“I figured as much. But because of Jamie, we know how and when.”
His eyes narrowed, unable to prevent the bit of jealousy, wondering how she’d persuaded Jamie to share this information—if indeed he could be trusted. “Go on,” he said carefully.
“They are anticipating your attack on the supply ship, intending to surprise you with a new force of fighting men. While you are fighting off the ambush, Dougal will circle around and cut off your means of escape.”
Rory’s missive had made no mention of extra fighting men. If Meg’s information was correct, Alex would have been seriously undermanned. He did not doubt he would have been able to escape, but it wouldn’t have been without significant loss of blood.
Alex exchanged looks with Neil. Meg caught his glance, but he was in no mood for introductions. She wouldn’t be staying long enough. He would have sent her back immediately, but there were only a few hours left until daylight. She would have to wait until tomorrow night. How the hell was he going to protect her and keep his hands off her for an entire day? It was going to seem like a bloody eternity.
“How do I know this is not a trap?” Alex asked, looking at Jamie.
“You don’t,” Jamie said bluntly. “But it’s the truth.”
Alex didn’t know what to believe. “What do you get out of this, Campbell?”
He shrugged. “It makes Meg happy.”
Jealousy tore like acid through his chest.
“Please, Alex—” Meg clutched his arm, her fingers singeing his skin. “Just take precautions.”
He would. They would have to change their plans. Still, he couldn’t believe she’d put herself in danger for him. Nor did it soften his anger.
Alex turned his anger back to Jamie. “I can’t believe you allowed her to come here.”
The look Jamie gave him returned Alex’s anger in kind. “It wasn’t my idea, but Meg was right, there wasn’t time for anything else. You should be thanking her. Were it not for Meg, I might not have been persuaded to tell what I know.”
Alex couldn’t breathe. His chest constricted. Persuaded.
“Don’t be angry with Jamie. If you are going to be angry with anyone, have it be me alone.”
He was. How could she forget what had happened between them? It was what he’d wanted, but Alex didn’t think it would be so fast. He couldn’t stand here listening to the two of them together any longer. “Don’t you worry about that, my wee crusader.” He pulled her toward the copse of trees that hid their temporary encampment. “I’ve more than enough anger to go around.”
He turned to Neil. “Don’t let Campbell out of your sight.”
“Wait!” Jamie shouted. “Where are you taking her?” He made a move to stop him, but Neil held him back.
“I’m just doing what the lady requested.” Alex laughed, a harsh sound devoid of amusement. “I’m going to vent my considerable anger. On her, alone.”
Chapter 21
Well, that didn’t sound promising. This was not going the way she’d planned at all. Not one thanks. Not one tiny indication that he was glad to see her. Meg had thought he’d at least be appreciative of her information, if not pleased. Instead, he was stiff and unyielding and angrier than she’d ever seen him.
Angrier than he had a right to be. It didn’t make sense.
When they’d trampled deep into the trees, well away from the men on the beach, Meg stopped short and shook off his hold on her arm. “I don’t understand. Why are you so angry? I was only trying to help.”
He looked at her as if she were daft and took a few deep breaths, obviously trying to control himself. “Because every minute that you are here, you are in grave danger.”
The flatness in his voice belied any thought that he might be concerned for her. Meg’s emotions felt frayed and precariously close the surface. “Why do you care?” she asked thickly. “I heard what you said to Lord Huntly. You don’t need to pretend concern.”
Nothing. No reaction. No denial. He couldn’t even look at her. God, it hurt.
“This is no place for a woman. What I don’t understand is why your father didn’t just send a messenger? I can’t believe he’d—”
Unconsciously, she bit her lip; it gave her away.
“Of course,” he said, far more evenly than she would have thought possible given the present state of his temper. “Your father doesn’t know you’re here. How could you just up and leave like that, Meg?”
“I wouldn’t trust something this important to a messenger. And I told my mother,” she said defensively. “She knows I’m here.”
“But it’s your father who is going to strangle you when he finds out.” He paused and said ominously, “If I don’t do it for him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Her flippancy acted like a trigger. Alex pulled her roughly into his arms, crushing her against his chest. Meg felt the familiar rush of heat, the slow melting, the complete surrender of her body to his.
“Don’t push me, Meg,” he warned, his mouth achingly close to hers. “Not this time. You shouldn’t have come here.” His lips were white with anger, and the dark edge of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. But Meg didn’t care. It might be reckless, but she liked making him lose control. At least it made her feel that he wasn’t completely indifferent to her.
Her head fell back as she studied his face, trying to gauge the danger. If the black expression was any indication, it was considerable. Every inch of his incredibly hard body pressed against hers, ready to explode. Anger, frustration, and undeniable attraction sizzled between them.
All she wanted to do was lean up and kiss him, force him to acknowledge what was between them. A sign. Anything to show that she was not alone in her feelings. But she knew that was probably the furthest thing from his mind. Meg had begun to accept the truth—she had made a mistake in coming here.
