Mesmerized by a Roguish Highlander: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Maddie MacKenna

  Shoulder sagging in relief, Mary went to the nearest chair. “I was afraid you’d do something you would regret. If he is or was as close as you say, splitting your home in half is not worth it…I’m not worth it.”

  Leith knelt in front of her and lightly grasped her bandaged arm. “This says you are.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles, “Leannán, ye mean more to me than ye ken ye do.”

  Just as she was about to reply, a loud knock came at the door. “Sir, we’ve bathing water for ye, just like ye requested.”

  Terrified, Mary moved away to duck behind the bed before Leith could order her to stay. She was already a problem for him so why give him more? Two squires came in with buckets of steaming water and went directly to the wooden tub in.

  When the youths finished, Leith closed the door just as she stood up. “I should go.”

  “No,” he said, “You won’t.” Slowly, he ran a finger around the neck of her dress. His eyes darkened and so did his tone to one that she was getting familiar with—lust. “Care to take a bath with me?”

  Her gaze widened, “Is that…appropriate?”

  “Perhaps,” he said as he reached around to unlace her dress. She felt each tug of the string as it loosened. “Or perhaps nay. I do ken that I want to feel ye again.”

  The laces were loose and she held her breath as he lowered her gown over one silky shoulder and then the next. Her nipples were already peaking and her core was tightening. Leith slid an arm around her waist and nuzzled into her neck. His tongue lapped at a red mark. His hand then smoothed over her backside.

  Grasping her skirts, he caught the soft material and dragged downward over her head, revealing her slender legs, flat stomach, and high firm breasts. Mary suddenly fell insecure and crossed her arms over her chest, but he pulled her hands away.

  “Ye’ve nothing to be ashamed about,” she sucked in a sharp breath, as his hand trailed up her arm and down to her collar bone. The tips of his fingers were light as butterflies as he trailed them to her breast and circled her tightening nipple.

  He then took her hand and placed them on his chest, “Disrobe me.”

  Her hands trembled as she pulled at the ties of his jerkin and when the lapels were open, she slid her hands under to remove it. She touched warm, sturdy battle-scarred flesh. She traced a scar over his chest, another one on his sternum, and a third that wrapped around his side.

  Her finger ran along his chest and she could feel the soft rippling of his muscles under her touch. She combed her fingers through this chest hair then laid her palm flat against his beating heart. Bolder, she went to unwrapping his plaid. The heavy belt was done with but Leith had to guide her on how to unwrap it. With it dropping to the floor and he did away with his braies.

  Lifting her in his arms, he carried her to the tub and stepped in. As they sank into the warm water, he placed her on his lap and under her arms both of his hands cupped her breast. His head was lowered and his lips were nipping at her neck. His fingers traced slow circles around the buds and under her bottom she could feel his length thickening.

  Her head lolled back and she pressed herself into his hold. All she could think of was the pleasure he had brought her last night. His hands slipped from her breasts down to her quivering belly and then used his knees to part her legs over his.

  He stroked her softly; the warm water made his acts that much more pleasurable. He was fully erect under her. Vivid memories of him kissing her center, had her reliving the passion that had seared through her body when he touched her. He had made her taste heaven, but that taste had her craving more, as much as he could give her.

  She was softly spun and saw that the darkness of his eyes had grown so wide that only a thin rim of grey was there. He kissed her then dipped to suckle the bud of her breast. Her back was arched over the brace of his right arm around her back as his left gripped her bottom. He lifted her by her hips and she felt him ease into her.

  Slowly, she sank down on him, and he held her there as he moaned into her mouth. Mary wasn’t sure what to do until he whispered. “Move on me…just like riding a horse.”

  Lacing her hand under his hair, she braced herself on her knees and began to rock. They were so close; her heated breath mingled with his. His mouth dipped to kiss her neck and one hand grasped her hip, guiding her. Her smooth rocking, rising and falling had the water on a smooth ebb and flow. He gave her slow, gentle thrusts. Rolling her head back, she grabbed his shoulders and raked her nails across his skin.

  Their mouths barely parted, and his kisses were as hot as the water around them. He was swelling inside her, she felt it. Then, he spun them so her back was braced on the wall of the tub instead of his. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he braced his arms on the tub’s rim and began to increase his pace.

  Water sloshed around them, flooding the floor but neither cared. Her blunt nails were embedded in his back. As he increased his pace, he reached in between her legs and found her nub, caressing her. She gasped as sparks showered through her body. He hiked her up a little more as his lips closed over a nipple, licking, and sucking, and the dual sensations combined to play havoc on her senses.

  Lights began to dance before her eyes. “Leith—”

  His hands gripped her bottom, holding her prisoner to his thrusts, “Yer heaven, Mary, being inside ye is pure heaven.” He slammed into her repeatedly until her spine turned molten, and her body locked up tight. A wild rush of wanton ecstasy took her over, possessing her from the inside and flowing to every limb.

  Her pleasure began to ebb when she realized Leith was not inside her. His arms were trembling, locked tight on the rim. His eyes were shut tight and he was so tense against her. Mary ran wet fingers on his cheek and he looked at her with a fire still blazing in his eyes. Drawing him into a kiss she then felt him—he was still hard. He had not finished in her because there was a chance that she would bear his child.

