My Lady Highlande

by Nancy Lee Badger

  She had changed out of her shorts and tank top, and slipped into a calf-length, flowered sundress, then marched from the farmhouse, without looking for the others. The short sleeves and low neckline were an irrational attempt to refuse to relinquish summer. It reminded her of long, sunny days. She needed to fill her head with images, other than Bull inside Izzy’s apartment. She was such an idiot. Hadn’t she looked for him, as soon as Jake had disappeared? Her first thought was to find him, talk to him, kiss him…

  “Wait a minute. If Bull had traveled with Jake, why had he come back alone?”

  She’d have to find an appropriate time to question him, such as when he wasn’t draped around Izzy, or bellowing at her petite neighbor. Why did guys seem to fall for small women? Her height wasn’t all that abnormal, but she never wore shoes with heels.

  She shoved the barn doors wide to allow the last warm rays of sun to penetrate the building.

  “I don’t give a damn about what Bull is doing with Izzy right now.”

  From the shadows inside the barn, Balfour snorted.

  Jenny snorted in response. She was acting silly. Was she jealous? About a man she had met only once? Her initial reaction to his large, well-formed body, wearing a kilt was an image burned into her memory. Jake was good-looking, too, but Bull was simply…huge.

  Izzy was a sweet woman, and Jenny never saw her bring a man home. Not once, since she’d moved in. How had she met Bull, and what were the two of them doing in Izzy’s apartment?

  “Get over it, silly.”

  The old gelding didn’t comment. He belonged to Jake, and Jake had asked her to watch over his animals, yet the other two horses had disappeared. Bull mentioned he was back to care for Jake’s apartments and things.

  Bull said Jake asked him to look after Balfour, now that he was back. Since Bull and Izzy had survived a minor car crash, she took it upon herself, to see to the old animal’s care.

  Besides, they’re too busy arguing with each other.

  It was too bad her pickup had turned into a dented tin can, but it might be salvageable. Kelley’s Auto Body would give her a call tomorrow with an estimate.

  Brushing a few loose hairs out of her face, she inhaled the sweet aroma of hay, horse blankets, and wood shavings. Shivering in the chilly air trapped inside a barn filled with Jake’s blacksmith tools, she paused as the warm September air flowed inside.

  What little remains, anyway.

  Winter was right around the corner, and the days were getting shorter, which was a pity when a girl spent those long nights alone. Jenny grabbed a scoop and headed for the feed container. Better to keep her mind on simple tasks in the present day, than worry about living through another lonely winter.

  Bull was back. He’d flirted with her a few days ago, but seemed different, today. He’d followed Izzy into her apartment, and hadn’t come back out. Were they an item?

  Just my luck. I finally meet an attractive man…

  Jake was attractive, too, but their relationship had quickly morphed into a brotherly rapport. The only bright note was the recent argument. If she returned to the house, and they were still yelling at each other, she had a chance at salvaging a relationship with Bull.

  After shoving the scoop into the grain, she paused. Eerie silence surrounded her. Balfour was never quiet when she served his meals. She dropped the scoop in the barrel and hurried to his stall. What she saw froze her in her tracks.

  ***

  “Quiet down, Bull. I doona’ think ye want sweet Jenny to hear us arguing like children.”

  Izzy had unlocked her door, propped it open, and had headed toward the kitchen. Bull kicked the door shut. After she pointed toward the table, Bull stacked the boxes on top, but did not stop yelling.

  With Bull’s arms filled with boxes, Izzy assumed they were the only reason he had not followed Jenny into her apartment. Their argument had escalated to include the crash, her burned tent, and Gavin. For some reason, Bull acted as if she were his to protect…and control. She would set him straight, if he ever stopped talking.

  “I didn’t mean to raise my voice, but you didn’t answer me.” Bull set the last box on her kitchen counter.

  “About what, pray tell?”

  “You looked sad when I mentioned Balfour. Why? Does the name mean something to you, besides a horse that Jake happens to own?”

  She sighed, and swept her mussed hair out of her eyes.

  He turned to walk out of the apartment.

