She struggled at first, eager for the feel of him, wanting the entire length of his cock buried inside, but her eyes widened, and her breathing deepened. Her heartbeat thundered against his chest, a hard, dangerous rhythm that might have scared him if he hadn’t felt it before in many women.
Her mouth opened, and a breathy sigh escaped. “Don’t move,” she ordered.
Alex smiled. “No, lass, I’ll not move. Do what you need to do.”
Her voice was frantic. “What do I do?”
“Feel for it. Only you know. ’Tis slightly different for every woman, but I’m in the right place. I can tell by your face.”
“It’s the perfect place.”
“Aye. Now use my cock to get your pleasure.”
Her muscles contracted slightly, and even that slight movement threatened his control, but he managed. She moved her hips, rubbing his body in short, even strokes, and it didn’t take long because Megan MacGregor was a very sensual woman.
She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer. “Don’t move,” she said again.
“I’m not moving.”
“I mean it,” she said. “Don’t move.”
It didn’t seem possible, but her heart beat faster, pounding against his chest in heavy thumps. The breaths that tore from her mouth puffed against his throat, and with each one he smiled. She rubbed against him faster now, and it would only take another…
“Oh, my God, Alex.”
Megan’s hips slammed into him as she arched off the bed. Her pussy squeezed his cock in the vise of her contractions as her orgasm thundered through her entire body. Deep waves of rolling spasms tore through her, gripping his cock and making her muscles pulse and throb with an intensity he’d never felt before in any woman. The moisture of her body enveloped his cock in a warm bath, and the heat of her nearly burned him.
She collapsed beneath him, her arms dropping away and falling to the mattress. Her legs trembled on his.
“That was so different from the others,” she murmured.
“Aye, they’re all different,” Alex said. “Each time, each way, each kind of touch. I’ll give you all of them.”
“I’m going to need to recover from that one,” she said, “but we need to take care of you.”
“’Tis only going to take a minute. After watching you I’m almost sated.”
She angled her hips toward him, driving him deeper into her.
“Maybe not,” he said with a smile.
“Take what you want, Alex. I find I’m unable to stop you.”
He scooped her against him and plunged into her. He wanted to go deep enough to touch her womb, he wanted to fill every inch of her, but he tried to control his need to have all of her. He found the rhythm he needed, and he stuck to it, feeling her hands glide through his hair, down his back, over his buttocks. Every touch was agony while he tried to keep control. When he felt himself throb with an excruciating pressure, when he knew that he was ready and one more thrust would finish it, he pulled from her body and spilled between her thighs. The thick glaze of his seed coated their skin and dropped to the sheet beneath. She wanted a child, and she deserved one, but could Megan MacGregor live a happy life raising the child of a man who boarded a ship and sailed to the other side of the world, leaving her behind?
She tensed beneath him, then squirmed uncomfortably.
“Alex, what did you do?”
He dropped his head to her shoulder and planted kisses between her strands of hair.
“I made a choice,” he said. “I hope for both our sakes ’tis the right one.”
Chapter 10
Alex felt MacGregor’s eyes on him. He’d been feeling them all afternoon, and his only hope was to reach the end of the day and not have the conversation he feared was brewing. Even Sam seemed unusually tense. He’d been in and out of the shop all day, picking up bundles, making deliveries, and returning again only to heave a massive sigh each time he swung his glance between the two men.
The sunlight had shifted in the sky, and it was near to suppertime, and, as much as he wished to avoid it, he had plans with Diana Hendley. He wasn’t much interested in seeing the woman again, but MacGregor insisted. It seemed to be part of the bargain, a diversion in plain sight.
Alex put away his tools, cleaned his workbench, and was preparing to leave the shop when Sam rose from his bench and put his hands on his hips, blocking his way.
“Can we not get this over with, gentlemen?” he asked. “I don’t think I can stand another day like this.”
