“We’re goin’ up te the bluff te take a swim,” said Onyx. “Did ye want te come with us, Aidan?”
He wanted it more than anything, but didn’t want to leave the girl unattended.
“Nay, I’ll hunt something fer us te eat,” he said.
“Go ahead, join them,” said Effie. “Just give me that bow and arrows you brought from the fair and I’ll take care of huntin’ fer our dinner.”
“Mayhap ye’d better stay after all,” said Ian, giving him a look that Aidan knew meant he didn’t trust the lassie.
The two took off up the cliff, and Aidan just added more kindling to the fire. His squirrel rooted around in the dirt, looking for food.
“I ken ye want te go with them,” Effie said. “Just go.”
“Nay, I dinna want te leave ye alone.”
“I’m a gypsy, I live off the land. We dinna see anyone followin’ us, so I’ll be fine.”
He just looked back down to the fire and shook his head. He was torn, and though he trusted that she wouldn’t leave, he was trying to proceed with caution, as his friends had warned him to do. Aidan always was the most trusting one of the three of them, and had on more than one occasion been burned because of it.
“I dinna ken if it’s a guid idea.”
“Oh. Ye dinna trust me, jest like yer friends.”
He looked over to her and saw the disappointment on her face. He didn’t want to make her feel this way, he only wanted to please her. She was the most beautiful lassie he’d ever met, and he loved her fearlessness. He got to his feet and went over to the supplies and pulled out a bow and arrows.
“Ye can use these,” he said. “I willna be gone long. Dinna go too far from the camp as once ye get away from the fire, ye may encounter a wildcat or a wolf.”
“I can protect meself,” she said.
“Aye. I saw how well ye did thet with those English guards.”
“If I’d had a weapon, they’d be deid right now.”
“I’m no’ so sure, lassie. Now jest do me a favor and dinna shoot any squirrels, as I dinna want me pet killed. Reid, go on up and hide in a tree,” he said over his shoulder. The little red squirrel scampered up a tree and away from them.
Effie watched in amazement as the man’s squirrel seemed to understand him, and on command disappeared into the trees.
“Thet is a strange pet fer anyone te have,” she said, shaking her head.
“No’ as strange as Onyx’s pet,” Aidan mumbled, walking away.
“What does he have? A pine marten or somethin’?” she called after him.
“Nothin’ thet tame, I assure ye. Now jest call out if ye need me, as I won’t be far. And if ye think ye’er goin’ te catch somethin’ te eat, ye’d better hurry, as it’s startin’ te get dark.”
She watched him disappear into the thicket, thinking there must be some sort of pond they were going to swim in up on the cliffs. She had no idea why they just didn’t swim in the lake. She’d never understand these men.
Effie picked up her bow and arrows and used her senses to tell her where she might find prey. It wasn’t going to be that easy once it got dark, Aidan was right. The sun was starting to set now, so she’d have to hurry.
She didn’t have to hunt long before she spotted and took down a carrion crow that was irritating her with its squawking. She also managed to shoot a red grouse as well, just before it got dark. The men would surely be impressed with her ability to use a weapon and hunt. Not too many women could do what she’d just done and in such a short amount of time. They would eat well tonight. It might not be a deer, but it was still a meal.
Planning on heading back to camp, the lake looked inviting, so she decided to stay. She was hot and felt so dirty, not only from the road but from being locked in a cage and also pawed by the English guards.
Effie looked around but didn’t see the men, and figured she had time for a quick dip before she headed back. Throwing down the dead birds at the edge of the lake, she quickly removed her clothes and slipped into the water. That’s when she heard shouts – and they were coming from up at the top of the cliff.
As darkness started to cover the land, she looked upward to see three naked men diving off a cliff into the waters below – not far from where she was. They were laughing, shouting, and having fun. She knew immediately it was Aidan and his friends.
“What in the clootie’s name are they doin’?” she asked aloud. It was dangerous enough to dive off a cliff during the day, but to do so when it was nighttime was only something a madman would attempt.
