The Highlander’s Bride Trouble Read online

  She slapped at his hand. “Ye were nae supposed to find that amusing. What sort of a man enjoys knowing a woman will do what she pleases no matter what the rest of the world thinks?”

  “A savage.” His lips were split in a wide smile. He pulled her closer, until his heat wrapped around her. Was it his body heat or the strength inside him she felt? She honestly didn’t know.

  “Ye shouldn’t enjoy it,” she answered, appalled by how easily she responded to him. He wasn’t even touching her, only holding on to a handful of her skirts and keeping her close. “Ye are a laird now.”

  “So I shouldn’t enjoy seeing the spirit in ye? Should I become a liar now that I have a title?” Saer demanded softly. “Do nae be so unkind, lass. I told ye yer strength draws me to ye.”

  “But…it should nae.”

  “Because the Church will nae approve?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  His expression became menacing. “The Church has never approved of me. Nae since the day I was conceived without their blessing, until the moment when me father’s clan sent for me because they had no one else to turn to and nae a single barrel of barley left to fill their bellies. The good servants of the Church were starving right along with the rest of the MacLeods, and all of them look to me to provide for them, so they will take me as I am.”

  Pain laced his words and flickered in his eyes. For a brief moment, she realized how alone he really felt. She laid her hand along his jaw. He stiffened, his eyes narrowing as his eyes glittered.

  “So do nae be telling me to judge what woman I desire by what the Church and society says is right.” He pulled her closer so his breath teased her lips. “’Tis ye who makes me hard. It’s deeper than lust, for I’ve known that sin well enough in me life.” He leaned down and inhaled the scent of her hair, his chest rumbling with a sound of male appreciation. “I want more than to fuck ye.”

  “What more is there?”

  He lifted his head and locked gazes with her. “I do nae know, for ye are the only woman who has stirred such a longing in me.”

  She pulled back, and there was a pop as one of the stitches holding her skirt to the waistband broke. He gave a snort of disapproval.

  “Stand steady, Nareen, ye are no coward.”

  “I think maybe I am.” The words escaped before she could bite her lip to keep the admission hidden. “At least with ye.”

  “I do nae want yer pity.”

  “Ye do nae have it.” Saer released her skirt. “But ye do have me challenge, Nareen. The question is, do ye want to slay yer demons or live with them choking ye?”

  He crooked his finger at her. “Come here.”

  “Ye’d enjoy that.”

  “Aye,” he cooed. “Yer touch drives me mad.”

  It was an admission to match hers. But it was also a challenge. Only this time, he was issuing the challenge to her. That idea filled her with boldness, and with it came a relief from her fears.

  “I’ve dreamed of ye since I met ye at court. Why else do ye think I’ve left the other offers I’ve had for marriage laying on me secretary’s desk?”

  “Ye have me brother’s permission.”

  He nodded. “I’ve no wish to fight with Kael, but I’d be here even if he’d refused me.”

  She believed him. It was clear in his tone and on his face. “I—”

  “Do nae,” he snapped, with one thick finger pointing at her. “Do nae issue that challenge. I need to let ye be tonight, since ye were virgin, but say ye do nae want me, and we’ll end up against another tree as I prove how much ye enjoy me touch.”

  Excitement twisted inside her, needling her to do exactly what he warned her against simply because she knew she’d be pushing him too far.

  She nodded, and his eyebrow rose.

  “Do nae be surprised, Saer. I’ve sense enough to realize when I’m fighting with ye, just to absolve meself of responsibility for what happens when I push ye too far.”

  He offered her his hand again, but she shook her head.

  “Ye are nae listening, Saer. Trust is something I cannae give ye, and I think neither of us will be happy without it. Ye should send me home to me brother, for I will never take vows that will make me yer property.”

  “By law, yer brother is yer master, lass. Ye gain nothing by returning home.”

  “Kael gave me his word years ago never to force me to wed.” Disappointment was filling her, as though she didn’t want to convince him. “I have a place on Grant land, and that is what I wish. If ye insist on taking me to yer land, it will nae change me feelings. I will never change them.”

  She passed him by, walking back toward camp. But she felt him behind her, felt his gaze on her back. It fanned the flames smoldering in her body, making her more aware of the sway of her hips.

  Her cheeks burned, but what shamed her was how little it bothered her to know she liked Saer’s attention. She was a wanton. But even that label didn’t concern her overmuch.

  One of the retainers met her with a thin length of steel that had chunks of roasted rabbit on it. Steam rose from the meat, and the scent earned a rumble from her stomach. But once she’d consumed it, she felt the cold even more. She pulled her arisaid up and over her head before lying down, but her skirts were still damp. There was a fire, but she stayed well away from it. The night was a shield she needed; being too near Saer’s men was unbearable. They looked her way from time to time, proving she was not completely out of their notice.

  She shivered, her teeth chattering.

  “Perhaps this form of touching will be more to yer liking, lass.”

  There was a flutter of fabric, and the length of his kilt settled on top of her. Saer pressed up behind her, instantly warming her chilled body.

