He pulled back. “Not here wife, please stop. What duties do you want?”
Olivia smiled. “Let me help train the men.”
Camden became serious. “No.”
She began shifting her hips closer to the hard erection between his thighs and lightly nipped at his neck.
“Please.”
“No,” he said firmly.
“Then I wish to find resources for food and provisions. May I have that duty my laird Sinclair?” She said breathlessly.
“Hell.”
Olivia laughed against his neck.
“Is that a hell yes or a hell no?” She smiled looking into his eyes.
Camden thanked the Lord he was sitting because he swore he would have fallen to the ground from the look she had just given him. Before Olivia had come into his life, he had felt like a mighty eagle with a broken wing, a powerful laird without a clan. When Olivia looked into his eyes, she completely changed the way he felt inside. This beautiful woman gave him unspoken strength and made him suddenly want to be the man he knew he was destined to be.
“It is a hell yes, wife. You may take care of the food and supplies. If you need any assistance, please ask me. And one other thing, do not think you can use your body to get what you desire from me. It makes a man weak,” he said with a grin as he stood with his arms wrapped around her.
Olivia knew even though he was smiling, Camden was being completely honest about the desire they had between them that made him weak because she felt the same way.
“My laird, it makes a woman weak too,” she added.
Olivia heard her husband’s thunderous laughter deep inside his chest. She wanted to laugh with him but in truth, she was frightened. Olivia had come to a realization of her own, she was falling in love with her husband.
By noon, the huge warriors in Camden’s guard had gathered all of the members of the new clan to listen to the commands of their laird. Olivia could tell there was excitement in the air as the people were buzzing with conversation. With Camden in their presence, they seemed to all be getting along well with no arguments or fights.
After Olivia had returned from the stream with Camden, she began to take her new duty seriously. She had written a letter to her new sister-in-law Ella and sent it with a messenger. Olivia told the man taking the message that if it got there in the next two days, he would be greatly rewarded. She smiled as he left and wondered if Camden was going to be upset with her.
Olivia watched Camden as he walked to the front of the crowd of people. He showed his power and strength with ease and everyone watching bowed their heads to show respect to their laird. Camden stood like a massive mountain with his arms struggling to fold because of his bulging muscles. He had his sword on his hip and a small dirk tucked inside one of his deerskin boots. Camden commanded authority.
She found his power to be beautiful and Olivia wished she could feel the way he did at this moment. She, of course, had plenty of people that bowed to her as the royal countess but Camden’s power was different.
When the laird had walked to the front, he had noticed that his wife had put on the plaid he had given her. Camden could see that she had taken great time to make the pleats as he had. He was grateful that Olivia was standing behind him now for he would have had a difficult time speaking if he could see her.
“I commend all of you for your choice in following me. You have made a wise decision and I vow to you this day that this clan will indeed prosper,” the laird said with power.
Camden’s men stood behind him and nodded their heads in agreement.
“Some of you may know already who I am and where I come from. Some of you may also have heard the tragic tale of what happen to my clan. I am here to tell you that every gruesome word is true. The MacKay clan tricked my father into a marriage with Laird MacKay’s sister, Lorna. The night of the wedding, my father appointed me laird over what was to be the uniting of both clans. I have always been guarded and I doubted the McKay’s intentions for they have always been a lying group of thieves but my father was still in power.”
Olivia watched as Camden relaxed his stance a little and she could see the profile of his face. He looked as if he were recalling a horrific memory and she instantly wanted to soothe him.
“I left the wedding celebration early with my soldiers and in the morning when we returned to the Sinclair Castle, I found most of the men in my clan slaughtered. The MacKay clan came for the wedding and then killed the Sinclair men while they slept. They had the women and children rounded like cattle while they burned homes and buildings. My father’s lifeless body lay in a pool of blood in the center of the village. My men and I were outnumbered by at least thirty to one and there were sure to be more MacKay men on the way. We are fearless but not invincible,” Camden voice was almost trembling as he finished his remembrance of what happened.
“I let my clan down that night and I will not rest until I have taken back what is mine. My land has great wealth and natural resources and the MacKay clan will ruin it before too long. I come to you to bring you a leader and to have your help in defeating the MacKay clan. I have already secured the Sutherland, Drummond and the Macleod clans to fight with us. I will train you to fight as we do and together we shall kill the bastards that killed my father in cold blood. I will rule the Sinclairs and I will appoint Broderick Kincaid to rule this clan. You will be the clan Kincaid. Who here is willing to accept what I have said?” Camden said with authority.
Broderick walked to stand next to his laird. “I am Broderick Kincaid and my laird asked you a question. Who here is willing to accept this plan?” Broderick yelled.
The crowd erupted in cheers and shouts as they all became part of a united family. Seeing and knowing whom this Broderick Kincaid was that Camden spoke of, was all this group needed. The powerful looking man standing next to Laird Sinclair would rule these men and this would be the Kincaid clan.
