The Laird's Future Bride

by Hazel Gower

  Holly moved out of Callam’s hold, and in that instant, everything became clear. She became sure of whose soul mate she was. “I don’t want an annulment. I love Duncan. I think I have loved him from the moment I slammed into him, and his arms wrapped around me. Duncan is my soul mate.” Holly placed her hand over her stomach. “I’m having his baby. Before this argument, I was happy. I love this baby already, because he is a part of the man I love with all my heart. I can’t return what you feel for me, Callam. I never will. You are and always will be my brother-in-law.” She smiled at him and held his hands. “Duncan and I may fight and we may not talk for a week, but no matter what, I will always love him.” She winked. “Even when he is being an arsehole. I suppose no one is perfect.” Callam’s lips curled up, and she saw he understood. “I hope one day you find what I have with Duncan.”

  “If the woman is anything like ye, I will be happy. Come on. We best go down and greet the king. He should arrive soon.” Callam put his arm out for her to take.

  Holly nodded and linked her arm with his. Together, they left her rooms and went down and waited on the steps for King James to arrive.

  Holly was so nervous. She promised as soon as she got the chance she would apologize to Duncan. She missed him, and right now she could really use his strength.

  The king arrived, and Duncan stood on the steps of the keep next to Holly, who wore the gold dress she had worn when they were married. He reached for her hand, and relief washed over him when she held it tight. The king came to a halt and got off his horse, and Duncan let go of Holly’s hand to greet him and his other guests. He bowed. “Welcome, King James. I hope yer journey was uneventful.”

  “Aye, it was. Yer brother arrived at court, only to leave with me the next day. I have visited many of me men, checking in on them. Callam has told me much about Lady Holly, and I did have the pleasure of meeting some Fergussons who told me more about yer wife, and have left me even more eager to meet her.”

  Duncan nodded. “She is eager to meet ye too.” He focused on the king and walked with him to the keep stairs where Holly and his mother came down, smiling in greeting. Duncan gritted his teeth because as soon as King James saw his mother, he saw Holly, and his eyes widened and a smile that sent a chill down Duncan’s back spread over James’s face. Duncan had never seen King James appraise someone as he did Holly.

  “Robert, it is good to see ye got home safely and in time to enjoy a new daughter.” Duncan’s father nodded as he straightened from his bow. “Hello, Lady Magan. It is a pleasure to see ye again. It has been a while.” His mother curtsied and King James helped her rise. He then turned to Holly, who looked stunningly beautiful. Her face glowed, and her eyes shone bright as she stared in wonder at King James.

  Duncan cleared his throat and gathered Holly to him. “Ye Highness, I’d like ye to meet me wife, Lady Holly MacLeod.”

  Holly eased from his arms and curtsied. “King James, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

  King James brought her up and placed her hand on the crook of his arm. “The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about ye.”

  Holly blushed a pretty pink, and Duncan watched as they entered the keep, ignoring him. Unease seeped into Duncan, and he turned to his men, mother, and father. “Can ye help get everyone organized?”

  “Aye. Ye go help yer wife. King James looks smitten with her,” his father said.

  He walked into the keep to see King James sitting in his chair with his wife next to him and his brother on the other side.

  “I’m sure the reason we are not on the way to visit you at court is because I’m pregnant, and my husband does worry about me.” Duncan smiled because he could hear the bite in Holly’s voice.

  King James heard it too, and chuckled. “Well, it is good I have come to ye. I have heard ye have some silly notion that women should go to university too.”

  Duncan groaned and kenned it was going to be a long night.

  Holly was exhausted when she went to bed. She took her clothes off and fell on the mattress. She didn’t even care that she was naked and back in Duncan’s rooms. King James was leaving tomorrow. He’d stayed with them for two days. Tonight though, Holly was wound up tight. She would swear the king had been saying things deliberately to goad her into anger. She had overheard him saying he wanted to see her famous temper. Holly was grateful for Duncan, Callam, and even Duncan’s father, as they came to her rescue several times tonight.

  “I’m sorry.” Duncan’s lips on her cheek had her turning into him.

  Holly knew what he was apologizing for. They hadn’t spoken much, just in the king’s presence. Holly missed him so much. The last couple of nights since the king arrived, she’d been sleeping peacefully again, wrapped in Duncan’s arms, but each morning she woke to a cold bed, and she didn’t want that anymore. “No, I shouldn’t have put myself and our baby in danger like I did. I’m the one who is sorry.”

