True Love Brides 02 - The Highlander’s Curse (3 page)

Garrett pretended to consider this. “If you mean to imperil yourself again as a test, perhaps you will have need of a protector.”

She smiled at him so warmly that his heart clenched. “Sadly, I do not have one, sir.” She was blushing furiously and he could not imagine what made her heart race so. “Truly, it would safer to first ensure that the effect was not wrought by your presence alone.”

“You think me safer company than a hungry wolf, then,” he teased. “I am much reassured.”

“Only because I am not a hungry wolf myself,” she retorted. She caught her breath, as if surprised by herself, then knotted her fingers together and blushed yet more. “I wonder, sir, if you might come to Seton Manor this night. I would see you rewarded for killing this wolf on the lands of my sister’s husband.”

The very suggestion sent terror through Garrett’s heart, for he remembered full well what had happened the last time he had entered a keep.

At the same time, he could not imagine losing this enticing maiden, not before he knew far more of her than was already the case. Perhaps that one experience had been an exception. Perhaps her family were as tranquil in their thoughts as she.

Perhaps the reward of her company was worth any price.

“I would ask a boon of you first, my lady.” Garrett took a step closer to her and fairly felt her quiver. He held up a finger. “One kiss, then all is balanced between us.”

Her breath came quickly at his suggestion and he could fairly taste her uncertainty. He wondered whether she had ever been kissed by a man before. He could not look away from the intensity of her gaze and her uncertainty made him feel uncommonly protective of her.

“Why?”

“Your sister’s husband may believe you owe me much more than a kiss for this deed on this day,” he said softly. “But if ever you come to me, my lady, I will not have it be because you were commanded to do so. I would have you come to me by your own choice.”

She swallowed and he watched her throat work. “I think your terms most fair,” she whispered and he knew she spoke the truth. He sensed the anticipation within her, the attraction mirroring his own, and again, was amazed that her presence was so serene.

Garrett stepped closer and touched a finger to her chin. He was aware of her desire to flee and hide. At the same time, he was honored by her trust. She struggled to overcome her uncertainties and he admired her all the more. He moved slowly, not wanting to startle her, though he yearned to crush her against himself and kiss her thoroughly.

He slid his thumb across her skin and felt her shiver. Her eyes shone as she studied him and those ripe lips parted in invitation, making him recall her determination to be bold. Garrett’s chest tightened at the sight of her vulnerability.

Then he bent and gently captured her mouth beneath his own. She shook like a new tree, and he thought for a second that he had lost her. But her newfound audacity carried the day, for she closed her eyes and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Welcoming his touch.

It was enough to make him dizzy. As he deepened his kiss, Garrett knew Mhairi had been right and he had finally found the woman who could quiet the tumult within him.

Even though he had yet to learn her name.

*

The rewards of boldness were not to be underestimated.

Annelise closed her eyes as the hunter kissed her, unable to fight the pleasure awakened by his touch. If she had ever guessed a kiss could be this wondrous, she might have taken a risk sooner.

As it was, she never wanted him to stop.

Even with her eyes closed, Annelise was aware that he was so much taller and broader than she, that he had strength far beyond her own. He was a practical and competent man, one who hunted wolves and killed them. It was easy to see that he took responsibility for those beneath his authority and did not shy away from a difficult task. She could envision him as laird of his own holding, a man who could be relied upon to provide protection and justice, one who would never abuse his authority or take more than his due.

He was a man in truth, rugged and tanned, his clothing simple but well made. There was a practicality about him, and she sensed that he carried no item that was not of use to him on a regular basis. His hair was dark blond and that, combined with his tan, made him look golden. His eyes were so vivid a blue that they seemed to reflect the sky. She was not so bold as to look directly upon him, but she had noticed how his laced leather jerkin showed the muscled breadth of his chest to advantage, how the undyed linen of his shirt made his tan look deeper. His kilt was woven in the colors of the forest, one end cast over his shoulder like a cloak. His boots were high but she could still see the powerful strength of his legs. Just a glimpse of his body had been enough to weaken her knees.

His kiss completed what that glimpse had begun. Annelise felt as close to swooning as ever she had and wondered how any soul resisted such pleasure as this. The hunter held her gently but firmly, one hand tilting her face upward for his kiss, his fingertips just beneath her chin. His other hand rested on her waist, steadying her but not claiming her. She was free enough that she could step back and stop the embrace if she so desired, but Annelise did not so desire.

She wanted more.

All she had ever wanted was an honorable man for a husband, a home and children. She knew little of this hunter, not even his name, but his sure touch and his tender kiss told her all she believed she needed to know.

Her choice to be bold had already borne fruit.

Annelise was not surprised when he ended their kiss, nor by the ruefulness in his smile when she dared to look up at him. She was disappointed that such pleasure should end, but hoped for another kiss. She bit her lip shyly, still tingling with the warmth of his caress.

“You would tempt a saint, my lady,” he whispered. “And I am no saint.”

“Do not speak thus!” Annelise protested, feeling her cheeks burn. “I am no temptress.”

“Your kiss entices me as no other.”

“It is not due to any amorous skill on my part.” She dared to tease him. “Perhaps you tempt my reaction, sir.”

His smile was quick. “Or perhaps we awaken something in each other.”

Annelise caught her breath that his words should so closely echo her own thoughts. “Destiny,” she whispered in delight.

