“I like a lass with some spirit. Ye’ll be a wild one for sure.”
Siùsan almost gagged when she understood what he intended. She lifted her feet and tried to knock him off balance by pushing her feet against the side of the well. It was like trying to knock over a mountain. She was beginning to panic but knew that would not solve the problem and would only mean that she gave up any control of the situation.
When the unseen man grabbed her, he had failed to pin her arms to her sides. She thrust her head back as hard as she could. She had hoped to hit his nose, but she was too short. She did succeed in cracking him in the windpipe, and he gasped. Then he laughed again. She reached her arms over her head and estimated where his eyes would be. She gouged them, and he hollered in surprise and pain. His grip loosened just enough for her to pull his hand from her mouth barely far enough to bite him. Hard. She tasted the metallic stickiness of his blood. He ripped his hand away from her mouth, and she screamed as loudly as she could.
~~~
Callum had kept his eyes on Siùsan any time he had not been partnered with her. He had found dancing with her to be a delight. She was an able and sure-footed dancer, and the way her tiny waist in his hands felt was enough to harden his rod for the entire night. He had been disappointed to let her go any time the dance called for them to switch partners. He was beyond relieved each time she came back to him. He found that, even though he barely knew her, he already missed her when they were apart. He could not figure out why he was so drawn to her so quickly, he just was.
He also found that he was furious when Elizabeth cornered him into a dance that kept them together. He had told her as much and left her standing among the other dancers. He scoured the heads of the clansmen and women who were gathered but could not find the shock of deep red hair that he longed to find. He had seen she was not happy when he began to dance with Elizabeth, but a series of turns had caused him to lose sight of the one woman he did desire to dance with.
Instead of finding Siùsan, he did spot Tavish, who he knew had danced with her several times that evening.
“Have ye seen Siùsan?” Callum asked as he approached Tavish.
“Aye. She said she needed a break and was going to sit down.” They both turned towards the dais, but she was not there.
“Strange. I am sure she said she was going to sit the next one out.”
“I dinna think she would retire for the night without saying so. Perhaps she stepped out for a breath of air.”
Both Tavish and Callum turned and moved towards the exit.
“Where are ye both headed?” They were stopped by Alexander and Magnus who were both holding pints of ale.
“Have ye seen Siùsan? Did she walk by?”
“What, big brother? Have ye lost her already? Ye charm isnae what it used to be,” teased Magnus.
“Mayhap so, but I still want to find her. Siùsan doesnae ken her way around and the men have been drinking tonight.”
“Fine. We’ll help ye two look.”
The four brothers walked through the door of the keep and began descending the steps. They had only gotten halfway to the bottom when a scream rent the air. Callum looked in the direction from which it came, and his blood ran cold at what greeted his eyes. Siùsan was grappling with a man at least twice her size. She had a dirk in her hand and was crouched and moving in a circle to give herself space away from the well. The man lunged at her, and she thrust her dirk into his side. He howled with anger and swiped his fist across her face. She jerked back from the impact, and his hand only grazed her face. She produced another dirk from where Callum could not see. She slashed his arm and leg as she pivoted away from him.
Callum thought he would be sick. He had a quick flash of memory from not so very long ago when his sister had been captured and held hostage, bound to a bed because of her husband’s spurned lover. He had a sinking feeling that history was quickly repeating itself. He suspected this attack was no mere coincidence since his father had steep penalties for harassing women. Only another woman would serve as temptation enough to defy Laird Sinclair.
Callum led the charge across the bailey with his three brothers following on his heels. When they reached the two fighters, he pulled Siùsan behind him and wrapped an arm around her.
“Sean, what do ye think ye’re doing assaulting ma bride?”
“She put me up to it?”
“What are ye saying about Lady Siùsan? That she asked for ye to attack her?”
“Nay. The other one.” He staggered and stumbled to the ground. Between being seriously inebriated and the blood he was losing from his wounds, he could no longer stand. He fell backwards and passed out.