She decided to get dressed and head back and start the meal, but when she stepped naked from the water, she was greeted by a low growl. Some kind of wild animal, possibly a wolf or a hound was there on the shore. Not able to see it well in the dark, all she could really tell was that is was very large. It had its head lowered as it moved into the moonlight, enabling her to see it better now. Long legs led to scraggly grayish hair on the animal, the hair so long and matted that she could barely see its eyes. It was moving quickly toward the dead birds. When it saw her, it looked up and showed its teeth, then changed its direction. The thing looked gaunt and possibly injured, as it had dried blood on its fur and limped when it came toward her.
She didn’t know what to do. Her clothes as well as her weapon were on the other side of the animal. She’d never be able to get to them before it attacked her. She should have backed up and slid back into the water for safety, but if so, she knew the animal would probably steal both of her birds. She couldn’t have that. She was hungrier than hell since Lord Ralston hadn’t fed her much. Besides, she wanted Aidan to like her, and she wanted to impress him with what she’d caught for dinner.
So instead of walking away from the animal, she shouted at it, waving her arms in the air, and daringly moved forward.
* * *
Aidan was already swimming, making his way toward shore when he heard Effie shouting. He looked through the darkness and spotted her on the shore just a short distance from them.
“Haud yer wheesht,” he called out to his friends. “I think Effie is in trouble.”
Onyx and Ian stopped their splashing and looked toward the shore as well.
“Is she naked?” asked Ian, squinting his eyes, trying to see through the darkness.
“Aye, I think so,” said Aidan. “But what is she doin’?” Then he saw the animal coming toward her, and instead of backing away, the fool girl was going straight for it. “She’s bein’ attacked!” He swam full force through the water with his friends right behind him. He made it to the shore first, being the best swimmer of the three of them, and ran down the water’s edge as fast as he could to save Effie.
Effie made her way closer to the dead birds on the ground, planning on grabbing at least one of them before the wild animal stole them, when out of nowhere, Aidan darted out from the darkness, hitting her like a stone wall, taking her down with him into the water. The water splashed over her head and she sputtered for breath.
“What the hell are ye doin’?” she shouted, now down in the water with Aidan’s body – his naked body - covering hers.
“I’ll protect ye, lassie. Jest stay here.” He jumped to his feet and headed toward the animal, taking it down to the ground as well. He had no weapons on him, no clothes, no anything, but wrestled with it as if he were doing naught but arm-wresting another Scot at the pub.
Then his friends darted out of the shadows as well, both of them naked, too. She just sat there in the water with her mouth open, as the moonlight spilled over their bodies. Each of them just as fit as the next, and she could only think this was one of her lusty dreams. No woman she knew would ever be witnessing what she was seeing in front of her very eyes.
The animal growled and snapped at Aidan, and twisted, kicking up its legs as Aidan tried to hold it down.
“Aidan, put it in a headlock,” shouted Ian.
“I’m no guid at headlocks the way ye are, Ian. And this is no’ a person, it�
��s an animal with sharp claws and even sharper teeth.”
“Jest let it go,” called out Onyx, coming toward the animal with a big stick in his hand. “I’ll get it.”
“Nay, I got it,” Aidan called back, and Effie thought it was for her benefit that he refused to let it go. Then he did something that both surprised and amused her at the same time. He leaned over, his long, blond hair falling over his face, and he . . . bit the animal on the ear.
The animal whimpered, and he let it go. Then he got to his feet with his arms spread out wide. His friends were doing the same. Aidan’s bare doup was facing her now, and she realized he had muscles everywhere on his body, and not a bit of fat. He was the perfect image of a woman’s fantasy man. His friends may have been as mesmerizing, but since her eyes were fastened on Aidan, she really wouldn’t know.
The chattering of a squirrel was heard and Effie saw Aidan’s pet, Reid, making its way toward him over the ground.
“Go away, Reid,” shouted Aidan. “Shoo, afore ye are this beast’s dinner.”
