How to Marry a Royal Highlander

by Vanessa Kelly

  “God, you feel so good,” he rasped out.

  Suddenly, he cupped a hand beneath her bottom and tilted her up as he rocked into her. Edie gasped. It was the perfect angle, bringing the peak of her sensitive sex into contact with his pelvis with each thrust. Tiny spasms rippled through her passage.

  He moved faster now, short thrusts that sent sparks shooting through her body. Her breath coming in sobs, Edie clutched at his shoulders. His body, his heat, and his scent surrounded her, overwhelming her senses.

  Overwhelming her heart.

  She clung to him, staring into his eyes as he drove her closer and closer to climax. His gaze glittered and his features were pulled into a taut, almost fierce expression. She arched up, desperately reaching for release as it shimmered just beyond her reach. Then Alec pulled up her leg, opening her wide as he thrust into her. He flexed one more time, nudging hard against her, and release blasted through her like a storm.

  Crying, she curled up and pressed herself against his chest, vibrating with the force of her climax. Alec wrapped her in a muscular hold, cradling her against him. A moment later he bit out a curse as his body found its pleasure, and his arms tightened around her until she could barely breathe.

  But Edie didn’t care. She wanted him to hold her forever and never let her go.

  Chapter Twenty

  Something tickled Edie’s nose, and a low rumbling vibrated through her body.

  “Wake up, sweetheart. I need to get you back to your room.”

  “Don’t want to,” she mumbled, refusing to open her eyes. She snuggled in closer to the warmth that surrounded her, breathing out a sigh of satisfaction as she started to drift off.

  Then her sleep-dazed brain registered the source of the warmth—a hard, naked body. She dragged open her eyelids and tried to focus. It was still dark. Her mind was fuzzy and she was sated with an enormous sense of well-being, both urging her to slip back into slumber.

  Alec tickled her nose again. “You can sleep more in your room. Right now we’ve got to get up.”

  She turned her face into his chest and wriggled a bit, getting even more comfortable. That seemed to make the body embracing her go even harder, and Alec muttered something under his breath.

  “It’s still dark,” she said, closing her eyes. “No one will be up for ages.”

  “I’m most decidedly up, and that’s going to be quite the problem if I don’t get you back to your room.”

  Since she had no idea what he was talking about, she ignored his comment and snuggled in closer. Never had she felt so warm, so safe, or so happy, and she had no inclination to move.

  Alec’s chest rose and fell under her cheek as he huffed out a laugh. But when he lifted her off him, Edie voiced an incoherent protest that unfortunately failed to stop him from sliding out from under her.

  “Hush, silly girl,” he said as he pulled the covers up to her shoulders. “Just stay there while I get dressed, then I’ll help you.”

  She cracked open an eyelid. The view was so enticing that she opened the other eyelid as well.

  Alec stood next to the bed—entirely naked, entirely delectable, and thoroughly aroused.

  “Goodness, you are up,” she said, eyeing his impressive erection. “Does that happen every morning?”

  He smiled. “Yes, as a matter of fact it does.”

  She let out a happy sigh and turned on her side, hugging his pillow. “That’s something to look forward to.”

  He laughed, then bent to press a quick kiss to her cheek. “You, Miss Whitney, are thoroughly incorrigible.”

  “I know. Aren’t you glad?”

  “Indeed I am.”

  She drifted back into a lovely doze as he moved quietly about the room. When he roused her again a few minutes later, he was fully dressed. She sat up with a yawn. “What time is it?”

  “Time for you to get back to your room,” he said as he fetched her nightgown.

  She sat on the side of the bed and let him dress her. Despite the fact that she was half-asleep, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It was accompanied by several luscious kisses and a few intimate caresses as he wrestled the voluminous amount of fabric over her body. He helped her with her slippers, then lifted her down to the floor and retrieved her dressing gown.

  “Don’t forget my cap,” she said around a large yawn.

  “I hope you don’t intend to wear so much gear to bed after we’re married,” he said as he carefully placed her spectacles on her nose.