  “But—”

  She started to lift her head, and he sent his arm beneath it before locking her against him with his other arm. The man even trapped her ankles between his. The moment he joined her, his men turned their backs completely on them, even moving farther away.

  A Highlander shared his colors only with his woman. It was tradition.

  Saer tucked the wool around her, and she was helpless to hold back the sigh of relief that escaped her lips. With his body behind her and his kilt on top of her, the night was no longer cold.

  “I’ll nae see ye shiver, Nareen.” He kissed her temple and rubbed her hip with a slow motion that chased the chill away. “Ye’ll learn to trust that I will see to yer needs.”

  “I do nae want ye to.”

  He kissed her temple. “I understand that feeling too, lass. The last thing I ever wanted was to provide for the clan that shunned me and me mother. Me father was a royalist and died at Sauchieburn, along with a large number of his retainers. The loss left MacLeod land unprotected, and it was raided.”

  “Even if ye had been raised on MacLeod land, ye would have followed yer father to Sauchieburn. MacLeod land would still have been raided.”

  He grunted. “Perhaps.” He stroked her hip in an unhurried motion. “I’m grateful for me past, for it’s shown me that there is more to life than the pain we suffer. Ye’ll see that truth, Nareen, once we’ve had time together. Ye’re stronger for yer trials, and it will make ye value what ye have, because ye know what it is like to survive with less.”

  “As ye do?”

  “Aye.” He nuzzled against her hair. “We are well matched. The MacLeod do nae need a mistress who arrives with the notion that she should be waited upon the whole day through. Ye are no longer a girl but a woman, and that is what will make ye see the rightness of our union. Ye will nae be content to live out yer days as a spinster who will have to serve whomever yer brother weds. Return to yer father’s house, and that will be yer lot. As me wife, ye can be proud of yer day’s work.”

  A shiver moved through her,
because she was close to believing him. The man radiated strength and purpose. She knew it was foolish to dismiss his promise. Just as she would be foolish to forget he expected obedience in return.

  For certain there was something she should say in response, but all she was interested in was falling asleep now that she was warm. Saer was warm enough to keep the night from biting into her. That made his embrace right.

  So very right. It was nae going to be easy.

  Saer smoothed a hand along Nareen’s shoulder and felt her shift in her sleep.

  Uncertainty wasn’t something he was a stranger to, but with Nareen, it unsettled him. She had been such a strong force in his mind since he’d met her, that it felt as though their relationship was already firmly rooted.

  Her resistance was catching him off guard.

  He was tired but didn’t want to waste his moments with her in sleep. He wanted to feel her against him, listen to the sound of her breathing, and savor the scent of her hair. There was something mystical about her. Something that went beyond enticing.

  He stroked her cheek, and she turned toward him.

  No matter how much he’d enjoyed the memory of her, the reality was far, far better.

  “Nae, lass, there will be no going back to yer father’s land to live in a cold tower room.”

  Because she belonged with him.

  ***

  Saer felt good.

  At least in her dreams she didn’t have to worry about how she reacted to him.

  Nareen slid her hands along his chest, marveling at the sculpted ridges. The scent of his skin affected her strangely. Filling her with some deep understanding of just how strong he was.

  She wanted to taste him.

  So she kissed his skin and felt his crisp hair tease her nose before he moved, threading his fingers through her hair. She hadn’t braided it before going to sleep, and it was a fine, soft cloud around her shoulders now.

  Her eyes flew open and widened with horror. She was not dreaming.

  Saer didn’t give her a chance to wiggle away from him. He cupped her nape and angled his head so he might fit his lips against hers.

  A tiny moan escaped her lips as she kissed him back. Teasing his lips with little touches of her tongue. She needed to touch him, not just be held in position for his kiss. All of the need she’d suppressed the night before was loose, sleep having robbed her of her self-discipline.

  He groaned, his grip tightening before he rubbed his hand down her back. She arched, her spine needing to release all the sensation he was unleashing. Remaining still was impossible.

  She craved him.

  Darkness still cloaked them, making her bold. She pulled on a tie that kept his doublet closed. His shirt was already open at the neck, allowing her to bury her face against the bare skin of his neck. He cupped her bottom, kneading and massaging each cheek.

  Need spiked through her. Intense and red-hot. Her passage felt empty, and she thrust toward him.

  His cock was hard.

  She purred with that knowledge, pressing her belly against him as desire threatened to numb her wits completely.

  He stroked the swells of her breast, pushing his fingers inside her bodice to tease her nipples. Her breasts strained against the tight confines of her clothing. He found the lace holding her top closed and opened the knot with a sharp tug.

  “I’m going to keep ye bare for a month.” He leaned over, nuzzling into her open bodice and kissing the side of her breast. She shuddered, arousal jolting through her like an explosion. He teased the delicate skin, seeking out one nipple. When he closed his lips around it, she arched, offering it to him.

  He suckled it like a treat, swiping his tongue around the puckered tip and finally across the hard top. She needed the contact as much as he seemed to, slipping her hands into his hair and gripping the strands.