“I do not like that notion,” he said with a shake of his head and she felt crushed. He raised his hands to let them rest lightly on her shoulders and Annelise could not look away from the warmth in his gaze. His fingers curled, his thumbs moving against her shoulders in a slow and beguiling stroke. “It implies that we have no choices to make, that all is set in stone from the moment of our birth.” He took a breath, then stepped back so there was a space between them. “I make choices and act upon them, my lady.”

Annelise was confused. Did he mean to turn away and leave her? She could not believe it, but could make no sense of his retreat. “You reject me?”

“I protect you,” he replied gently. “Even from myself. Even against my own desire.”

“Why?”

“You are innocent. You are noble. You already have said that we are on the lands of your sister’s husband. I would not willingly choose to place myself in his court of justice or sully your name with whispered rumor.” He lowered his voice. “No man of honor takes more than his due.”

His words made Annelise smile, for there was no one to see them in this place much less to gossip about her choices. “If not destiny, what power is at work?”

“Recognition,” he answered without hesitation. “I believe we see more keenly with senses other than sight. I believe that you and I perceive something in each other, though we cannot name it as yet.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged and glanced away, as if intent upon hiding his thoughts from her. Annelise dismissed the idea as it made little sense. “Who can say? In old tales, one of us would have a strength to compensate for the weakness of the other.”

Annelise was delighted by this. He loved old tales as much as she did! “The other way, as well,” she said.

He nodded. “Together a pair is greater than the sum of the parts.” Annelise nodded happily. He was watching her, his eyes bright and his firm lips curved into a slight smile. He seemed enchanted by her, which was a wondrous thing, for Annelise was certainly intrigued by him. She had never met a more alluring man, never come under the protection of one, and certainly had never been kissed by one. She studied his mouth, unable to help herself, remembering the feel of his lips against her own. Something fluttered in her belly and she felt warm in a way that made little sense.

She spoke quickly, wanting only his promise, and immediately feared she had demanded too much. “Then you will come to Seton Manor tonight?”

“I will try,” he said, his reserve unmistakable.

“It is not far. I walked from there myself just now. The road will take you to the very gates…”

His warm fingertip landed across her lips, silencing her. Indeed, the roughness of his skin, so different from her own, sent a surge of heat through her. Her heart skipped and her mouth went dry.

How she yearned for another kiss.

The hunter leaned close, his voice low with intent. “It is not distance that will keep me from your side, my lady.”

Annelise stared at him, uncertain what to think.

“I will try to come to the hall,” he pledged, then bent and replaced his fingertip with his mouth. Annelise closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him even as she savored his caress. She felt the dappled sunlight on her head and heard the quiet murmur of the stream. The wind moved through the trees, and the glade seemed to hold the moment still in time. His mouth moved against hers once more, provoking an even greater response than before.

When he broke his kiss this time, Annelise kept her eyes closed, wanting to be sure she never forgot this moment. She hoped that it was but the first of many they would share, then opened her eyes.

The hunter was gone—as surely as if he had never been.

Even the carcass of the wolf was gone.

There was blood on the ground, proof that she had not dreamed this interval.

Annelise turned in place, straining her ears but hearing nothing beyond the usual sounds of a sunlit glade in a forest. Her lips still tingled and she could taste his skin upon hers. He was no figment of her imagination, but a man skilled in moving silently in the woods.

Surely he would come to the hall?

Annelise had to believe it would be so.

Which meant that she had to tell Isabella, to ensure that the hunter was made welcome when he did arrive. Annelise picked up her skirts and hastened back to Seton Manor, anticipation making her journey quick.

Murdoch, the laird of Seton Manor, paused in the act of donning a clean shirt and turned to look at his wife. “Annelise met a suitor in the woods?” he repeated, certain that his opinion was more than clear. “Why was she even in the woods alone?”

“She went to the glade to pray.” Isabella smiled at her husband, clearly undaunted by his skepticism. “
I
met a suitor in the woods,” she reminded him. “It seems to me the marriage resulting from that encounter is working out rather well.”

“It was not the same,” Murdoch insisted. “And the first time I met you was in your brother’s keep. It was the second time we met in the forest.”

Isabella waved off this detail. “I think she is quite smitten.”

Murdoch gave her a look. He was feeling the burden of his responsibility in taking Isabella’s sister into his care. He had pledged to his wife’s oldest brother, Alexander, Laird of Kinfairlie, that he would treat Annelise with as much care as if she were his own sister. Murdoch knew he would have frowned upon any sister of his having a courtship like that of himself and Isabella. His tone sharpened slightly. “And what does she know of him?”

“I gather he is handsome and tall. Fair of hair and blue of eye.”

“As if his appearance is the only detail of import!”

“Not the only detail, but it is of import.” She smiled at him, mischief making her eyes dance. “Annelise wishes for children, after all.”

Even though it was clear she was with child, Isabella could look like a young girl bent on making trouble. Murdoch fought to urge to smile at her and endeavored to remain stern. “What of his family?”

“I do not know.”

“His name?”

His wife shrugged. “You are beginning to sound like Alexander.” Isabella spoke quietly, almost as if to ensure her words passed unnoticed, but Murdoch knew his wife would not have made her comment aloud if she had not wanted him to hear.

He gave her a quelling look.

She flung out her hands. “He saved her from a wolf! Surely that stands to his credit.”

“And where is the wolf’s corpse?”

Isabella rolled her eyes. “In the woods, I suppose. You could hardly expect Annelise to carry it here.”

“Nay, but I would have liked to have seen proof of his deed. It is easy to be valiant when there is no one to witness as much.”

“You know naught of the man, but already deem him to be a liar.”