The Highlander's Bride Trouble (25 page)

“Hummm…so nice…” she muttered.

Her nipples drew tight before he smoothed his hand along her body to the plane of
her belly. Her skin was smoother than the finest silk, filling him with a need to
possess her.

But not yet.

He stroked her belly more, listening to the sounds she made as she came closer to
consciousness. She thrust her hips forward, and he didn’t deny her what she craved.
He teased the curls crowning her mons before gently stroking the folds of her slit.

She hissed, arching back so he could look down the front of her body. Her breasts
tempted him with puckered nipples, making his cock jerk. The need to bury himself
inside was strong, but he resisted it, enjoying the bite he gained by fighting off
his baser impulses.

Her eyelashes fluttered as he stroked her slit again, this time burrowing between
the folds to find the center of her pleasure. She thrust toward his hand, little sounds
of delight coming from her lips. She grew warmer, her slit wet.

“What…are ye doing, Saer?”

He rubbed her bud and kissed the side of her neck.

“Pleasing ye…”

He watched her tongue appear and move across her lower lip. Her body drew tight, but
she never closed her thighs.

“Aye…ye are…” she admitted.

She began to tremble and lifted her bottom. His control crumbed, and he thrust forward.
She was so wet, he penetrated deeply on the first thrust. But he pulled back because
her sheath was too hot, too tight for him to last within its grip.

“More,” she insisted.

He was powerless to deny her, for it was the same desire pulsing through his body.
There was only the need and the satisfaction to be gained. He thrust again and again,
gritting his teeth against the tight clasp of her passage around his cock. She moved
with him, lifting her bottom for every motion. His balls were tightening, the impending
explosion beginning to darken his thoughts. He rubbed her harder and felt her sheath
tightening with the first hints of ecstasy.

His seed began flowing, burning a path through his cock as he pumped his hips back
and forth, burying himself as deep as possible as pleasure tore through him. It was
hard and gripping, dropping him back into reality with a jolt because it had been
so intense. Nareen’s passage had tightened around his length, pulling the last drops
of his essence forth.

He smoothed his hands over her, covering her lips when she began to speak.

Her spirit was rising again, but the moment was too intimate to shatter with pride.
So he kissed the side of her neck and smoothed the hair away from her face before
he heard her sigh and surrender back into sleep’s hold.

Tomorrow, Nareen would be finished with arguing against her place beside him.

***

There was a crash outside their
terrazzino
at dawn.

Saer jerked and was on his feet as voices began shouting below. “Stay here.” He grabbed
his sword and rushed outside.

Nareen wrinkled her nose at him and followed once she’d found her chemise.

One of the cranes had lost its load of stone. The cut blocks were scattered over one
of the tables, but there didn’t appear to be anyone hurt. Several of the stonemasons
were yelling up near one of the large wooden wheels used to operate the machine. Two
younger boys stood with their heads lowered.

“I’d best get over there,” Saer groused. He turned and glared at her. “What are ye
doing out here in that chemise, woman?”

“It’s more than ye have on,” she pointed out.

He wasn’t wearing a stitch.

“Maybe ye shouldn’t look like ye’re enjoying it so much,” he teased. “At least nae
unless ye’re going to make an honest man of me at the church door.”

Women’s voices joined the tirade.

Saer went inside and began to dress. He finished quickly, leaving her looking for
her dress while he ran out the door. It was missing. She even searched the
terrazzino
. The church bells began to toll as she wrestled with her temper.

Had Saer decided that leaving with her brother presented too much of a temptation?
Perhaps he had more feelings for her than he’d admitted.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in, Agnes.”

But it was Kael who pushed open the door.

“I am in a foul temper, Kael.”

Her brother didn’t even blink. He strode into the bedchamber and planted himself in
front of her.

“And I am nae dressed,” she warned.

“So, put something on, Sister. For I am no’ leaving.”

Nareen ground her teeth together. “I cannae,” she was forced to admit.

“I thought ye were serving the Earl of Ross’s daughter. Did ye wear out yer fingers
in a year’s time?”