Callum turned to Siùsan and pulled her into his embrace. She dropped her two dirks and wrapped her arms around his waist. She clung to him and burrowed her head into his chest. This time when she took in his scent, it was fresh, clean, and masculine. It was a combination of pine and his own natural scent. She breathed deeply and began to calm.
Callum ran his hands up and down her back and over her shoulders and arms to check for any injuries. His heart was pounding still. He felt like he could not catch his breath after seeing his tiny betrothed fight off a man who would have been an equal partner to him in the lists. He was stunned. He was proud. He was slightly aroused. And he was relieved that she seemed to be uninjured.
“Mo ghaisgeach beag,” he whispered into her hair as he bent over her and kissed her temple. She was a little warrior, and more importantly, she was his. He knew in that moment that he would always defend her and always come after her. He could feel her body begin to calm and the trembling slowly stopped. She relaxed into his hold. They stood like that for what seemed like forever. He was only slightly aware that his brothers had carried Sean away, and they were alone together. He pulled back slightly from her and used his forefinger and thumb to turn her face towards him. There was the beginning of a bruise on her cheek and jaw. The sight of her marred skin was enough to set his blood boiling all over again.
“I am alright. Ye and yer brothers saved me. Naught really happened.”
“Naught happened?” he barked. “That mon was about to rape ye or God kens what else.”
“I dinna need ye to explain to me what he wanted. I was more than aware as he said as much when he grabbed me. Even if he hadnae, I am nay eejit. I kenned what he was aboot.” She drew back from his arms and placed her hands on her hips.
Callum had never seen a more glorious sight. The moon shone on her hair making it look as though it were flames dancing in the dark. Her eyes had become a much deeper shade of green. Her face was still pale, but a little color was rising up her neck. She most definitely was a little warrior if ever he had seen one.
“I didna mean ye were an eejit. I meant that it is a big deal that he, or anyone, attacked ye. We dinna stand for men to harm any woman in this clan. I certainly will nae stand for any mon harming ye. I amnae angry at ye. I am angry that someone planned to hurt ye.” He pulled her back into his arms. “I was concerned when I couldnae find ye in the Great Hall. I was positively terrified when I saw ye fighting him.”
Siùsan tilted her head back to look at him. She searched his eyes and saw that he was earnest about his feelings. He was not upset at her but had been very worried about her wellbeing.
“I didna ken that a braw mon like yerself would be terrified of anything.” She could only whisper. It seemed that speaking any louder would destroy the spell that seemed to be winding itself around them.
“I was terrified. I dinna ever want to see a mon raise his hand to ye again. Ye deserve to be protected. Ye shouldnae ever have to do it yerself.” He lowered his mouth to hers and softly brushed his lips against hers a couple of times. When she did not pull back but rather leaned in to his kiss, he pressed his lips more firmly against hers. He felt more than heard her sigh. She wrapped her arms around him again and lifted her chin to him. His tongue traced the seam of her lips. She did not understand what he wanted. W
hen he did it a second time, he pressed his tongue against the crease. She opened her lips only. He used his thumb to gently press her jaw open, then she understood what he wanted. She opened her mouth to his invading tongue. He languidly allowed his tongue to search the inside of her mouth. Tentatively, she used her tongue to touch his. She had no idea what to do or what he would want her to do. When she heard his deep groan, she grew braver, allowing her tongue to trace the inside of his mouth. His grip on her waist tightened. She pulled back her tongue and sucked gently on his.
Siùsan was shocked that she was allowing him to kiss her in such a manner but could not have stopped herself even if she wanted. Just a few hours ago, I could barely stand the mon. Now I canna get enough of him. What is he doing to me? Why am I so drawn to a mon I’m nae sure I even like let alone trust?