Olivia watched as her husband gave an elderly woman in the clan a plaid that was threaded in deep forest green and had a thin red stripe running through it. She wondered whose it was and why he was giving it to the woman. As the Sinclair warriors began to organize the men into groups for training, Olivia found her husband to ask him about the plaid.
“My laird, may I ask you a question?” She said softly from behind him.
Just hearing her feminine voice made him smile. “You are quite the puzzle wife,” he said turning to face her.
“What do you mean my laird?”
“I know your fiery spirit wife, for I have seen it many times yet now you come to me with the temperament of a mouse to ask a question. Have you not realized that I will always answer your questions and you do not have to be timid around me?” He said.
“Aye, husband I know you like it best when I am not timid for I found that out this morning,” she smiled with her eyes lighting up.
Camden laughed out loud at her comment and he thought to himself how much he enjoyed being around her. A few minutes ago, he was reliving a nightmare and now Olivia made him alive with her beauty and wit.
“I know you will answer my questions my laird, for you always have. And if you don’t answer them, I know of a few ways to torture you until you do,” she whispered as she moved closer to him.
He laughed again and he suddenly wanted to pull her into their cottage and claim her again as his own.
“Now to my question, I saw you hand a plaid to Agnes that didn’t look like ours. I was just curious as to why.”
“It pleases me wife that you have already gotten to know the names of these people. The women have taken to you well,” he praised.
“You have taken to me well too, my laird,” she smiled.
My God, he thought, she has to stop smiling and teasing this way. Camden could not seem to concentrate.
“Yes, I certainly have. And to answer your question, the plaid was the only one left in Broderick’s family and it will now be replicated and made for all in his new clan,” Camden answe
red.
“So this will be Broderick’s clan soon?” She asked.
“Yes wife, as soon as we are prepared to take over the Sinclair land, he will be laird here and we will go home to my holding.”
“I have another question my laird.”
“You will call me Camden now,” he ordered.
She quickly stiffened. “Then you will call me Olivia.”
“What was your question?” He smiled ignoring her demand.
“Why do you call me wife and not Olivia?” She persisted.
“Is that the question you were going to ask?”
“Just answer me damn it!” She yelled.
Camden enjoyed getting a small rise out of Olivia. She was fun to tease with her quick temper. Lord, she went from calm and cool to boiling hot in a heartbeat. Camden moved to be extremely close to her, so close that the tips of her breasts rubbed against his chest and their mouths almost touched.
“I call you wife because that is who you are to everyone else, my wife. I call you Olivia when we are alone. When you are in my arms and I am buried deep inside your heat, then you are the passionate feverish woman that belongs to me,” he said with his deep voice.
Olivia had chills run down to her toes and she could not resist herself as she softly touched her lips to his. She quickly pulled back remembering that they were in view of most of the clan.
“Damn you! You make me forget myself,” she whispered turning head away.
He took her by the chin and turned her to face him. Camden thoroughly kissed her mouth with no regard to anyone that may have been watching. Olivia belonged to him and everyone witnessed the masculine display of possession.
Hundreds of miles away, the evil villain that had planned the entire demise of the Sinclair clan was sitting at the large table inside his crumbling fortress. The deception of Lorna marrying the old Sinclair man had gone smoothly and the attack on the drunken clan was executed perfectly except for one ill-fated mistake. Camden lived and the Highland warrior would certainly seek vengeance.
This sinister criminal, Laird Malcolm MacKay, was enraged with his sister Lorna when he got word that Camden had not been killed on the wedding night. Malcolm knew he should not have trusted a woman to do a man’s job but the MacKay laird had no other way of having his plans come to life. Poor Lorna, he thought, if she only knew that she too, would be a victim in this little charade. She would be taking the fall for this horrible attack on the Sinclairs.
Malcolm MacKay had been sure that he was nowhere close to the Sinclair land during the wedding massacre so that he would not be held responsible for the grisly butchering. Now that it was over, he planned to come in and rescue the Sinclairs by getting rid of his own sister. The people would love him and then he would be the laird over all. Now, Malcolm sat drumming his fingers on the cold stone table and bearing a wicked grin while he thought of a way to kill the bastard Camden so he could finish his plan.
Chapter Six
Six days had passed since Laird Sinclair had made his plans known to the new clan. Things seemed to be running smoothly as the warriors trained the men and tested their bodies for endurance and strength. Olivia was getting anxious about the letter she had sent to Ella almost a week past. She hoped that her plan had already been set in motion.
Broderick continued to follow Olivia around where ever she went and this annoyed the beautiful countess to the edge of her limits. Never before had she felt like a prisoner in the wide-open air. Olivia tried to reason with her husband but this subject seemed to be where he was most stubborn. Camden refused to gamble with her safety. So all day, every day, the massive man with dark hair and dark eyes shadowed her every move.
Most of the days, Olivia was consumed with organizing the small village and working with the women to provide for the men. Today though, she had caught a glimpse of the men training in the field and her heart skipped a beat as Olivia watched Camden easily rule the battle. Her husband was truly an amazing combatant and she would love to have a chance to duel a sword with him.
