The Highlander Takes a Bride

by Lynsay Sands

  The thought made him sigh, but Greer shook his head and pushed aside the depressing thoughts of his cousin and his new position. He had other matters to attend to just now, and the most important one at the moment was Lady Buchanan.

  He found her alone in the stables when he stepped inside. The stable master was nowhere to be seen and Saidh was in her mare's stall, murmuring soothingly to the beast as she saddled her. The sight brought a satisfied grunt from his lips. She knew how to tend to her beast and didn't mind doing it. That was good. Greer knew many ladies who would have stood about, wringing their hands as they waited impatiently for the stable master or one of the stable lads to arrive and do it for her.

  "So ye're done yer sewing lesson with me lady aunt?" he commented idly, walking down to lean his arms on the stall she was in.

  Saidh glanced around with surprise and then scowled at him. "She was no' teaching me. I was helping her."

  "Helping her how? Ye told me ye could no' sew," he reminded her with amusement.

  "Ye asked if I could sew and I said I'd sewn me brother up once after cutting him. I did no' say I could no' sew."

  "Ah." Greer grinned, and opened the stall door to step inside. "Where are ye going?"

  "I thought to go fer a ride," she announced.

  "Alone?" he asked with a frown.

  Saidh shrugged. "I ha'e me sword."

  "Ye could ride me," he offered and when she turned a startled glance his way, realized what had come out of his mouth and clucked his tongue. "I mean ye could ride with me. I'd go fer a ride with ye." He wouldn't mind her riding him either, or his riding her too, but that hadn't been what he'd meant to say. His first offer had been a slip of the tongue.

  Saidh finished with the saddle in silence, then stepped away from the horse and closer to him. Very close to him. So close he could see the faint freckles that dusted her cheeks and feel her breath on his chin as she peered up at him.

  "I might like that," she said in a husky whisper. "I enjoyed our last ride."

  Greer's eyebrows nearly leapt up into his hair at that. He was damned sure she wasn't talking about horses now. The lass had just admitted she'd enjoyed his touch and kisses and--well, of course he'd known that. She hadn't exactly been quiet when she'd found her pleasure, but in his experience ladies simply didn't boldly admit to such things. They blushed, and batted their eyelashes and gave nervous giggles and . . .

  Saidh definitely was not like other women, he reminded himself. And he liked that about her. A lot.

  Smiling, he slid his hand around her neck to cup her head, then lowered his mouth to cover hers in what he'd intended to be a gentle caress. But when Saidh immediately slid her arms around his waist, pressed closer and let her mouth open to welcome him, he forgot his intentions and went a little mad. The sudden rush of blood to his head and groin did not aid him much in the matter. The lass played havoc with his thinking just with her unfettered response to his touch.

  When she sighed into his mouth and tightened her arms around him even as she plastered her breasts against him, he found himself forgetting where they were and tugging at the neckline of her gown, eager to see and feel the soft globes crushed between them. Saidh moaned her complaint when he finally broke the kiss so that he could urge her upper body back to better work at her gown and then impatiently helped him to get the task done quickly. She even tugged the top right off her shoulders, baring herself to him.

  "Oh, aye," Greer growled, covering them with his hands and kneading gently. "Aye."

  "Kiss me," Saidh demanded, sinking one hand into his hair and tugging his head down.

  Greer gave in to the demand, growling and raising his leg slightly when she instinctively sought her own pleasure by slipping one leg between both of his to ride his thigh as he kissed her. They both moaned as her leg rubbed against his erection and his thigh rubbed at the core of her.

  He felt her tugging at his plaid and broke the kiss to glance down to see what she was trying to do, and Saidh gasped, "I want to feel ye too."

  Greer started to back up then to make enough room for her to remove his plaid, but paused as he bumped into her mare and it whickered gently. The sound made him blink in surprise. He'd quite forgotten where they were, and he didn't recall doing it, but had turned her against the stall door so that his back was to her mare.

  Another tug drew his gaze to see that she was working at the pin at his shoulder that held his plaid in place and he quickly covered her eager fingers. "No' here."

