Every Highland Sin: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance

by Kenna Kendrick

  “Master Pringle, this man claims to have information you must have,” he said, his voice ringing around the otherwise empty hall. “He also says you must pay for the privilege of hearing this information.”

  Robert smirked to himself. The man was clever. By announcing he was seeking payment for the information, the man was essentially cutting himself out of the loop. He’d done his duty, and if anything Robert said were wrong or inaccurate, it would fall solely on his head.

  “Very well. Leave us,” Pringle replied, his voice deep and gruff.

  The man bowed and quickly departed with something like relief on his face. Pringle glared down at him from his carved, polished chair, and Robert felt a chill pass through his body.

  Tis like somebody just walked over me grave.

  The man’s dark, reptilian eyes took him in from head to toe. He took a long swallow from the flagon in his hand, never taking his gaze from Robert. Robert tried to suppress a shudder but wasn’t entirely successful. There was something in the man’s cold, dead gaze Robert found unnerving, and he found it hard to keep from looking away.

  “Robert Abernathy,” the man intoned. “That’s yer name, is it nae?”

  He bowed his head finally. “Aye me lord. Tis me name indeed.”

  Pringle waved him off. “I’m nae lord or nobility of any kind. Bunch of preenin’ peacocks those.”

  “Apologies me lo-,” Robert bit off his words and bowed his head obsequiously again. “Apologies, Master Pringle.”

  Robert was more unnerved than usual. He’d never expected that Pringle would remember him. Robert had met Pringle some years back, though it was in passing, rather than anything formal. Robert had relayed some small bit of information to him. Nothing of any great consequence, but it had been helpful enough. He would never have thought it sufficient to warrant the remembrance of a man like Pringle. It boosted the man’s quality in Robert’s eyes.

  Tis why he’s thae man in charge, he’s got his finger on things most of us daenae.

  “So what information is it ye have for me?”

  Robert hesitated, and his gaze fell to the ground. He wanted to be helpful, of course. He knew being in the good graces of a man such as Pringle could only be a good thing. At the same time, though, he did not want to give up this information for free. Though he enjoyed a modicum of success, he still wasn’t one of the wealthier men in Sowkirk though he’d long desired to be.

  “Ahhh,” Pringle said. “Ye’re lookin’ tae be paid. I understand that, lad. Seems tae be thae way of thae world, eh?”

  Robert finally raised his gaze. “I - I mean no disrespect, Master Pringle.”

  “None taken, lad. I was like ye once. Scramblin’ tae make a coin whereever I could. I see a lot of meself in ye.”

  “Th - thank ye.”

  The chair creaked beneath the man’s bulk, and his eyes pinned Robert to his spot. Robert’s stomach tightened, and his heart beat like a rabbit’s.

  “I’ll pay ye well for whatever this information is if it’s of interest tae me. But I’ll nae be well pleased if ye’re wastin’ me time,” Pringle said. “Tis a lesson me ol’ da taught me, lad... always be sure ye’re nae botherin’ a better man with triflin’ things. Make yer words count.”

  “Of course, Master Pringle. I think ye’ll find me information vital tae yer interests.”

  Pringle gave him an imperious wave. “Well? What’s it ye got tae say then?”

  Robert cleared his throat, his nerves still jangling. “A young lass was in thae market yesterday. She was bein’ escorted by Dand Kerr.”

  “I’ve known thae bleedin’ fool tae escort many lasses ‘round Sowkirk. What’s yer bleedin’ point, man?”

  Pringle’s face darkened, and he frowned as if he suspected Robert was wasting his time after all. Robert’s throat suddenly felt dry, and he swallowed hard.

  “Thae young lass he was with was goin’ by thae name Alice Garnier,” Robert said, mustering the enthusiasm of a tale-teller, spinning a yarn in a tavern before a rapt audience. “I done some askin’ around, and it seems Alice Garnier’s made a name for herself piratin’ along thae coast of France and in thae Mediterranean. They call her La Renarde De La Mer. The Sea Fox.”

  Pringle glowered at him. “While I’m sure that’s interestin’ to - somebody - it ain’t tae me,” he said, his voice low. “So get tae thae bleedin’ point already, eh?”

  “Aye, aye. Apologies. Like I said, she goes by Alice Garnier, but when they was speakin’ all private like, I heard him use another name - her real name.”

  Robert was building up steam and confidence, like a master bard spinning a tale. And he knew his big reveal would both shock and impress Pringle. Robert was certain he would be rewarded well for his information and was already spending the coin he’d earn in his mind.

  “And?” Pringle snapped. “What’s her real bleedin’ name then?”

  Pringle’s expression was stony, and his silence sent chills down Robert’s spine. He realized then that he’d dragged this out long enough and that he was teetering on the edge of annoying Pringle, and thus putting himself one step closer to a date with the headsman. Clearing his throat, he looked at Pringle, his face as serious as his tone.

  “Her real name is Aileas Kerr,” Robert intoned solemnly. “Last livin’ heir tae Clan McKinnon.”