  “Just think how much fun you’ll have getting me out of it,” she said, smiling up at him.

  When he smiled back at her, she thought her heart just might burst open for joy. Any doubts she might have had about their marriage had been dispelled by their mutual passion. Edie hadn’t yet worked up the nerve to ask Alec if he loved her, but she had no doubt that he wanted her in his bed and in his life. Though they might not be exactly where they needed to be, it was a good start to a future life together.

  She squeaked a bit when he lifted her into his arms. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m carrying my future bride to her room,” he said, settling her against his chest.

  “That’s very decent of you, but I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

  “I like carrying you,” he said, juggling her a bit as he opened the door. “Especially when you’re half-dressed like this.”

  “It’s an awfully long way back to my room,” she said as she draped her arms around his neck. “I’m not exactly a lightweight, you know. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

  He scoffed. “You’re absolutely perfect. Besides, I don’t want you to be cold in these drafty halls.”

  She happily subsided into his warm, powerful embrace. As he traversed the corridors and stairways of Blairgal, Edie closed her eyes again, drifting in a delicious haze. She rubbed her cheek against his starched neckcloth—

  Her eyes flew open and her head came up off his chest. She leaned back a bit, inspecting him in the dim light of the breaking dawn that filtered through the long windows on one side of the hall.

  Alec glanced down at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re dressed.” Right down to waistcoat and sturdy wool tailcoat, buckskin breeches, and riding boots. “Where are you going?”

  He hesitated just enough to tell her something was wrong.

  “I’m going riding,” he said in a clipped tone.

  “At this hour of the morning?” she asked incredulously. “Are you insane?”

  “It’ll be lighter by the time I get down to the stables.”

  “Not that much lighter. Tell me truthfully what you’re doing.”

  He shook his head. “Hush, Edie. Someone will hear us.”

  She fumed silently until he got her back to her room. As soon as he set her on her feet, she grabbed the front of his coat. “Alec, I am not letting you leave this room until you tell me where you’re going.”

  “Edie, I don’t have time for this,” he growled. “I’ll explain everything when I see you at breakfast.”

  She took in his expression, now shuttered. The answer blazed into her mind and she couldn’t hold back a horrified gasp. “You’re going to meet Fergus, aren’t you? You’re going to fight a duel.”

  He rolled his eyes, then covered her hands with his. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would—”

  “Don’t lie to me. Not about this. Did he challenge you to a duel?”

  When he rolled his lips together, refusing to answer, she dug her fingers into his coat, as if by clutching on to him she could keep him safe.

  “You can’t do it, Alec. It’s insane, and it’s not necessary. You said Donella never wanted to marry you, so why go through with something so dangerous?” Her voice had gone high and screechy, but she didn’t care.

  “Hush, love,” he soothed, steering her over to her bed. “I’m just going to talk to him, I promise. I won’t hurt him.”

  He hoisted her up and plopped her on the bed, but she still mana
ged to keep hold of him.

  “I’m not worried about him, you stupid man. I’m worried about you. I’ll die if anything happens to you.” Her heart was beating so hard she could barely get the words out.

  He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Sweet, nothing is going to happen to me.” He cracked a sly grin. “I’m a very good shot.”

  She let go of his coat, only to haul back and whack him on the arm. “That’s not funny.”

  He immediately looked contrite. “I’m sorry. I swear, Edie, I’m not going to fight him, no matter what he might want. But I do need to speak with him, somewhere quiet and out of the way. If I don’t, he’ll just come roaring up to the house and cause all sorts of trouble. And that would simply contribute to the gossip.”

  “I don’t care about the gossip,” she said desperately.

  “Well, I do. I won’t see you and Donella further smeared by this. Fergus is angry and hurt, but he’s no fool. I’ll be able to make him see sense once we have a chance to talk.”

  Edie very much doubted that. Fergus had too many reasons to want to kill Alec, starting with the fact that he was next in line to inherit.

  The image of those rocks tumbling down upon them at Mugdock Castle rose in her mind. She thought about bringing up that incident but knew he would simply dismiss it as the result of her over-active imagination.