  "What?" She frowned with incomprehension. "But I want--what are ye doing?"

  Greer grinned at her scowl as he pulled her gown back over her shoulders and began to do up her lacings. "The stable master could come back at any moment."

  "What? Oh." He could tell by her expression that she too had forgotten where they were and the knowledge pleased him greatly. At least he was not alone in the effect they had on each other.

  "Then come fer a ride with me," she whispered, taking over her lacings.

  Greer was tempted, but shook his head. If he went with her now, it wouldn't be his horse he'd be riding at the first clearing they reached. "I've work to do."

  Her eyes narrowed. "What work? Ye were offering to ride with me just a minute ago."

  "Aye, but that's no' such a good idea," he said gently.

  Saidh growled under her throat as she finished with her lacings, and then propped her hands on her hips. "I could jest punch ye, m'laird. I really could."

  "It's no' punching yer wantin'," he said gently, understanding her frustration. He was feeling a fair bit o' that himself. Fortunately, he could take his out on his men in the practice field. She had nowhere to relieve her frustration, he realized and after a brief hesitation, urged her back up against the stall door again.

  "What are ye--?" she began with surprise and then gasped when he suddenly wrenched her skirt up, snaked his hand down the front of her braies and sunk his fingers into the wet heat that already waited there.

  "Oh," Saidh moaned with understanding and reached for him, trying to pull his head down for a kiss.

  Greer tugged his head back and shook it in refusal, knowing that if he kissed her, he'd be lost. Mouth set grimly, he began to caress her, finding the small nub that was the center of her pleasure and running his finger lightly over and then around it.

  "Oh," Saidh gasped. Closing her eyes, she clutched at his arms and shook her head from side to side as if in denial of the excitement he was stirring inside her.

  "Greer, please," she groaned, pressing herself against him. Her nails were digging into his arms through the shirt he wore under his plaid, and her hips were shifting into his caresses almost urgently. "Please, kiss me."

  Instead, he tucked her face against his chest with his free hand and then held her close as he slid one finger inside of her.

  Saidh cried out then, the sound muffled by his plaid and chest, and Greer found himself gritting his teeth and thought that this was the stupidest damned thing he'd ever done. Her flesh had closed around the digit, hot and wet and oh so tight, and he knew that was how it would feel around his cock, sucking him in, trying to keep him there as he thrust again and again, his hips bucking, his cock throbbing.

  A sudden sharp pain at his chest was followed by Saidh's crying out against him and then grabbing at his hand to stop it moving, and Greer realized that he'd brought her to release and she was now sensitive to his continued caress. It also made him realize that he had been humping her hip as he worked to give her that release and was now as hard as a dead hen and aching something terrible.

  Heaving a sigh, Greer eased his hand out of her braies and let her skirt drop around her legs again. He then stood still and waited. Saidh was holding him tightly, and Greer knew she was struggling to slow her breathing and regain her composure, mostly because he was doing the same. He was also hoping that if given a minute, his cock would stop throbbing and shrink again, at least enough that he could walk back out to the men as if he hadn't been doing wh

at he'd been doing in here.

  "Still want to punch me?" he asked after a moment, to distract them both.

  Saidh gave a laugh and shook her head against his chest.

  "Good," he murmured, running one hand lazily down her back and wondering what the meaning was behind what he'd just done. Greer was not the sort to find his pleasure and leave a woman with none. He always ensured his lovers enjoyed whatever time they spent with him. But this was the first time he'd sought to give a woman pleasure without seeking his own too. Especially when he wanted her so badly that his whole body ached rather than just his balls. She was a lady, of course, which made that impossible . . . so why had he done what he had instead of leaving her to deal with her frustration in her own way?

  "I should go fer me ride and let ye get to yer work," Saidh said suddenly, distracting him from his thoughts. She stepped back out of his arms in a manner that seemed almost reluctant, which Greer liked. But he didn't like the thought of her out riding alone. However, his aching--and still rock-hard--cock told him that accompanying her would be folly.

  "Ye can take me squire with ye," he decided suddenly.