  Robert watched as a myriad of emotions cycled across Pringle’s face as he digested the news. He finally seemed to settle on one that was somewhere between anger and fascination, though Robert could not have said why. He turned his dark eyes onto Robert once more, a slow grin curling a corner of his mouth upward.

  “Now that’s thae most interestin’ thing I’ve heard in a while,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.

  Chapter Nine

  “Tis a beautiful night,” she murmured.

  “Aye,” Luke replied. “Tis one reason I love comin’ up here at night. It’s peaceful and helps me think. I love lookin’ at thae stars.”

  They sat atop a bluff with the dark, craggy peaks of the mountains behind them, the town of Sowkirk below them, and beyond that, the vast expanse of darkness that was the ocean. It was quiet up there, the sounds of the town below barely audible. The sun had set long ago, and the night air carried a chill as well as the plaintive cries of the night birds. The sky above was filled with sparkling points of light. It was like chips of diamond spread across an endless canvas of velvet. It was tranquil up there, and she could see why Luke enjoyed the view from the bluff.

  “Bring a lot of lasses up here tae look at the stars, have ye?”

  Luke chuckled. “Why, ye jealous?”

  “Nay. Daenae be a bleedin’ bampot. I’m nae jealous.”

  “Sort of sounds like ye’re jealous.”

  “Idiot,” she said with a small laugh.

  The truth of the matter was that she bristled at the idea of Luke bringing another woman up there with him. Aileas knew it was silly, but she liked the thought that she was special to him. Special enough to share this with her. A soft smile touched her lips, and she shook her head, silently chastising herself for being such a sentimental fool. It was so unlike her.

  Aileas gave herself a swift inward kick, trying to get her head on straight again. She could not afford to let her mind be divided like this. Besides, she told herself that Luke was not hers to command. He’d had a life long before she had sailed into Sowkirk’s harbor.

  The more she tried to convince herself of those things, though, the more persistent the thoughts became. She’d had plenty of lovers of her own in her life, but being around him just made her feel different. Possessive of him in ways she’d never felt for anybody before. It was insane, she knew, but she was also not somebody who lied to herself, and that’s where her mind was at.

  “Ye should see thae stars from the deck of a ship, out in the middle of thae ocean. It’ll take yer bleedin’ breath away,” she mused, if for no other reason than to get her mind pointed elsewhere.

  “I’d like
tae see that one day.”

  “Mebbe if ye’re nice, I’ll take ye out to see it.”

  She gave him a warm smile and leaned closer to him. She did not know how he’d done it, but Luke had tracked her down earlier in the day and invited her to go with him. Well, more like told her she was going with him. His assertiveness was new, and she found it intriguing, and she had agreed to go along. They had sat drinking wine and eating berries for a long while, talking and sharing stories and memories of their lives. Sharing bits of themselves with each other.

  Aileas knew she shouldn’t have. She needed to focus on her task at hand, which was destroying Clan Pringle. She was going to take Bruce’s head personally. And she knew that Dand was right… she shouldn’t be letting herself get involved with Luke and dividing her heart and mind. There was too much on the line.

  But at the same time, she couldn’t ignore her heart. Luke made her feel things no man had ever made her feel before. Aileas knew it was insane, given that she barely knew him, and he barely knew her. Despite that, though, there was something about him that compelled her. She wanted to be near him. He made her happy. He instilled in her a sense of peace and calm she rarely felt.

  “How did ye get yerself intae piratin’?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Tis still nae a word.”

  “Tis if I say it is.”

  Her smile was wide, and her laughter genuine. She was not sure she had laughed as hard or as often as she did with Luke. The life of a pirate captain left little room for mirth and foolishness. But with Luke, it felt natural. It felt good. And she liked that he could bring that side out of her.

  However, his question was close to a line she was not sure she wanted to cross just yet. She had no desire to lie to Luke. Not anymore. But at the same time, Aileas was not sure that she was ready to tell him everything just yet. She was, by nature, a private woman. And although she was more open with Luke than she’d been with practically anybody else in her life, there were some things she wasn’t sure yet, that she could share with him.

  But she wanted him to get to know her. She wanted to be open with him… to a point. Of course, she had no idea where this was all going yet, but it was off to an intriguing start, and she wanted to see where it might lead. For that to happen, though, she was going to need to trust him. Again, at least to a point.

  “I was raised by a friend of me da’s,” she said. “He taught me how tae fight, how tae use a blade. And how tae run a ship. Thae Selkie was his ship before he retired and handed her over tae me.”

  He chuckled softly. “Sounds like yer da had some interestin’ friends.”

  “Ye daenae ken thae half of it.”

  “Intriguin’,” he said.

  “Mebbe I’ll tell ye one day.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  They both fell silent for a moment, both of them looking out at the view before them, each lost in their own thoughts. Aileas once again found herself contemplating what she was doing, getting herself not just involved but emotionally invested in him.

  Why cannae I just take Dand’s advice and stay away from him?

  “Have ye killed anyone before?”

