“Lass, are ye trying to provoke me? I’ve had this horse since the day he was born, and he has been temperamental from the start. Dinna think that him accepting ye once means he’ll accept ye every time. That’s why Magnus suggested that I name Naomh since he’s exactly the opposite. Deceptive as the day is long.”
Alex walked over to Brighde and cupped her shoulders with his hands pulling her in for a long slow kiss. Brighde tried to stand like a stone, but she could not resist the lure of Alex’s everything. Her hands crept from his chest down to his waist and then down to the side of his hips. Even through his plaid, she could feel the grooves on the outsides of his hips. They felt as if they had been made specifically for her hands. Their tongues dueled as Alex’s hands cupped her breasts.
I havenae given these nearly enough attention. That pert little arse of hers has been distracting me. How could I ever forget how large and firm these are? I could feast on them like they were mana from heaven. What I wouldnae give for that taste now. This woman will be the death of me. I crave her like a drunkard craves his next pint. Bluidy hell, I want to be inside her, feeling her all around me, on me, over me. Och, but this torture of nae having her.
Alex kneaded the supple flesh through the outside of her kirtle, grumbling at the barrier that kept him from what he wanted. He at least still had the last shred of common sense to not undress her somewhere they could be easily caught.
Caught! Hell. I canna keep her here all day. That was the whole point of setting off so early. So nay one would catch us. I dinna want to share her yet, and I dinna want anyone to talk until I ken the whole of her story. I canna protect her if I dinna ken what I’m facing.
Alex slowly broke the kiss and stepped back. Brighde looked up at him with passion glazed eyes. She looked around and seemed to snap back to the present when she realized they were in a very public place.
“Ye never answered me, Brie. Were ye trying to provoke me? Were ye trying to avoid going for a ride with me, or were ye doing it to see how I act when angry? I would rather it was the latter than the former.”
Brighde sighed deeply. How does he ken? I barely even seemed to get under his skin. I would rather he end arguments with a kiss like that than the back of his hand across ma face. If every disagreement ends like this, I’d be the luckiest lass in Scotland. I dinna think they would. I still dinna ken what his temper is like. I prefer kisses though. I’d be a damned fool if I didna.
“Brie, I willna ever hit ye or raise ma hand to ye in anger. Mayhap we will disagree or even argue, but I dinna ever want ye to fear me. Ye dinna have to test the waters with me.”
“How did ye ken?”
“How could I nae? Ye have never intentionally insulted me before, and ye’ve never used that tone with me before. And I dinna think ye believe that about Naomh anyway.” Alex finished with a smile that almost melted Brighde into a puddle right there in the hay.
“Ye did ken. I needed, nay, need to ken that I am safe with ye. I dinna want to find out that ye will play a pretty part in front of yer clan, but behind closed doors will beat me.”
“Brie, I’d kill any mon who dared touch ye in anger. The men in ma family dinna beat our women. We maynae always agree, Callum and Siùsan are steady proof of that, but we dinna raise our hand against someone who doesnae have a fair chance to fight back. That doesnae make a mon. That only makes a coward. Women are to be respected, protected and cared for just as they do for their men. A wife is a partner, and a daughter is a treasure. A real mon doesnae abuse that or them.” Alex cupped Brighde’s cheek before pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.
Our. Our women. Our. Does that mean I am his? Nay. I may want him desperately, but I canna be his. I canna be any mon’s as long as I am hiding or being chased. I dinna ken if I’ll ever be free to be any other mon’s wife. To be Alex’s aught.
Brighde felt a moment of pure anguish. Alex watched as several emotions crossed over her face as she thought about what he had just said. He worried that he was frightening her away, but he wanted her to know that not only would he never intentionally harm her, but he also wanted her to be with him for more than a passing fancy.
“Brie, what is going on in that head of yours? Ye seem to have drifted away with worry. Didna I reassure ye that I will never lay a hand on ye in anger?”