To her horror, the animal lunged at the squirrel. It may have caught the squirrel if Ian hadn’t picked up the dead grouse and thrown it as a distraction. The animal stopped, its head low, its eyes focusing on Ian. She thought for a moment it was going to attack him, but instead, it grabbed the dead bird and quickly limped away.
That angered Effie, as there went half their dinner. So, not caring that she was naked, she got up out of the water and stormed to the shore.
“What did you do thet fer?” she shouted at the men.
Aidan turned around to see Effie standing there in the moonlight, naked, and looking like a goddess of the sea. Her small form didn’t matter, as she made herself look intimidating with a scowl on her face and her hands on her hips. Her red locks were wet and the strands stuck to her chest, sending water droplets running in rivulets over her firm, perky breasts. Her nipples were cold and taut, and the nest of red hair between her firm and shapely thighs was just as red as that on her head.
All three men just stood there staring with their jaws dropped open, and then Aidan realized that she was seeing his friends naked as well. He didn’t like any of this. He took a step to block her, and looked over to his friends.
“Go get our clothes, and we’ll meet ye back at the camp.”
“O’ course,” said Onyx, turning to leave. But when Ian was still standing there, he reached over and grabbed his arm. “Come on, Ian, this one isna yers.”
Aidan didn’t turn back around until they were gone. When he did, he felt the sharp sting of a slap to his face.
“What was thet fer?” he asked, his hand going to his cheek.
“Fer givin’ away our dinner.” Effie stormed over to the dead crow that was being inspected by Reid. The squirrel scolded her and scampered away as she picked up the bird by the feet. “I caught this as well as a grouse, but now thanks to ye three, thet wolf is goin’ te be eatin’ better than us tonight.”
“Thet was no wolf, believe me. It looked te me like a wolfhound tho, and I think it was wounded.”
“Whate’er it was, it has our dinner.”
“Well, ye’re welcome thet I saved yer life twice in one day,” he said. “And I wasna the one who gave the grouse te the hound, if I must remind ye. That was Ian.”
“Ye three are fools!” She stormed over to her clothes and started to don them. Aidan would have loved to look at her perfect, alluring body longer, but she quickly hid it from his sight.
“Why do ye say thet, lassie?”
“Becooz ye’re standing there naked, arena ye?”
“So were ye.”
“But I wasna divin’ off the cliffs in the dark. Ye coulda killed yerself.”
“Nay. We do it all the time.”
“In the dark?” She was fully clothed now and pulled on her shoes as she spoke.
“It’s more o’ a challenge in the dark. How do ye think we earned our titles o’ being madmen?”
She turned to him then, and her eyes scanned down his body. Her perusal caused him to become excited, and he felt his manhood growing quickly.
“Like what ye see?” Aidan smiled. “Becooz if ye do, we can do somethin’ aboot it.”
“Ye are no better than those English curs who tried te take me in the forest.”
“What?” he asked, totally confused. “Effie, I am askin’, no’ takin’ like they were.” He held up his hands in a mock form of surrender.
“Well, dinna ask me again, fer I’m no’ interested.” She picked up the crow and headed through the dark forest, making her way to camp. Hopefully, Aidan believed her statement of not wanting him, because she wanted him badly but didn’t want him to know it. She was trying her hardest not to fall for him, because she knew in a matter of time she was going to have to betray not only him but her country as well. The last thing she wanted to do was to break a heart. Especially if it was her own.
AIDAN
CHAPTER SIX
The next morning, Aidan busied himself breaking down camp and preparing the horses rather than have to talk to Effie. She finally gave up trying to talk to him, and headed down to the lake a while ago. After the way she made all three of them feel so guilty, they’d all given up their portion of the crow last night in order for her to eat.
“I’m starvin’” grumbled Ian, coming to join him by the horses.
“Well, mayhap ye shoulda thought o’ thet before ye went and gave our dinner te the hound,” Aidan pointed out.