  Her hand slid down to grasp him and slowly she stroked him. Leith buried his face in her neck and whispered soft Gaelic words that she did not understand. His manhood was thick and heavy in her hand as she stoked from slowly from root to tip.

  She felt his chest shudder and tremble as she pleasured him, and it gave her a sense of power. Leith might be powerful and formidable, but right then she had the authority to make him quiver and groan. When his body got tight, she increased her speed, remembering how he had taught her to touch him. A small twist near the tip had him slamming his mouth on hers, kissing her with fierce possession as he released into the water.

  His hands finally slipped from the rim to her waist as he kissed her softly. Joining with him had made her body sing, but his kisses made her heart flutter. Mary could feel his passion for her. She looped her arms around him and traded his soft kisses back to him.

  “We’d better get out of this water,” he sighed. “It’s getting cold.”

  Standing, Leith carefully placed his feet on the wet floor and helped her out, drying her off with a thick cloth. Wrapping it around her, she followed him into his chambers. As she reached for the discarded dress, he stopped her and handed her a long léine.

  “Yer sleeping with me tonight,” He said with a no-debate tone.

  Sleepy fatigue was pulling at her and though she knew the prudent way was to leave, she nodded and slid into bed. Leith had only put on another pair of braies and joined her. Mary slid into the circle of his arms and rested her head on his chest.

  Immediately, his hand began rubbing a slow strip down her spine. “Robasdan came through and sent me a mind healer. The man left some herbal concoctions for him to cleanse his blood and others to calm his mind. He’ll be cleansing for almost a week straight and then taking the other to calm his mind. In two weeks, he’ll be right back on his feet,”

  Pure, deep relief was in Leith’s tone and Mary twisted her head to look at him. He, however, was staring at the ceiling, tiredness, relief, and hope were flitting across his face. “I want him back, Mary, I want him to fini
sh what he started and then hand the lairdship over to me willingly.

  “I’m sure he’ll be back,” Mary replied, her eyes drooping. Speaking about his parents only made her grieve hers. “I admire you, Leith. How you stand strong for your parents. I don’t even know what I’d do if I see mine again.”

  “Ye would forgive them even when they were the ones who did ye wrong,” Leith kissed her forehead. “That’s just the pure soul ye are.”

  As she drifted off, Mary hoped he was right. Then again, do I even want to see them at all?

  25

  For once, his life seemed to come to a level. Things were moving easier, the distresses with Cooper were gone as was the man himself, and his father was getting better every day. Leith stole as much time as he could with Mary but most of his time was spent trying to wrangle control from Cooper’s hold on the villagers back to the Village Chief, and ultimately, to the Lairdship. When he did return, it was late.

  Some of the villagers were easy to convince, others, it would take a cannonball right in the chest to move them from their position. And that position was that Mister Cooper was the best for them. Leith went back at night halfway fearing that the villager’s loyalty would split in half.

  He came back more tired than a three-legged horse forced to gallop. Most nights, he could barely get something to eat, check in on his father and then trot off to bed to sleep like the dead. Each night he craved Mary’s presence but was not going to test fate. He had already secreted Mary away twice, who knew if the third would topple his house of cards.

  Cooper was nowhere to be seen, and Leith did not know if his disappearance and silence meant well for him or if it was ominous. His mother, however, had taken to staying in her room for long periods of time. The one time he had spoken to her, she had given him a grieved look over her knitting needles and told him that she could not bear to be near Aaron when he was purging.

  Leith had let her be. It had to be hard to see the love of one’s life weak and unable to hold solid food down in his stomach. Just thinking of seeing Mary in that condition had his throat going dry in horror.

  He saw glimpses of Mary here and there, but nothing solid enough for them to bond. One midsummer afternoon, he managed to get home somewhere before evening and beelined to his father’s room. His father was sitting in bed, his body lax and face a little pale. But what Leith loved was the sharper look in Aaron’s eyes.

  Pulling up the chair, Leith spun it and sat, “How are ye feeling, Faither?”

  “Like someone roped me feet to two horses and dragged me arse from here to Edina and back,” his father grunted. “But I’m feeling better, much better. That healer is on to something, nay matter how it twists me guts into knots like bog moss.”

  Leith’s eyes ran over his father liberally in relief. “In eight days ye’ll be back at yer position. I ken all the people would want to see ye back. Da, I ken ye wanted me to take the position but I couldnae, nay with ye ill. I wanted ye to hand it over to me.”

  “Leith, stop tryin’ to pull the blasted woolen over me eyes,” Aaron said strictly. “What are ye running from? Why nay take over completely?”

  The question was like a blow to his gut. He had tried to avoid it for months, years even, but now that the issue is in the open, he had to admit his darkest fear, “Da…” his chest tightened with shame, “I fear that I willnae be as good as ye. I’ve earned the villager’s trust, but ye have more than trust with them. Ye have a kinship with them that I dinnae ken if I’ll ever have. I suppose that is the reason why I leaned on Cooper for so long.”