Alex threw his hands in the air, turned around, and waited while MacGregor pushed his chair away from the table.
“Aye, Sam, you’re right,” MacGregor said. “’Tis been over a month since Campbell’s arrival, and a progress report would be most welcome.”
“Do I have to be here?” Sam asked. “The entire conversation makes me decidedly uncomfortable. I don’t like keeping secrets from her. The knowledge of it is killing me.”
“’Tis not a secret, Sam,” MacGregor said. “I told her.”
“I told her as well,” Alex said.
“You told her?” Sam asked. “Why would either of you do an asinine thing like that?”
“You know how she is, Sam. Probably better than anyone,” MacGregor said. “She couldn’t live with the idea she might have betrayed me. I want her to have that baby.”
“But you’re getting well,” Sam said. “I can tell you’re breathing better, and you’re leaning on me less and less.”
“Aye, there’s that,” MacGregor said quietly. He ran his hands down the arms of his wheeled chair. “I do feel better, and ’tis only been a week.”
“Time to harvest more flowers then?” Sam asked.
“I planned to do that tomorrow afternoon,” Alex said. “I think we’ve got ourselves a miracle here. You might want to have a talk with your wife, MacGregor.”
“I’m still reluctant,” MacGregor said. “She’ll be so disappointed if—”
“Get out of your chair, old man,” Sam said. “Show us what you can do.”
“I…I’m rather afraid,” MacGregor said softly. “If I cannae—”
“We’re here for you,” Sam said. “We must all risk the disappointment, but we need to know.”
MacGregor nodded. He rose slowly, gripping the arms of his chair. He tightened his lips into a firm line as he took several steps toward the workbench, paused, then continued walking toward the storage room. When he reached the door, he turned around and came back, giving them a brilliant smile. He stood straighter and took a deep breath.
Alex laid one hand on MacGregor’s back and another on his chest. He felt strong, steady heartbeats. “Breathe for me.” He leaned down and pressed his ear against the man’s chest, trying to gauge if the heartbeat struggled while MacGregor breathed in a normal pattern. There was no change. When he pulled away, he held out his arm. “Clench my arm in your fist as tightly as you can.”
Sam angled closer as MacGregor flexed his hand, then wrapped his fingers around Alex’s lower arm. Alex felt the strong bite of his grip and smiled.
“How do you feel?”
MacGregor hesitated and frowned. “I actually feel pretty good.”
Sam leapt forward and wrapped his arms around Alex, squeezing tight and lifting him off his feet with a thunderous laugh. He dropped him back to the floor, then turned to his friend. Alex saw the tears sparkling in his eyes.
“Pretty good is good enough for me.” Sam gripped MacGregor’s shoulders and lowered him down into the chair. “But I don’t want you overdoing it, old man. A little bit at a time.”
“Good advice,” Alex said. “I’d like to try that in another hour. I’ll feel your heartbeat so I can see if there are any changes.”
Sam darted across the room and grabbed the hourglass. He flipped it over and practically slammed it on the counter.
“An hour it is.”
MacGregor ran his fingers over the hourglass, then turned to Sam. “I want to tal
k to Campbell about Meg. You’ve no complicity in that, and I know it makes you uncomfortable. ’Tis between Campbell and myself. Load the wagon with those boxes in the storage room, and make the delivery. When you return it will be time for the next test.”
Sam smiled, then disappeared into the storage room. MacGregor motioned behind him.
“On the top shelf, you’ll find a bottle of whiskey. Pour us a drink, and we’ll talk about my wife.” When Alex gave him a dubious glance, he smiled. “I’ll only have a bit.”
Alex rubbed his hands over his face, then reached the bottle and retrieved some glasses from the parlor. While MacGregor held his, Alex downed his entire glass and poured another.
“Let’s get right to it, Campbell,” MacGregor said. “You’ve been here over a month, and I’ve not yet heard any wondrous news.”
