The Highlander’s Bride Trouble Read online

  He didn’t relax onto the bed, but sat up and slid his hand into her hair again. He rose right up onto his knees, taking her with him. Their bodies pressed against each other, sending a jolt of need through her. Her bud was throbbing, while her passage felt empty.

  “I do nae care if ye’ve enchanted me, I only fear ye’ll stop.”

  He kissed her, licking his way across her lower lip before thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He teased her, tormenting her with the motion she craved. His cock was hard again. She played with it, teasing the rod and purring as it remained rigid.

  Saer clasped a hand around her waist and rolled her onto her back.

  “No,” she said, refusing to let him part her thighs.

  He lifted his head and glared at her.

  “Ye said I might do everything I pleased with ye,” she said.

  She pushed at him, earning a grunt, but she lifted her chin stubbornly. “On yer back. Ye’ll be the one ridden tonight.”

  His eyes narrowed, but his face softened with understanding. The bed bounced and the ropes creaked as he rolled onto his back. His cock stuck up from his belly, making her ache with the need to feel it inside her.

  “Come, lass, if ye think ye can manage a full stallion.”

  When she rose up, his gaze flashed with excitement. She was trembling with it as well, her motions clumsy as she lifted one knee and swung it over his wide hips.

  He cupped her waist, taking some of her weight and easing her into position.

  “Gaining the saddle is the hardest part.”

  “I hope not,” she answered as he moved her back and the head of his cock slipped between the wet folds of her slit. Moonlight flashed off his wide grin as she pressed down.

  He didn’t let her sheath his cock. His grip stayed firm as he thrust up into her with a controlled motion.

  “Ye are still tender.”

  “I am nae,” she argued and lifted herself off him. Her clumsiness vanished as she became accustomed to the motion of riding him. This time she pressed farther down and felt her passage stretching to accommodate him. She gasped, the fullness a sweet balance of pleasure and pain.

  “As I said, Nareen,” he cautioned her. Saer didn’t wait for her rise, he lifted her off his cock.

  But she was impatient for more, fighting against his grip. “No, I say what will be between us tonight.”

  He shook his head, an arrogant grunt escaping his lips. “Ye’re mine, lass.” He thrust up into her to prove it, holding her suspended above his hips.

  She gasped, wanting to argue with him, but she was caught in the rush of sensation that being full of him unleashed. He pushed deep and withdrew before thrusting again.

  “Savage…” she choked out at last.

  “Hummm…” he agreed. “Do ye truly crave one of those weaklings from court?”

  “I crave ye,” she confessed. It probably wasn’t the wisest thing to say, but it clearly pleased him. She leaned forward, and his attention switched to her breasts.

  “I see merits to letting ye set the pace, lass.”

  He lowered his hips to the surface of the bed and let her sheath him until she was sitting on top of him. Releasing her waist, he reached for her breasts and cupped them.

  “Aye, benefits I will enjoy well.”

  He massaged the tender globes, making her impatient for friction. She lifted herself up and plunged back down. The first time was bumpy, but she braced her hands against his shoulders and tightened her thighs around his hips.

  “Very enjoyable…” He pinched her nipples gently, grinning when she increased her pace.

  “Stop trying to control the pace, Saer.”

  She rose and fell a few more times, the hard length of his cock sending pleasure rippling through her. Her nipples were contracting, the swirling need inside her belly making her ready to burst.

  “That is something I cannae promise, lass.” He slid a hand around her torso and sat up. He bound her to him, with his cock driven deep inside her as he turned and pressed her back against the bed. She growled at him, but he pulled free and thrust back into her, sending a shaft of delight through her.

  “I dreamed of ye here, when I told the carpenter how I wanted the bed made…” He thrust again and again with more power. Her eyes were trying to slide shut, but she resisted because he was taking control of her.

  She needed to refuse.

  But she couldn’t. Her need was too great, and he knew how to push her over the edge. Pleasure spiked through her, ripping away what she thought she wanted as her body took what it craved. She twisted and cried out before she lifted her eyelids to find Saer watching her.

  His face was full of primitive satisfaction.

  “I wanted to make ye mine in this bed.”

  He leaned back and started thrusting again. He hadn’t spilled his seed yet, and he eased the contact between his length and her sex.

  She gasped when she realized he was driving her back up to another peak.

  “Saer…”

  He impaled her with a hard thrust that sent the air from her lungs.

  “I wanted to hear ye cry out me name in this chamber…”

  The bed groaned as he thrust harder and deeper into her spread body.

  “Dreamed of ye clinging to me here…”

  “Stop…” Her lips were dry, but her body was arching toward his. “I cannae…nae…again…”

  “Ye will,” he informed her ruthlessly. “I’ll drive ye back to ecstasy, Nareen. Again and again.”

  It was savage—he was savage—but she couldn’t seem to resist. He leaned over her, pinning her hands to the surface of the bed as he hammered into her. He surrounded her, held her down, and rode her harder than she thought she might endure.

