Rebel Kiss: A Historical Romance Novel (Scottish Rebels Book 1) (21 page)

“Don’t ever doubt
that I choose you, Rowan.  I love you,” Anna’s eyes were intense as they
implored him to believe her statement.  “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted
anything in my life,” she said softly.

Rowan exhaled
slowly, “I love ye so much that it pains me,” he whispered, resting his
forehead against hers in defeat.  “I just pray that I havena led ye intae
danger,” he drawled, feeling guilty for asking Anna to give up so much at his
expense.

“Look at me,
Rowan,” Anna demanded, eyebrows scrunched together.

His eyes lifted to
meet hers, questioning.

“I love you.  I
don’t want you to ever doubt that or ever feel that you are not worthy of my
love.  You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she said eyes
intense as she regarded him, looking for her statement to register in his eyes.

“Oh, Anna,” Rowan
whispered.  He brought the back of his hand up to caress Anna’s cheek.  “I do
love ye so.  I plan tae work every day tae be worthy of ye, tae give ye
everything that I might and tae make ye happy.”

“I
am
happy,”
Anna assured Rowan, smiling up at him reassuringly.  “I’d follow you anywhere. 
I don’t care if we never have a place to live or a shilling to our names.  I just
want you,” she said with conviction, reaching up on her tippy toes and capturing
Rowan’s lips in a seductive kiss.

“God how I love
ye, woman,” Rowan growled, kissing her back with fervor.  “Will ye swim the
pond with me?” he asked breathlessly, eyebrows raised in invitation.

Anna giggled shyly
in response, already beginning to unlace her dress.  She shrugged out the
restraining garment and watched as Rowan rucked his shirt up over his head. 
Anna slipped off her thin chemise and stood naked in front of her husband.

“I’ll take that as
a yes?” he asked teasingly as he began to unlace his pants.  Desire flamed in
his dark eyes as his gaze lingered over Anna’s bare skin.

“Yes,” Anna
giggled.   She moved toward Rowan, shuddering from the cool air.  Her fingers reached
out, trailing deliciously over his flat stomach and taut abdominal muscles.  Her
fingers splayed across his massive chest, delighting in the feel of warm muscle
beneath her fingertips.  She bit her lower lip as her fingers moved up,
exploring Rowan’s shoulders and his biceps. 

Reading the desire
that was evident on her face, Rowan kicked off his pants and backed away from
Anna, stepping into the cool water of the pond.  He arched an eyebrow in
invitation and Anna reached for his hand, following him into the chilly water
of the pond.  It was dusk now and the water caused goose bumps to break out on
her skin.  Anna walked out into the water until it lapped at her waist, never
breaking eye contact with her husband.

Rowan gathered
Anna in his arms and leaned back, dunking them both beneath the surface of the
water.  When they surfaced, he laughed playfully, delighting in the look of
shock that overtook Anna’s face.

“Cold?” he asked
teasingly.

Anna slapped at
his chest.  Goose flesh covered both of their bodies.  She cuddled close against
Rowan’s chest and kissed the base of his neck as he folded her into his
embrace.

“What will happen
if they find us?” Anna asked the question that had been plaguing her.

Rowan kissed the
curve of Anna’s shoulder, thinking for a moment before he spoke.  The sun was
setting and a chill rose in the air.  He lowered their bodies beneath the
surface of the cool water, delighting in the gasp that escaped from Anna’s
lips.

“We’re marrit
now.  He canna change that,” Rowan began.  “But the money,” he said hollowly,
“We’ll have tae repay the bride price to Arbor.”

“It was a lot of
money, Rowan,” Anna breathed.  “Jonathan has already sent two hundred and fifty
pounds to my mother,” she said regretfully.  Anna closed her eyes and leaned
her head against Rowan’s shoulder.  The cold water lapped at her shoulders and
she cuddled closer to Rowan’s warm body.

“It’ll take us
some time to earn that back, but we’ll manage.  I’ll send him every last
shilling just to ensure that he leaves us be.”

“I don’t think he
will,” Anna whispered.  “I think Jonathan will come after me.”

Rowan closed his
eyes and clenched his teeth.  He exhaled slowly and pressed a kiss against
Anna’s nape.  Her skin was cool and smooth from the chilly water.

“I suspect that he
will come after us,” Rowan admitted his fear.  “And we’ll be ready for him,” he
promised.  “He’ll never take you from me,” Rowan vowed.  He opened his eyes and
looked up into the night sky.  “And what of your Uncle, Anna?  Will he come
after us?”