“Alex, it isnae that. I was just lost in thought for a moment. Are we going to ride out soon? I can hear people in the bailey, and the stable boys will be awake soon. Do ye want to have to explain what we’re doing here?”
“Nay, I dinna.”
Alex hurried to finish saddling his horse and led him to the door of the stables. Before lifting her into the saddle, Alex pulled the extra material of Brighde’s arisaid over her hair and tucked it close to her face. She clasped it closed under her chin.
“I think yer hair is like spun gold, but it will also be a beacon in the sun. I dinna want to draw any more attention to us than can be avoided.”
He grasped her around the waist and lifted her into the saddle. She swung her leg wide and settled astride. She held the reins loosely as Alex mounted behind her. Once he was sure she was comfortable and tucked between his powerful thighs and arms, he nudged the horse towards the gate. He barely nodded to the men on duty as they passed through the portcullis. Once clear of the curtain wall, he veered sharply to the left and skirted the nearby village. He took them along a path that led to the loch. Brighde took in the rugged scenery all around her. The landscape was nearly the exact opposite of where her clan lived in the Lowlands but reminded her, almost painfully, of growing up in the Highlands with her grandparents. She looked out over the gleaming water of the loch as they sped towards it. She thought that perhaps that was their destination, but Alex spurred his horse past it and continued to ride toward a high ridge. As they approached, Brighde could just barely make out the sound of crashing waves. When they crested the ridge, Alex pulled his horse to a stop affording Brighde a breathtaking view of the North Sea. There were clouds on the horizon, and the water was a metallic shade of gray. It looked more like a sea of steel than anything else. The waves churned as they crashed against the shore. The swells were quite high and dotted with white foam.
Brighde rested her hands on Alex’s arms for the ride, and now she squeezed them as she took in the scene in front of her. She watched as birds glided and swooped to catch fish. She smelled then saw seals on the far northern part of the beach below them. She pointed to them as though she were a little girl again. Alex’s chest rumbled behind her as he laughed at her excitement.
“Can we go down there, Alex? To the water?”
“That was ma plan all along. I thought we could spend the day, or at least part of it, down there. There is plenty to explore, and I wasna sure if you’d ever seen the sea before.” Alex slid the last part in with the hopes that it might clue him in at least a little about where she was from.
“Only a few times when I was much younger. I sometimes traveled with ma family to clan gatherings that were held along the coasts.”
That gained Alex nothing. He almost groaned in frustration. Instead, he tugged on Naomh’s reins and guided them towards a steep slope.
“We must get off here. There isnae anywhere safe to tie Naomh down there, and there isnae any grass for him either. We walk the rest of the way.”
Alex dismounted and lifted Brighde down. He handed her the picnic basket while he loosely tied Naomh’s reins to a nearby tree. There was plenty of grass for him to graze while they spent time on the beach below. Alex took the basket back and led them towards the steep slope that went down to the sand. Alex placed his hand on Brighde’s lower back to guide her along the path. She was sure-footed and easily made the descent, but Alex was enjoying the feel of her next to him.
“I amnae going to fall, Alex. Ye dinna need to hover so.” Brighde reached back and pulled his hand from her back. At Alex’s look of surprise, she slid her hand into his and entwined their fingers. She glanced up at him briefly and t
hen purposefully continued to stare straight ahead as they approached the sand. When they got to the beach, Brighde paused to pull off her boots and stockings. She scrunched her toes into the sand and marveled at the feel of it as it trailed off the top of her feet. It had been nearly a decade since she had last been on a beach, sandy or pebbly. She loved the sea when she was younger and would beg to be taken to any clan gathering where she might be able to play near the water’s edge.
She used the sea to keep her bearings as she fled north but never came too close for fear of being spotted by a fisherman or accidentally passing too close to a fishing village. She took Alex’s hand and pulled him towards the wet sand.
“Be forewarned. That water is still a wee chilly even in summer.” Alex laughed at a little water lapped over her feet, and she yelped. “I told ye.”
