Cameron clamped his hand on the lad’s shoulder, feeling the bones under his hand. A few good meals and some training, and the lad would gain muscle in no time. “I’ll appoint someone else for this task. Ye have done well, lad. ’Tis time for ye tae be rewarded.”
A glimmer of tears shined in the lad’s eyes before he blinked them away. “I hear ye are tae be our laird.”
Shaking his head, Cameron let his hand fall. He wondered how long it would be before the word got out that he had offered for the lady of the clan’s hand. “Nay lad, ye already have a laird. I’m just going tae be her husband. Wot is yer name?”
“William,” he said.
“Well then, William, welcome tae the warriors,” Cameron decided. The lad had quite a few years before he would become one, but he had the admirable traits that Cameron needed right now for Katherine’s survival, and that was all that mattered to him. “Go on now. I will take care of the lady.”
William wasted no time running off, and Cameron entered the stable, the sounds of horses nickering and moving around in the stalls comforting him. Of course, Katherine would come in here. No one would suspect that the lady of the clan would be nestled in the hay of an empty stall, picking at the stalks with her fingers. He found her just like that, leaning against the stall and crossing his arms over his chest.
“That was nice wot ye did for William,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
“He deserves tae be rewarded,” Cameron said lightly, drinking in the sight of her. Every time he saw her unharmed, he felt a peace unlike anything he could explain even to himself. In a crowd of people, it was her that he always sought out.
He knew that the lass had affected him from the moment he had entered the keep all those years past and rescued her, but after today’s agreement to marry her, Cameron hadn’t realized just how much. “I’m sorry,” he started, his words soft. “I didnae mean tae insert mah nose in yer business.”
Katherine raised her eyes to his, and Cameron felt the gut punch to his stomach as he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “Ye didnae mean tae ask for mah hand?” she whispered. “Because where I was sitting, yer words were deliberate, Cameron.”
“They were,” he blurted out, wanting to ease the worry from her expression. “I want nothing more than tae marry ye, Katherine.” There was no shame in his words, no regret that he had even said them aloud.
She was his, always had been. From the moment that he had seen her in that keep all those years ago to rescuing her by the river, Cameron had never forgotten about Katherine, and perhaps he was waiting for the right moment in time to make her his.
He just didn’t expect to be so frightened about the prospect. Not because of her, but because he was now to be her husband. This brave, fearless lass was to be his, and he hoped that he could be the Scot she deserved.
She drew in a breath, resuming her task with the hay, plucking it with her fingers. “I didnae think that ye would be after the seat, Cameron, but anyone else, I would be concerned that I would be pushed aside.”
Cameron pushed himself away from the stall and joined her on the hay, resting his back against the stall and his arm on his slightly raised leg. “I dinnae want yer clan or yer seat, Katherine. ’Tis yers tae do with what ye will. I will be nothing more than a man at yer side.”
Katherine sighed, throwing the piece of hay in with the rest. “I know. I just thought I would have some say so in mah own marriage.”
He frowned at her words. Did she think he was forcing her into a marriage of convenience? Did she not see how he cared for her, how much she frightened him with every step she took? “I cannae take back the words, lass. They will know.”
“I’m not asking ye too,” she answered, looking at him with those soulful eyes of hers. They could break him down with just a tear, and he would be helpless against her. “I just feel like ye have just tied yerself down with the clan ye are supposed tae leave in a few days.”
She was right in the account. He was supposed to leave and go back to his home clan in a matter of days, though Cameron would have found it hard to walk away because he would have had to leave her. “It was mah decision,” he bit out, holding back words that he wasn’t ready to tell her right now. “I dinnae take them lightly, lass.”
She stared at him, her lips parting. “Are ye sure, Cameron? Ye will have tae put up with me for the rest of yer days.”
Cameron let out a bark of laughter and reached out, cupping her cheek with his hand. “Ye will likely turn mah hair grey before ’tis time, but one thing is for certain: I will never be bored.”
Katherine suddenly surprised him by leaning forward and brushing her lips over his. Cameron groaned against her lips as he felt the familiar ache in his chest grow stronger, and he slid his hand behind her neck, holding her in place. He had thought of their kiss far too much, forcing himself to stay away so he would not confuse them both.
But now she was to be his wife, and he wanted to kiss her senseless.
She reached out and clung to his tunic as he coaxed her mouth open and swept inside, drowning in her kiss. For the rest of his days, he would be kissing Katherine McDougal.
