by Laura Glenn
He straightened up to full height, glancing toward the castle and back north. Yes, it was the road the mormaer would have used to bring Leah and his family home from Graham land. If Leah had been paying any attention on the journey then she would know the road would take her at least part of the way back.
It was time to retrieve his new wife.
Chapter Six
Ugh.
Leah leaned one palm against a nearby oak and lifted her foot out of the squishy mud to inspect her shoe. Caked was an understatement. Damn these long skirts twisting around her ankles all the time. Who knew she’d ever miss asphalt so much?
She attempted to scrape the mud off the soles of her shoes on a nearby rock before picking up her skirts again and trudging forward, ignoring the thudding of the dull pain in her head thanks to the previous night’s whisky. Judging by the emptiness of her stomach, a few hours must have already passed since she left the mormaer’s keep.
The mist hanging in the air and cold wind moving down the mountains had been a stroke of luck for her as she left the safety of the castle walls. Pulling the oversized hood of the black cloak she’d taken from the stables up over her head and securing a small basket with several small buns, apples, and hard cheeses covered with a cloth, she had appeared as any other woman coming and going from the village outside the castle walls. No one had taken the slightest notice of her.
A twig cracked and she jumped before she realized the noise had come from her own feet. She breathed long and slow to calm her pounding heart, scanning the forest around her just in case. Rathe’s warnings of bandits and wild animals played over and over again in her mind, causing her stomach to churn.
Rathe.
She sighed, touching her lips with her fingers. That man could kiss. Confident and more experienced than she could ever hope to be, he knew how to use his mouth to get what he wanted. If only she’d had the chance to find out if his lips were just as talented elsewhere.
A strange longing in the pit of her stomach nagged at her, intensifying each time Rathe’s face faded in and out of her memory. Irritated, she shoved it aside. Being with him, as amazing as it was, was a one-time deal. With any luck, she was going home and would never see him again. Besides, he was the type of man who could break her heart. The type of man she had always stayed away from. Charming, handsome, a natural-born flirt with a dark reputation. Yeah, the opposite of the type of man she needed.
But she couldn’t stop the replay in her head of the previous evening, no matter how hard she tried. A fathomless ache formed between her thighs as she walked, his deep voice echoing within her brain and her skin tingling as though he were running his rough palms over her.
What she wouldn’t give to have one more night with that man.
Ugh. No. It was over.
A strange pounding of the earth echoed through the forest and she turned, pushing her hood up away from her eyes. A horse? Maybe even multiple horses? She attempted to peer around the bend she had just cleared. The pounding reverberated through the ground and up into the soles of her feet.
Definitely horses. Her heart leaped into her throat and she dashed off the road into the forest, catching a glimpse of brown snouts and hooves out of the corner of her eye as the animals and their riders rounded the bend.
The branches of dense underbrush clawed at her clothing as she hurried deeper into the woods, cursing the snaps of dead branches beneath her feet. Men’s voices almost pulled her gaze back around, but she didn’t dare look over her shoulder for fear of stumbling.
The rumbling of water rushing through rocks soon drowned out the voices. She headed toward it. Maybe she could wade to the other side and throw the men off her trail if they were indeed after her.
She slowed her gait, pushing her hood back off her head as she searched for the stream. After a few false starts in which she altered her course several times, she caught the gray color of water peeking between the trees.
A massive hand clamped over her mouth and an arm encircled her waist, drawing her backward. She screamed, but her voice was muffled by the man’s hand. On instinct, she threw an elbow back into his abdomen and a heel into his shin just as she clamped down on his fingers with her teeth.
A dark Gaelic phrase that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than the equivalent of a four-letter word in English escaped from the person’s throat just as he released her.
Leah stumbled forward, catching herself on a nearby tree, and bolted. Dodging bushes and rocks, her blood pounding through her veins, she headed toward the water.
Breaking through the foliage, she approached the rocky shore of the stream. Except it was no stream. A wide, restless river lay before her with clear rushing water in the shallows that gave way to a dark, opaqueness halfway across, not hinting to its possible depth.
She stopped, her lungs burning. She shoved her hand into her basket, searching for the knife she had stolen from the castle kitchens. She wrapped her fingers around the worn wooden handle and pulled it free from the basket just as a dark figure emerged from the trees to her left. Gasping, she whipped around to face him, holding the knife out in front of her.
It was Rathe.
He held up his hands to either side as he approached her. But he didn’t seem like himself. The jovial sparkle she had come to adore was missing from his eyes. His gait was tense but smooth like a lion cornering his prey.
“Just, just stop where you are!” she sputtered in a daze.
He shook his head, continuing his advance. “I hate to admit it, lass, but you caught me off-guard back there. Impressive.”
Her hand convulsed at his chilled tone. She shook her head, unable to reconcile the memories of his warm smile and easy manner with the ruthless determination in his now-emotionless eyes. “Stop. Please, Rathe.”
He lowered his hands to his sides. She took a tentative step backward, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder for an escape route if she needed to run. But why was he here? Did the mormaer send him?
“No, just stop. I am not going back there. I need to get home. My mother and sister will be worried sick.”
