On Highland Time

by Lexi Post

  It was Torr that concerned her, or rather her dilemma about his death. She still had three suspects for the Disruptor, but they were all men and none of them, that she knew of, had left the castle alone since she’d arrived. So if as Mouse postulated, the Disrupters were somehow men, she needed to focus on them. But unless Graham miraculously escaped, she didn’t think he was a possible. During their conversation, he seemed generally confused by her question about Torr.

  That left Douglas and Ian, though each she was unsure about for different reasons. Douglas seemed too focused on finding a woman. Though he acted out of lust, the loneliness she’d seen in him, and his reaction to her and Torr, made his purpose more personal, like he really wanted someone to share his life. Ian, she doubted because of his nature and his lack of purpose in general. Though both could still be Disruptors, there was a very good chance the Disruptor had not appeared yet.

  But if she was right and Ian, Graham, or Douglas was the Disruptor, she had to figure out how to keep them from saving Torr. It would be easy to ensure Graham stayed imprisoned, but the others made it tricky. She couldn’t very well lock the men up. Maybe there was an herb she could use that would put the men to sleep just before the battle. That would take a careful conversation with Beth, but it was her only idea at the moment. If the Disruptor was either Ian or Douglas, then the man must have kept a blade from hitting Torr’s body. If they both didn’t make it to the battle, then history would be corrected. But what if the Disruptor appeared in the middle of the battle? The clan was too small for her to disguise herself and go into battle with the men.

  “And what about Torr?” The man deserved as much sex as he wanted between now and the end of the week, but her heart didn’t want him to, at least not with other women. How selfish she was.

  She needed to let history flow as—

  A noise in the wood had her listening intently. Silence reigned, but she did notice the sunset sprayed the forest with the oranges and reds of the end of day. She had to return to the castle before the portcullis was closed for the night. Rising, she turned toward the path and heard it again. A sound so faint, she wasn’t sure it was real. It could simply be an animal bedding down for the night, or a bird walking toward the clearing.

  Whatever is was, she didn’t need to stay and find out. Lifting her leine, she started through the woods to the castle. As she reached the south field, she slowed her pace. Others were strolling into the castle as well, and there was no need to rush. Still, the feeling of being watched persisted. She looked back over her shoulder. Was it man or beast within that wood? There were wild boar in Scotland at this time. She increased her pace, her own anxiety feeding upon itself. When she finally reached the entrance, she looked up to find Douglas staring at her.

  She shook her head as she entered the short tunnel before arriving in the yard. He stepped in front of her and by the look on his face, he wasn’t happy.

  “Where have ye been, Diana?”

  She shrugged. “I went for a stroll.”

  “Why?”

  She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm. “I asked ye why.”

  She hesitated. Something wasn’t right with the man. “I needed time by myself to think. I used to go for walks all the time at home.”

  His grip loosened, but he didn’t let go. “Don’t go to the laird’s bed again. He’s not for ye.”

  She gazed into Douglas’s brown eyes. They were attractive eyes that reminded her of natural amber. “I don’t want Torr, and I doubt he will want me again.”

  Douglas raised his brow. “He has taken a keen interest in ye, but it will wane. Ye need a man that can make ye happy for a long time.”

  Holy Hamlet, the man was serious. “Are you proposing to me, Douglas?”

  “Would ye have me?” He dropped his hand from her arm.

  Surprised, she opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

  “Think on it.” He turned and strode away.

  She remained standing there as people filed into the castle keep. It appeared Douglas wasn’t the Disruptor at all. They wouldn’t propose to someone in a particular time period, would they? Picking up her hem, she continued into the Great Hall.

  She joined the other women in the kitchen and helped place trenchers full of venison, apples, and bannocks on the tables. The earlier hunt had brought down a deer, and they would all benefit from it. She avoided the high table and kept busy. When all were served, she sat down with the other women.

  Nessa slid over on the wooden bench to give her room to sit. “Where did ye go?”

  She bit into an apple to forestall answering.

  Beth spoke up. “Probably went to pick buttercups for the laird.”

  The giggles around the table made it clear everyone knew she’d spent the night with Torr.

  “Nay.” Nessa winked at her. “She found a nice grassy place to take a wee nap after being up all night.”

  She put her head in her hand at the chuckles that followed, pretty sure she blushed as brightly as Mairi, who sat across from her.

  The young woman’s eyes were also wide. “All night?”

  That caused the entire table to erupt into laughter. She wanted to crawl underneath it, but when she glanced at the high table, she found Torr looking at her curiously. She shook her head and returned her attention to her meal, hoping he would ignore them. To her relief, the conversation turned to Mairi and her growing stomach.

  After dinner, she helped clean the kitchen as a way to stay out of Torr’s presence just in case he did the unthinkable and asked her to his bed again, or worse, asked someone else. Beth thought it odd that she helped but wasn’t about to turn her away. Once all was cleaned, she remained there having a small cup of the heavy ale. She didn’t want to be awake in the middle of the night and possibly encounter Torr. She hoped the ale would help her sleep.

