; crimson contrasting with the light dusty Earth.

 Rowan’s breath
choked in this throat. 

Blood.

..ooOoo..

Quinn and Malcolm
caught up with Rowan at the edge of the village just before dusk.  Rowan
accepted their presence, but did not speak to his brothers. Unspoken words hung
heavy in the air between them as they rode side-by-side down the main street.

Rowan was on
edge.  His eyebrows were scrunched together in ever-growing concern. The shadow
of worry was now openly visible on his unshaven face.

Rowan reined his
horse to a stop outside of a small inn and dismounted painfully, holding his
ribs as he forced his body upright.  He was stiff from riding all day and his
injuries hurt more than he was willing to show his brothers.  He walked inside
the inn to inquire about Anna and walked back out a moment later, shaking his
head in signal to his brothers.

Fear was beginning
to grow inside of Rowan.  He was determined to find Anna, determined to set
things right between them.  She could not just walk out of his life in the
middle of the night and leave so many words unspoken.

Repeating the same
ritual for the third time, Rowan painfully dismounted his horse and tied her to
the hitching post.  He walked into the second inn, expecting to come up
empty-handed again.  The door swung closed loudly behind him and his heart
nearly stopped beating.

 There sat Anna
smiling at the bar, seated on a tall stool enjoying a mug of ale, surrounded by
the very same soldiers that had tried to kill him last night.  Rowan felt his
mouth drop open in surprise and in the same instant, he felt his blood begin to
boil. His eyes centered on the soldier who had dared to lay hands upon Anna.

Involuntarily, a
low growl escaped from Rowan’s throat and all at once, the pack of English
soldiers and Anna turned to look at him.

Anna’s eyes flew
open in recognition.  Her mug of ale fell to the stone floor with a loud
clatter.

No one moved.

“I don’t want any
trouble,” the pot-bellied inn keeper said disparagingly as he shook his head
from behind the counter.  He scratched his rust-colored beard while
contemplating how to best diffuse the situation between the angry man that had
just entered his establishment and the soldiers while still earning himself a hefty
profit. “After listening to the lady, it sounds like what happened last night
was all a big misunderstanding,” the innkeeper said firmly, knowing that he
needed to tread cautiously or all hell might break loose.  “Why didn’t you tell
them that she is engaged to marry Lieutenant Arbor?” the innkeeper asked,
raising his eyebrows in question at Rowan and shaking his head in the direction
of the soldiers.

“Well, let me see,”
Rowan began.  “It could have been that they did no give me a chance tae tell
them anything because he was too busy trying tae rape her and they were too
busy tryin’ tae kill me,” Rowan said angrily, his muscles tense and ready to
attack at the slightest movement from the soldiers.  His hatred for the
soldiers boiled red hot in his veins.

“And for their
rudeness, they should buy you a pitcher of ale,” the innkeeper nodded at the
barkeep, who had already begun to draw a pitcher of ale for said purpose. “As I
said, this appears to have been a misunderstanding.  Now that it is settled we
can all get along,” he said with an air of warning heavy in his voice. “I’ll
have no trouble here tonight.”

Anna refused to
make eye contact with Rowan, knowing that she might fall apart if she did.  She
was ashamed of leaving him without an explanation, without a goodbye, but it
was the only way that she could leave him.

Rowan stormed
forward and grabbed Anna’s hand, “What did they do tae ye?” he asked, his voice
angry as he examined the thick bandage that was wound around her forearm.

“It’s nothing,”
Anna said, jerking her hand away from his grasp. 
“They
didn’t do
anything to me.  I fell in the forest last night and I cut my arm,” she said,
cradling her arm in her lap.

“It was foolish of
ye tae leave in the middle of the night,” Rowan said, exasperated, not caring
that the eyes of the entire English squadron were intently focused on their
conversation.

“It’s none of your
concern, Rowan,” Anna fired back as she glared up at Rowan in challenge.  “I’m
fine.”

 The innkeeper
cleared his throat, enjoying the drama but still seeking to avoid a costly
brawl in his establishment.  “I’ve got a room for the lady,” he continued,
seeking to stay in the good graces of Lieutenant Arbor by providing his best
accommodations to his fiancée, “But the rest of you will have to take up in the
barn with the horses,” he said, eyes flashing over towards Rowan, who was now
flanked on either side by Quinn and Malcolm.

Quinn nodded in
agreement, not being able to muster the energy or the will to fight with the
innkeeper.  He knew that the inn could not be more than half full.

Rowan paid for
Anna’s room and the innkeeper slid the key across the counter and into his
waiting hand.  Anna reached out to take the key from Rowan but he stuffed it
hastily into his pocket, scowling at her.  “After what happened last time ye
were left alone with
them
, I’d feel better if I walked ye up tae yer
room and saw that ye were safely locked inside,” Rowan said, eyebrows still
knit together in a scowl as he remembered his previous altercations with the
English.  “I’ll meet ye out in the barn shortly,” he said, dismissing Quinn and
Malcolm and starting for the stairs.