  Duncan’s hands moved down to rest on her stomach. “Why have ye been hiding away from me?”

  “I was angry and hurt with how you treated me when you found out I was pregnant. I didn’t like how ye treated me in front of the Fergussons.” She sighed and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with his scent. “Are you not happy that I’m having your baby?”

  He trailed his fingers up her body to cup her face. “I should nay have acted the way I did, but I was furious that ye put yourself and our bairn in danger. I was so scared when I kenned what ye’d done, but when I found out ye’d done it kenning that ye was with child, me anger came back with a vengeance. I couldn’t believe ye’d put our child in danger, and that ye had nay even told me ye carried me bairn. I stayed away at first so I dinna say something I’d regret. I was hurt, Holly, because I love ye so much. I could nay bear it if anything happened to ye.”

  Holly sat up and stared at down at Duncan. “You love me?”

  “Aye. How could I not? Ye’ve brought laughter, pleasure, fun, and love into me life. Ye're the only woman besides me mother who is nay afraid to speak her mind to me. Ye ken I’d never hurt ye. I dinna realize before ye came, what a barren life I was leading. Ye brought light into it.”

  Holly’s heart soared at Duncan’s words. She straddled Duncan and leaned down. Capturing his mouth with hers, she put everything she had into the kiss, showing him how she felt for him. “I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. You and…” Holly placed his hands on her stomach, “our baby are my world. I could never have imagined the wonderful life you have given me. You have given me a place and a family. Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for the way you have taken care of me and always make sure I’m safe. You have made me so happy. I never thought I’d get lucky enough to find my soul mate. To find a man that makes me fall in love more each day.”

  Duncan’s arms moved around her and pulled her down to him. “I only ever want ye happy. I’m proud of ye. Ye did me and my clan proud today. King James put ye through his little tests and ye passed them, every one. I even think ye have become a favorite.”

  “I thought by the end of the day he was saying things just to goad me.”

  “Aye, he was. Ye did good to keep yer temper in check.”

  She nodded and hugged Duncan tight. “Make love to me. Show me how much you love me.”

  His lips captured hers, and she felt his hands trail down her back and grip her bare arse. His mouth broke from hers, and they both lay panting for a moment before Duncan rolled so he towered over her. His hands moved from her arse and his fingers rubbed her clit.

  Holly ran her hands up and down his muscular chest, loving the tight, toned feel. He rubbed her clit faster and she leaned up and kissed him. “I want you inside me. Please, Duncan. I need you there.

  His blue eyes studied her and he nodded, lined his cock up with her entrance and pushed home. She moaned in pleasure as he filled her.

  Duncan's mouth and body devoured her. His lips left hers, and he whispered against her ear, “I’ve missed ye.”

&nbs
p; Holly wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you, too. I can’t sleep without you now. I need your smell, heat, and love surrounding me.”

  Duncan grinned and took her lips to his. He broke away and rested his forehead against hers. “Promise me next time we argue ye won’t stay away? I dinna like being without ye.”

  “I promise. I know we won’t always agree and get along, but I promise I will not sleep elsewhere when we fight. My place, no matter what, is in your arms.”

  “Aye, it is.”

  Duncan took his time, keeping an easy pace, savoring their union to the point she was begging for him to pick up his speed and help her come. His growls and grunts of pleasure had her close to the ecstasy she knew was just beyond her reach. Moving her hips, she helped him go deeper. He trailed feather-light kisses down her cheek and nibbled on her neck before he sucked at the sensitive spot just below her ear. She screamed her release and ran her fingers down his back and gripped his butt as an anchor, as the euphoria drifted over her.

  Duncan pounded into her, and she reveled in it. He thrust deep, tearing his mouth from her body to roar his release and settle over her. She enjoyed his weight and his warmth for a moment.

  “You are amazing. I love everything you do to me,” she panted out as she caught her breath.

  Duncan rolled them to the side as he slipped out of her. “It’s ye. I’ve never had what I have with ye, with anyone else. I ken I never will, and dinna want to. Ye're the only one for me, Holly.

  “I love you, Duncan MacLeod, and I’m glad your mother brought me to the place I was supposed to be. You were my Valentine fate.”

  “Aye, I am too. I love ye, Holly MacLeod.”