Callum was in heaven and hell. He had never felt anything more erotic than the feel of Siùsan pulling his tongue into her mouth and holding it there. Her body felt perfect pressed against his. Her breasts were much fuller than he had realized before. The flair of her hips tempted his hands as they skimmed over her sides and then gripped her buttocks. His cock had swollen and was twitching with the need to thrust into her. His ballocks ached with the need for release. Her quiet little pants and moans were driving his control to the brink of destruction. He could barely keep himself from carrying her into the garden and laying her on a bench to ravish her. Only the thought of what she had just endured kept him from pushing things further. Slowly, he pulled his mouth from hers. He drew lines of kisses along her battered cheek and jaw to her neck. He licked and kissed his way down to her shoulder. She titled her head to give him more access. He could feel the shudders of desire pass through her slim body as her hips rocked forward. He knew she was not aware of what she was doing. He desperately wanted to make love to her but knew that if they went any further, she would only regret her impulsivity. He released her bottom and ran his hands up her back. When he reached her shoulders, he pressed her back as he took a step back.
“Lass, I could stay here all night just kissing ye, but I dinna want to overstep. We havenae even signed the betrothal contracts yet. If we stay out here much longer, there will be talk as I am sure more than one person has noticed our absence by now. I dinna want to part, but I ken it is the right thing to do. Will ye go riding with me tomorrow? I would like to show ye the village and the surrounding areas.”
Siùsan struggled to catch her breath as she looked up at Callum. She was overwhelmed at her physical and emotional reaction to being in his arms. She, too, knew that they needed to stop before they went too far, and she knew they needed to return to the keep, but she longed to stay with just Callum. She could only nod her head.
“Is that an aye to returning to the keep or to the ride tomorrow?” Callum asked softly. He was desperately praying that she meant the ride.
“Tis an aye to both.” She reached up on her tiptoes but was still too short to reach his lips, so she settled for a kiss to his jaw. She rather liked the feel of his bristles on her lips. She reached her fingertips up to rub them along his jaw.
“If ye keep that up, I willna let ye out of ma sight for a month of Sundays.”
Siùsan giggled softly. This time it was she who took his hand as they walked back to the keep. They entered the Great Hall together. The Sinclair was there to greet them and look very concerned.
“Lass, ma lads were just telling me what happened. Are ye well? Tell me what happened?” The Sinclair was trying not to riddle her with questions, but he had been shocked to hear that his soon to be daughter by marriage had been attacked in his very own bailey.
“Ma laird--”
“It’s Liam for now, lass. Mayhap one day even Da.”
Siùsan blushed at this. She could not help feeling happy at this invitation to informality. There was something about Laird Sinclair that made her look to him as the father she had not had. He was an intimidating sight. He had to be at least two and half score, but he was still as brawny as his sons. It was clear that he still trained in the lists regularly. He and Tavish were the most similar in build. They were barrel chested and ever so slightly shorter than the other Sinclair men. His hair was still a deep chestnut making it obvious from whom the sons had inherited their hair. His eyes were a slightly lighter shade of brown than Callum’s but still very similar.
“Liam, I needed to catch ma breath from dancing and was overly warm. I remembered that Hagatha said that ye make sure the women of the clan are safe among yer men, so I decided to step outside. I walked over to the well. Then a hand covered ma mouth, and another wrapped around me. I fought then Sir Callum and yer other sons came to ma rescue.” She did not want to repeat what the man had said to her or after when Callum questioned him. She had already deduced that Sean had meant Elizabeth. She could not think of any other woman who would put a man up to harm her. Does Callum realize who did this? Is this going to be enough to have her set aside or is he going to let it go? I dinna quite ken what to make of his kiss. Was it just lust, or does he mean what he said about being faithful and making me happy? I just dinna ken. I amnae saying aught yet.
“Lass, is there naught more that ye can tell me?”
“Nay. He was drunk and seemed to be looking for company whether I was willing or nae.”
“Da, there is more, but I will speak to ye after we sign the contracts. Siùsan, if ye are still willing to wed, I would make our betrothal official and binding. Tonight.”
“Are ye sure that ye want to do that tonight? Ye dinna need more time to ken that we suit?” She could not keep herself from looking at Elizabeth who gloated back at her as she looked at her bruised face.
“I havenae ever been so sure of anything, lass. I would make it official and be sure that everyone kens that I choose ye and ye are under ma protection.”
“For ma protection. Vera well then.” She whispered as she stepped forward to take Laird Sinclair’s arm. I suppose that is more than I could have hoped for.