Alex cocked his head. “Even if I caught her on the first time, she might not know yet.”
“The first time, aye, that would be the first evening you arrived here, before I’d even offered my wife to your services.” His brow rose, and his blue eyes sparkled with something verging on humor, but the look made Alex squirm. “’Twas a slight bit of arrogance on your part to assume my wife was part of your new life here.”
“I’ve been accused of arrogance more than once since I arrived here,” Alex said. “But, to be fair, I didnae force her.”
MacGregor peered at him thoughtfully. “No, I didnae think you did. I knew the moment I laid eyes on you everything would work how I’d planned. Have you ever had a woman refuse an advance you made?”
“I cannae say so. I imagine you had some fair luck of your own at one time.”
“Aye, more than my share,” MacGregor said.
“And more than you deserved?”
MacGregor smiled. “I deserved more than you perhaps. I didnae usually take what belonged to another.” He paused and peered into his glass. “That only happened once, and I vowed it would never happen again.”
“Tell me,” Alex said.
The man took a sip of his drink. “The whiskey is far better than your concoction.” He seemed to savor the taste for a moment before he continued. “I fell in love with a woman. She was a Campbell.” He glanced up to see Alex’s reaction. Alex managed to keep the surprise off his face. “In the Clan MacGregor, though, that wasn’t the worst part. She was married.”
Alex glanced around the shop. “’Tis obvious it didnae work out.”
“No,” MacGregor said softly. “When Robert Campbell found out, he…he beat her to death.”
Alex downed the liquor in his glass. “Is this why you came to Virginia?”
“Part of it. I spiraled into a depression for a while until one day I realized it wouldnae bring her back to me. So I paid a visit to Robert Campbell and…” He took another sip from his glass. “I killed him, Campbell. He fought hard, but in the end I killed him. I used to be quite a powerful man. Not quite of your caliber, but I could hold my own.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
“I was a wanted man after that. I’d also had bloody enough of clan wars, the Campbells and the MacGregors. I fled the Highlands, arranged to sail, and planned a new life. Several good things came of that, one of which was Sam.”
“He told me,” Alex said.
“We were two sad souls the day we met, and I couldnae have asked for a better son or friend. Together we began to carve out a life here. I purchased the press from a widow, and we were soon joined by Jonas Thatcher and his baby daughter. Thatcher’s wife had died on the voyage. Sam took over the care of Meg like his own sister. He told you what happened to his mother and Clara?”
“Aye.”
“Meg filled the void in his heart, still does. She fills mine as well, but I’ve tried not to get too close to her, have always held her at arm’s length. Partly out of fear, I suppose, partly because Robert Campbell killed so much of my heart. I was happy to give Meg to you. She deserves far more than I could give. The bargain we made seemed a way for all of us to get what we needed.”
“To be honest here, MacGregor, I was a desperate man when I arrived here, and I would have taken the bargain no matter the price of it. I would have fucked a hag as many times as necessary to get back to Scotland.”
“But we’re not talking about a hag here, are we, Campbell?”
Alex sloshed some more whiskey in his glass and stared into the liquid a moment before he raised his eyes. This was the part of the conversation he’d been hoping to avoid.
“I’ve seen you watching her,” MacGregor said, “and I’ve seen her watching you. There’s more between you than this bargain. Has my wife fallen in love with you?”
“I don’t know Megan’s heart,” Alex said.
“But you know her body.”
“Aye, I’ve taken pleasure in it, as she’s taken in mine. ’Twas one of the consequences of the bargain struck. I know you didnae expect a girl like Megan to spread her legs night after night for a man with nothing but his own pleasure on his mind. You wanted her to enjoy it, seek me out until the deed was done, did you not?”
“Aye, ’tis true. Part of me hoped she would develop feelings…The other part also hoped she loved me enough to hold you away from her heart. Would you have fucked her without my permission?”
