Highlander's Cursed Bride: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Lydia Kendall

  He rested his forehead against hers and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. He pulled back and placed another kiss on her cheek all the way to her collarbone, leaving love bites as he passed. Her hands gripped his biceps as he bit down on her chest and his tongue darted out to soothe the pain.

  “Stay with me,” she whispered, scared to raise her voice. The sounds of their moans and groans increased as his climax came closer. There was absolutely no way they could get any closer than they were at this moment. “Please!” She was almost crying from the euphoria.

  His response sounded so distant. She had to strain to hear him. “I cannae.” Suddenly a flash of lightning blinded her and he disappeared.

  It was like he had never been there in the first place.

  Joan shot up from her bed, her clothes sticking to her body from the sweat as she looked around frantically, looking for any trace of Aidan.

  Was it all a dream?

  What kind of dream was this? In all of her life, she had never had a cause to think of a man in that way but she didn't feel ashamed of herself because of the dream.

  All the sleep was gone from her eyes. She stepped out of her bed to slip out of her dress. Naked as day, she flung open the curtain and the sun's rays penetrated the room. She saw it was past noon and when she turned back to look at her room, she noticed that water had been brought for her bath. As she stepped into the cold water, she shivered and she thought of her dream again.

  A wide smile spread across her face, knowing she would see him the next night.

  Aidan's eyes shot open as he jerked out of his seat. His breath was heavy and he was drenched in sweat. His manhood was painfully tight against his breeches as he shuddered from the dream he had just had.

  “What’s got ye breeches in a twist?” Aidan looked at Ian, who was sharpening his sword.

  “It was a dream,” he panted as he ran a hand through his blond hair which was wet with sweat. “I had a dream.”

  “About what?” He saw Ian eye his breeches. “Never mind. I can take a guess.”

  “It isnae what ye think. I daenae think of her in such a way.” He saw the smirk in his friend's face grow wider. “Daenae give me that look.”

  “Yet ye think of beddin' her in yer sleep,” Ian mocked and Aidan yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He grabbed his shirt and slipped it on. “Where are ye going?”

  “I am gonnae take a quick walk,” Aidan said.

  “Are ye off to see the lass?” He turned back to Ian whose smirk had grown bigger. Ian wiggled his eyebrows and Aidan threw a buttering knife at Ian. Ian dodged the knife and Ian went back to teasing Aidan.

  “Dobber,” Aidan muttered and shut the door behind him. He left the inn and started to walk, not minding his surroundings.

  Why do I want her so much? Am I a child who cannot control himself around a woman? Why would I dream about bedding the daughter of the enemy?

  He could not deny that he was attracted to her despite the danger. If he got too close to her, he would be burnt. His lies would begin to unravel and he would certainly be killed by the Englishmen.

  Even if I stayed away from her, I still cannae ignore the passion she ignites within me when I think of her. I am done for either way. How have I grown attached to her in such little time?

  Perhaps it is her calming face and her soothing voice. I am a man of war, I kill my enemies, I dinnae fall for them. Yet here I am, hoping to see her so I can feel some peace.

  He suddenly noticed a freesia flower and he looked around to see he had walked into a freesia field. The only place he knew that had a freesia field close to it was the Hale Estate.

  Her estate will probably be raided when we finish the battle. What is the point of all this if I cannae protect her?

  He shook his head and turned on his heels and started to walk back to the inn. He knew he should not be getting attached to her. He knew the consequences but he still wanted to try his luck.

  His walk back to the inn was interrupted when he stopped in front of a whore house. He could hear the sounds of intercourse from every window. He saw a young woman in expensive clothes and heavy makeup by the door. When she noticed him, she picked up her dress and came over to him.

  “I could be worth your time,”" she proposed.

  Maybe this is it. This might be what I need to shake this feeling and restore order in my mind. I have enough money to bed ten of this women and cleanse myself, but do I want to?

  A lump formed in his throat when she held onto his bicep, trying to coax him into bedding her.

  Why do I feel like I am trespassing? Why do I feel watched?

  He turned his head to look around but didn't see anyone around but guilt clouded his conscience. He shook his head at the harlot, brushed her hand gently off his arm and continued his walk back to the inn.

  It had been eight days since she had first met Aidan and she had never been so happy. She sat in the garden with her father, her cup of tea untouched. Her mind was so filled with thoughts of Aidan that she didn't hear her father speak.

  He is my first and only true friend. It feels good to be around other people for a change.

  “Child!” She jumped, frightened by her father’s voice. “Do you mind sharing what has been making you smile all day?”

  “Smile? I have not been smiling,” she said as she picked up her tea and took a sip.

  “You just seemed so happy this past week.” Her father raised a brow at her.