  “Wait.”

  Bull stopped, and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were so beautiful, and filled with kindness. Why was it so hard to explain?

  “Our family’s ale master was named Balfour.”

  “Have I ever met him? At the games?”

  “Nay. He was a big, brawny, hairy beast. Like yer animal. I miss him.”

  “Where did he go?”

  He…was killed. It happened far from here. I heard the story from…a friend.”

  “Dorcas Swann?”

  His voice was low, and kind. The man was too insightful, but she did not dare share too much.

  “I would rather no’ discuss her.” She turned and walked down the hall. When her stomach growled, she pulled out her cell phone and ordered a pizza. Reaching her well-appointed bathroom to wash her face, she was shocked at the visage that stared back from the mirror. She leaned closer.

  Who is this bedraggled stranger?

  What was happening? She had finally found a life that suited her. It was a quiet life. A rather dull existence, but it was safe. She was safe.

  Until today.

  She wiped a damp cloth across her upper lip to remove the bloodstains. Her blonde hair was in wild disarray. The creases in her forehead and her pale cheeks, framed eyes that stared back at her, wide and startled. Blood spots dotted her blouse. Dabbing the wet cloth over her arms, shoulders, and neck, she felt better. Rinsing the cloth, again and again, she washed her ankles, thighs and privates. Thankfully, her nose had stopped bleeding.

  “Much better,” she sighed at her reflection.

  Izzy draped the damp cloth on the side of the basin, then tossed water on her hair. She dragged a brush through it, hoping it looked presentable until she found time to wash it thoroughly. The soothing strokes calmed her nerves, until she thought of the men that had invaded her life.

  She worried that Gavin might show his face near her home. She prayed she would never see him again. Bull, on the other hand…if Bull meant to stay and help her, she would need to wear a mask of indifference.

  No matter how much she enjoyed his kisses.

  “That’s all of them. Pizza?”

  Startled, she dropped her hairbrush into the sink. His face filled the empty space above her in the mirror. When he placed his hands on her shoulders, and met her gaze, a shiver of desire trickled down her spine. Why did she react to him? Gavin was as handsome, yet she wanted nothing to do with Gavin Sinclair. Moreover, why did she suddenly picture Bull in her bed?

  “I just ordered it. Bull, why are ye here?”

  “For the free pizza,” he said with a grin. Then his expression sobered. He shrugged his massive shoulders, then turned her to face him. “I want to help. Let me?”

  Her mind clouded, searching for a way to answer him. The concern in his eyes was sincere, but his body language told a slightly different story. With his large hands still wrapped around her upper arms, the heat beneath his fingers sparked a sudden wave of desire. It pooled low in her belly. As his clean, fresh scent washed over her, the urge to cuddle hit her. It was likely due to their recent accident, but the heat emanating from his chest drew her in.

  She could not get intimately familiar with a stranger, not when the threat of Gavin Sinclair was here, in this time.

  Before she could voice her opinion of why the man in her apartment ought to leave, his lips covered hers. As he devoured her mouth, warm hands slid up and down her arms, and her toes curled. This was not a gentle peck, nor did he ravish her mouth the way Gavin
had. His fingers did not bring pain, but caused tingles to awaken. She leaned closer, and her lips pressed against his with a deep growing need to be loved.

  This was pleasure for pleasure’s sake, and brought to a head everything she had strove to forget. Emotions had no place in her life, not when Gavin had used them against her. Seduction by a stranger, though pleasant and delicious, made her fear he expected more than she could give any man.

  “Bull, stop.” With her hands flat on his chest, she pushed away. Breaking contact, he dropped his arms. Freed of his taste and heat, she brushed away an errant tear. She would not succumb to desire again, but the loss filled her with sadness.

  Pulling back, he cupped her chin. “Are these tears? Have I scared you in some way? After the way you thwarted your friend Gavin, I assumed you were a woman who could handle anything. Me included.”

  “Gavin is no’ my friend. He wants me for his own personal gain. I will no’ return with him.”

  “Return where?”