  Saidh paused next to her mare and glanced to him with surprise. "That's no' necessary."

  "Mayhap, but 'twould make me feel better to ken yer no' alone do ye run into difficulties," he said with a shrug and slipped out of the stall to head for the stable doors. He was halfway to them when the stable master stepped inside and then stopped with surprise.

  "Oh, m'laird," the man said, then glanced down to the items in his hands and explained, "I was just getting a poultice for the horse that cut her leg yesterday. Did ye wish me to saddle yer--"

  The stable master paused abruptly, eyes widening as his gaze lowered back toward the items he carried, but paused on Greer's plaid. He didn't have to look down to know why. He was aware that he was still noticeably excited, his erection poking out the front of his plaid in a most obvious manner. He supposed he should be embarrassed, but wasn't. Life, he had learned, was full of such moments for everyone. There was no sense agonizing over them, so he smiled with amusement and said, "I doubt ye've a saddle to fit that."

  The stable master blinked and glanced up with confusion, then seemed to get the joke and grinned. "Nay, m'laird. But I could make one special if ye'd like."

  "Reins and a whip might come in more handy," Greer said dryly.

  "Aye, for most men I think," the stable master said with amusement. "I might no' be plagued with so many children if I'd had reins and a whip fer me own tarse when I was younger."

  Greer chuckled and continued past the man.

  "So, ye'll no' be needing yer horse saddled?" the stable master asked, making Greer pause at the door and glance back.

  "No' mine, but I'd appreciate it if ye could saddle Alpin's pony. He'll be accompanying Lady Buchanan on a ride."

  "Ah." The stable master glanced to where Saidh was caressing her mare's nose in the animal's stall. He then glanced back to Greer's slowly lowering plaid and nodded wisely before meeting his gaze and saying, " 'Tis fer the best it's the boy who joins her, at least until ye've found those reins and a whip."

  "That was me thinking too," Greer agreed dryly and then the two men laughed and he turned to stick his head out the door to bellow, "Alpin!"

  "A lady does no' climb trees."

  "Ye've told me that three times now, lad," Saidh responded dryly, shifting her foot up to the next branch and hauling herself upward.

  "Aye, but ye're still doing it, so I thought mayhap ye had no' heard me," Alpin said sharply. When she didn't respond to that, he added, "I could climb up there to pick the apples and throw them down, ye ken."

  "Then there would be no one to catch them," Saidh pointed out.

  "I was thinking mayhap ye could stay below and catch them, as a lady should," he said, sounding much put upon.

  Saidh plucked the apple she'd been climbing to and glanced down to see where the boy was before dropping it in his direction. Once Alpin had caught it, and set it with the others they'd already gathered, she started to climb down and asked, "Just how old are ye, Alpin?"

  "Nine," he said proudly.

  "Hmmm," she muttered, easing down another branch. "Ye act ninety."

  "Laird MacDonnell says the same thing," Alpin announced with disgust.

  "Then we are in agreement," Saidh said cheerfully, easing down another branch.

  "I suspect the two o' ye would agree on a lot o' things," Alpin said sounding annoyed.

  "I suspect yer right," Saidh said with a laugh and jumped to the ground. She took a moment to brush her hands together, then released her skirt from where she'd caught it up and stuck it through her belt for the climb, then beamed at the boy and said, "Is that no' nice?"

  "Nay," Alpin assured her heavily. "I'm thinking 'tis a bad thing."

  Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Why is that?"

  "Because ye both just go about doing as ye wish with little regard fer how a laird or lady should behave," he said firmly. "Someone needs to take the two o' ye in hand and teach ye-- What the devil are ye doing now?" he interrupted himself to ask with dismay when Saidh moved over to the apples, caught her skirt up and knelt to begin placing the apples in the bag-type affair she'd made of her skirt.

  "Gathering the apples we've collected," Saidh answered patiently.

  "I can see that, but ye canna ride back like that," he said with dismay.

  "Sure I can," she said easily. "I've two hands after all, one to hold me skirt up, the other to hold the reins."

  "But ye can no' ride around with yer skirt up like that," he cried.