Alex took a deep breath. “Aye, because I did, but had it continued, I’m sure I would have a price. There’s always a price, as you well know.”
MacGregor smiled, but it didn’t seem like a smile with any trace of humor. It seemed a smile filled with memories. “Aye, Campbell, there’s always a price, but we don’t need to think of that in our situation. With your generous cooperation, Meg will have her pleasure, and we will have my heir.”
“It doesnae bother you this heir will have Campbell blood flowing through his veins?”
“No, Campbell, it doesnae bother me at all. The MacGregors…the Campbells…we are all just people trying to live our lives and be as happy and fulfilled as we can be. If you choose to find your future fulfillment on a battlefield, then I’ll not interfere, but I hope you realize you’ve been fighting for a cause that is dying as we speak. I agree with your politics, but you willnae win in this because when the winds of change blow this hard, the world becomes a different place. If I live long enough, I’ll see you returned here, only the next time it will be for the rest of your life. If they allow you to keep your life at all.”
“Changes in the wind are not excuses enough to change what lies in your heart. I fight to keep the tradition and heritage of what I am. I exist for Scotland and, no matter the challenges, will never betray her.”
“But you’d betray a beauty with auburn hair and eyes the color of blue fire?”
“Not intentionally, but I may not have a choice. I don’t belong here, and I cannae spend the rest of my life living a lie when others die for a cause I believe in. I’m a warrior. I need to go home, and I’ll do anything to get there.”
“Before this is over, Campbell, I expect Meg will fall in love with you. And when you’re gone—”
“’Tis not a selfish pursuit I’m after, and I havenae betrayed her. Not yet.”
“A child could take away some of the pain.”
“Aye, but have you thought perhaps you could give Megan a child if your health improves?”
“’Tis not something I’ve allowed to hope for,” he said quietly, “until a few moments ago.”
“You should talk with your wife.”
“Soon. A few more days.”
“You don’t want to end the bargain?”
“Not yet.” He spread his hands above his lap. “I want to be sure, but Campbell…”
Alex cocked his head, waiting.
“If we do receive a miracle here, if I can give Meg what she deserves, I will release you from the indenture and allow you to return to your battlefield. If that is still your choice by the time we see an end to this. Mind if I take a little walk? I’d like to surprise Sam when he returns.”
*
* * *
Megan had been in and out of the shop so many times she could barely remember which side of the door she was on. Preparing supper, she waited impatiently for Alex’s shadow to cross the threshold, but when Trevor and Sam settled down at the table, disappointment set in. As the evening progressed, Trevor insisted he had no idea where Alex might be, and she became annoyed. Shouldn’t a man know when his servant was gallivanting around town and be concerned with the kinds of things he might be doing? Trevor laughed, saying Alex might be a servant, but he was also a man, and a man was much more content when he had a little freedom.
“Ha! A man like Alexander Campbell can find more than his share of trouble with a little freedom.”
“I imagine you’d know that intimately, Meg,” Trevor said.
She snapped her mouth closed and ate without thought. After supper, hours passed in which she fussed and fumed, trying to distract herself with so many occupations she accomplished nothing. Her mending basket now sat forgotten on the table. The book she tried to read had long since been put back on the shelf. Trevor settled down to read by the hearth, and when Sam said he’d like to head down to the tavern, Megan offered a distracted good-bye that caught in her throat as Trevor said they should go to bed. She rounded so suddenly she knocked the basket off the table and spent several excruciating moments searching for pins and needles on the hardwood floor.
She was still sitting there when Sam’s shadow fell across her. She kept her eyes on the floor, hoping with everything in her that it would continue past, but Sam hunkered down beside her. His big fingers grasped at a spool that rolled, forgotten, from her hand.
“He’s asking for you, Meggie.”
She couldn’t look at him.
“Did you hear me?” Sam asked.
“Aye,” she murmured.
“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
“Aye,” she whispered. “But, I can’t. Not now.”
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