  But her body blossomed beneath the onslaught, pleasure tightening even deeper inside her. She was straining toward him, every fiber of her being part of the effort. Saer let more of his weight settle on her. She whimpered as he pressed harder against her button. Her lungs burned, and her heart felt like it might burst, but she didn’t care. It was madness, and it tore her away from everything.

  Her cry echoed off the ceiling. Saer snarled against her ear, burying himself deep as his seed began to flow into her. He pumped it inside her, and pleasure wrung her like a wet linen. Her passage contracted, milking him of every last drop.

  She didn’t have any strength left when the pleasure receded. The bed cradled her body, and she didn’t even have the energy to brush the tangled hair from her face. Sweat coated her skin and Saer’s. His scent filled her senses, adding to the satisfaction glowing inside her.

  He rolled over, landing heavily on the bed beside her. She curled onto her side as her heart began to slow, ready to relax back into sleep, the nightmare that had awakened her completely forgotten.

  “Ye did nae answer me, Nareen.”

  Her body was warm and glowing with satisfaction. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss memories she’d worked so hard to banish.

  Saer rose up behind her, pressing her onto her back so he could lock gazes with her. “Did yer cousin force ye to service a man with yer mouth?”

  “I did nae obey her when it came to the men she wanted me to entice,” she muttered and shut her eyes. “Ye were right. Choosing me own lover is the way to stop being afraid.”

  “It matters a goddamn lot, because I’m going to choke the life out of that bitch if she had ye suck off one of her clients.”

  “She didn’t get the chance.” Nareen opened her eyes and shot him a hard look. “I made sure of that. I was nae going to wait in that locked room for the day when Ruth found a man willing to pay what she wanted for me,” she said. “So do nae say again how much ye dislike Abigail, for I used her as much as she did me.”

  He bit back
his next question, fighting for control.

  “How did ye get out to meet Abigail?” he asked suspiciously.

  “She was one of Ruth’s customers,” she explained. “Me cousin made me serve the table, so the men might get a good look at me. Abigail was complaining about her maids, so I made sure to serve her and be noticed.”

  Nareen rolled onto her side, but Saer cupped her shoulder and pulled her to her back.

  “What else did she do to force ye to her will?”

  “Let it be, Saer.”

  He slowly shook his head.

  “It matters naught now. For I am here, not there any longer.”

  “It matters a great deal.” He planted a hand on the other side of her torso to keep her from rolling away from him. “Ye mean a great deal to me, lass. Do nae begrudge me protecting ye.”

  His words struck her hard. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that he cared about her, until the words were spoken. She reached up and flattened her hand over his heart. “I am here. If I tell ye she threatened to beat the bottoms of me feet with a rod, and even gave me a taste of it—”

  “That bitch!” he roared.

  Nareen moved her hand to cover his mouth, but her fingers felt small against him. “Did yer sword master never beat ye? Or yer training mates who were born with the blessing of the Church? Did they nae remind ye of yer place with more than words?”

  He blew out a long breath but admitted, “Aye.”

  “Ruth claimed it was how the Moors kept their harem girls obedient without marking them where their masters might see. It matters naught, because I grew stronger with every strike. I never performed for her, but I enjoyed knowing just how to drive ye as insane as ye make me. So I cannae hate completely being there. I would nae be who I am if I had not known that time in me life.”

  He was still angry, but his lips twitched, and he shook his head. She sat up and pushed him onto his back and rested her head on his shoulder. He held her close, smoothing his hand along her waist and down to cup her hip. She curled onto her side, rubbing his chest before drawing in a slow breath that filled her senses with his scent.

  For the moment, she couldn’t recall why she was not perfectly content.

  Five

  The church bells rang early on MacLeod land.

  Nareen opened her eyes and blinked. The horizon was just turning yellow. Saer groaned before sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

  “I begin to see why some of me men argued over the timing of morning Mass.” He lifted his arms and stretched. “I find me bed more enticing this morning with ye in it.”

  Nareen found herself distracted by the prime picture he made. She was often called a beauty, but she found Saer’s body majestic. She’d never wanted to stare at a man before, but with him, she seemed to need to fight the urge.

  “Stop looking at me like that, woman…” He looked over his shoulder and winked. “Ye’ll have me braving the displeasure of the good Father Peter to spend the next hour laying with ye instead of providing a good example to me clan by being at service.”

  He stood up, and she blushed as his cock stuck out, hard and ready. It wasn��t the sight of his member that sent heat to her cheeks; it was the way her sex began to throb with anticipation.

  “We need the man to agree to wed us,” Saer muttered as he pulled on a shirt.

  Nareen had sat up and started to stretch. She froze at the word “wed.”

  “I cannae wed.”

  Saer stiffened. He’d leaned over to begin putting his boots on but straightened to glare at her.

  “Explain that, Nareen.”

  She looked for the dressing robe but it was gone, leaving her holding the bedding against her nude body. “I did. I told ye I will nae vow to be obedient.”

  “In private, I have no quarrel with that.”

  He leaned over and finished closing his boot. He tugged sharply as he tightened the lace around the antlerhorn buttons, considering the matter settled. Nareen sighed; he was granting her a concession, but it was not enough.