Her words didn’t seem to register on his face. He continued his advance.
Tears stung Leah’s eyes. How could this even be the same man who had held her while she fell into an uneasy sleep last night? The same man who had promised to rescue her if her future husband proved to be violent?
“Drop the knife, Leah.”
She shook her head, continuing to back away from him as he approached. “Stay where you are!”
Rathe lunged for her, grabbing her wrist. She gasped and attempted to wrench away from him, but he used his full weight to shove her backward until she smashed into a tree. The basket hanging from her other forearm tumbled to the ground.
He forced one of his legs between her knees, pinning her with his hips to the tree as he squeezed her wrist with the hand holding the knife. “Drop it.”
Leah grabbed his wrist with her other hand, attempting to pull it away. He pried her fingers loose and secured her arm against her side as he dug his fingers into her other wrist.
His eyes nearly blackened as he glared at her. “Drop it.”
A whimper of frustration and pain vibrated in her throat. With her heart almost bursting from her chest, she forced her fingers open, allowing the knife to tumble to the ground.
Shaking his head as he eased his grip, he glanced down at the knife and then back up to her face. “You could not skin a rabbit with that dull blade, let alone fend off an attacker. What were you thinking?”
His arrogant, reproachful tone pricked her pride. She shrank back against the tree, centering her gaze on his chin so she wouldn’t have to witness the fury emanating from his eyes.
She swallowed hard, her voice small and shaky as she spoke. “After last night, I realized if I wanted to go home, I had no choice but to get there on my own.”
Rathe’s jaw tensed. “After all of my warnings, you still thought this was a goo
d idea? God’s blood, woman!”
“I have been just fine up to now, thank you,” she muttered, half under her breath.
He threw back his head, his chest shaking with laughter. “You think the mormaer would tolerate bandits on his land? You have no idea what lies outside his borders!”
His criticism stirred a deep irritation within her, but she remained silent. Perhaps it wasn’t her most brilliant plan in the world, but at least she was doing something now instead of waiting for someone to come to her rescue.
Tears welled up in her eyes and one dropped onto her cheek. “You don’t understand. There is something I need to find. Something that will take me home.”
“The pendant only works at certain times. It will not help you now.”
Her lashes flew up in surprise. “How—how do you know about the pendant? What else do you know about it?”
“The mormaer told me.” His tone was laced with impatience. “I know very little, but I do know it will not take you home. It is too late now.”
“No, that’s not possible. My mother and sister—”
“What of them?” he demanded in an exasperated tone. “Do they depend upon you to take care of them? For food? Shelter? Protection?”
“Well, no, of course not. But they will be worried.”
“Then let them worry! It is better for them to wonder than for you to risk your neck on a fool’s errand!”
She squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach heavy with remorse and confusion. “No, I must go home.”
He grabbed her chin, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Look at me.”
With reluctance, she forced her eyes open. The unexpected tenderness now in his gaze caused her breath to catch in her throat.
“This is your home now. Here. In Scotland.”
“But—”
An intense flash of determination glowed in his eyes as he tightened his fingers on her jaw. “If you dare to run again, I will hunt you down. Make no mistake about it, lass. I will find you. There is no going home. Not ever. This is your home now.”
The desperation in the pit of her stomach subsided as they stared at one another in silence. A strange, undefinable emotion passed between them, but when Leah attempted to hold on to it so she could understand it, it slipped away and was replaced by an acute awareness of Rathe’s hard, lean body pressed up against hers. His eyes dropped to her lips as though he could read her thoughts and she licked them, her breathing quickening.
Oh God. Not again…
His lips swooped down upon hers, claiming them in a searing, hungry kiss that weakened her knees. She grabbed fistfuls of his tunic to steady herself, parting her lips beneath his as her abdomen swirled with renewed desire. He thrust his hardening cock against her stomach and she groaned. Releasing her chin, he plunged his tongue between her parted lips as he grabbed at her skirts, raking them up her legs.
She quivered, torn between the desire ripping through her and the intelligence of allowing this near stranger such unfettered access to her body. Pulling her head back and pushing against his chest, she broke the kiss just as the cool early autumn air swirled around her now-bare knees.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
His voice was sharp, seductive. “What I should have done before leaving you this morning. What I should have done after I saw you in the mormaer’s chamber.”
Startled, she stared at his lips, tongue-tied.
“What? You thought last night would be all there was between us?” He released a low, throaty chuckle and shook his head, his eyes traveling down her neck to her breasts. “This is only the beginning.”
He dropped his lips to her neck, growling as he slid his teeth over her sensitive flesh. She gasped for air, her aching nipples grazing against his chest with each inhalation.
“But the mormaer is forcing me to marry,” she protested as he hiked her skirts up to the tops of her thighs, exposing her to the forest around them.
He nipped her earlobe. “So?”
“My husband…it wouldn’t be right. It—”
His palm chafed the delicate skin of her inner thighs. “I will have you before you are married and after you are married. Whenever I desire.”