  To change the direction of their conversation, Izzy looked toward the front door. “Where is Jenny?”

  “She’s tending to Jake’s horse. We’re quite alone.” His left brow rose, and a sly smile crossed his face.

  “Ye have no need to tease me.”

  “Come on. I like you, don’t you like me?”

  As she opened her mouth to snap at him, he leaned down and fused his warm lips against hers again. She should step away and slap him, but the heated muskiness she already associated with Bryce Buchanan swept over her. She moaned as pleasure seared her with a desire to taste more of him.

  His tongue probed her open mouth. Her first thought was to bite him, but the taste of him, the heat of his body against hers, and the smell of his manly musk was an intoxicating combination. She meant to push him away. Why did she not cry no? Why was she kissing him back?

  I am doomed.

  When he ended the kiss, she fought back a groan. “I planned to come home, eat dinner, and take a bath. All has changed since ye entered my life.”

  He grinned then nodded toward the glass sliding doors. “Is that a hot tub on your deck?”

  “Aye, but I doona’ want to…bathe until darkness falls.” Why were her words tripping over her tongue? “I want…”

  When her stomach growled, his blue eyes danced with laughter. She gazed up at his smiling face. When he tugged her back to the kitchen, she followed, surprised.

  “Here. Eat this.” He handed her an apple. She bit into the fruit while glaring back at him. The tartness of the apple was heavenly, and her stomach quieted. She tossed the core in the trash bin, then glared at Bull.

  “ ‘Tis all a joke to ye? My day is ruined and my future unclear? There be the door, so--”

  “I’m not leaving.” He lifted her off her feet, cradled her in his arms, and headed down the hall.

  “Is the bedroom this way?”

  She nodded. As he marched toward her bedchamber, she cringed. Why had she given him such information? Why was he taking her there?

  “I am perfectly capable of walking, ye brute.” She noticed she did not dispute his destination. She ought to scream and kick.

  Ignoring her complaint, he turned to fit through the narrow hall. When he bobbled her, she threw her arms around his neck. Captured by muscles and his musky scent, he held her tight against his massive chest. She felt as small and cared for like a child, in his embrace.

  Surrounded by his warmth, she believed he would always keep her safe.

  “Let’s skip the tub…for now.” He dropped her on the bed, then followed her down. His hands never broke contact. They were everywhere. His caresses were gentle, laying heat across her skin. Even through the thickness of his wool plaid, she could tell he was aroused.

  Perspiration broke across her chest. Her breasts swelled, and her nipples pressed against her shirt. She was aroused, as well. A deep need to climb inside his garments surprised her.

  Nevertheless, it did not stop her from devouring his warm lips. She clawed at his shirt trying to appease intense yearnings for intimacy. He slanted his mouth across hers. When he kissed her deeper than she had ever been kissed before, the barest stubble scratched her cheek. Broad shoulders and muscled arms halted her efforts to remove his shirt.

  Just as well.

  Clothing was a natural barrier, and the scent of smoke clung to their shirts. She wanted to cry out remove my clothes, yet found the strength to moan, instead. To protect her from losing her head was paramount, but when his lips left hers, the disconnection drew a low growl from her throat. The detachment lasted a mere heartbeat.

  When his mouth returned to the slightly damp skin beneath her left ear, she tumbled into the abyss of desire. Izzy twisted beneath him, trying to get closer to the heat that was Bryce Buchanan, as his mouth skimmed a sensitive spot beneath her chin. The moment she spread her hands beneath his shirt and up his sides, he shifted.

  She could not reach the muscles she assumed lay beneath his shoulders. Before she could protest, his roving fingers untied her vest. He pushed up her peasant blouse, and bared her breast. The fabric scraped the sensitized skin of her neck, where Bull’s lips had laved moments earlier. Cool air made her shiver, and her breasts tightened. When he lowered his head and blew out a puff of air, her nipples hardened. When he pulled back and smiled, she arched her back, trying to tease him into returning his warm body.

  “Ye like what ye see?” she asked. Her voice was low, and needy.

