Highlander’s Wicked Temptation: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel
Page 4
“I…I do not understand,” Cleopatra said.
“We arenae as bad as ye think. I promise.”
A small smile drifted over Cleopatra’s lips and she nodded. “No, I do not think you are.”
“But ye’re missin’ home, arenae ye?” Hugh asked finally bringing his eyes to meet hers. She nodded. Although she wasn’t welcomed at her home, it was the only place she had to go to. It was where she grew up and that kind of tie doesn’t snap easily.
“When I was taken, I too missed home. I thought I’d never see it again. But here I am, me faither came for me, just as I ken yer faither will come for ye.”
“Hugh,” Jude’s voice shocked the boy and he whipped his head around. “Ye need to rest. We all do. The day will come early and we still have a long way to go.”
“Aye, faither,” Hugh answered as he turned back to Cleopatra. With a smile, the boy patted Cleopatra on the shoulder. “Night then.”
“Good night, Hugh,” Cleopatra said as she turned her attention to the opening of the cave. Her heart sank as she realized they had traveled further from her home than she had expected.
Now how am I going to get back? I don’t even know which way to go. I should have paid better attention to the trail. But if I don’t go now, I’ll never be able to find my way back home.
No, it has to be tonight. No matter what, I know I’ll find my way home. I have to.
A clap of thunder rolled overhead as a flash of light streaked across the dark sky. Her heart sank as the sky opened and poured down water. All her brilliant plans to escape washed from her. She scooted to the ground and rolled over.
Across the burning coals, she noticed Jude’s eyes on her. Her heart quickened. For a moment she wished she could read his mind to know what he was thinking. Uncertainty filled her as she wondered if he could predict her next moves, though his gaze held no malice, it was more of a smolder that seemed to seep into her very soul.
She pulled in a quick gulp of air as the sparks of the fire flickered above the flames as though he were casting a spell on her. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she felt her cheeks begin to burn. Unsure if the flames came from within her, or if she felt flushed from the fire, she rolled over.
In the back of her mind, she knew Jude was still watching her. She could feel his eyes on her as she allowed a smile to play on her lips while watching the shadows dance on the wall.
With the rain pelting the cave, Cleopatra knew if she was to flee, this would be the time to do it. Although she wasn’t sure of the way back, she would at least have a chance. If she waited any longer, the way would be even more treacherous.
As the hours passed and the sound of the rain drew her to sleep, she fought to remain awake. She rolled over to the other side and scanned the faces of those around her. The low snores gave her the confidence she needed to move. Pulling in a deep breath, she inched her way to the opening.
The cold frigid rain pelted her face as she got to her feet. Stealing one last look at the cave and its inhabitants, she gathered her courage. Without further hesitation, she stepped out into the stormy night.
4
Jude held his son tight against him fearful he would wake up to find it all a dream. He breathed in deeply and listened to the sound of his son’s breath. Despite the rain dripping through the cracks of the cave roof, Jude couldn’t have been more pleased.
What do I do about the girl? She appears capable. After all, she brought the jug of water up from the river alone. Somethin’ I honestly dinnae think she’d do. She has spirit, one that I havenae seen in a woman in many years.
Jude’s heart began to race as his mind drifted to Cleopatra. It was her almond-shaped brown eyes and her golden blond hair that intrigued him. She wasn’t like the other girls in his part of Scotland. No, Cleopatra had a spark of life about her. Even the way she fought against his men proved that. There was more to her than just the bitter girl being dragged across the barren landscape. She was kind too. Jude has seen it when Hugh sat beside her.
Clearly her faither dinnae like her. That may explain why she chose to be so far from the fire. She is unused to company.
Jude twisted his head a bit and glanced over his son’s sleeping body. Straining his eyes, he tried to make out a body in the shadows. The dim orange glow of the coals didn’t help to illuminate the shadows, if anything they spread out the darkness, making it nigh impossible to see the girl.
Instantly, Jude shot up. Hugh moaned as Jude’s grip around the boy tightened. Carefully, Jude released his arm from his son and sat up straighter. His heart sank into his gut as he leaned forward trying to see through the shadows.
Where is she?
“Faither,” Hugh moaned.
“Sorry,” Jude whispered into his son’s ear. “Go back to sleep. We’ll be leavin’ soon enough.”
Or as soon as I find the girl. Where could she have run off to? There’s nothin’ out here.
A part of him wanted nothing more than to curl back around Hugh and close his eyes, but he knew there was no way a girl like Cleopatra would survive the night. Carefully, he peeled himself apart from Hugh and rose to his feet. Treading lightly, he tiptoed over his band of men and stepped to the opening of the cave.