Alex was not prepared to see Brighde lift her skirts above her knees and wade into the water. He marveled at her as she tucked the extra material into the belt of her arisaid. He had only ever seen his sister and mother do that. No other woman, at least not one young enough to catch his eye, had ever waded in like that.
She has gumption. I will give her that. Alex shucked off his boots and laid his sword close at hand but out of reach of the tide. He waded in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he rested his chin on her head. Brighde relaxed into his hold and closed her eyes. She let the early morning sunshine seep into her skin, and Alex’s unique scent fill her nostrils. It was a heady sensation to feel his arms wrapped protectively around her and the strength of his body as a wall around her. His hands rested on her abdomen in an almost protective and possessive manner. With any other man, an act of possessiveness would have made her resist or even flee. With Alex, she never wanted it to end. Her head fell back to rest against his shoulder, and once again, she found herself completely cocooned by his body.
This is where I belong. If only it could stay this way forever. Nay where feels safer or righter than when I am with him and he is holding me. I dinna ken what to do. I never intended to stay here permanently, but now I canna imagine leaving. But I canna stay here forever. I came for their help and temporary protection nae to make a home here. Brighde swallowed down the lump that formed in the back of her throat. Mayhap the rest of his clan and family arenae as wonderful as he and his father. Mayhap meeting them will make it easier to leave. Brighde knew that for the lie that it was before she even finished the thought.
“I shall be a vera poor mon if I have to keep offering ye a penny for yer thoughts.”
“I was just taking in how peaceful this is. I could spend a lifetime looking out over the water and still see something new every day.”
I would offer ye a lifetime if only ye would let me in.
“I never grow tired of coming down here. This is a special spot for ma family. We used to picnic down here when ma mama was still alive. She taught us all to swim, and we would spend hours down here. When Magnus was a little over six summers, he was convinced that our mother was a selkie because she could swim out among the seals, and they never bothered her. Just the opposite, they seemed drawn to her and would swim protectively alongside her. That winter, Da gave Mama a seal skin lined cloak, and Magnus went positively berserk. He was convinced that meant she truly was a selkie and that she would be leaving us to return to the sea. He was inconsolable for days.”
Alex laughed lightly at the memory. For years after his mother died, it was painful to remember such stories, but now they filled him with a sense of peace. He knew how fortunate he was to have two parents who loved all their children and enjoyed spending time with them. As he looked down at Brighde and felt his hands resting over her stomach, he suddenly had a longing to create such a life for himself. But only if it was with Brighde. He had never given much thought to marriage before meeting her. He assumed it would happen one day, and most likely by arrangement. Now he could not see himself ever being with another woman. He was man enough to admit that he was falling deeply and quickly in love with the woman whose surname he did not even know.
“Are ye hungry, mo leannan?”
“Aye, a little bit.” As if on cue, her stomach rumbled.
“I had best feed ye before ye perish,” Alex laughed.
Chapter Eight
W
hen Alex and Brighde returned to the basket, Alex spread a plaid down while Brighde investigated what had been packed. There was enough food to feed a small army, or at least enough to keep them going for a full day. She pulled out a couple of apples and pears, along with a wheel of cheese, and a fruit tart. She enjoyed Elspeth’s tarts several times during her recovery, and they quickly became a favorite. The woman packed three, and Brighde had every intention of eating two of them. By herself.
Alex watched as she lifted the food out, pulling only two tarts out. She handed one to him and took a bite into the other.
“I ken there were three in there. Ye dinna need to hide the third. I willnae take it from ye.”
Her eyes opened wide mid-bite. She covered her mouth with her fingers as she chewed, choking down a bite.
“How could ye ken? I havenae seen ye look inside.”
“I ken since I asked Elspeth to pack an extra one because I ken they’re yer favorite.”
Brighde tried to think of things she noticed about Alex’s preferences in food. She looked in the basket and pulled out an oil cloth-wrapped bundle that could only be one thing by its smell. She tossed it to him.