He drew two fingers up her moistening slit to her clit. She jumped at the sudden bolt of pleasure, grabbing his shoulders to steady herself. Slow, heavy circles around the sensitive nub, quickening with the rhythm of her breathing. Faster and harder. He licked and sucked the sensitive flesh of her neck, his hot breath scorching her skin. Sharp, exquisite waves of desire rippled through her pussy.
She whimpered as the pressure within her core mounted, sending rhythmic, pulsating waves through her. But then his touch was gone, driving the breath from her lungs. Her vision blurred, her head buzzing as his hands fumbled against her. Chilled air seared her lungs as she fought to breathe and her vision sharpened just as he shoved her skirts up to her waist. Her eyes were drawn down, landing on the thick, throbbing veins of his cock. Her lips parted, her mouth drying in anticipation.
His fingers slipped around her neck as he pushed her chin up with his thumb. Her face heated. She tried to avoid his gaze but he forced her chin to the side so his eyes caught hers. But then his grip eased as the dark determination faded from his lips only to be replaced by the slight upturn of arrogant, male satisfaction over her obvious admiration and desire. He brushed his thumb over her lips, his brow crinkling for a moment.
But then he dropped his hand and grabbed her thighs. “Hold on to me,” he ordered, lifting her off her feet.
She threw her arms around his neck and he impaled her in one smooth movement. Crying out, she clawed at his back. The sudden full sensation as she stretched to accommodate him triggered thrilling, rhythmic pulsations through her core. Her pussy contracted hard around his cock as he slammed into her and ground against her clit.
He raked his teeth down her neck. Shaking with need, her body melted against him as she surrendered to the liquid fire deep within her abdomen. With one sharp inhalation, he pounded into her with maddening speed, wrenching new vibrations from her core. She clutched his back as fast, furious waves of pleasure rushed through her, coiling and undulating until the hot, moist spasm she craved was released. She tightened around him, sucking and drawing his shaft deeper inside as her thighs vibrated against his hips.
And then he stilled, plastering his chest against hers, sinking his teeth into neck. His cock throbbed within her, filling her with his hot seed.
She pressed her cheek against his, her chest heaving with short, choppy breaths. Her flesh stung where he bit her neck and, as if he sensed it, he placed a soft kiss upon the spot. His lips moved down her throat, sending goose bumps scuttling across her flesh.
She parted her lips to speak, wanting to whisper something clever or sexy, but nothing came out. She clamped her mouth shut, her eyes falling closed. The luscious fullness of his still-erect cock embedded deep inside her drew a sigh from her lips.
He eased out of her and guided her feet to the ground. His dark hair fell in front of his face as he smoothed her skirts back down her legs and then tucked himself back into his breeches before securing them around his waist.
From out of nowhere, an unwelcome thread of shame wormed its way into her. She pushed away from the tree and turned her back on him as she pretended to pat wrinkles out of her dress. How could she have let this happen again? It was over between them. Just one night and they’d never see one another again, right? That was how one-night stands were supposed to work. It wasn’t as if she was in love with the guy.
But hadn’t he said it wouldn’t be their last time, even though she was slated to be married that night? She shook her head, biting her lower lip. Even if worse came to worst and she was saddled with a husband in a few hours, it wouldn’t be right to continue seeing Rathe.
A moist warmth trickled down her inner thigh and she paused, her eyes shifting back and forth until she realized what it was.
Shit.
“Here, las
s.” Rathe handed her the basket she had been carrying earlier. “Now, do I have to bind your hands together or will you come peacefully with me?”
Torn from her thoughts, she grabbed the handle. “What?”
He stepped in front of her, tilting her chin up with one finger. “If you leave the choice to me, I would bind you. I find the idea rather appealing.”
Snapped back to attention, she caught the bad-boy smirk plastered to his face. She parted her lips to speak but once again couldn’t form a single word in retort.
He chuckled and rubbed his thumb over the spot where he had bitten her. “Another time, perhaps,” he murmured. He pulled the collar of her leine against her neck. “You may want to keep that hidden for a bit.” Then, grabbing her hand, he led her back toward the road.
Her blood thudded in her temples as she struggled to keep up Rathe’s quick pace. The full, moist heaviness between her thighs consumed her—he hadn’t pulled out this time. Several times she tried to ask him about it, but her brain refused to send the words to her mouth.
But then a break in the trees appeared up ahead. Several men milled about, talking and laughing as their horses grazed along the side of the road. She would soon lose her chance to ask Rathe unless she took advantage of the opportunity now.
In panicked desperation, Leah dug her heels into the ground, yanking him to a stop. He turned toward her, his eyebrows raised.
She glanced at him before casting her eyes to the ground and moving closer to him. “You didn’t pull out this time.”
He paused before uttering his matter-of-fact reply. “You are right. I did not.”
Without another word, Rathe set forward once again, dragging her behind him, and they broke through the trees.
Chapter Seven
“You could have been killed.”
Leah pressed her lips together. She bristled at the mormaer’s annoyed tone and crossed her arms as she peered out the window. Rathe strode across the courtyard to speak to the group of men he’d brought with him to find her earlier. As he spoke, they gave him their full and attention, listening without interruption.