But his attempt to intimidate was not without effect. “Very well,” she admitted. “Perhaps it was risky. But I was scared, I thought only to warn you. I needed to…”
“Needed to what, Meg?”
Had his mouth moved closer, or did she just wish it so?
“I needed to see you,” she said softly, and dropped her gaze, unable to look at him—afraid he would see too much.
She was a fool. Why didn’t she just admit it? She would have grasped at any straw to have the opportunity to find out whether the quick about-face that Alex displayed in Edinburgh was as it had seemed. But their reunion had not gone at all as planned.
Now, coming here seemed foolish. She seemed foolish for running after a man who didn’t want her.
To make things worse, she was afraid she was going to cry. Meg was exhausted, hungry, and tired of being yelled at by the man she’d missed desperately the past few weeks. At any moment, she felt she might unravel.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Alex put his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “But why would you need to see me? You’re engaged to Jamie now.”
Her brows shot together. “I’m not engaged to Jamie.”
His expression darkened. “But Jamie assured me that he intended to ask for you.”
“He did.”
“And you refused him?” He was incredulous. For a moment, she thought she glimpsed relief in his eyes, but then he cursed. “God’s wounds, what were you thinking?” he admonished her with a vehemence wholly un-warranted. “You can’t refuse him.”
Meg let out an indelicate snort of outrage. She lifted her chin to his and met his furious glare with one of her own. “I can, and I did,” she said, not bothering to keep the bitterness from her voice. “Why do you care whom I marry? You did your duty and offered for me, even though we both know I came to you. Your conscience is clear.”
His face was stony. “It’s not about that.”
“Then what is it about?” she said, unable to hide her frustration. “Why should you care whether I marry at
all?” You didn’t want me. Only what I could bring you.
“Have you considered what will happen if your father tries to arrange a match? You are no longer a virgin.”
As if she needed to be told, when every minute in his presence reminded her of all they had shared. When all she wanted to do was move back into his arms and stay there forever. But it was clear that was not to be. Her back stiffened. “That is no longer your concern. Nor will my lack of virginity preclude my finding a husband. As you so astutely pointed out to Lord Huntly, my lands are enticement enough. But you can be sure I won’t force a man to marry me who does not want me.”
“Jamie wants you,” he argued. “He’s everything that you sought in a husband. He could make you happy.”
Meg knew that was no longer true. She wanted to do right by her clan, and would. But Alex was the only man who would ever make her happy.
They stood so close, Meg could feel the tension flowing from his body. She yearned to circle her hands around his neck and melt against his heat. Had she imagined everything?
She had to know, no matter what the cost to her already ravaged pride. She rose on her toes and placed her hands on his shoulders, her breasts brushing against his chest. Her hips swayed into his. The massive evidence of his arousal made her shiver with anticipation. He wasn’t indifferent. He wanted her in some ways that could not be denied. She rubbed a little closer, eliciting a groan that gave her courage. Her lips parted just below his, and slowly she flicked out her tongue to sweep across his bottom lip. Her heart pounded against his. She answered him in a whisper, just loudly enough for him to hear. “How could I be happy with Jamie? I don’t love him. My heart belongs to another.”
Alex swore, and with a sound that was half anguish, half fury, he surrendered to her sweet enticement. His mouth covered hers in a fierce embrace.
The first taste of him sent shivers of remembrance through her. This was what she’d yearned for all those weeks, this was what was real. She loved him, and nothing could feel more perfect. Bliss showered over her. Meg thought her heart might burst with happiness.
His mouth swept across hers, branding her with the heat of his kiss. Soft and sweet, his lips held hers in a possessive grip. His tongue slid into her mouth, taunting her with its suggestive rhythm.
Passion flared between them. All at once their movements took on a frantic urgency, and they tore at each other lest sanity take hold. Hot, fast, and absolutely perfect. One hand moved to cup her breast, the other held her bottom, as he ground her hips against his arousal in hot, circular movements. His erection throbbed against her stomach. She moaned, feeling a rush of dampness between her legs. Her body responded to the memory of his length thrusting inside her, of the violent release that had shattered her soul.
He leaned her back against a tree and trailed kisses down her neck. He pushed aside her cloak as his mouth sought the skin above her bodice. His chin scratched a gentle path, lower and lower. She arched her back, silently begging for more.
Her hands traced the blades of his shoulders, then roamed down his back, exploring the layered muscles. The weeks of fighting had only increased the strength of his warrior’s body. He smelled of sun and sea, so wonderfully masculine. There was something raw and primitive about him that aroused similar feelings in her.
Desperately, she pressed herself closer, but it wasn’t close enough. She wanted to feel his naked skin on hers, she wanted to feel the weight of that powerful body on top of her.
With a harsh sound, he broke the kiss.
He stared at her without saying anything, his expression unreadable. The hard rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that anything significant had just occurred.
“It won’t work, Meg. Not this time. You won’t change my mind.”
“Why not?” she said, stung by his rejection. “I know you want me.”
“I can hardly deny it. But passion isn’t the issue.”
