Tempted (22 page)

Her head lifted pridefully. “That is completely unnecessary, my lord. I will survive in spite of you.”

He was filled with admiration for her courage.

His mood was lifting. He was more than pleased that she had known no other men. Christ, he’d even suspected she might be carrying his enemy’s child, which had been the reason for his inexcusable behavior toward her after the ceremony. He had a foul and filthy mind, and his temper was no better. “We will begin anew.”

She drew the delicate bedrobe about her and shook her head sadly. “Everything is ruined between us. Our personalities clash, and even our bodies are unsuited,” she said with a blush.

Her words, though said gently enough, challenged his very manhood. “That is untrue! Give me another chance, and I swear to use ye gently, my lady. Even kissing has its own foreplay.”

Her cheeks were rosy although not by intent. When he
saw her almost imperceptible hesitation, he pressed his advantage. “In good faith, neither of us can dissolve the union at this early stage. We would both be accused of not even trying.”

They heard a loud scuffle outside the door, and Ram threw it open to see who dared disturb them. Tina watched the Boozer tear into the room after the cat. “Oh, he’ll kill it!” she cried.

“What?” he asked blankly.

“The cat—oh, where did it go?”

Ram looked into her eyes to observe her reaction to his words. “He cannot kill the cat. It is a ghost.”

She gave him a startled look, then something seemed to dawn upon her. He knew she did not reject his explanation out of hand and think him a madman. “The cat belongs to Damaris. … Its name is Folly.”

The lady they spoke of stood in the corner with Folly in her arms. She was delighted that their minds were open enough to accept the possibility of her existence, yet she felt totally frustrated that she could not communicate with Valentina and protect her against Ram Douglas.

The Boozer, now realizing where he was, slunk to the door and whined pitifully to be let out.

“Please go,” Tina asked. “I must bathe.”

“I’ll send a maid with hot water immediately,” he said gently, knowing he had received no answer from her but hoping against hope that she would not go running back to Doon.

Damaris went looking for Alexander. She found him in Ram’s chamber. “Alex, he raped her!”

“The son of a whore!” Alex swore angrily. “If I were alive, I’d beat him senseless!” He crashed his fist into his cousin’s skull. “Bloody Black Ram!”

“Oh Alex, it’s happening all over again. One of them will kill the other.”

“Damn it, woman—once and for all time: I didn’t kill ye!”

“Don’t start with me. Oh, how I wish they weren’t off to Castle Douglas! If she were here, where I could watch over her, I just might be able to keep her safe. I think she is aware that I’m here.”

“We may be able to go to Castle Douglas with them. I think it’s possible to move to another place. All ye have tae do is bond with a living entity, and they will take ye with them. Ye try tae bond wi’ Valentina, and I’ll bond wi’ Ramsay, just for the journey.”

“You really believe I’d ever trust you again? And I would never leave Folly,” Damaris said to cover her nervousness at moving from the castle where she’d spent fifteen years.

“Take yer cat wi’ ye.”

“No—I’d be afraid she might get lost. She’ll be safer here, I think, and so will I.”

“Sweetheart …”

“Don’t sweetheart me. You’re a bloody Douglas, and nothing can ever change that.” She faded from the chamber instantly.

Tina lay in her pretty bathtub a long time. The warm water soothed her battered body but not her thoughts. Ram Douglas was a force to be reckoned with, not unlike a violent thunderstorm. She would need to be extremely clever and resourceful to keep abreast of him, let alone one step ahead of him. No wonder the name Douglas inspired fear; she had more reason than the rest of the population to know why.

She finally climbed into bed, but sleep was as far away as the man in the moon. If she lay perfectly still, she didn’t hurt, but she was so restless she tossed and turned the night away. Black Ram Douglas was so … what? Not coarse exactly, like Angus. So male, so masculine, it made her shudder involuntarily.

She tried not to think of his naked body touching her, covering her, entering her, but it was such an unseen mystery to her, she could not free her mind of it. She had seen his naked chest, so wide, so darkly furred, but the rest of him, the male core of him, remained a frightening unknown.

As the lavender dawn spread its fingers up the sky, Tina had not slept at all through the long night. She felt drained, exhausted before the day had even begun. Ada cast her a worried look as she helped her fasten the gray riding dress and handed her her gloves and riding crop.

Nell staggered in with a tray holding enough breakfast for the three of them, but Tina could not face the food. Ada gave her a warmed cup of ale, and Tina flashed a grateful look and sipped it slowly. When she emerged into the bailey and saw her groom holding Indigo, she knew a moment of panic. My god, she was too sore to ride any distance. But Ram Douglas and his hard-bitten mosstroopers were already in the saddle waiting for her.

He felt an overwhelming relief that she intended to accompany him to Castle Douglas, yet his hooded eyes gave no hint of it. He missed nothing. He saw her wince as she mounted, saw her head lift and her back straighten with pride. The gray riding habit made her glorious hair blaze in contrast, but it emphasized the delicate pallor of her skin and the blue marks of fatigue beneath her eyes.