  He did not answer. Staring at her naked breasts seemed to render him speechless. The day she had arrived from the past, she had refused to don the bindings women of this day wore beneath their clothing.

  Dorcas Swann had laughed at her decision. “Would that I still had such a figure to flaunt.”

  The old witch had spoken her words in jest, but also to calm Izzy’s jitters about her decision. She smiled at the memory, then gazed into Bull’s eyes. His expression darkened, and his arousal nudged her hip.

  Bull lowered his body until the steamy heat of him, covered by a thin layer of cotton, pressed against her tingling nipples. He kissed her chin, then smoothed his lips down her neck. When the kisses along the sensitive skin stopped, her moan surprised her.

  He chuckled. His mouth skipped over the bunched shirt and vest, then landed on the rounded tops of her breasts. When his fingers splayed over one and then the other, her nipples ached. Bull played her like a delicate flute. Unlike the cumbersome bagpipes, her sighs were melodic and from the heart.

  “I love the sounds you make. You’re easy on the ear.”

  She giggled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “I be hoping I doona’ sound like bagpipes. They tend to screech. I listened to several young men, practicing near my tent.”

  When his mouth latched on a nipple, she moaned and squirmed with pleasure so intense, the secret place between her thighs dampened. However, when cool air wafted over her wet breast, she cried out in protest. Why had he suddenly relinquished her tormented skin?

  His eyes shuttered nearly closed, as if thinking about something besides romancing her out of her clothing.

  She brushed a lock of black hair from his brow. “Why have ye stopped?”

  “Could one of those bagpipers have started the fire?”

  The change of subject came so quickly, it tempered the joy their mutual caresses had kindled. She thought on his words, then shook her head.

  “Nay, bagpipers come from all over to perform for judges at the games. Why would one attack someone’s livelihood…or me?”

  He shrugged, then rose to kneel above her. As he straddled her hips, his plaid rode up his thighs, and the sight of exposed muscles and skin stole her breath. A tug on her shirt made her return her attention to his face.

  When aware of his ministrations, Izzy lifted her head and shoulders from the bed. He freed her from the itchy blouse and untied vest. As she settled back into her pillow, he dropped the clothing to the floor. The gentle thump matched
the pounding of her heart inside her chest. Her loose locks fanned out around her. He leaned down and stroked the strands atop the pillow, as if committing the feel of her hair to memory.

  He returned to a sitting position, and smiled. His predatory grin made her twist to get free. Broad fingers cupped her waist on one side, and her ribs on the other.

  She was trapped.

  His thumbs swept outward and gently tickled as they slid close to the sensitive undersides of her naked breasts. Euphoria made her dizzy, and an odd yearning brought her up short.

  She wanted…more.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured, then dismounted her, and lay on his side beside her, on the bed. When she thought to move away, her conflicted body turned into his embrace. His arms cradled her, turning her to face him.

  He kissed her.

  The kiss was soft and less urgent than the first time he had lowered his lips. He had shocked her, inexplicably lacing fear with anger, at his impertinence.

  This kiss was lighter, and closer to a caress. When she could not help the sigh that escaped her parted lips, his countenance changed. When he growled, low in his throat, her thighs clenched. A sudden fear made her attempt to push away.

  “Nope. Not gonna happen, sweetheart.”

  Held tight, he did not allow her to move. On their sides, with his arms surrounding her, and pressing her softness into his hard chest, he held her lovingly. Her body relaxed.

  “Yes, open for me, darlin’.” As he stroked along her back, and leaned forward, lovingly was the only word that came to mind. He nipped the sensitive arch where her neck connected with her shoulder. Her inner muscles tightened, and warmed her secret place.

  “Ye make me feel like an archer’s tightly strung bow.”

  “May I show you what my arrow can do?”

  The shock of his words made her mouth open. His lips descended as if going in for the kill. When he forced his tongue between her lips, the intrusion surprised her, but she did not pull away. He rewarded her bravado, by sliding his tongue along her bottom lip. Sparkles of delight burst behind her closed eyelids, and her body melted into his cloth-covered chest.