  “I told ye, I cannae belong to anyone.”

  Saer’s body went tense. He didn’t answer her but tied his second boot before standing up and moving over to the trestle table. The remnants of her dinner were pushed off to the side. His kilt was pleated and waiting for him. He slid a wide leather belt beneath the wool and picked it up. In silence, he buckled the belt in one practiced motion, then made sure the fronts of the wool covered him.

  “I mean ye no insult,” she offered as she crawled to the edge of the bed in search of the dressing robe.

  “No, ye mean to drive me mad with the chase ye are leading me on. I have matters to attend to, and have no time for games.”

  She found the edge of the dressing robe at last and tugged it free. Saer picked up his knitted bonnet and tugged it down over his head.

  “I explained me feelings to ye,” she insisted as she tied the robe closed and faced him. “Very clearly, before ye brought me here.”

  “Ahhh…” He crossed his arms over his chest and gripped his forearms. His knuckles turned white, proving he was fighting the urge to remain where he was. “Yer feelings. Women change their feelings often.”

  “I know me will and told ye plainly.” And so it began, just as she’d known it must. He thought the matter settled and was beginning to dictate his will to her. “There will be no wedding, and I am nae fickle.”

  He closed his eyes, looking like he was struggling to maintain control. He drew in a deep breath and let it out before opening them again and locking gazes with her. “I never accused ye of such.” He walked toward her, kindness returning to his eyes. “And I have been gentle with ye.”

  She scoffed. “Ye have also been demanding.”

  He shrugged, his eyes glittering with hard purpose. “Ye enjoy me nature. I dare ye to deny it.”

  She opened her mouth, but he raised one hand to silence her. “Shall I go below and find a few witnesses to yer cries last night? Stone walls funnel sound very well, lass.”

  Her cheeks felt like they’d caught fire. He laughed softly and stroked one hot surface.

  “I enjoyed making ye scream, Nareen.” She was staring into the savage side of his nature as he impressed his will on her. “Now dress and come with me for the blessing of matrimony. By nightfall, there will nae be a soul wearing me colors who does nae know ye spent the night here. I would nae shame ye.”

  “Yet that is what ye have done.” She scooted back when he tried to slide his hand into her hair.

  “Do ye nae think me men did nae know what we were about beneath me kilt, Nareen?” he pressed. “Their duty is to guard me back while I sleep.”

  She shook her head, her body shuddering with anger. “I told ye, I would nae trust…and I will nae take vows that will make me yer property.”

  She could not bear it. So she turned away, unable to look at what she was rejecting.

  “Ye belong to me…”

  She jerked her attention back to him. But he was already closing his hand around the tie of the dressing robe. One hard tug sent her tumbling into his body. She brought her hands up to fend him off, but only ended up with her arms trapped against his chest when he locked his arms around her.

  “Ye belong to me because I am the man who moves ye to ecstasy and boldness.”

  She strained against his hold, and he waited until she realized it was a futile effort.

  He leaned down until his breath brushed her lips. “And I shall be happy to prove it to ye as many times as necessary for ye to yield.”

  He crushed her retort with a searing kiss. It was hungry and demanding and hard. She felt like she was starved for it, which enraged her. She wiggled, trying to escape as he claimed her lips in a kiss that stole her breath. The bells chang
ed tone, signaling the beginning of service.

  Saer released her, and she stumbled away from him. It was a retreat. There was no way to hide it.

  He nodded with satisfaction. “I enjoy the look of ye breathless from me kiss. It’s sure to haunt me throughout the day until I can return to chasing ye.”

  “What are ye going to do now?” she demanded, hating the way her nipples were stabbing into the soft fabric of the dressing robe. “Set yer men to guarding me? This fine chamber will be naught but a prison if ye do.”

  He lifted one dark eyebrow. “And that will only help ye hold on to yer ideas of marriage being the same as being owned?”

  “It is.”

  He moved over to the wardrobe that was still open. “No MacLeod retainer has time to stand at doors.”

  She realized she’d been holding her breath, and let it out in relief.

  “This is a private matter between us, one I’ll be dealing with. Ye have me word on that.”

  He reached into the wardrobe and grabbed the pieces of her dress. But he didn’t bring them to her. He walked right past her and reached for the door, stopping to scoop up her boots where Gitta had placed them by the hearth.

  “Wait! Ye cannae mean to—”

  He paused with his hand on the doorknob. “Take yer dress? Aye, lass, I do. There is nae a single unused garment on me land because of the raids we suffered, so if ye sneak out of this chamber, be prepared to be seen in yer chemise.”

  He opened the door and took her clothing with him.

  “Saer!”

  He shut the door in answer.

  Damn him.

  Curse him.

  Savage!

  ***

  Baruch was waiting for him at the bottom of the tower steps. Saer thrust the clothing at his man, ignoring the incredulous look on his face.

  “Make sure no one sneaks that back to Nareen.”

  Baruch looked like he was contemplating dropping it, but settled for bunching it up into a ball and handing it to the younger captain standing beside him.