His Bonnie Highland Temptation (The Clan Sinclair Book 2)

by Celeste Barclay

  His Bonnie Highland Temptation

  The Clan Sinclair Book Two

  Celeste Barclay

  His Bonnie Highland Temptation Copyright © 2018 by Celeste Barclay. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Lisa Messegee, The Write Designer

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Celeste Barclay

  Visit my website at www.celestebarclayauthor.blogspot.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing: August 2018

  Kindle Digital Publishing

  ISBN-9781718157675

  This novel is dedicated to all those readers who are in need of a little escape to a land of braw warriors and damsels in distress.

  ~Happy Reading~

  Celeste

  Chapter One

  The pounding in Callum’s head as he awoke made him wonder if he had been mistaken for the blacksmith’s anvil. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked over at the curvaceous blonde sleeping next to him. The previous night began to drift through his memory. His father, Liam Sinclair the chief of Clan Sinclair, had announced less than a sennight night ago that not only had he arranged a betrothal for Callum, his heir and tainiste, but that the woman would be arriving before the sennight was over. She was expected some time late this day, so last night he had celebrated his upcoming nuptials by drowning his sorrows in more drams of whisky than he could remember and taking his current lover to bed for a night of entertainment and pleasure. He had been very sure to tell Elizabeth that this was his last night of freedom and that their short, albeit passionate, liaison was coming to an end. While Callum Sinclair may have enjoyed more than a few women’s attention and considered himself a well experienced lover, he was also a man committed to fidelity to his wife. Whomever she might be. Callum had not intended to fall asleep with Elizabeth in his bed as he knew she would awake and want one more tumble. She was insatiable which had suited him just fine before he knew he was to be betrothed. Even after the announcement, he had been sure to enjoy her talents to the fullest as his freedom was rapidly drawing to an end. After all, the documents were drafted but not yet signed. He knew that he must have passed out after their last round of coupling. He never thought of his time with a woman as love making as he had never actually been in love.

  As Callum came more fully awake and realized that he wished he could fall back to sleep alone, he also realized that the pounding was not just in his head but at his door. He could hear his brother, Alexander, calling to him.

  “Callum! Get up. Yer bride arrives within the next quarter hour. She and her escorts have been spotted coming over the rise. Ye’d best be getting cleaned up.”

  Callum was suddenly very awake and feeling very shaken, both by the remnants of his overindulgence and the news that his soon to be bride was sonn to be at the keep. Callum jumped from his bed and began looking for a clean leine, his breacan feile, or great plaid, and broach. As he rounded up his clothes, he glanced again at Elizabeth still asleep in his bed and grimaced. There would be no time to bathe and he knew he smelleed of her and their coupling. He went over to the washstand and lathered the bar of soap against a cloth. He did his best to freshen up and wash the sleep from his eyes.

  “Callum, are ye awake? Yer bride will be getting here in just a few minutes.” Alexander continued to bang his fist against the door.

  Callum stumbled over to the door as he pulled his leine over his head. He pulled the door open and stared at this brother. Alexander pushed his way into his brother’s chamber and looked at the woman now awake and sprawled across Callum’s bed. He glared at her and then at his brother. Callum Sinclair was one of four brothers and none of the other brothers Sinclair had taken a liking to Callum’s current lover. They found her to be pretentious, self-serving, and manipulative and had tried to warn Callum on more than one occasion, but Callum had been enjoying her attention and ministrations too much to give any serious thought to her character, or lack thereof. As he glanced over his shoulder and watched her sexy stretch, he knew that she was trying to tempt him back into bed. She rolled onto her side and shamelessly allowed the sheet to fall loose from her breasts as she ran her hand over his side of the bed as she eyed Alexander. The invitation was clear: come back to bed, or your brother can take your place.

  For the first time since meeting Elizabeth a few months ago at court, Callum regretted bringing her back with him. She had been a lady in waiting to a noblewoman. She was a widow and of lesser noble birth. He had explained from the very beginning that he was not looking for a long-term attachment and had no intention of marrying her. That had not deterred Elizabeth from agreeing to come back to Sinclair land and staking a claim. Callum had arranged for her to have her own chamber, and, before this night, she had never shared his bed. He had always gone to her. He had wanted to save the sanctity of his bed for his wife. This day was not starting well.

  “Lass, ye best be getting a move on. I am needed below stairs and ye canna stay here.” Callum looked back at his brother in time to see his grimace of dislike. Callum walked to the bed and folded his plaid quickly. He wrapped it around him and secured it with this broach. He found his sporran and belted it around his waist before putting on his boots.

  “So yer little bride to be arrives shortly. How vera nice for ye. I ken how excited ye are to meet her,” Elizabeth purred.

  A chill ran down Callum’s back as he heard a tinge of malice in Elizabeth’s voice.

  “Dinna be trouble, Elizabeth. I explained to ye that our time was going to end soon when I found about the betrothal. I told ye last eve that it was over. Let us leave things on a good note.”

  “Of course, Callum. We both kenned this was only to last as long as it was enjoyable for us both.” That statement gave Callum no reassurance as it had been highly enjoyable last night. He was beginning to wonder if Elizabeth was going to let go with grace or dig her claws in.