His conscience pricked him, but he vowed he’d make it up to her. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. Valentina could never be described as innocent—she was far too beautiful and had received the randy attentions of a score of men—but she was inexperienced, thank God, and if he
taught her skillfully all the mysteries of sex, she would be a ravishing woman indeed. Granted, he had made a bad start, but if he put all his efforts into pleasing her, he knew there wasn’t a woman alive who could resist his Douglas charm.

One thing was certain: He had hurt her, and she could not ride all the way to the borders. Fifty miles was no great distance to his men, but with the wild horses and the supply wagons, they would be in the saddle hours longer than usual. She was almost as stubborn and blood-proud as himself, and he knew that if he offered to take her up before him, she would reject that offer. He must think of something subtler.

Ramsay seemingly ignored her while they rode through the Southern Uplands and the Leadhills, but when they passed from Lanark County into Dumfries, he rode up beside her. His shrewd eyes saw her drawn face and her weariness. “Perhaps I’m mistaken, but yer mare seems tae have a slight limp.”

She had not noticed but felt too tired to argue

“I’ll take a look,” he decided. They drew rein, and he dismounted and lifted Indigo’s hoof. “Mm, just as I thought. Her shoe is loose.”

Tina felt resentful that he cared more for the horse’s discomfort than her own, but she also felt guilt that she had ridden Indigo in such condition. Ram remounted, came alongside her mare, and lifted her before him. She protested, “I have my other mount,” and stared up at him defiantly.

He grinned down at her. “Yer precious Mr. Burque rides yer other animal. Do ye want me tae take him up in my arms before all these rough men?”

She couldn’t suppress her laughter at the picture he painted, and she had to admit to herself it was a relief not to have to ride astride any longer.

At first she held herself stiffly aloof, but once they stopped to water the horses at the River Nith, Ramsay
settled his mount into an even, rhythmic, slow gallop Her body started to relax, then her eyelids began to droop

He was acutely aware of her. The delicate scent from her warm body made him become instantly aroused. He shifted in the saddle to ease the pressure of his swollen manhood as it bulged the leather of his breeches, and his movements made Tina open her eyes and sit up straighter Before long, however, she was again lulled to sway back against him, and he slipped an ironlike arm about her to prevent her from falling.

As she slumped against his body he became aware of how small she was Desire pulsed at his groin with a sweet, almost unendurable ache. She was full asleep now, and he half-turned her so that she almost faced him. She lay heavily between his thighs, the heat from her body mingling with his He was marble hard now in an agony of need, and he doubted he’d ever grow soft again in her presence

Her breasts swelled against him, filling his arms and his lap with her loveliness. God, he wanted her in the bed like this, both of them naked He’d never take her in the dark again!

Valentina missed all the beauty of the wild, rugged, often inaccessible land through which they rode As they cut through the range of mountains bordering Kirkcudbright, there were precipices of rock, caverns, and morasses full of deep ruts Then they passed one of Ramsay’s favorite spots on earth It was a waterfall that cascaded in three tiers He had seldom passed it in his life without stripping and bathing there, diving from the second tier into the deep pool at the bottom. Today, however, he realized he would rather be right here in the saddle with his woman asleep between his thighs.

As Ram’s eyes surveyed his beloved borders, he knew them to be a perfect hiding place where thousands of men could remain in safe concealment The men and the horses picked up speed as they neared Castle Douglas. Ram would have known he was near home even if he’d been
blindfolded, for the tang of the sea swept up the River Dee almost up to the very foundations of the ancient fortalice.

As Ruffian came to an abrupt halt in the bailey, Tina opened her eyes and gazed upward at the forbidding gray stones of Castle Douglas. Realization dawned that they had arrived and that she must have slept most of the way. She gave Ram a look of disbelief that he had held her between his thighs all the way. As he slowly grinned down at her, her cheeks flamed at the intimacy. He made no effort to hide that he was pleased with himself, and she learned a valuable lesson. If she let him play the dominant, masterful male and she fulfilled the role of helpless female, his mood was almost pleasant.

Ram was amazed that on the ride his young brother and cousins had looked to the horses and his men had smoothed the way for the supply wagons, mending wheels and pushing the carts out of endless ruts and foxholes so that he could get on with the serious business of wooing his woman. Now that they had arrived at their destination, all was taken care of, so that he was free to show her his favorite castle and tend to her needs.

Ram dismounted and held up his arms. Tina looked down at him with hesitation in her eyes. Then she made a decision: She would take the first tentative steps to bind him to her irrevocably. She went down into his arms softly, sweetly, in a flurry of petticoats, and he lifted her to the ground. They stood with their bodies almost touching, and she made no effort to draw away from him.