Darkness was all that he could see. The rain came from the west and shrouded what the darkness didn’t consume. He glanced over his shoulder and moved back to the fire. His heart jumped as his fingers reached out to find the last remaining branch Ronan had found before the rain came down.
Stirring the coals, Jude rolled the stick into the fire until it sparked. Orange light flooded the cave causing his men to roll away from the intruding light. Ever so lightly, he walked back to the opening. With the torch in hand, he stepped out into the darkness.
Where could she have gone?
Jude walked slowly through the rain holding the torch up. In the distance he heard a scream. Unsure if it was the wind howling over the moors, he craned his neck as his ears perked. The low howl drifted over the fields once again. It was high pitch and caused his blood to run cold.
“Cleopatra!” Jude shouted as his voice was drowned out by the storm that raged on. He pushed through the tall grass, tossing aside all that got in his way. His mind raced as different scenarios played out.
What has she gotten herself into? What if I’m too late?
Pulling the small dagger from the strap around his ankle, he rushed to the riverbank. Four sets of eyes flashed his way as the low growl rose from the river. His heart stopped as he held the torch out before him.
A few feet away, he spied Cleopatra cowering against the rocks. The rain had soaked her to the bone causing her golden hair to stick to her face. It was the wildness and determination in her eyes to live that caught him by surprise. She held a rock in her hand and tossed it at the three wild dogs that had her surrounded.
“Hold on, lass,” Jude called as he rushed to her aide. Waving the torch out before him like a sword, he challenged the beasts to come to him. With his hand stretched out, he beckoned Cleopatra to come to him too. She rose to her feet, only to slip back down to the rocks.
“Get up,” Jude screamed as one of the dogs charged him. Slicing the air in front of him, Jude cut through the dog. It let out a long agonizing howl before scampering back. By the bones peeking through its skin, Jude knew the beast wouldn’t back down. It was far too hungry to let up.
“Cleo, ye must get up,” Jude said.
“It’s my leg, they bit it,” she said.
Jude’s eyes shifted her calf. The red liquid stained the hem of her dress.
“Can ye nae get up?” he asked as he inched closer to her. She tried again and stumbled forward. Jude waved the torch as he caught her. Cleopatra whipped her head to the right and snagged the dagger out of Jude’s hand.
Jude gasped as one of the dog’s teeth clamped down inches from his neck. With wide eyes he looked at Cleopatra. Her face was hard as stone, and her aim was true as she struck the animal. She pulled her
arm back as the beast fell.
“Get up,” Jude ordered waving the flames before him as Cleopatra wrapped her arm around his neck and held onto him for dear life. The wild dogs whimpered and whined as they took off running down the river.
“Hold the torch,” he said as she limped beside him. Cleopatra handed him back the dagger and grabbed the torch from his grasp.
“How did ye learn to manage a dagger?” Jude asked as he hoisted Cleopatra up into his arms. She winced from the pain as she held the torch out before them.
“When no one knows where you are or what you are doing, you can pick up a great many things,” she said.
Jude was expecting the events of the evening to cause her to crumble. He was expecting the tears to flow as he carried her back to the cave. Yet they did not. As they reached the opening, he paused and set her down.
“What were ye thinkin’ goin’ alone like that?” he hissed.
“You think I’m supposed to be fine with you stealing me away from my family and my home? I do not think so. I belong with my father.”
“Nay, ye belong to me until I ken what to do with ye.” Jude arched an eyebrow as he glared at her. She hopped alongside him using him as a crutch.
“I belong to no man,” Cleopatra scowled at him.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at the fierceness in her features. Her eyes tightened as her lips pulled together. Even her nostrils flared with defiance, but she was no monster, nor could she pretend to be one. Her face was far too kind and gentle. Even the scowl she gave him wouldn’t scare a fly.
“Ye could have been killed,” Jude said in such a low voice that it scared him to even say it. The dark shadows in his mind resurfaced and he shuddered at the thought.
“I had it covered,” Cleopatra insisted.
“Did ye now? It dinnae look like it from my perspective.”
“You were looking at it wrong,” Cleopatra said pulling her arm off of him. Instantly, his body chilled as she removed the heat. He shook his head and pointed his finger.
“Nay, ye were lookin’ at it wrong, if I dinnae show up, we would have found yer body in pieces.”
“What’s it to you if I live or die? I’m nothing but a burden to you,” she said dropping her head. Her words pricked him.
“If ye were a burden, I wouldnae have come lookin’ for ye,” Jude answered. She whipped her head up and nodded.
“Yes, you would have. You think I do not know that I have a price on my head? You’re taking me with you for a ransom. It’s the only reason why you never let me go in the forest.”
“Ye ken nothin’,” Jude said turning his head. He could feel the heat rising him is chest. He was inches away from telling her the truth. Her father’s words were on the tip of his tongue ready to slip out. Still, he held them back and kept them to himself.