  “Is someone going with you? Do you have a second?” she asked, starting to feel truly panicky.

  “Of course not.” He was working to pry her other hand loose from his coat. “We don’t need anyone else knowing about this.”

  Lovely. Fergus could shoot Alec in cold blood and no one would be any the wiser. A perfect way to dispose of the man who’d supposedly besmirched his sister’s honor and knocked him back in the line of inheritance.

  “You need to speak with your grandfather,” she said. He’d finally pried her hands loose and was now holding them down in her lap. “He’ll talk sense into Fergus.”

  “Trust me, he won’t. He’s more likely to pitch a fit, which won’t do his heart any good.”

  “Alec—”

  He cut off her desperate plea by swooping in to give her a searing kiss. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was so thorough and abandoned that he left her gasping for breath.

  “Go back to sleep,” he said, straightening. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Before she could respond to that idiocy, he strode out of the room.

  Cursing, Edie slid off the bed, landing on legs that still quivered from both fear and the force of his kiss. She started to stalk after him when the door to her dressing room flew open. Cora rushed out, mostly dressed but with her nightcap still on her head.

  “Miss, what’s happening?”

  “Captain Gilbride is going off to fight a duel and I’ve got to stop him.”

  Cora’s eyes went wide as dinner plates. “How?”

  “I don’t know yet. But I need you to go down to the stables and try to find out where he’s going. Can you please do that?”

  Cora hurried up to her and straightened Edie’s cap. “I can. And you go wake up Lady Reese. She’ll know what to do.”

  Edie blinked. She’d thought to wake up Lord Riddick first, but Mamma would no doubt be able to manage the old man much better than she could.

  She dragged Cora out to the hall. “I’ll meet you in the stables or back here.”

  The maid scurried off toward the back of the wing, while Edie picked up her skirts and flew down the hall to her mother’s room. She barged in, not bothering to knock.

  “Mamma, wake up!”

  Her mother bolted up. Her large, lace-covered cap slid to the side, letting her braid escape. “Eden? What’s wrong?”

  “Alec’s gone off to fight a duel with Fergus.” Edie rushed over to the chair in front of the dressing table and snatched up her mother’s wrapper.

  “Didn’t you try to stop him?” Mamma’s voice had gone high enough to shatter glass.

  “Of course I did. But he’s just like every other bloody man I’ve ever met—he doesn’t listen.”

  Her mother rose from her bed, looking as outraged as an avenging fury. If there was one thing she abhorred, it was rising before mid-morning.

  She took the robe and pushed her arms into the sleeves. “I have had quite enough of this nonsense, Eden. It really must stop.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Mamma. And that means we’ve got to get Lord Riddick on our side.”

  “I’m well aware of that, my dear,” her mother said as she shoved her feet in her dainty slippers. She stormed for the door, the wide skirts of her robe flaring out behind her like a cape. “And I’m going to tell him exactly what I think about how poorly he manages his domestic affairs. This clan nonsense has to end.”

  Edie, quite a bit shorter, had to scurry to keep up with her mother’s long-legged stride as she headed down the corridor to Lord Riddick’s chambers.

  “Mamma,” she said, “he feels very strongly about his family’s traditions. You’ll simply annoy him if you say that.”

  Her mother threw her an irate glance. “Good, because then he’ll know exactly how I feel.”

  A minute later, they rounded the corner into the adjoining wing, where his lordship’s rooms were located. Her mother marched up to the door and rapped on it loudly. “Lord Riddick, wake up,” she called out. “It’s Lady Reese. I need to speak with you.”

  “Well, if that didn’t give the poor man a heart attack, nothing will,” Edie muttered.

  “We don’t have time to waste, Eden.” She rapped again. “Lord Riddick—”

  The door flew open and a slight, dark-haired man—presumably the earl’s valet—stood gaping at them. “Lady . . . Lady Reese,” he stuttered.

  “Out of my way,” Mamma commanded. She pushed past the poor fellow, who looked ready to faint. Edie grimaced an apology and followed her in.