“Nae,” she snapped. “Me dress is gone; that is why I cannae put it on, and the other
one I had was taken by Bastian MacKay when his men abducted me and Abigail.”

Her brother chuckled mercilessly.

“It is nae funny,” she scolded. “Saer took it away before too, because he did nae
trust me to remain and would nae waste the men to guard me the day through.”

Her brother was turning purple in his attempt to keep from roaring with laughter.
“I suppose…that’s an effective method of making sure ye’ll be noticed leaving.”

“But I gave him me word,” she finished, so disappointed that it made her ache.

Kael sobered. “And it bothers ye that he does nae trust ye to keep it?”

“Aye,” she admitted.

“It bothers him that ye do nae trust him enough to wed him.”

Nareen stiffened. “Ye may leave if all ye are going to do is lecture me. Ye promised
me choice when it came to whom I wed, and I’ll be having that.”

Her brother looked at the bed behind her.

“Ye are no virgin, Kael, so do nae try to shame me.”

“I’m trying to point out that ye took yerself off to his bed while he was sitting
with me last night.”

“So what if I did?” she argued. “The pair of ye did nae need me there.”

“Ye were avoiding me,” Kael said.

Nareen lifted her chin. “Maybe I was. Ye should really thank me for that, for it gave
me temper time to cool.”

“Ye went to his bed to find sanctuary.”

“Do nae place too much importance upon it. Everything is in short supply on MacLeod
land. There was no other bed to go to.”

Kael tilted his head to one side, as he often did when he was about to question her
logic. “Ye found yerself a position as a servant in order to escape a situation that
most would have found impossible, only to tell me now ye could nae find another place
to lay yer head?”

“I do nae care what ye think of it.”

Kael nodded. “That’s the truth at least.”

“I’m nae a little girl any longer,” she informed him.

“But ye’re furious with me.”

She closed her mouth and bit her lower lip.

“Say what is on yer mind, Nareen, I’ve come a long way to hear it.”

He stood ready. She recognized the look in his eyes from years of standing together
while their father handed out punishment. Kael was his only son, and imperfections
were not tolerated. Many of hers had been forgiven, but never Kael’s. It had formed
him into a man who expected nothing less than perfection from himself.

She shook her head and felt her anger bleed away. “Truly, I am at peace with it. Ye
did nae know, and in truth, it was ye who helped me escape.”

“I do nae see how,” he said with confusion.

“Ye taught me to fight.” She grinned at the memory of more than one bloody nose. “It
made me strong and even saved me life.”

Her brother was silent for a long moment She stared straight at him, letting him see
what was in her eyes. He nodded at last.

“I’m going to be paying Morrell Comyn a little visit today,” Kael informed her. “Because
I do nae care to hear that his men tried to kill me sister.”

“Do nae be overprotective,” she said. “It’s Saer’s duty now.”

“He’s nae yer husband, Nareen.”

She cut her brother a hard look. “Because I refused to wed him.”

The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was playing into his plans.

“Why did ye refuse to wed, Nareen?”

It was a hard question.

“I had good reason, doubts about what might happen.”

“Be plain, Sister,” Kael demanded.

She lifted her hands and gestured around her. “Look about, Kael. Saer is nae a man
to be disappointed when it comes to what he plans. Do ye know what he told me? That
he desired me because I had spirit, and he knew I would give him sons because of it.”

“What is wrong with that reasoning?” Kael asked.

She sighed. “I simply could nae find meself willing to trust in the future.”

“Because I failed ye.”

“Do nae,” she said.

Kael crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m changing me mind on the matter, it just took time.”

“Like forgiving me?” He let out a long breath. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“So, ye see, everything is well enough.” Except Saer had left her without clothing
again.

“I will take ye home, Nareen, if ye wish.”

She shook her head. “I gave Saer me word, and he gave me his. I’m here until the snow
flurries fly to see if we can come to an agreement.”

“I do nae care. Ye’re me sister. If ye want to leave, I’ll take ye.”