Meg’s heart broke. Again. Was that it, then? He wanted her, but not enough to marry her? Tears gathered behind her eyes. She had only one more question. “So was it true, then? What you said to Lord Huntly? Did you only agree to marry me for what I could bring you?”
She studied his face, looking for a flicker, a change, anything. With each second that passed, despair sank deeper into her chest.
He stood perfectly still. “What do you want from me, Meg?” His voice sounded so strange. Hoarse. Strained.
“The truth.”
“You heard what I said. Why do you doubt it?”
“I thought that perhaps you meant to protect me.” She hesitated. “I didn’t want to believe what you said to Lord Huntly. Tell me that wasn’t you in that room, Alex. Tell me I couldn’t be so wrong.”
His face remained impassive. She wanted to shake him. How could he just stand there and deny everything between them?
“Please, Alex.” She clutched his arm. “I have to know.”
“Does it really matter?” he asked, a hollow edge to his voice.
“How can you ask that? It means everything. I gave you everything.” She took a deep breath. “I never told you that I was engaged once before.”
She’d surprised him.
“I was sixteen and a fool. I came upon him making love to a serving girl in the stable, bragging about how he would be chief one day.”
He swore. “Oh, Meg—”
She held up her hand and shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t feel sorry for me. It was a lesson I thought I’d learned. I trusted you with the future of my clan. I saw something different in you, Alex.”
Alex turned away from her, staring out into the darkness. She’d just about given up hope when he spoke.
“I saw you outside the door.”
“Then you knew I was listening.” Her heart soared with the implications.
“I knew. I wanted to drive you to Jamie. I thought it was for the best.”
“But why? I would have waited for you.”
“Would you?” He laughed harshly. “You have a duty to your clan, you must marry. I doubt your father would find an outlawed son-in-law the proper choice. Just tell me one thing. Is there a child?”
“Would it make a difference?” she asked softly.
His jaw clenched. “Meg…”
She wanted to lie. “No. There is no child.”
He let out his breath. She couldn’t tell whether he was relieved or disappointed.
“Then nothing has changed. I am not the man for your clan, and you still do not belong here.”
Meg didn’t care. All that mattered was that she had not been wrong about him. But when she thought about the pain he’d put her through, she wanted to scream. Instead, she peppered him with furious accusations. “How could you have let me believe that? Why didn’t you confide in me and give me the choice? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to fight on Lewis?”
“The fewer people who knew, the better.”
“That’s what my father said,” Meg replied bitterly.
“He was right. A connection with me would be dangerous for you. My enemies could use you to get to me. I also couldn’t take the chance that you would allow something to slip—especially because of your friendship with the Campbells. And from some of our conversations, I wasn’t sure you would agree with what I was doing.”
“How could you say that?” Meg asked, horrified. “I’m a Highlander. Just because I recognize the difficult issues facing the Highlands doesn’t mean I agree with the king’s policies. I would never betray you or do anything to put my clan in danger.”
“Does leading one of the king’s men right into our camp not constitute putting us in danger? The fact that you brought Campbell with you proves I was right to be cautious.”
Her cheeks burned with indignation. “Jamie risked much by helping you. You should be thanking him. I hardly think he’d turn around and betray you.”
“Are you so sure of that?”
“He’s the one who informed me of the plot on y
our life.”
“And you believed him without question? Can you be sure that it was not a trick? His cousin Argyll is ever the opportunist. The Campbells would benefit greatly if Jamie could lead the king to us.”
Meg felt horrible. How could he think that? Yet part of her knew he was right. The ramifications of her actions rained down on her. She’d never truly considered the possibility that Jamie would take advantage of their friendship.
She knew Alex was wrong in his suspicions but right in criticizing her for acting without thinking. “It’s true that Jamie is loyal to his cousin, but he is also a Highlander. And he was once your friend. I am not like you, Alex. I do not see treachery in every shadow.”
“It’s my duty. Men’s lives are at stake by my ability to see what lurks in the shadows.”
Meg flushed. She knew he was thinking about his cousins. She hadn’t meant it like that at all. Her stomach twisted. By coming here like this, she had thought to control the situation. She’d kept the information to herself, had not told her father of the situation. And now look what she had done. She’d possibly compromised his position on Lewis. How had it gone so wrong?
“I only wanted to help,” she said softly.
Alex raked his fingers through his hair. Damn. He heard the shaking in her voice and knew she was perilously close to tears. He hadn’t meant to be so harsh. The entire situation had him twisted in knots. He knew she’d thought only to warn him.
He did appreciate it, but he felt stripped of all his defenses when she was near. “You’re right. I owe you my thanks. If what Jamie said is indeed true, we would have been greatly outmanned and quite probably trapped.” He took her quivering chin in his fingers as she blinked away the tears that had been threatening to fall. “But that doesn’t mean I think you should have taken such a great risk in coming here. Nor does it mean I trust Jamie. One day soon, he will have to choose a side.”
She gazed up at him, her eyes wide and glassy. She looked tired and pale, but still achingly beautiful. And so damn alluring. The memory of their kiss surged through him, but he shook it off.
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