“Ye dinna need to worry about yer pickled herring. I will keep ma tarts while ye have yer little dead fish.”
“So ye noticed that I favor those. I am glad to ken I dinna need to share them, but I dinna think I’ll be breaking ma fast with them. Mayhap a midmorning treat, but most definitely nae this early in the morn.”
He pulled the last tart from the basket and broke off a small piece. He watched as a look of dismay flashed across Brighde’s face. He chuckled as he pretended to lift the bite towards his mouth. At the last moment, he reached over and brushed it against her bottom lip. She took the bite from him, her tongue skimming his finger as she licked a bit of fruit from her lips. Alex’s cock had already been half awake while standing behind her. Now it was fully paying attention. He fed another bite to her. On the fourth bite, Brighde’s tongue purposely licked the side and tip of his finger. Alex caught his breath as he paused with his finger against her lips before breaking off another piece. With the fifth and final bite, Brighde sucked the tip of his finger into her mouth. Alex held his breath as her smooth and slippery tongue slid up and down his finger. She slowly took more of it into her mouth until she had it entirely between her lips. She sucked gently on it, gliding her lips up and down. With a growl, Alex launched himself at her. He cradled her as they landed together on the plaid. He attacked her mouth with a savagery that he had never shown before, and she responded in equal measure. She took his tongue into her mouth and mimicked what she had just done with his finger. She reached down and pulled at his plaid until she found the hem, then pulled it up high enough for her hands to find his bare skin. She ran her hands over his backside, squeezing and pressing until her hands once again found the grooves on the side of his hips. She felt him tugging at her kirtle as he, too, raised the material until he could reach her. She felt three fingers press into her making her arch her back off the ground. This only served to present him with her breasts. He pulled the strings loose from the front of her kirtle and freed one of her breasts. He licked and laved until her nipple became a sharp dart then suckled on it as she moaned. His fingers danced in and out of her sheath as her hips moved to a rhythm she could not control. As he moved her closer and closer to completion, she tilted her head back and her eyes closed. The feelings that Alex elicited from her body were almost too much. With her neck now exposed, he shifted to kiss the sensitive skin behind her ear. Pleasure shot straight from her ear to her aching core.
“Alex. Alex, what are ye doing to me?”
She could feel the musc
les low in her belly beginning to squeeze and quiver as spasms shook her entire body. Alex worked his fingers in and out as he used his thumb to rub the hidden bud that was the secret to her pleasure. He felt her go rigid for a moment before melting back into the plaid with a moan that made him leak. His engorged sword ached to find a home in her sheath.
Shite! My bullocks feel like they’ll explode. Bluidy hell, a dip in the sea isnae going to make this cockstand go down anytime soon. What the hell am I going to do without scaring the lass? Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this bluidy well hurts.
Alex did all that he could not to groan or wince as he rolled off Brighde. Her eyes were still closed and the rapid rise and fall of her chest told Alex that she was still very out of breath. The glow that exuded from her was enough, or at least nearly enough, to make Alex forget his discomfort. He found an inordinate amount of pride in knowing that he was the first and only man to bring her to completion, twice now, and to have ever touched her in such an intimate way. Along with that came an overwhelming need to claim her as his and only his. The idea of another man ever seeing the look that he saw now made him see red. He forced himself to take deep breaths to slow his own racing heart. He leaned forward and brushed the damp hair from her forehead and placed a gentle peck on the tip of her nose. Brighde’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked into the smoky brown eyes that she was getting accustomed to waking to. She reached up and stroked his cheek, and Alex turned his face into her palm. She ran her thumb up and down to feel the smooth skin that was usually hidden by stubble. Her brow crinkled as she thought back on what had just happened.
“Alex, what about ye? I didna get to touch ye. I didna do what I did last time.”
His Highland Prize (The Clan Sinclair Book 3) Page 9