  It didn’t. Halfway into the night she was wide awake again. Why couldn’t she sleep when the night before with Torr she’d had no problem? She was hopeless. Rising, she carefully picked her way through the room, leaving the Great Hall by the tower exit. Outside, the air was moist and warm, the height of the Highland summer. She strolled to the well and sat on the ground with her back to it. Maybe Go-Lucky would find her tonight. Their last conversation had been cut short by the guard’s patrol, so she still didn’t know why he had arrived. It could have simply been a check-in, or Jules may have sent him.

  Hopefully, Torr was sound asleep in his own bed, now that he had captured his spy. The only other reason she could think of that he might wander outside would be if he looked for—

  “Diana.”

  She jumped at the sound of his voice next to her. Looking up, she found him standing to the side, his hand outstretched. How could a man so large move so silently? She’d think he had the same ability as Katz. She accepted his hand and he pulled her up…right into his arms. She pressed her hands against his chest.

  He grinned. “You would be much easier to find, lass, if you picked the same spot every night.”

  “How did you know I would be out here?”

  “You always are. I had a cousin who had difficulty sleeping through the night as well. He always volunteered to relieve the wall watch because he was awake anyway.”

  She raised her brow. “Really? Where is he now?”

  Torr’s chest stiffened beneath her hands a second before he spoke. “Dead.”

  Of course, what an idiot she was. “I’m sorry.”

  He gazed into her eyes. “It is the way of life here. Be it the war to keep Robert on the throne or a rival clan, we never know when life will end.”

  But she did, at least when his would end. Sorrow caught her by surprise, and she looked away, fighting the strong emotion filling her chest.

  He raised her chin with his finger, and a tear escaped to roll down her cheek. He gently brushed it away. “What is it, lass. Do ye miss those ye lost, too?”

  She swallowed hard, but couldn’t respond. It was him s
he was missing, and he hadn’t even gone yet. He didn’t deserve to die so soon.

  He pulled her close and rested her head against his shoulder. “I know what ye feel. It is a hard life we lead here, but I could never trade it for the crowds of the south. I would miss these mountains too much. It is in my blood, as it is in yours. Instead, we live honorably for as long as we can and die well. It is our way.”

  He didn’t move except to stroke his thumb back and forth across her shoulder blade. His breathing steady, his thoughts probably far away. This was why humans cared for each other, to share their joys and sorrows. The human condition was too much to bear alone.

  She lifted her head. “Torr, why did you come out here and find me?”

  His gaze returned to her and his lips quirked. “To ask ye to come to my bed.”

  Her heart leaped that he wanted her and not another, but she made it calm down. “But you don’t bed women on a nightly basis, and definitely not the same one.”

  He released her and folded his arms across his chest. “I did not make such a rule.”

  The sudden loss of his arms about her bothered her more than she cared to admit. She leaned her hip against the well for sturdy support. “It doesn’t matter. The women have noticed your pattern. They say it is because you don’t wish to love another person.”

  His scowl deepened. “I never said that. And I have accepted many into my clan and protected them.”

  She placed her hand on his bulky forearm, again amazed at the mass of muscle the man possessed. “I know you have. It is part of your charm.”

  His scowl lessened. “I have charm?”

  Teasing him was so much fun. “Yes, you do, when you aren’t scowling, or yelling at your brother.”

  “My brother needs yelling at.”

  She laughed. “I think he would differ with you.”

  He stilled, his eyes striking in the shaded light. “I’ve never heard ye laugh before.”

  He hadn’t? She must have laughed since she arrived, maybe with the women. She grinned. “Maybe because you weren’t funny until now.”

  He lifted his hand and brushed her hair from the side of her face.

  It had never liked being in a braid, even when she was a child.

  “Diana, come to my bed?”

  For being a modern woman, she was a wuss. She’d never had sex just for sex in her entire life, and being with Torr was no exception. She was so screwed.

  “What be ye thinking of?”

  You. I’m thinking about how much I like you and I can’t. I’m thinking about how good it feels to have you inside me. She stopped her racing thoughts. “I’m wondering about tomorrow.”

  His hand stilled, and her heart plummeted. His voice betrayed nothing. “Tomorrow will be like every Thursday.”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  He sighed. “Why worry about tomorrow when we still have the night? Come to my bed.”

  “Why?”

  His eyes widened before a devilish smile formed on his lips. “Because I want to feel yer naked body beneath mine.”

  Her limbs weakened at the image. She tried to keep it light. “But what if I wish to be on top, to ride you like a stallion?”

  His whole body stiffened and the desire that entered his eyes was so strong it made her catch her breath. She played with fire here.

  “Come.” He held out his hand.

  She looked at it before meeting his eyes. “Why? Why me? Why me again?”

  He dropped his hand and pondered her question. “Because ye are unique. Special.”

  That wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. Maybe something about her hair or eyes or her overly large breasts. “I don’t see how I am any different from the other women here.”

  He shook his head. “Ye are. Ye have befriended Mairi and helped her adjust after six months of her feeling like an outsider. I feared she would never feel comfortable, but ye changed that.”

  She opened her mouth but he held up his hand. “Ye helped Ian and Fergus change their constant feuding to a more palatable relationship. Ye helped me see how I can nudge Evan toward matrimony. Ye have even been an influence on my brother, who is taking more men with him when he leaves the safety of the castle walls.”