  “Oh, I found a new book,” she said and he hummed.

  “What is it about?”

  “A traveler.” She smiled again as she leaned back into her seat. “A traveler who has walked the earth, trying to find his roots.”

  “Really? May I have it when you finish it?” her father asked and she coughed as she choked on her tea.

  “Are you all right?” He father rushed to her side as she placed the teacup on the table and covered her face with her handkerchief. When her coughing fit finally subsided, she sat back trying to avoid her father's gaze.

  “What was that?” her father said.

  “I choked on my tea.”

  “Are you all right”

  “I do not know. May I be excused?” she said, looking at the ground. She didn't wait for a reply before leaving for her room.

  She did not think her father would ask for the book after a few hours but he did.

  “I misplaced it,” she muttered.

  “How?” She shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the suspicious look her father gave her. “Tell me about it then?”

  “Like I said father, it is about a traveler who travels the world to find his roots.”

  “Does he find his roots in the end?”

  “Yes,” she said with a small smile. “He does find his roots and even more.”

  “Oh…”

  Chapter 4

  Joan raced across the freesia fields, eager to get to Aidan. Her cloak fluttered behind her as she ran. Unknown to her, Sebastian and Sir James were fast behind her on the orders of her father, who had heard reports of her presence in the town. She stopped running when she arrived at the town square where Aidan was waiting for her.

  “Aidan!” She waved at him and ran into his arms, inhaling his smell. She felt his hand run through her hair while the other held her by the waist. She leaned into him and he held her tighter. She knew they were drawing attention but she was not worried since no one knew her.

  “Ye came earlier than ye usually dae.” She nodded at his observation.

  “I wanted to spend more time with you,” she said, her arms still wrapped around him.

  “Come on then. Ian left to get some more supplies. We can stay at the inn till he comes back. You can cover your head with the cloak when we are close to the inn,” Joan nodded and held his biceps as she led her back to the inn. He told jokes and described more places that were worth visiting. "You should cover your head, many soldiers frequent the inn," Aidan said as they neared the inn.

  Whe
n they got to the room, Joan kicked off her shoes and fell on the bed. “Your room here is really nice, it must be expensive.”

  “I have worked for wealthy people for years, me bonnie. I have more than enough.”

  “I learnt how to treat injuries and I would like to help people someday,” Aidan looked away from her as he peeled off his shoes and socks. “I wish you would stay here with me.”

  “I cannae.”

  “Please.” She got off the bed and went over to him. “England is very prosperous, and you can start a trade here. Must you leave?” Aidan was silent, and did not meet her eyes until she dug her nails into his arms. “Please answer me.”

  “I have to leave for Scotland tonight.” Joan turned away from him in anger. “Joan—”

  “No! You cannot leave! Why do you have to leave?” she cried as she spoke. She feared this moment and it had come sooner than she hoped.

  “No, Joan. Please listen to me.” Joan pushed him back and slapped his hands away. “Please, Joan. I daenae—”

  “I have no friends, not one! You are my only friend and you want to leave me,” she said as she slipped on her shoes and straightened her dress.

  “Joan—” he began.

  “I am going back to my prison!” she yelled as she swung the door open. She was about to step out when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the room. He slammed the door shut and pressed her to the door. “Aidan? What are you doing?”

  “Just listen to me, Joan,” he said as he placed both hands beside her head. "I daenae want to leave ye so soon but I have to return to Rattray immediately. I promise to come back to see ye. I donnae ken when it will be, but I will surely come back for ye.” Joan felt her eyes water at his promise and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I have met many people, Joan, but you have entranced me more than any other. I daenae want to lose ye.”

  “Do you speak the truth?”

  “All I have said in this room is the truth,” he said, a smile playing on his face.

  Joan felt her smile grow bigger and bigger as he leaned in. He pressed his lips to her forehead before kissing down to her face until he got to her lips. He pulled back and muttered something Joan couldn't hear and kissed the corner of her lips before capturing her lips with his.

  Should we be doing this?

  He moved slowly, trying to teach her what to do. She pulled him closer to her body as he started to nibble softly on her bottom lip. She let out an almost inaudible moan as he bit down a little on her lip and he took advantage of her parted lips and slipped his tongue inside her mouth, exploring her.

  I want him.

  He pulled back and pressed his lips to her jaw, slowly kissing down to her exposed neck. Her hands went up to his hair when he bit down on her neck, causing a groan of pleasure to come from him. His hands roamed her body, slowly undoing her dress.

  Suddenly, the couple was pushed away from the door and two men stepped in. Joan quickly recognized them and jumped over Aidan to protect him but it was of no use as Sebastian pulled her off him.