“My Uncle?” Anna
asked.  It took her a moment to remember the lie that she had told.  She had
claimed Murdock as her uncle.  Anna sighed deeply and drew away from the solace
of Rowan’s neck so that she could look at him.  “I’ve no family here,” she
admitted, her eyes searching Rowan’s face for understanding.  “I claimed the
man that brokered my betrothal contract with Jonathan as an uncle because I was
ashamed.  I was ashamed that I was all alone and that I had sold myself into
marriage.”

“Is that all,
Anna?  I need the whole truth if I’m to protect us,” Rowan said, his tone
urgent.

Anna nodded. 
“That’s all.  Forgive me for being untruthful,” she said regretfully.

“There can be no
more lies between us,” Rowan said sternly.  “I need the truth if I am to keep
us safe.”

“Always,” Anna
whispered.  She brought her lips to Rowan’s, sealing the pact with a chaste
kiss.  His lips were cold from the water.

“We’ll be ready
when they find us,” Rowan vowed, the hairs on the back of his neck standing at
attention not from the chill in the night air, but from the uncertainty that
had settled in his heart.

..ooOoo..

Rowan’s hands
reached up and covered Anna’s eyes, catching her by surprise.

“Are ye ready?” he
asked, his deep voice giddy with enthusiasm.

“Ready for what?”
Anna laughed, enjoying the light, playful mood of her husband.  She was so
happy to see that he was no longer consumed with worry, worry that Jonathan
would find them.

“Tae see yer new
home.  What else?” Rowan said, his hands still covering Anna’s eyes.  “Ye ken
that it’s too late tae turn and run.  We’re marrit after all.”

Anna laughed and
placed her hands over Rowan’s, trying to pry them from her eyes so that she
could see.

“Alright, sae
eager!” Rowan chastised playfully and removed his hands from Anna’s eyes.  His
heart was stuck in his throat as he anticipated her response.

Anna stood stock
still and squinted into the valley below them, trying to get a good first
glimpse of her new home.  Her fingers were intertwined with Rowan’s.  He stood
still as a post behind her.  She could make out two small cabins amidst a
cluster of small patchwork fields.  “I love it!” she exclaimed, turning in
Rowan’s arms and reaching up on her tippy toes to kiss her husband.

Rowan let out the
breath that he had been holding and smiled down at his wife.  “How do ye ken
that ye love it when ye can barely see it?” he asked, laughing softly as his
fingers traced his wife’s lovely, full lower lip.

“I love it because
it’s our home,” Anna said softly, gazing up at Rowan.

“We’ve plenty of
work tae do,” Rowan warned as his mind flooded with all of the chores and
projects that would need to be completed to get the place ready for winter. 
The small farm had been abandoned and the Murray brothers had purchased it at a
fraction of what it was worth.

“Are Malcolm and
Quinn there?” Anna asked hopefully, turning away from Rowan and squinting down
into the valley again.

“Aye, they are. 
They willna expect tae be seeing ye,” Rowan revealed.

“You didn’t tell
them why you were going to find me?” Anna asked, her eyebrows lifted with
surprise.

“Nay, I didna tell
them,” Rowan confessed.

“Why?”

“I just wanted tae
see ye one more time.  I never intended tae…I didna expect tae ask ye tae marry
me.”

“You didn’t?” Anna
asked eyes wide.

“No.”

“Then why…why did
you?”

“Because it was
what I had wanted…wanted more than anything in the world.  I just hadn’t dared
tae hope that ye might say yes.  I was afraid that ye would say no,” Rowan
revealed, his eyes downcast as he bared his heart to his wife.

“Rowan,” Anna
whispered.  “I’m so glad that you did.  My heart died when I had to leave you,
when I had to go with
him.
”

Rowan’s mood
darkened at the mention of Arbor.  He knew that the bastard would look for Anna
and he hoped that his preparations would be enough to keep her hidden here.  He
swallowed hard, pushing the looming thought from his mind.  “Malcolm will be
beside himself when he sees ye.  Let’s go surprise him,” Rowan said, seeking to
lighten the mood of their homecoming.  When Jonathan Arbor crept into his
thoughts, he was consumed with worry for protecting his wife.

“Let’s go!” Anna
said, dropping Rowan’s hand and running joyfully down the hill to meet the rest
of the Murrays.