  "I'm wearing braies under me skirt, Alpin," she pointed out dryly.

  "I ken that," he said with disgust, "but ye do no' want the whole bailey kenning it. And ye surely can no' be planning to walk through the castle like that too. What if Lady MacDonnell or one o' the servants sees ye?"

  She couldn't tell which idea horrified him more, the servants seeing it or Lady MacDonnell. Saidh shook her head. Truly, the boy acted like an old woman. He'd done nothing but nag at her since they'd started out on this ride. She shouldn't ride astride, he'd instructed. What the devil was she doing wearing braies under her gown? That wasn't proper. She shouldn't ride so fast. She shouldn't be jumping boulders or bushes on her mare. She shouldn't climb trees. Truly, Saidh felt sure if she had to listen to his nagging much longer, she might be tempted to kill the lad, and had no idea how Greer had managed not to before now.

  Finished collecting the apples, Saidh stood and moved to mount her mare. The action was a bit awkward with only one hand available, but she managed it and then glanced around to see if Alpin was ready. He wasn't. The boy still stood by where the apples had been, hands on hips and glaring fiercely.

  "Alpin," she said patiently, "If ye plan to accompany me back to the keep, I suggest ye mount up . . . else I'll leave ye behind."

  "A lady should ne'er ride alone. There could be bandits or--hey!" he bellowed, and ran for his horse when Saidh set her mare to start moving.

  Laughing, Saidh urged her horse to more speed, uncaring if the boy caught up or not. Really, he was a little pain in the arse and she didn't know how Greer bore it.

  That thought brought Greer firmly to mind and Saidh sighed and relaxed in the saddle, unintentionally allowing the mare to drop back to a trot. That man, she thought almost dreamily and shivered as she recalled the pleasure he'd given her in the stables. Her body was still tingling from what he'd done, which she didn't understand at all, because the tingling hadn't lasted as long after that time in the clearing.

  Of course, perhaps the dunking in the loch had put an end to it then, she thought now. There had been no cold water to cool her fevered body this time, and not only was it still tingling, she could feel the dampness still between her legs. She even felt more pool there every time she thought of Greer and what he'd done. He'd driven her out of her mind with his talented fingers and God it had felt good.

  Although, she thought with a sudden frown, it would have felt better had he kissed her while he was doing it. Saidh had missed his kisses. Without those, it had felt less like something they were doing, more like something he was doing to her, and for some reason that bothered her. Had he enjoyed it at all? she wondered, and then glanced around with a scowl when Alpin rode up beside her and began to lecture, "A lady does not--"

  Saidh didn't stick around to hear what she was doing wrong this time, but urged her mare to move faster and rode ahead again. She shouldn't have slowed down anyway, Saidh thought. She had no time to sit about fretting over Greer at the moment. She had to get the apples to Cook.

  Saidh had considered what she'd learned from Lady MacDonnell and had come to the conclusion that she needed to talk to her cousin and ask some hard questions. The apples were supposed to help with that. Saidh was hoping if she got the apples to Cook quickly enough, he could make Fenella's favorite dessert, applemoyse, in time for the sup. Because Saidh was hoping that the dessert would disarm her cousin and make her speak more freely when she asked the questions she wanted to.

  "Is the meal no' to yer liking?"

  At Greer's question, Saidh glanced up from the piece of cheese she had been tearing to shreds and smiled faintly.

  "Nay. 'Tis fine. I am just . . ." Shrugging, she set down the remainder of the cheese without saying that she was simply trying to sort out how she was supposed to ask her cousin if she had killed any of her last three husbands, without sounding like that was what she was asking. Saidh was sure if she went charging into the room sounding accusatory Fenella would shut down and refuse to speak to her at all. And she was already at a disadvantage, to her mind, since it had been too late for Cook to make the applemoyse in time for sup when she'd got the apples to him.

  "Saidh?" Greer prompted.

  "Hmm?" she glanced to him, noted his questioning expression and realized he was waiting for her to finish her answer. Sighing, she shook her head and muttered, "I was just thinking."

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