  “Get dressed and go, lass.” Callum walked out of the door with his brother in tow.

  “What the bluidy hell were ye thinking taking her to yer bed the eve before yer bride arrives? Are ye really that stupid or just that selfish?” Alexander fumed.

  If it had been anyone other than his brother, who was next in age to him and his second, he would have smashed his fist into his face. Callum ran his hand through his still disheveled hair. He realized that he had forgotten to comb it. I must look like a right mess and for a first impression.

  “First of all, she isnae even officially ma betrothed yet. Second of all, I canna undo last eve. Ye ken how I feel about being pressed into marriage with a lass I have never even seen. Ye were there drinking with me. I can only hope to make a decent impression on the lass.”

  “Aye. I was there, but I also left off long before ye. I tried to warn ye when I saw Elizabeth lurking near the fireplace but ye wanted to do what ye wanted to do. Ye werenae listening to anyone but yer cock. I swear it’ll cause ye trouble and right soon, I’d image.” Alexander turned to walk down the stairs and Callum followed. He heard the door to his chamber open and close as Elizabeth came into the passageway. He attempted to speed up, but Alexander
was just as large as he and blocked his way. He knew it would be obvious to all that Elizabeth had spent the night with him. He just prayed that no one made mention of it in front of his soon to be betrothed.

  Chapter Two

  Siùsan Mackenzie walked into the Great Hall of the Sinclairs’ keep, Castle Dunbeath, and wondered if she would ever feel at home here. Her eyes rounded at the site of the massive double door entrance with the iron studs to reinforce the wood. She wondered just how large the Sinclair men must be to need a door so wide and so tall. She had heard the rumors that the Sinclair brothers and their father were mountains of men. Her eyes swept over the two fireplaces that were wide enough for at least three women to stand shoulder to shoulder and tall enough for even a large man to stand within. Only one of the fires was lit as the spring air was fairly warm today considering she was now nearly in the northern most part of Scotland. The temperature had dropped significantly each day that she and her escort had travelled northwest. She took in the Sinclair coat of armor hanging above the fireplace that was lit. Above the empty fireplace was an assortment of weapons that had clearly seen numerous battles.

  Siùsan’s gaze shifted back to the coat of arms. The two lions rampant seemed to be staring at her and snarling. The two different ships made her wish to escape. She had been shocked when, just a moon ago, her father, laird of the Mackenzies, had announced that he had arranged her betrothal. She still was not sure if she was more shocked that he had bothered to arrange a marriage for her or to whom he had arranged it. She and her father were not close.

  Movement from the stairs caught her attention, and she turned to see two men walking down the stairs. They looked incredibly similar, but the first man seemed to have a wary expression that took in everything and everyone. His gaze swept across the Great Hall and quickly caught sight of her. He smiled but it looked more pained than welcoming. The man behind him shared the same chestnut hair and remarkably broad build as the first man, but there was an air of command to him. And an air of dread. She quickly deduced who her intended was. As they made it to the bottom of the stairs, the second man seemed to finally notice her. His eyes widened, and he smiled broadly. The death knell seemed to have stopped tolling for him. Siùsan was immediately on edge. Siùsan knew that she had inherited her looks from her mother as her father’s attitude towards her was a constant reminder. She also knew that she was considered more than passably attractive. Apparently, Callum Sinclair would agree with that assessment. She had not missed how displeased he looked to be coming to meet her and his rapid shift of demeanor made her wonder just how shallow her future husband was. So red hair and green eyes are enough for him. Arenae I lucky.

  The two men were soon joined by two more. Siùsan had never seen such a wall of manliness before. It was obvious that the four men were brothers as they were almost exactly the same height, had the exact same shade of chestnut hair, and from a distance it seemed that they all had brown eyes. One brother was only slightly taller and broader than the other three and one brother seemed to be more barrel chested and slightly shorter than the others. Siùsan’s gaze locked on the man that she figured was her intended and she tried to plaster a pleasant and serene look upon her face. It was the look she used when she had to be in the presence of her stepmother. They were not close either.

  As her intended, she remembered his name was Callum, approached, she noticed that his eyes were a dark whisky shade of brown. When Callum stopped in front of her and bent to kiss her hand, she realized that his eyes matched the stench of whisky that was rolling off him. There was also another scent, almost more cloying, that seemed to waft from him. It was a bitter scent of roses, and Siùsan attempted to not wrinkle her nose as he stood up.

  “Lady Siùsan, welcome to Castle Dunbeath and welcome to the Clan Sinclair.” His voice was deep and rough as it was clear he had not been awake very long. It was also warm and welcoming, and Siùsan began to feel a little more at ease. He seemed pleasant after all. She was just about to respond when a voluptuous, tall blonde positioned herself just slightly behind Callum. Her kirtle was tight across her breasts and hips and the laces were not quite completely tied leaving much of her cleavage exposed. The hostility and possessiveness seemed to radiate off her as she glared at Siùsan. It did not take much for her to immediately realize that this woman was her intended’s leman. Her ire rose at the insult and humiliation of being greeted by her soon to be husband and his mistress.