..ooOoo..

“Thank God ye
marrit Rowan!” Malcolm exclaimed as he took another bite of the stew that Anna
had prepared for dinner, chewing appreciatively.  “We might have starved tae
death if ye wouldna have had him.”

Anna smiled
warmly.  Her heart swelled with love as she looked around her kitchen table at
her Murray boys, each happily stuffing his face with her cooking. 

“This is why I
marrit her,” Rowan said teasingly as he savored another bite of the delicious
stew.

“I guess that this
is the upside of my family falling into financial ruin.  I had to learn how to
cook,” Anna said, laughing softly.  A feeling of melancholy washed over Anna, her
mood suddenly dampening as she thought of her mother.  She sent a silent prayer
heavenward.

Forgive me for
what I’ve done, Mother.

Forcing her
regrets aside, Anna pushed away from the table and began to clear away the
dishes, noticing that the Murray brothers had all but licked their bowls
clean.  The bachelor life had been hard on them.  Anna was glad that she could
show her love for these men by feeding them.  It was the least that she could
do when they worked so hard from sun up to sun down, struggling to get the farm
in order before winter.

“Can ye help us
get the tools intae the shed, Rowan?” Quinn asked, standing and pushing away
from the table.  “Looks like it might start tae rain.”

“Aye, I’ll be
right out,” Rowan said.

“Thank ye for
supper,” Malcolm smiled at Anna, his love for his sister-in-law playing easily
across his face.

“My pleasure,”
Anna winked at Malcolm and handed him a small paper wrapped parcel filled with
leftovers.  She knew that Malcolm was still growing and now that she was able,
she intended to keep his bottomless appetite at bay.  Malcolm would not ask for
more food, so Anna made an extra effort to send him back to the cabin that he
shared with Quinn with leftovers.

Quinn and Malcolm
headed out into the dark night, leaving Rowan alone with his wife. 

“I’ll be back
before ye miss me,” Rowan said, smiling Anna’s favorite lop-sided grin and
sauntering over to place a slow, tender kiss on his wife’s lips.

“Not true,” Anna
whispered against his cheek, inhaling the sweet masculine scent that was so
distinctly Rowan.  He smelled of evergreen trees and leather, the scents of the
forest.  “I’ll miss you as soon as you step out the door.”

“I’ll hurry then. 
Promise,” Rowan said, smiling and kissing his wife’s hair.

..ooOoo..

Rowan returned
after dark, his shirt plastered to his chest from the downpour of late summer
rain.  His chestnut hair hung loose about his shoulders and curled at the
ends. 

Anna smiled as Rowan
walked into the small cabin.  Her hands stalled in the cold dishwater as her
eyes roamed desirously over her husband.  Rowan had pulled off his sodden shirt
and laid it carefully over the back of a chair.  He was now stooped by the
doorway removing his boots and socks.  Anna watched as his work-hardened
muscles rippled as he moved.  She swallowed hard as she took in the raw
masculine beauty that was her husband.  Her eyes followed Rowan across the room
as he padded barefoot and shirtless towards the fire to warm himself.

Rowan’s eyes
flashed to meet Anna’s.  He arched his eyebrows mischievously, catching her in
the act of coveting him.  “Ye are a naughty wee thing,” he teased, reading her
mind.  “I think that I’ve created a monster,” he joked, easily reading the
lustful expression on his wife’s lovely face.

“I’m just doing
the dishes,” Anna feigned innocence, remembering the task at hand and
pretending that she was actually washing dishes.  She bit her lower lip in an
effort to conceal her smile.

“Are ye now?”
Rowan asked, stalking from the fireplace towards his wife.  “Then ye won’t mind
if I help ye a bit so that ye can finish sooner?”

“No, I wouldn’t
mind at all,” Anna said breathily as her husband fitted his arms around her and
trailed his warm hands down her arms and atop hers in the dishwater.

Anna forgot all
about the dishes. Rowan’s naked chest was warm against her back.  His hands
stroked hers beneath the surface of the dishwater, intertwining his fingers
with hers.  Rowan pressed the evidence of his desire into her back and Anna
leaned back him.

The dishes would
have to wait.

Rowan nuzzled
Anna’s neck and bit her earlobe playfully, loving that he could tease his wife
senseless and make her forget what she was trying to accomplish.  He chuckled
softly and kissed Anna’s hair just above her temple, slowly moving his hands
back up her arms and out of the dishwater.