When she headed towards the small field, Olivia noticed her legs were moving but she was not touching the ground anymore. The giant brute behind her had grabbed Olivia by the shoulders and lifted her up to stop her from walking in to the battling men.
“Broderick, put me down, damn it!” She yelled.
“I am sorry m’lady but you cannot go down there,” he explained.
Olivia used her foot and kicked it back into Broderick sensitive manhood and he instantly dropped her to the ground. The countess did not feel a bit sorry for the crumpled oaf that panted on the cold earth behind her. She hoped Broderick had learned that touching her again would be a great mistake. Olivia quickly left him there and ran to the field to participate in the action. Her arms and legs were begging for the exercise since she had arrived. Olivia grabbed a large sword from a man that was waiting for his turn to fight and the brave woman smiled as she studied the moves of her opponent. The training warriors Stephan, Calum and Liam were too busy, as was their laird, sparring with the men in the field that none had noticed her standing there.
Broderick whistled loudly to get the attention of his laird and the guards. It had worked too for all of them stopped their training rather suddenly and then all eyes were on Olivia and the sword in her hand. She could not tell what they were thinking but it only mattered to her, what Camden thought. Olivia looked into her husband’s eyes and then started to move towards him dragging the giant sword with her.
At first, the laird was furious that his beautiful wife was even this close to the danger of the men in training. Camden knew his guard were skilled and would certainly never cause harm to her but these other men were weak and an accident was inevitable. As Camden watched her walk to him with confidence, most of his fury started to fade. He decided to prove to her once and for all, that she needed protecting.
Camden tried hard not to laugh as Olivia continued to drag the heavy blade because he was certain it weighed more than she did. He was also trying hard not be so turned on by her apparent bravery. Hell, she was a courageous lass for sure, but maybe not as bright as he had once thought.
“Laird Sinclair, may I try some of my own skills and train with you. It might do the men and your warriors some good to know different techniques used in sword fighting,” she boasted.
“Lady Sinclair, you may show us your skills if you will promise not to interrupt our training again,” Camden replied, wondering if Olivia could even lift the weapon over her head.
“My Laird is ever so kind,” she said softly and demurely as she batted her eyes.
While entranced by her beauty, Olivia seized the opportunity at hand. She quickly raised the sword with ease and caught Camden off guard. The muscular woman used the flat of her blade to hit her opponent’s hand. Unprepared for the blow, Camden dropped his sword and before he could blink, Olivia squatted, swung one leg behind his, and knocked the giant man to the ground. She gave him a wicked grin while she stood with one foot on his chest and the tip of her blade pressing carefully at his neck.
“My first bit of wisdom for your men would be to never under estimate your opponent,” Olivia laughed.
She moved to let him up and then the husband and wife immediately began dueling with their blades. Camden was fierce but Olivia met him strike for strike. The countess was unbelievably fast and she wielded the weapon as strongly as his men did. The laird was trying hard not to lose his focus, for seeing her talent was spectacular. Olivia was working up a glistening sweat in the battle and he was reminded of her glowing bare skin after he had thoroughly satisfied her the night before.
“My laird,” she yelled, “you may think I am weak for I am just a woman but I have endurance like you have never seen. I will end this when you grow tired,” she taunted.
Camden then smiled. “Aye, wife I have seen your endurance, remember? I know exactly how long it takes to wear you out.”
Olivia was stunned and lost her focus. How could he emba
rrass her by saying something so personal like that in front of these men? She prayed that none of them had heard the bawdy comment because she knew she had turned ten shade of red. Camden had Olivia’s sword in a matter of seconds and the laird showed her no mercy as he tackled her to the ground.
“My bit of wisdom for you wife is to never battle the man you have made love to the night before,” he whispered in her ear.
Camden stood and helped Olivia to her feet. The men suddenly burst into cheers for the incredible show they had just witnessed. Never had they seen a woman with abilities like that. In fact, most of the men there did not have expertise like hers. Camden’s guard kneeled and bowed to Olivia while she stood there sweating and breathing heavily. She could not figure out what they were doing.
“Camden, why are your warriors on their knees?” She asked.
“I believe they are giving you a sign of acceptance in the most noble manner. They see you as one of them,” he smiled.
Olivia laughed and told them to stand.
“Maybe all of you will understand why I fight you so much about weak women,” she smiled.
“M’lady, you are not weak. I do not think our laird was holding back with his strength either. You must be mad lass!” Liam said.
Stephan still had his mouth slightly open while he tried to think of something to say. Broderick had composed himself enough to witness the battle and felt a bit foolish for not giving Olivia more trust. Then again, never had he heard of a woman that had such superior sword skills.
“M’lady, you are truly worthy of the title warrior and you may protect my back at any time,” Broderick said with a huge smile.
With all that had just happened on the training field none of them had noticed the commotion that was happening in the village. When the shouting and cheering became so loud, the group of battling men and Olivia hurried to investigate. As they came into the crowd, Camden yelled to gain order from the chaos. The clan cleared a path for their laird and his wife and that was when Olivia saw that the massive loaded wagons she sent for had arrived.
Highland Vengeance Page 8