  She shook her head. “First, I think you are giving me too much credit. Second, how do you know about my talks with Mairi and Ian?”

  His stance became arrogant like she’d expect from the laird of a clan. “I know everything about the members of my clan. It is my duty as their leader and protector. I must ensure their safety and their happiness. I also know Douglas stopped ye on your way back into the yard this evening.”

  “You do?” Her surprise was complete. Yes, there had been other people in the yard, but why would anyone notice her and Douglas?

  “Aye, I do. And I want to know why he stopped ye.”

  She broke his gaze. How much to tell him? She didn’t want to cause Douglas trouble.

  “Diana, he saw us that night from the wall-walk.”

  “I know. That is why he’s so angry. He approached me the first day I arrived. I turned him away, told him I needed time. It cannot help he saw you bring me to your room as well.”

  Torr’s chest expanded as he stood straighter. “I will have him restrained.”

  She stepped up to him and placed her hand on his chest. “No, don’t. He’s just lonely. He wants nothing more from me than you do. Actually, he…”

  Torr clasped her hand while his other wrapped around her back, protectively.

  She looked him in the eyes. “He offered marriage.”

  Torr’s hand tightened around hers. “I see.”

  “You need to decide if I am truly what you want.” Maybe Douglas’s marriage proposal would scare him off and she wouldn’t have to make a decision at all.

  He let go of her hand and clasped his two behind her back at her waist. “I do want ye. And I want ye in my bed every night. I don’t know how long. The future is uncertain. My family’s deaths have shown that to me. We must enjoy our pleasure while we can.”

  Oh Puck! Her heart tightened at his words, and she looked away. He had only days left and he wanted her. How could she deny him? It was his final request, even if he didn’t know it. She was far beyond rule five now. She was in uncharted territory for both herself and TWI.

  He lifted her chin with his hand again. “Please, Diana. Don’t deny me.” Gone was the strong, arrogant laird, replaced by a man who wished to be with her and only her. In his face, she recognized a familiar loneliness and a need that was far from sexual.

  She turned her head to press her cheek into his palm. “I can’t deny you.”

  He stared at her a moment. “Thank ye. I won’t disappoint ye.”

  As his lips touched hers, he let her know he meant those words not only for sleeping with her, but in everything. As his tongue slipped between her lips, her eyes stung with the advent of tears. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him back with all the tenderness she felt for him.

  The kiss lasted awhile, but never turned passionate. It was as if they built a connection to each other. When he lifted his head, he gazed at her tenderly, forcing her to swallow hard once more.

  Then Torr smiled wide and lifted her into his arms. “My lady shall ride tonight!”

  “Shhh, you’ll wake the castle.” She giggled as he strode across the yard for the tower door.

  “I don’t care if everyone hears. Tonight is for pleasure, and I intend to enjoy every moment with ye.”

  She rested her head against his shoulder as he easily carried her up the stairs to his room. Whatever the consequences, she had just committed to a four-day relationship in medieval Scotland. She might as well enjoy the ride.

  …

  Torr watched as the woman crawled up the bed to kneel between his thighs. Not only was she kind, but she enjoyed sex. As she undid her braid, his cock jumped. Her pale blond hair, like the sun’s rays behind a storm cloud, spread about her.

&nbs
p; “Ye are beautiful.”

  She stared between his legs. “So are you.”

  His blood rushed to meet her gaze, making him harder still.

  She pulled her hair over one shoulder, covering her right breast. As much as he wished to touch its silkiness, he wanted it around him more. As if she could read his thoughts, she willingly obliged. Bending over, she wrapped the fine strands around his cock before straightening, causing them to glide around him in a swirl.

  “Lass.” His voice was husky to his own ears. “Ye could bring me with yer hair alone.”

  She appeared to contemplate his words. “I like that idea.”

  He swallowed hard. He’d meant it as no more than bed talk, but by the look in her eyes, she had other plans. Excitement raced across his skin, causing his stomach to tense.

  She laid her palms on his chest and stroked down over his belly, his muscles reacting of their own accord beneath her hands. He could not control them. She brought fire to his body with her touch.

  “You are a man of many muscles.” She bent over again and swept her light hair down the same path her hands had taken.

  He breathed deep. “Ye tease me to my breaking point.”

  She shook her head. “No, I would never tease.” She bent again and this time wrapped her hair around his cock and encircled it with her hand. Slowly, she stroked up and down, pressing her soft, silky hair into his hardness.

  He groaned. The intensity of the sensation made his sac tighten. He fisted the linen beneath him, determined to allow her her play.

  But Diana bent her head and licked the top of his shaft. His whole body tensed at the strain of waiting until he was inside her.

  She moved her hands and hair lower and took his head within her mouth.

  “Ach, ye’d best stop, lass.”

  She ignored him, holding him tighter and increasing her speed. Her small mouth sucking and licking until he could no longer hold back. “Argh.” The thrill of his seed releasing onto her tongue and sliding down her throat had him lifting his hips to her, unable to control his movements. When he had finished, he looked at her.