  “Your father will not be pleased, Miss Hale,” the old guard said.

  “Please, Father,” Joan begged.

  “Why did you disobey me? I told you, you should not leave the estate without escorts! I warned you not to go out and you defied my orders!” Joan tried to wipe her tears away as her father scolded her. “You snuck out to see a boy! I did not expect such insolence!” Joan looked over to Aidan who looked ready to fight his way out of the castle despite the beatings. “Look at me when I talk to you!”

  “You would have never let me go see him even if I told you!”

  Her father was infuriated and he wasn't hiding it. “You are still a child! He is much older than you! He cannot marry you! Can you not see that he is the enemy?”

  “I am not a child, father. And he has caused me no harm!”

  “He asked you to see him alone at night! That is enough harm! What if you were kidnapped? Or he forced himself upon you? Or he murdered you?” Joan swallowed the lump in her throat as her father ran his hand through his hair. “I do not wish for any harm to befall you, child. I must keep you safe, away from all evil in the world and this is how I must do it. You must see that you give me no choice,” his tone became softer, as he hoped to comfort her but Joan only got angrier. “This boy is no good for you, child. Why can you not see this?”

  “He is just a friend! I enjoy spending time with him, you cannot stop me from being happy!”

  “He comes from a race of savages and looters. He will hand you over to his people and they will tear you apart for sport.”

  Joan retrieved her hand from her father's grip and rushed toward Aidan. “He is a kind soul. He is the only real friend I have apart from maidservants and guards. He is the only person who dares to speak to me,” Joan stated as she cradled Aidan's bruised head.

  He collapsed on her and she was quickly separated from him by Sebastian. “Do you also agree with my father?” she asked the guard. “Sebastian, you helped me once! Help me again!”

  “What is she blabbering about, Sebastian?” her father barked at the man. Sebastian did not meet the Lord's eyes. “Did you know about this?”

  “No, Milord.”

  “Explain yourself, Sebastian!”

  “On the day of the town festival, I helped her leave the estate and that was where she met the man.”

  “How could you encourage her to break my rules?”

  “I meant no harm, Milord. I was there to protect her so she would not get into trouble. I apologize, Milord.”

  Lord Tyrill rubbed his temples and turned back to Aidan. “Take this ruffian away and if he is ever seen near this estate again, kill him on sight. I would love to kill you myself right now but I can see that you have deceived my daughter and your death will turn her against me. If I imprison you like the rest of your kind, she might drown herself in the false hope of seeing you again” The Viscount squatted near the bleeding Aidan, “I will let you go, you have till sunset to leave England,” He rose up and dismissed the guards. They dragged the barely-conscious Aidan away and the Viscount turned to his daughter,. “That is the last you will see of him. That is for your own good,” he extended his hands to her.

  “No!” She slapped his hand away from her. “You will not keep me in here forever, father! I want to be free! I know no one and no one knows me except for Aidan. I want –”

  “You do not know what you want.”

  “I know what I want! You do not know how to be my father! You are simply a prison guard!” she yelled through her tears. Joan saw the shock in his eyes turn to sadness but her anger had clouded her love for her father. “You do not care for me! If you did, you would not keep me away from him! Mother would have let me have some friends! She would let me explore the world as I saw fit! She would be ashamed of how you have treated me!”

  Joan's breathing was heavy from all the crying and shouting she had been doing all morning and she expected her father to shout at her but he didn't. She saw him raise his hand to caress her cheek. In her angry state, she still leaned into his touch.

  “Just let me be myself,” she sobbed in his chest.

  He removed his hand from her shoulder and shoved her backwards. He landed a slap across her teary face with his open palm. The slap was as loud as and she gasped out of shock and clutched her face. She could feel the red welt where the blow had hit her.

  “Go to your room! From now on, you are not allowed to leave it,” he said, his tone was deathly calm and Joan felt frightened of her father for the first time in her life.

  She angrily wiped her tears away and left her father, rushing to her room, pulling up the weight of her gown as she ran. She locked the door behind her and slid to the ground, quietly sobbing. Despite what had happened, she still felt the need to see Aidan.

  I will not live like this.

  She cried herself to sleep and woke up the next day when the sun was high in the sky. She noticed her window had been barrica
ded, preventing her from leaving. With a long face, she hesitantly got dressed and went out of her room into the study, leaving her breakfast in her bedroom, untouched.

  She ran her fingers over the books absentmindedly and pulled out a random one. She flipped through page after page but never read a word until she heard the door open and close.

  “Child?” She gathered her dress and walked past her father, ignoring him, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. “You should learn to be an adult. You say you are not a child, but you act like one.”

  “My apologies for being upset after you forbade me from seeing the only person who truly cares about how I feel!”