Kael hadn’t forgiven himself completely. She could see the guilt burning in his eyes.
He meant what he said, even knowing the cost would be the end of his friendship with
another laird.

“I love ye for that, Kael.”

***

Saer rubbed his temple.

His head was aching as the tenth witness stepped up to have his say. He was grinding
his teeth but had to sit through the man’s story or risk offending him. The boys who
had been playing in the crane wheel were feeling the wrath of the entire community.
He didn’t think he could come up with a punishment worse than making them stand through
the retelling of their transgressions. Both looked ready to vomit.

“Thank ye,” Saer muttered as the man finished. “I believe I understand the facts of
the matter.”

Two more hands went up, but Saer stood. “Father Peter will have the instruction of
these boys for the next month, since it’s a blessing no one was hurt. They will serve
in the church to show how grateful they are.”

The priest was standing in the corner with his hands clasped and hidden in the sleeves
of his sackcloth robe. The boys looked up, their eyes widening as the priest gestured
them toward him. They dragged their feet as they followed him out of the kitchen.

Saer wasn’t far behind.

“I thought that was going to last all day.” Baruch voiced what Saer had been thinking.

But they stopped when columns of Grant retainers passed them by.

“What in the name of Christ?” Baruch asked.

A huge cloud of dust was kicked up because of the number of retainers Kael had riding
with him. Saer climbed up the steps of the new tower and looked through the open inner
gate to see how far the line stretched.

“He’s taken all his men.”

“Aye, it looks that way, Laird.”

Saer turned and looked into the Great Hall. The head table was empty, sending a shaft
of dread through him. He turned and took the steps three at a time.

***

The door to the chamber exploded inward.

Nareen jumped and screeched as Saer made it halfway into the chamber before he spotted
her.

“What the hell are ye doing eating up here, woman?”

“Why did ye take me dress away again?” she demanded.

She had to work to shove the heavy chair back from the table. By the time she made
it to her feet and around to face Saer, he had returned and shut the door.

Nareen met him in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips. “I do nae like
having me word questioned, Saer MacLeod.”

“I do nae like thinking ye took off with yer brother,” he answered back.

“What are ye talking about?” she asked.

“Kael just rode out with all his men, and ye were nae in the Hall.”

“Because ye”—she stabbed him in the middle of his chest—“had me dress taken away again.”

“I did nae.” He swept her hand aside.

“Well, it is gone,” she said, “leaving me here in naught but a shift.”

“I like ye in naught, woman!” he growled. “But more importantly, I like ye in naught…in
me bed.”

He scooped her up and carried her the few paces to the bed. She bounced in a tangle
of limbs as the church bells began to toll in the distance.

“Saer—”

“I’m going to appreciate God’s creative work right here this morning.”

“Saer MacLeod!” She admonished him.

He wasn’t repentant in the least. With a snarl, he pressed her back and cupped her
knees. He pressed them wide, kneeling between them as her chemise rose up.

“I believe it’s time to repay the favor of frenching.”

Shock held her dumb, and he took advantage of her paralysis. He flipped the edge of
her chemise up, baring her mons.

“Can men do…such a thing?” she gasped at last.

He looked up her body, his expression full of determination. “Indeed they can, lass.”

Excitement nearly tore her in two. It shredded every argument she had before any of
them fully formed. She made a half sound of protest that transformed into a moan as
he brushed his fingers over her cleft and along her slit. She gasped and recoiled
because the sensation was too intense, but Saer held her still.

He leaned closer and licked her. She cried out as his velvet tongue swept along the
seam of her sex before he used his fingers to part the folds and expose her. The little
nub was throbbing insistently, and he didn’t ignore it.

The first lap sent the breath rushing out of her lungs.

She was sucking it back in when he drew the little bud into his mouth and sucked on
it. Pleasure knotted in her belly as her passage felt like it was contracting, seeking
any sort of penetration. The motion of his tongue against her was driving her mad.
Her heart hammered away as she lifted her hips off the bed in a desperate attempt
to find satisfaction.