  “Sir Callum, thank ye for yer warm welcome. I must say that is an interesting fragrance that ye favor. It seems rather floral for a man of yer stature.” She bristled and found an almost perverse pleasure at his stunned expression. His brothers guffawed and elbowed one another none too discreetly.

  Callum saw that Siùsan was looking over his shoulder. He moved aside slightly in what he hoped would like he was about to introduce his brothers. He looked behind him and almost groaned out loud when he saw that Elizabeth had not only followed him downstairs but was clearly staking a claim. He would have to find time to speak to her and make arrangements for her to either return to court or to her clan.

  “Lady Siùsan--” Callum did not get a chance to make introductions as Siùsan moved towards the dais and dropped into a curtsey worthy of the king. Callum turned to see his father had been watching the entire exchange. The hard set of his mouth foretold the conversation that he would be having with Callum, but his eyes were warm as he looked down upon Siùsan. He stepped down from the dais and walked to her.

  “Rise, ma lady. Ye dinna need to curtsy to me. We are to be kin soon.” He took her proffered hand and placed a gentle, fatherly kiss on it and then pulled her in for a hug. Shocked by the show of affection, Siùsan was not sure how to respond. The hug was not too tight, but it was genuine. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and allowed herself to enjoy the embrace. It had been years since anyone had hugged her besides her half-brothers when she left her clan. She began to warm to the embrace and rested her cheek against the older man’s chest.

  “Dinna fret, lass. He isnae at his best, but he is a good mon, I promise ye. I wouldnae promise ye to him if he werenae. I ken yer father and I ken yer mother’s kin. I look forward to becoming yer father by marriage,” Liam Sinclair whispered in the sprite of a woman’s ear.

  Father by marriage. I hadna really thought that far ahead. Perhaps he will be kind to me. Perhaps there is hope that he will be right. I wonder what he kens of ma kin. He sounded like he kens quite a bit. Siùsan’s sense of reassurance quickly evaporated and was replaced by embarrassment. If Laird Sinclair knew her family, or at least knew of them, he would know of her status within the family.

  Laird Sinclair turned Siùsan to face the four men who approached.

  “Lady Siùsan, ye have already met ma oldest son and heir, Callum. To his right is Alexander, ma second oldest and Callum’s second in command of the guard. To Callum’s left is ma third son, Tavish, and beside him is ma youngest, Magnus.”

  Siùsan dipped into a shallower curtsy but was respectful nonetheless. “Thank ye for the welcome. It is a pleasure to be here.”

  “Have ye broken yer fast yet? Would ye care to join us as we do?” Callum’s deep voice filled her with warmth, but it took only a second to remember her distrust and disgust.

  “Nay. I havenae broken ma fast yet. I would appreciate the meal after two sennights of sleeping outdoors and eating bannocks every morn.” The group moved to the dais. Callum usually sat directly to Laird Sinclair’s right but he showed Siùsan to that seat. He sat to her right.

  Siùsan smiled at the older woman who placed a bowl of porridge in front of her. The kind woman smiled back and nodded slightly.

  “Lady Siùsan, this is Hagatha, our housekeeper. She has overseen this keep since I was a wean.”

  “Tis nice to meet ye, Hagatha. Thank ye for the porridge. It smells wonderful and sweet.”

  “A little honey, ma lady.” Hagatha whispered with a wink. Siùsan could not help but grin.

 
As Hagatha moved on to oversee the serving of the meal, Siùsan heard a tinkle of laughter that attracted her attention. She saw Elizabeth seated at a lower table close to the dais. The woman was leaning forward to offer the entire dais a clear view of her more than ample breasts. Siùsan peeked down at her own chest and, while she was well enough endowed, she felt lacking in her feminine shape. Callum studiously kept his head bowed over his bowl and shoveled the food into his mouth. Siùsan, too, looked down at her bowl, however, she looked out from under her lashes several times to see Callum glance at Elizabeth as he ate. At least he has the decency to not be obvious, but he’s still lusting after his leman right next to me. What has ma fatherr done? I dinna want to marry a man who canna keep his philandering away from me.

  Another peel of laughter floated across the din of the Great Hall. Siùsan looked up in time to see Elizabeth swipe her finger across her breast to scoop up porridge she had dribbled. She licked her finger and then sucked it into her mouth. Siùsan could not stop the gasp that escaped her.

  “I need to check on ma horse. It was a long journey, and I think he has a loose shoe. I will check in with the blacksmith.” She pushed back her chair and scurried off the dais. While she walked out of the keep, she managed to take long strides and rush out while still maintaining some composure.

  Shite! Callum was stunned both by Elizabeth’s display and Siùsan’s reaction. He pushed back his own chair and rose. He looked down at his father and saw the displeasure written all over his face.

  “Fix this. Fix both.” Liam Sinclair swung his glare towards Elizabeth. “Or I will send the chit away maself.” He nodded towards the door. “Go.”

  Callum stepped down from the dais and moved towards the door. Elizabeth saw his approach and grinned. She started to rise, but he walked past without even sparing her a look. If he had seen her face when she sat down again, he would have known that a woman scorned was a woman filled with spite.