  Epilogue

  His son had a set of lungs on him. Everyone kenned when he awoke from a nap or when he was hungry. He was making it known he’d just woken and was hungry. Duncan gently lifted Owen out of his crib and placed him on his wife’s breast.

  “Ye ken, son, that if ye scream like that, ye’ll have the whole castle coming and checking on ye.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if your mother or father come banging on the door to check on him. They spoil him too much.” Holly sounded tired as she wiggled on the bed getting comfortable.

  “He is their first grandchild. Me mother has been hounding me for one for years. She even asked when we would try for another.” He grinned as Holly turned white and shook her head.

  “Owen is only three and half months old. I don’t intend to give him a brother or sister for a couple of years.”

  Duncan leaned down and stroked the little red tuft of hair on his son’s head as he had his breakfast. He looked up and his heart burst with love as his wife smiled at him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. He’s perfect, isn’t he?”

  “Aye, I love him more every day. I’m happy to enjoy him, and when ye're ready we will try for another. We will just make sure we practice lots.” He reached over and brushed his lips over hers. “The next one, I want to be a girl. I want one with big brown eyes just like her mother’s.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I was talking to your mother and we think it’s time for Callam to come home. It’s a year today since I came. Your dad has agreed to help your mother cast a spell to bring Callam his mate. I’m going to help too.”

  Duncan groaned, “Please tell me ye are jesting.” Holly shook her head. “When is she thinking of doing this?”

  Holly chewed on her lip. “Once Owen has been fed, and we all have breakfast.”

  Duncan scrubbed his hand over his face. “Ye and me mother are going to be the death of me. I canna believe me father has agreed to help.”

  Holly swapped his son to the other breast and shot him a glare. “I think it’s a good idea. It was how I was brought here, and look how well that turned out.”

  Duncan hated it when his wife was right. “Fine. Mother has to do it in the keep where less people will see.”

  Holly clapped her hands and her eyes grew bright with anticipation. “This is going to be so good. I can’t wait to see who fate chooses for Callam.”

  Neither could Duncan, he admitted. He hoped his brother got as lucky as he did. Looking at his wife and son, he felt like the luckiest man on earth.

  Jane was determined to find her best friend. Holly had gone missing a year ago today. Jane wasn’t giving up like the authorities had. Jane was all Holly had.

  Looking up at the huge MacLeod castle, she cursed the rain and the stupid taxi. Jane had helped the police search, but they had found nothing. So Jane had booked for the MacLeod Valentine’s Day party and packed all the period clothes she’d bought last year, and she was now walking to the castle, early like Holly had.

  Jane gripped her luggage tighter as she walked to the keep. Lightning sounded in the distance until the loud cracking sound got closer. Jane screamed as the ground around her shook and changed. Lightning suddenly surrounded her, and she could see glimpses of a forest. Terrified, she dared not move. Had something like this happened to Holly? Had she been abducted or burnt to a crisp and Jane was never told?

  The lightning stopped, and the sky cleared, but what was before Jane wasn’t what she’d seen before. A gorgeous blond-haired man wearing a plaid kilt and pointing a sword at her growled, “Who are ye?”

  Jane looked around to see a horse, and bushes surrounding her. Was this where Holly had been brought? Was this why the police hadn’t been able to find her? “Where am I? Did you take my friend?”

  “Ye're in Scotland, lass. Ye dinna answer me question. And who is yer friend?”

  “I’m still in Scotland. Oh, are you sure? Everything looks different. Well, um…my name is Jane. I’m trying to find my friend, Holly. She went missing a year ago today.”

  The big man groaned. “I’m gunna kill me mother. I’m Callam MacLeod. Come, I’ll take ye to Holly.” Jane took Callam’s hand, feeling instantly comfortable and safe.

  Books by Hazel Gower

  Published with JK Publishing, Inc.

  The MacLeod Clan

  The Laird’s Future Bride

  Published with Beachwalk Press

  Armageddon mates

  Kane’s Mate

  Rane’s Mate

  Ava’s Mate

  Published with Liquid Silver Books

  The Price of Fame

  Published with Evernight Publishing

  The Bears

  Theirs

  Ours

  Hers

  The Inteli

  Savior

  Sin City Shifters

  Sasha’s Lion

  Jezebel’s Lion- Coming Soon

  Stand Alone Books

  Always and Forever

  Letters to her Soldier

  I would love to hear from you!

  Website: www.hazelgower.com

  Email: hazel.gower@yahoo.com.au

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HazelGowerAuthor

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