  They found themselves in an enormous bedroom decorated in a style that Edie could only describe as Heroic Highlander. There was quite a lot of plaid and yet more weapons, along with a huge and ancient four-poster bed hung with, yes, more plaid. Sitting in the bed, Lord Riddick looked furious and terribly aristocratic, despite the fact that he too was still in his nightgear and cap.

  “What the hell are you doing, you daft Sassenachs?” he thundered.

  “Trying to save your grandson.” Mamma stormed up to the bed, not the least bit embarrassed. “He and your benighted nephew have snuck off to fight a duel.”

  His lordship was struggling to free himself from his bedclothes, but her announcement gave him pause. His gaze flicked to Edie. “Is that true?”

  Edie nodded. “Yes, but Alec said he wouldn’t fight him. He said he wanted to try and talk some sense into Fergus.”

  Her mother snorted. “I have seen precious little of that commodity in this household.”

  “I’ll thank you not to insult my family. Besides, your family is hardly blameless in this matter,” Lord Riddick growled.

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” Edie exclaimed. “Stop arguing and do something. They’re going to kill each other.”

  The earl started to look stubborn. “I doubt it. Besides, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s a matter of honor, one Fergus has every right to demand.”

  Edie wanted to slap him. “You doubt it? Do you really want to see your grandson dead in a pool of blood? Or your nephew?”

  He glared at her. “It won’t come to that, you noddy. They’ll just fire their shots in the air, or knock each other about for a while. It’s best we leave them alone to sort it out for themselves like gentlemen.”

  Mamma planted her hands on her hips. “Have you been paying attention to your nephew, sir? He’s been staring daggers at Captain Gilbride and spewing vague threats ever since we arrived. You should be stopping this stupidity, not encouraging it.”

  The old earl looked ready to spit fire. “I wouldn’t expect a blasted woman to understand an affair of honor.” He grabbed his robe
from the valet, who’d been standing by his bed making odd bleating noises.

  Mamma drew herself to her full height, towering over the stoop-shouldered earl in righteous wrath. “I am so sick of men and their damned honor. To hell with your honor, I say.”

  Edie gaped at her mother. She’d never once heard Mamma utter an oath.

  “Your grandson survived eight years of war, including that carnage at Waterloo, and you truly intend to let him throw his life away over this?” her mother raged. “Let me tell you about honor, sir. My daughter’s honor is in ruins, as is Miss Haddon’s. And I’ll tell you whose fault that is. It’s yours and Miss Haddon’s family’s for forcing two young people into a marriage that neither wanted. And instead of acting like rational human beings, you’re now all rushing about like characters from some demented Shakespearean tragedy. Well, I won’t have it. If you won’t do something to save your grandson and nephew, I will.”

  She glared at the earl, who seemed stunned. Mamma then snorted in disgust, turned on her heel, and sailed out of the room. Edie ran after her, catching up in the hall.

  “That was the most splendid thing I’ve ever heard, Mamma,” she said, jogging to keep up. “But what do we do now?”

  “We follow those ridiculous young men and stop them. Go to your room, put on your boots and pelisse, and come fetch me. We don’t have time to waste getting properly dressed.”

  If not for her terror that something might happen to Alec, Edie would be enjoying herself. Her mother’s conduct in the midst of this crisis was both an eye-opener and entertaining.

  Edie raced down the corridor to her room, throwing open the door and pelting inside. “Cora, are you back?”

  She rummaged around in the tallboy in the corner and unearthed her riding boots. “Cora,” she yelled again.

  “Here I am,” the maid answered, hurrying in from the hall.

  Edie sat on the floor to pull on her boots. “Did you go to the stables?”

  “The captain didn’t go there,” Cora said, coming over to help her.

  Edie’s heart clenched. “Do you know where he went?”

  Her maid grinned. “I was running to the stables when I saw the captain cross the courtyard toward the back of the castle, so I followed him. He went to a sort of meadow right below the main garden. Then he sat down on a bench, looking ready for a bit of a wait.”