“Siùsan, ma son may be thoughtless at times, but he is a good mon. He seems vera taken with ye. Just give him time to show ye that he will make ye a good husband. If ye dinna agree between now and the wedding, ye can call it off without any fear. Ye can stay here or I will escort ye personally wherever ye care to go.” Liam Sinclair whispered all of this to Siùsan as they walked towards the priest.
She was too shocked at his offer to do more than nod her head. She looked back to see Callum following close behind. His brow was furrowed as he watched her with his father. Clearly, he had not been able to hear what his father whispered, and he seemed concerned about what he did not know. She gave him a small smile that she hoped would reassure him. Perhaps, if she could convince him that everything was well, then perhaps she could convince herself.
The priest stepped forward as they both turned to face one another. A strip of Sinclair plaid was wrapped around their wrists. It was just loose enough for Callum to turn his wrist and entwine Siùsan’s fingers with his. He gave her a warm smile and a wink. She was encouraged by his smile and returned it. They turned to face the priest.
Father Paul began the vows by directing his questions to Callum.
“Do you, Callum Liam David Sinclair, take Siùsan Allyson Mary Mackenzie to be yer betrothed wife, to be her constant friend, her partner in life, and her true love? To love her without reservation, honor and respect her, protect her from harm, comfort her in times of distress, and to grow with her in mind and spirit?”
Siùsan was not sure how he would feel about the part where he was asked to pledge his love. She did not know if he would ever consider loving her, but he answered in a confident and strong voice that carried clearly throughout the Great Hall.
“Ye canna possess me for I belong to maself but while we both wish it, I give ye that which is mine to give. Ye canna command me, for I am a free person, but I shall serve ye in those ways ye require, and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from ma hand. I pledge to ye that ye
rs will be the only name I cry aloud in the night, and the only eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to ye the first bite of ma meat and the first drink from ma cup. I pledge to ye ma living and ma dying, each equally in yer care. I shall be a shield for yer back and ye for mine. I shall not slander ye, nor ye me. I shall honor ye above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances. This is to be the marriage of equals. To ye, I pledge ma troth.”
Siùsan had not anticipated Callum reciting a traditional marriage vow for their betrothal, but she understood what he was telling her. She had not missed his addition of “only” when he promised to be faithful to her. She also knew that was not meant for her alone. That left a slightly bitter taste in her mouth, but she chose to look to the positive that he had done so.
Father Paul turned his attention to her now and posed his questions.
“Do you, Siùsan Allyson Mary Mackenzie, take Callum Liam David Sinclair to be yer betrothed husband, to be his constant friend, his partner in life, and his true love? To love him without reservation, honor and respect him, protect him from harm, comfort him in times of distress, and to grow with him in mind and spirit?”
In a clear voice of her own, Siùsan both pledged her commitment and staked her claim on Callum Sinclair, future laird of the Sinclairs.
“Ye are Blood of ma Blood, and Bone of ma Bone. I give ye ma Body, that we Two might be One. I give ye ma Spirit, 'til our Life shall be Done. I swear by peace and love to stand, heart to heart and hand to hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, confirming this ma sacred vow. To ye, I pledge ma troth.”
Callum beamed at her and was clearly pleased that she had chosen an equally traditional wedding vow for her betrothal pledge. Without waiting for the priest, he pulled her to him and lowered his lips to hers. It was a sweet and gentle kiss but quickly became deeper. The clearing of more than one throat finally tore them apart. Siùsan was too aroused to be embarrassed. She did not understand the feelings that Callum generated low in her belly. Her breasts ached, and she longed for him to touch her. All she could do was stare up at him. He seemed to innately understand her thoughts for he tucked hair behind her ear just as he had done in the stables just that morning. The events of the day suddenly churned through her mind and she felt exhausted. She could not believe all that had happened in the space of one day. She began to feel too warm, and black spots danced around the corner of her vision. She swayed slightly, and Callum wrapped his arm around her.
His Bonnie Highland Temptation (The Clan Sinclair Book 2) Page 4