Anna bid the
soldiers good evening and followed Rowan up the stairs.  Rowan fit the rusty
key into the lock and swung open the door to the small chamber.  The small bed
was covered by a shabby quilt, an ancient looking rocking chair sat in the
corner, and there was a rickety bedside table.  Rowan ushered Anna into the
room and went to the business of starting a fire in the small hearth.  Being
satisfied that the fire had taken; he stood and brushed the soot from his
hands, walking towards the door.

He could not talk
to her now, not while he was so shaken and unprepared.  Rowan planned to go to
the barn, collect his thoughts and then speak with Anna in the morning.  He
wanted to make sure that his words came out correctly.  He wanted to make sure
that his anger at the fact that Anna had left him did not cloud his thoughts.

“Lock the dead
bolt as soon as I’m out the door.  I’ll wait tae leave until I hear it.”

Anna was puzzled.

He’s going to
leave?  He chased me down, and now he’s going to leave without speaking to me?

“Stay,” Anna said,
standing next to the small bed.  “I owe you an explanation.”

Rowan shook his
head and rested his hand on the door knob.  “No, Anna.  I canna.”

“Stay with me,
Rowan,” she said more urgently now, closing the distance between them and
pulling his hand from the door knob.  “I don’t want to be alone here.  I’m
scared of them…and if you’re all the way out in the barn…”

“If ye are so damned
scared, then why did ye take off in the middle of the night?  Saints!  When I
think of what might have happened tae ye.  Christ, Anna,” he muttered.  “When I
found that you were gone, and saw yer blood on the road I….” Rowan thundered,
his rush of emotions making it difficult for him to put his feelings into
words.  He raked his hand through his hair and scowled down at Anna, trying to
collect his thoughts. “Ye’ll be fine, Anna.  Look at this lock,” he said,
pointing at the thick metal bolt that would be sure to keep intruders out of
the room.

“And with your
ribs, the last place that you should be sleeping is on the ground,” Anna said,
trying to strengthen her plea to get Rowan to stay.  “You may have the bed, and
I’ll…I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“It doesna matter
much where I sleep, they’re still going tae hurt like hell,” Rowan said,
knowing full well that Anna had no intentions of sleeping on the floor.

“We need to talk,”
Anna said honestly, now getting to the root of the matter. “Stay,” she said
simply, hazel eyes imploring him not to walk out on her.

Rowan let out a
heavy sigh and settled himself gingerly down so that he was sitting on the bed.
“I canna continue tae do this, Anna,” he said, raking his hand through his hair
and looking up at Anna.  “I’m mad with the wanting of ye.  It felt like a
dagger had been driven straight through my heart this morning when I found that
ye were gone,” Rowan admitted, spilling out his emotions.  “I understand that
ye’ve made yer choice, and I ken that I have no claim upon ye…”

“I left because I
wanted to stay,” Anna blurted out, her heart wrenching because she knew that
Rowan had been hurt by her actions.

“Do ye realize
that that makes exactly no sense?  If ye want tae stay then why the hell don’t
ye just stay?”  Rowan strode across the room in two strides and silenced Anna’s
explanation with his lips, astonishing them both.  His arms were demanding as
they caressed her back, her arms and her neck as if assuring himself that she
had no further injuries; that she was indeed safe. 

Anna parted her lips
in response to his kiss.  She savored the shivers that ran down her spine as
Rowan’s tongue slid inside her mouth, staking claim.  Her body thrummed in
response to Rowan’s hot, wet mouth, and his fingers burned trails of gooseflesh
on her skin.

Rowan was so
aroused by the intensity of Anna’s response to his kiss that he felt as though
he might combust.  Her skin was so soft beneath his rough fingertips.  Her
sweet feminine scent drove him wild with desire.  Memories of how Anna had
allowed him to make love to her with his fingers caused him to go hard, his
erection strained against the fabric of his pants. 

Oh, how he wanted
her.  Not just for one night, Rowan wanted Anna forever.

Anna felt
light-headed from the passion that Rowan had evoked within her.  She kissed him
softly and then pulled away, her lips hovering just beyond his mouth. 

“Stay,” she
whispered.  Anna un-tucked Rowan’s shirt and ran her fingers slowly up inside
of it, savoring the feeling of the warm, taut skin that covered his abdominal
muscles.  “If you want to stay, then why the hell don’t you just stay?”

..ooOoo..

Rowan snuck
quietly into the barn, well before the first light of morning.

“Did ye get lost?”
Malcolm asked from underneath his blanket at the back of a horse stall,
resentment heavy in his tone.