“How’s yer leg?” he asked as he knelt to inspect the bite marks.
“It hurts,” she answered. He could feel her eyes on him as he drew the hem of her dress up to her knee.
“We need to clean this,” he said. “At least I daenae think it is deep.”
“And if it were? Would you leave me here?” she asked. He glanced up to her and she pushed the torched to him.
“Nay,” he said. “I wouldnae do that. Nae to a woman, and certainly nae to ye.”
Holding her gaze, he noticed something in her expression shift. The anger that had creased her brow had faded and she stared at him with wide eyes.
“Come on,” he said as he rose. “Let’s get this cleaned. There is still a wee bit of time before the sun comes up and we need sleep.”
He moved toward the river and was surprised to find her following close behind him. He turned to face her and forced the torched back into her hands. She took it immediately and he reached for her dress. She didn’t flinch as he tore a scrap of cloth from her dress. Carefully, he lowered himself to his stomach and dipped the cloth into the cold water.
“Sit,” he ordered. She didn’t hesitate or question him as she sat on the ground instantly.
“This is goin’ to sting a bit,” he said as she hiked the hem up a bit. Holding his breath, he looked at Cleo’s bare leg. It was soft and delicate as he brushed his fingers over the calf. In the back of his mind, he could swear he heard her gasp as he ran his fingers over her smooth skin.
What a lovely creature she is. How smooth and tender. I must keep me head on straight. I cannae be givin’ her the wrong impression despite the longing in me loins.
Carefully, and as tenderly as he could, he dabbed the cloth to her wounds. She nodded without saying a word. He knew the cold water didn’t feel good. After all, there was many times he too had to clean the open wounds from battle from this very river, but he knew it had to be done.
“Thank you,” she said in such a low voice that he wasn’t sure he heard her speak. Glancing to her, she lowered her head and said it again. “You saved my life, even after I was being so nasty to you. My father would have left me back there to deal with those beasts alone. He would have said it would build character.”
“I am nae yer faither,” Jude said dabbing the rest of the blood away. “I’d never do such a thing.”
“I see that now,” she said as her head bobbed slightly. “And I’m sorry. Forgive me.”
Jude glanced up to her and dropped his shoulders as he sighed. The sincerity in her eyes and the way her lips curled down into a pout broke his heart. He bobbed his head.
“Please daenae make me go after ye again,” he said. “I was lucky to find ye in this weather. If ye hadnae screamed, there’s nay tellin’ if I would have found ye.”
“And for that I am sorry,” she said as she chewed on her lower lip.
Jude reached up and brushed his fingers over her calf. He held her gaze as he touched her. Her flesh was warm and so soft he almost had forgotten what it felt like to touch a woman in such a way. His fingers drifted to the scraps of cloth dangling from her dress. With a fluid motion, he ripped the bits off.
“I have to bind the wound,” he said.
“Do what you must.”
Carefully, he wrapped the cloth around her leg and tied it off. “There.”
“Thank you,” she answered as she rose to her feet. He watched her carefully as she hobbled to the cave.
“Rest, Cleo,” he said. “We still have a long way to go.”
With her shoulders dropped and her head low, Jude followed behind her. In the back of his mind, he wished she would slip so that he could catch her. Yet she managed to stay on her feet. She paused at the opening of the cave. The rain had eased up a bit, but her hair clung to her neck and shoulders like seaweed.
“Good night,” she said before stepping into the dark cave.
Jude nodded and moved in after her. He settled down at the opening. A part of him still didn’t trust she wouldn’t try to escape again. At least with him at the opening, he’d be able to stop her if she tried to flee once more.
Dropping to the ground, he found the driest spot he could. Although it was further from the fire than he would have liked, it was the only place that would alert him if she bolted.
It didn’t take long before he closed his eyes and let the sleep overtake him.
The bright rays from the sun pulled him from his slumber. He stretched out and rolled over to find the fire in the cave extinguished. He wasn’t concerned with that. He wanted to see Cleopatra. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he shot up.
Nae again.
Jumping to his feet, he sprang out of the cave and scanned the area.
“Mornin’, m’Laird,” Ronan said with a smile.
“Where is she?”
5
“Do you see them?” Cleopatra pointed to the river as the school of trout with their shimmering scales raced along the current.
Hugh smiled as he clapped his hands. Cleopatra smiled as Hugh stepped closer to the water’s edge. With the waters calmer than she had seen them last night, she wasn’t concerned for the boy.
Water flowed over her toes as she giggled. “Are you coming in?”
“What happened?” Hugh asked as his eyes widened. Cleopatra glanced down to the binding around her leg and shrugged.
“It’s nothing, really,” she said stepping back onto the dry land and tossing her skirt down to hide the bindings.