  He rolled farther onto her, reaching down to pull her skirt up. It was a blunt action, but she was desperate to be in contact with him. She reached for him, seeking what she craved. Slipping her hand across his chest and down to where his shirttail lay over what she desired.

  He lifted his head as she slid her hand lower, to the edge of his shirt. A little sigh of satisfaction passed her lips when she encountered the firm surface of his thigh.

  “Touch what ye crave, lass.”

  His voice was so low, it might have been an echo from her own thoughts. Except the deep, rich timbre sent a shiver across her skin. He teased her cheek with his fingers, making her aware of just how good his skin felt against her own.

  She wanted more though, and she reached for it, slipping her hand along the inside of his thigh until she found his hip. He sucked in a breath, which stilled her motions as trepidation flashed through her.

  “Do nae stop.” He bared his teeth at her. “Sweet Christ, I think I’m ready to beg ye nae to stop.”

  “I’ve known that same madness.”

  He opened his eyes, locking gazes with her as understanding flowed between them. She’d never comprehended intimacy in such a way before, never felt truly connected to another soul as she did just then.

  But he was still too powerful, holding her down as he leaned over her. She could feel his strength, had to acknowledge how simple it would be for him to take her. So she moved her hand up and stroked his length.

  They both gasped. Nareen was fascinated by the raw enjoyment displayed on his face. His control was gone, the mask he so often presented ripped away. It left her staring at the delight her touch sparked. She wrapped her hand around his staff, marveling at how smooth the skin was. The organ was hard but covered in silken skin that begged to be petted. She toyed with it, stunned to feel just how thick it was, because it defied her logic to know she’d taken it.

  “Ye’ll unman me…” he growled through gritted teeth.

  “I hope so.” She circled the crown and teased the slit, carrying away a drop of fluid. “I seem to recall ye enjoying driving me daft with yer fingers.”

  His lips curved up with satisfaction. “Wait until I have ye stripped again and a solid door to ensure our privacy, lass.” He cupped her bare breast and massaged it until she whimpered. “I plan to enjoy the sound of yer screams, but me men are too close for that tonight.”

  Disappointment needled her, and he chuckled before releasing her breast and tugging her skirt the rest of the way up her body. His kilt still covered her, but he flattened his hand against her belly and leaned down to bite her earlobe.

  “Worry not, lass, I’ll nae leave ye wanting.”

  He teased the curls crowning her mons. Tugging on the soft, silken strands before stroking the lips guarding her sex. She jerked away, the level of sensation too great. It felt like she might burst from just that single touch.

  But she was pinned. He pressed his knee between her thighs, making room for his hand.

  “Saer…”

  “Shhh…our voices will carry…”

  He sealed her protest beneath his lips before stroking her again. This time, he began at the entrance of her passage. Dipping his fingers into the cream collecting there, he drew it along the seam of her slit, sending pleasure shooting through her. But he didn’t give her what she truly craved. The little button throbbing for attention at the top of her sex went untouched. She twisted with the need to gain pressure against it, lifting her hips, but he’d already moved his hand back to the entrance of her body.

  He lingered there. Teasing the opening with only a single fingertip while he finished kissing her. When he lifted his head, he hovered over her, his breath hitting her wet lips.

  He was propped on his elbow and toying with her cheek. His fingers moved to touch the corner of her lips before he trust his digit inside her passage.

  She moaned, and he clasped his hand over her mouth to contain the sound. All tha
t escaped was a muffled groan. Need tormented her, the hard presence of his cock against her thigh was driving her mad. She opened her legs wider as her eyes slid shut.

  She sank down into the swirling madness his fingers were creating. He teased her opening and then the seam of her slit. Up and down and then back up to the top where the wet folds opened completely to bare her bud. He didn’t ignore it this time. Little sounds of pleasure made their way around the hand over her mouth as he teased and fingered the little nub. She strained toward him, needing relief from the twisting pleasure tightening in her belly. It was deep inside her, in that place only his cock could satisfy.

  She opened her eyes and glared at him. He was watching her, his dark eyes pools of hunger. His face tightened with determination when their gazes locked. He rolled completely over her, settling between her thighs. His weight pleased her, but with the first touch of his cock, she arched upward, seeking the fullness he could give her. He stretched her with his first thrust, sliding smoothly with the aid of the cream coating her sex.

  He muffled another groan with his fingers, but she felt his chest vibrating with an answering one.

  “Sweet Christ, Nareen, be still or I’ll be finished before we begin.”

  She purred softly, accepting his challenge.

  Boldness took hold of her. There was no pain tonight, just the fullness she’d desired. She tightened her thighs around him and lifted her bottom off the ground to drive him even deeper.

  “Witch…” he growled softly.

  She opened her jaw and sank her teeth into his finger. Just enough to make him move. He pulled free, the length of his cock sliding along her sensitive button. She groaned, biting into his finger without meaning to.

  He chuckled.

  And she reached down to cup both sides of his ass.

  “Christ!”

  He thrust back into her with more force, sending a jolt of pleasure through her body. It stole her breath, leaving her panting, but she moved with him, lifting her hips so he slid completely into her. There was no shame, only need and the building pleasure tightening in her core.