“The poor thing looked so skinny and hungry,” said Ian. “Did ye see the way it limped and had blood on its fur? It was hurt. Mayhap attacked by wolves. With the shape it was in, it probably didna even make it through the night.”
“Jest another reason why ye shouldna have fed it.” Aidan secured the travel bags to the horses. The bags were filled with supplies from the fair.
“Mayhap we can find the hound’s deid body and eat it te break the fast,” said Onyx, rubbing a weary hand over his face and coming to join them.
“Dinna say thet!” Ian seemed disturbed by the suggestion. “I couldna eat thet poor animal, no’ after seeing thet sad look in its eyes.”
“Well, ye had no qualms aboot wantin’ te eat me squirrel when we first found it.” Aidan looked around, realizing he hadn’t seen his squirrel since it fell asleep on his chest by the fire last night. “Where is Reid anyway? We’re almost ready te go.”
“Guid mornin’,” came Effie’s cheerful voice as she made her way up from the lake and toward them, with a string of dead fish in her hand and Aidan’s squirrel on her shoulder. Aidan couldn’t believe his eyes.
“How many fish have ye got there?” asked Ian eagerly, his eyes fastened to his next meal.
“Ferget the fish, what are ye doin’ with me squirrel on yer shoulder?” Aidan reached out and took his pet back from her and placed it on the ground.
“Well, Reid seems te like me,” she said. “And Ian, I got up early te fish in the loch. Would ye care fer a bite te eat afore we leave?”
“Aye,” said Ian, quickly reaching out for the fish.
“Nay!” Aidan stepped in front of him and took the fish from Effie. “We’ll take these back te camp and share them with the boys who stayed behind te guard the stone.” He turned and started tying them to the side of the horse.
“I shoulda ate yer damn squirrel,” mumbled Ian, making his way to put out the fire.
“Too bad the supplies we are bringin’ back from the fair arena food,” grumbled Onyx, going to his horse.
“So . . . is this stone thet the boys are guardin’, the Stone o’ Destiny, by any chance?” asked Effie.
“Dinna worry aboot it.” Aidan was in no mood for talking, nor to give her any information she wanted after she’d rejected him last night. He held out his hands to help her get atop the horse. “Let’s go.”
She let him help her atop the horse, and he wondered what happened to the grouchy girl from last night who’d sat there glaring at him and his fr
iends and hadn’t even bothered to thank them for helping her with the hound.
He pulled himself atop the horse, settling in behind her, and they headed toward MacKeefe territory. With any luck they’d be there by this afternoon, and he’d be able to take a nap on his dream stone since he’d laid awake all night, watching for the hound to come back, determined to guard his angel even if she said she didn’t want him.
This, for some odd reason, only made Aidan want her even more.
Effie knew she’d been harsh with Aidan last night, as well as his friends. She felt the tension between them all, and that’s why she’d woken up early and decided to fish. She wanted to make amends between them. Aidan’s feelings were obviously hurt when she told him she didn’t want him last night. Still, he couldn’t deny the fact he’d wanted her, because his body didn’t lie. She’d seen his immense desire to lay with her, and actually that was another reason why she’d denied him.
He scared her - and she didn’t scare easily. She’d had a hard life, and even with all her trials and tribulations, she’d always managed to keep her head about her. With Aidan, things were different. She couldn’t stop thinking of the kiss they’d shared and the way he’d risked his life twice now to save her.
She supposed she was so mean to him because she didn’t feel as if she deserved his acts of kindness. He’d even convinced his friends to give their portion of the crow last night to her. She’d gladly eaten it, even though she hated eating crow. She’d been so hungry after not having really eaten in the last few days, that she accepted the offer.
Wanting more than anything to eat the fish this morning, she ended up deciding she wasn’t going to fight with Aidan if he said they needed to be on their way. It was probably better that they just get to camp as fast as possible and get this all over with. She’d been so upset thinking about her sister trapped in that English bastard’s cage last night, that she didn’t sleep a wink, even though she was dead tired.
Box Set - Knights of Passion (7 Novels) Page 51