  Luke’s voice cut into her thoughts, and it was definitely not a question Aileas was expecting. It left her feeling a little flatfooted. But she decided it was best to be honest since she thought he probably already assumed she had.

  “Tis unavoidable in me line of work,” she said.

  “How old were you? The first time, I mean?”

  She pursed her lips, letting her mind drift back through the years as she tried to recall when exactly she’d taken her first life.

  “I suppose it was just after me sixteenth summer,” she said. “I remember it was shortly after me sixteenth name day Logan judged me fit tae wield a blade.”

  “Sixteen,” Luke murmured. “So young.”

  She shrugged. “Nae so young. Nae when ye are fightin’ for yer survival,” she said. “Have ye never taken a life before?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve never even been in a real fight before. Thae truth is, Sowkirk’s a pretty peaceful place. Baron Begbie keeps his land in order, and there’s never been much need tae fight.”

  Aileas felt a pang of hurt lance through her heart. It didn’t seem all that long ago when Sowkirk was a vastly different place. One night of indescribable violence had turned her life upside down. Back then, it was her da who’d been Laird of the lands, not this Baron Begbie - whoever he was. Still, Luke seemed intensely loyal to this man, which made Aileas think that perhaps if somebody like Luke trusted him, he might be a man of some quality. Also, she couldn’t put her own family misfortunes on his shoulders. It was not he who usurped her da’s Lairdship, nor destroyed her life.

  She hesitated, a small frown touching her features. She knew she shouldn’t even consider what she was thinking about revealing, but the thought would not go away. If she were right, then there would be plenty of fighting in these lands indeed. And perhaps very soon.

  Aileas shook her head and pushed all of those thoughts away. She didn’t want to spend the evening with such unpleasant and complicated things in her head. All she wanted was to enjoy the time she had with Luke. She had no idea what the coming days were going to bring, and she didn’t want to waste a minute since she didn’t know how many more they might have.

  He turned to her, the moonlight playing across his face, making his eyes sparkle and his skin seem like cool marble. She laid her hand gently upon his cheek and leaned forward, pressing her mouth to his. Aileas parted her lips, feeling that welcome fire ignite in her belly as his tongue swirled languidly around hers.

  He pushed her down onto her back, their kiss deepening, filling Aileas with a warmth that rippled through her entire body. As he slid his hand beneath her tunic, she shuddered, relishing the feel of his hands upon her skin. Somewhere above them, an owl hooted softly in the darkness. Luke’s hands found her breasts, gently cupping and kneading them.

  She sat up and quickly discarded her vest and tunic, laying back down, the grass tickling her bare back. Luke’s mouth quickly found her breasts, and as he licked and sucked on her pert nipples, she ran her fingers through his hair, her entire body trembling. He gave her a gentle nip, and she moaned softly, pressing her head back against the ground as waves of sensation washed over her body.

  Luke pulled his own tunic off and half-laid on top of her, pressing his mouth to hers again. She trailed her fingers down his broad, muscular back as their tongues danced sensually around one another, reveling in the feeling of his bare chest pressed to hers. Aileas leaned into his kiss, savoring the faint taste of wine and berries upon his tongue.

  She arched her back as he ran his fingers down her breasts, down her flat, taut belly, the sensation of it raising goosebumps upon her skin. He continued to kiss her hard, and when he slid his hand into her breeches, she gasped. Luke slid the tips of his fingers along lips that were wet, swollen, and tingling.

  As Luke slipped a pair of fingers between her velvety folds, Aileas groaned. She had never felt as wet and warm as she did at that moment, and having his fingers inside of her only stoked the fires burning within her. With other lovers, it had been perfunctory. An itch that needed to be scratched. But with Luke, Aileas found herself enjoying every sensation that arose within her.

  This was not a simple itch to be scratched. Not just a carnal urge she needed to sate. No, as Luke plunged his fingers into her again and again, drawing long, shaking moans from her, Aileas found her body aching with need and desire. She wanted him.

  Luke slid down her body, trailing the tip of his tongue along her flesh, making her shudder. He quickly pulled off her boots and cast them aside, and after that, her breeches promptly followed. Aileas shivered as a cool breeze washed over her skin, but then Luke ran his fingers up her thighs, leaving furrows of fire in their wake.

  She parted her legs for him, and he leaned down, burying his face between her thighs. His tongue swirled and tea
sed her throbbing nub, and she cried out. As he licked and lapped at her button, Aileas grabbed him by the hair, yanking hard on it as lightning bolts of pleasure shot through her body. He slipped his tongue past her lips, sliding it deep inside of her, and she called his name.

  As he lapped at her in a near frenzy, Aileas’ eyes rolled into the back of her head, and a long, stuttering groan passed her lips. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and the pressure was building up low inside of her. Very few of the men she’d been with had even deigned to pleasure her the way Luke was, and even fewer of those seemed to do it as well as he. Indeed, he lapped at her wetness with the zeal of a man who enjoyed what he was doing, and her body certainly responded to it.