Then he swung her into his arms again and carried her into Castle Douglas. Her face was warmed by the hard flesh beneath his leather jack. He set her on her feet and offered her his cast-iron arm—but not before he caught her with an intimate look. He found her golden eyes intrigued him. They invited him to wickedness, yet at the same time they held him at a distance. He captured her hand, and she allowed him to keep it. “This time ye won’t
be able to accuse me of not showing ye my chamber—our chamber,” he amended boldly, gauging her reaction.

She remained silent at his invitation, yet did not say him no. A protective hand went to the small of her back as he guided her up the winding staircase designed in the ancient style to free the sword arm against invaders.

Tina expected a replica of his other rooms, but she was most pleasantly surprised. The chamber was magnificent. One whole wall consisted of a huge fireplace. From floor to ceiling was polished-pink granite, almost as beautiful as pink marble. The floor was carpeted with black sheepskins, and the massive bed was covered by a luxurious lynx fur that was so large, it spilled to the floor.

He bestowed his first compliment upon her. “This pink and black chamber enhances yer own lovely coloring.”

“You silver-tongued devil,” she bantered. “Have you been taking lessons from Angus?” His laughter rolled about the chamber, and they said in unison, “At least you have a sense of humor.” Because they said the same thing at the same moment, they both went off into peals of laughter.

He took her through a door that led out onto the ramparts of Castle Douglas, where they stood together looking out toward the mouth of the River Dee and the sea beyond. As black and white terns glided and screamed above their heads, he said low, “Will ye share this chamber wi’ me if I promise not tae ravish ye again?”

She did not ignore him, but she made him wait a few minutes before she answered: “Are you truly promising to be civilized?”

He grinned. “Never that, but next time I’ll try tae seduce ye.”

“Seduction sounds most wicked and inviting, yet I’ve never succumbed to it before.”

“That’s because ye weren’t seduced by Black Ram Douglas,” he promised arrogantly.

She turned to him and said quite frankly, “This first night I want only to sleep, my lord.”

He looked into her eyes. “So be it,” he said solemnly, then his pewter eyes crinkled in amusement. “That will give ye a fighting chance against me tomorrow night.”

She sank down before him in an acquiescent curtsy, and he raised her and took her hands to his lips before he departed. She gazed after him. After a good night’s rest, she’d be more than a match for him. She was learning how to handle him. Tomorrow night, with Mr. Burque’s tempting dishes laid before him, she would see who would do the seducing.

Down in the great entrance hall she found Ada talking with the castle steward, while Nell sat atop one of her ten trunks. “To which chamber shall I tell the servants to take your trunks?” Ada asked.

“Why, the master bedchamber, of course.” She glanced at the Douglas steward and said, “I
am
the mistress here.”

Ada rolled her eyes heavenward, knowing she’d get scant help from that direction.

Tina asked the steward to show her about the castle, and she complimented him on its general upkeep, since she could see that a firmer hand was on the tiller here than at the castle they had just left.

In the kitchens the male chef was having an altercation with Mr. Burque, and it had unfortunately degenerated into personal insults. The thick-tongued Scot had already hurled
degenerate, queer
, and
prancin’ pansy
at the Frenchman, who had a much more subtle revenge in mind. The chef’s first assistant was his wife, a dark, plump little woman with rosy cheeks. She couldn’t keep her eyes from Mr. Burque. Admittedly he was bonnier than any lass, but the way his eyes had caressed her curves and winked at her over her husband’s head indicated clearly he had a taste for the opposite sex. The next time the Frenchman lowered his eyelid, she winked back. A feeling of excitement was bubbling inside of her When Mr. Burque kissed her hand,
she went all wobbly inside. Her husband would never suspect her of knocking it off with the pretty laddie.

The steward told Tina the chefs name was Burns, and she hoped it wasn’t too apt. “Mr. Burns,” she said firmly, “name-calling will not keep your position secure. Only the quality of the dishes you prepare can do that. The superior chef will naturally hold the position of superiority in the castle kitchens. Instead of frittering your time away hurling epithets, I suggest you channel your energy into the evening meal. If my palate is pleased, who knows? I may even keep you on in the kitchens.”

When she walked off, Mr. Burns looked baffled and needed Mrs. Burns to interpret. “If she dinna like what ye cook, she’ll stick it up yer kilt,” she told him graphically.

Tina asked the steward to select especially nice rooms for Ada and Nell, then took herself off to the stables. She reprimanded her groom for not checking Indigo’s shoes before their journey to the borders, but he insisted the mare’s horseshoes were all firmly intact and showed Tina that it was so. Mildly surprised, she wondered if Ram Douglas had taken her up before him for her sake or for his own, and she smiled her secret smile.

She wandered around the outbuildings, saw the vast dairy-still room, the forge, the men-at-arms’ quarters built into the thick curtain wall, and the washhouse, where all the castle linens were washed. There were storage sheds for the sheared wool from the thousands of Douglas sheep, and a tannery where cowhides and deerhides were cured before they were shipped away across the Channel.