  “Och,” Aaron snorted. “Son, that is the biggest load of codswallop I’ve ever heard in me life. Where is this cowardice coming from?”

  Leith grimaced. “I ken, I ken it sound unmanly of me but it’s the truth.”

  “Leith,” Aaron said solemnly. “I did what was needed of me in the time it was needed. I overruled some of me Faither’s work for me do so. Times change, son, they always will. When yer time comes, ye will have to overrule some of what I’ve done too. That is the only way yer merit will come.”

  “Speaking of merit,” Leith hesitated. “Cooper’s been taking all of yers for the past few months. He managed to sway the people from the village leader, Angus Wallace, into his hands.” In moments his father’s gaze went from shock to narrowed anger but Leith pushed on, “I’ve had nay choice but to send him into exile until I can sway the people back to us. I ken…I ken he wanted to steal the lairdship from under ye, from under me.”

  His father’s jaw was working in agitation and a storm cloud was blowing over his face. Leith tensed in preparation for his father’s outburst, but instead, Aaron only said. “That is nay like Cooper. I ken he has ambitions of being in charge but he would never usurp power like that on his own. He is too loyal to me. There must be some influence he’s following, someone is directing his actions.”

  Though he had not thought of it, his father’s words made perfect sense. Secretly, Leith castigated himself for not thinking of it. Cooper had been and still was too ambitious for his own good. He had been blinded by the man’s history and his present actions to not even consider if the man was being influenced. But who could that be?

  Was Cooper under the influence of enemy clans? It made sense to take control of the village and lure the villagers to his side, then constantly throwing out suspicions left and right. His comments about the English slammed back into Leith’s head. Did ye forget that it was only four months ago Cromwell’s man died here? He was responsible for the restoration of their bloody King Charles the Second. Ye dinnea ken someone is seeking revenge?

  Was Cooper working with the English? Their clan’s seat was in the middle of the Highlands, a perfect strategic placement for the English to put down roots and then invade the rest of the other clans. If not the English, who else? The Killian clan were their enemies, and so were the Rutledges, both clans equidistant from where they were seated.

  Rubbing his hand hard over his eyes, Leith stood, “I’ll find out what, I swear to ye.”

  “Aye,” his father nodded. “I ken ye will.”

  Leith spotted a calculating look in his father’s eyes but did not ask. His father had given him his trust but Leith would be a fool to not think his father had more plans in mind. He tugged the door open and his eyes landed on Mary. She was just handing over a tray with his father’s meal, a bowl of soup, to Dugald.

  Her hair was pinned up and his eyes instantly dipped to the fading, barely noticeable mark on her neck. One of many. His body reacted and he urged to reach out and touch her but held back.

  “Lady Lenichton had this made and send this up, eh?” Dugald asked while taking the tray. Mary nodded. “I can guess. She’s so set on soups and porridges.”

  “Mary,” Leith said, she spun and went red before curtsying. “Thank ye for taking up me Faither’s meal.” He then jerked his head to Dugald, silently ordering him to take the food in. “Come with me, Mary, I’ll walk ye down.”

  He did not take the right route for a reason, instead, he led her right up to the empty rookery. The door barely closed before he had her in his arms. Mary lay a quick kiss on his neck and folded into his embrace without a word. She warmed his soul. Her touch, her smell, her softness, her care. He loved her. He did. It was as simple and complicated as that.

  Tempted to re-redden the mark on her neck, Leith held back from temptation and only kissed it. “Leannán, ye dinnae even ken how much just holding ye is doing for me.”

  It was Mary’s lips who met his first. Her kiss was soft but grew stronger and he allowed her to take the reins, kissing her back tenderly. He smoothed her hair back, “I ken I need to send Robasdan an apology.”

  Her head cocked to the side, “Why?”

  Shaking his head wryly, he stepped away, “Nothing much, go back to the kitchen, I’ll try to see ye this evening.”

  Mary did not move, instead, she began to nibble her lip. Reaching up, Leith tugged on her chin to move her lip from
her teeth, “Nay biting, if anyone’s going to bite ye, it is me. What’s troubling ye?”

  Her features went pinched for a moment before she reached into her dress and pulled out a piece of paper. “I found this under my pillow last night.”

  Taking it from her, Leith’s whole body went colder than ice. Leave or yer dead.

  A litany of curses not fit for a lady’s ears slipped from his lips. His fist clenched the note into a tight ball, “Who could have sent ye this?”

  “I don’t know,” Mary said worriedly, “The one enemy I know I had was—is —Mister Cooper but now…”

  “He’s isnae here so another one is against ye,” Leith nearly snarled, “Just when I kent all was going somewhat well.”

  He could see that she was biting the inside of her cheek and her hand was twitching to come up, touch him and offer what comfort she could. Against her desire to confide in him and take the comfort he would offer. He felt troubled, twice over. Cooper might be a part of an external conspiracy and now, Mary might be the victim of an internal one. In the light of the latter, he should be the one giving her comfort, not the other way around. Had she slept last night? No one getting such a direct threat would dare close their eyes.