It wasn’t a bad thing to think about.
His hands ached to touch her, and before Cameron knew it, his hand was resting on her breast, feeling the mound through the layers of clothing. She tore away from his mouth, and he rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “Och, lass, I need tae touch ye.” It was more of a confession to himself than to her, one that he had been fighting for years. “Tell me nay.”
“I cannae,” she whispered, moving his hand to the laces at the front of her dress. “Touch me, Cameron.”
She was going to be the death of him. Cameron’s hands shook as he worked the laces of her dress, tugging on them until they gaped open, and the dress slid off one shoulder, revealing the creamy skin underneath. His groin tightened at the sight, but Cameron forced that thought aside. He would not go beyond this, for once he started, he would not be able to stop.
She wasn’t ready for that part of what was to come.
The lace of her shift came into view, and his breath stuttered in his chest, his hand hovering over the swell of her breast straining against the fabric. He had no right touching her like this, not until she had his ring on her finger.
Katherine solved his dilemma by reaching out and pressing her hand against his, bringing it to her breast. “Cameron,” she breathed, her eyes growing wild as his thumb brushed over her pert nipple. Cameron did it again, and she moaned low in her throat, his breeks growing impossibly tight. It had been a long time since he had spilled himself inside his breeks, but he was dangerously close to doing so now.
His scarred hand pushed her shift aside, and his mouth went dry at the sight of her pale breast and pink nipple, untouched until now. She was bloody perfect, and she was to be his. Against his better judgment, he leaned down and captured her nipple between his teeth, feeling her hands thrust into his hair and hold him there, a mewling sound escaping her lips.
If this were the great beyond, he would die a happy Scot.
Soon he was lavishing the other breast, restraining himself from going any further. She deserved a proper bed for her first time, not a tumble in the hay like some wench from the tavern. Blood pounded in his ears as he listened to her gasps and sighs, wondering what she would think once he had her naked under him.
She was too good for him. She deserved so much more than a poor warrior with nothing to offer her but his body.
The thought doused him like a bucket of cold water, and Cameron pulled back, tucking away her beautiful breasts back in her shift. “Nay,” he muttered, reaching for her laces. “Nay, lass.”
“Cameron?” she asked, a note of concern in her voice as he deftly laced her dress back up. There was nothing he could do for the redness of her lips, but if she stayed in the stall while he departed, the flush of her cheeks would subside.
I should have never touched her like this!<
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“I cannae,” he said desperately, moving to stand so that he could put some distance between them. “Ye deserve better than me, lass.”
The hurt was evident on her face, and he hated that he had put it there. “Well,” she finally said, pushing her hair back from her face, “ye should have thought about that before ye offered yer name, Cameron.”
Yes, he should have, but he had been protecting her far too long. This was just another way to protect her with his name, his body, his life. “I have nothing tae bring tae this marriage,” he said. He had a rundown farm across the border and a penchant to drink far too much when he was idle.
He had tumbled more than one wench, sullied himself, and now he was treating her with the same respect.
Suddenly Cameron was disgusted with himself. Katherine deserved a Scot that could bring her riches, that didn’t have blood on his hands as he had. She deserved a good, strong bloodline, not one that was questionable to begin with. “I’m sorry,” he told her.
Her eyes widened, but he couldn’t say another word to her without allowing her to see emotion from him. She made him feel something far more than any battle had brought him, and it scared the shite out of him.
He had kept it from her for so long, kept his emotions inside so he couldn’t be hurt in the end.
Now, Katherine could destroy him with one word, one look.
Turning away from her, Cameron strode out of the stable, looking for another scrawny lad that could protect his lady whenever she felt the need to escape to the stables.
He had to put some distance between them. Cameron would still marry her, but he would not be touching her like that again.
If he did, he might not be able to stop next time.
13
Two days later, Katherine woke with a heavy heart and an aching head. She had been in this position before, the day that she had been crowned the leader of the McDougal clan, but today was a different sort of commitment.
Today she was going to wed Cameron.
Groaning, Katherine held her head in her hands, her eyes aching from the tears she had shed over the past two days. This should be the happiest time in her life. She should be surrounded by the ladies of the clan and her own family, giggling as they would prepare her for her wedding.
Then the chamber would be transformed into what would be the perfect night for her to give herself to her husband, consummating their marriage and their love for one another.
There might be a consummation today; it wouldn’t be filled with love but with duty to protect her.
The thought crossed her mind, and Katherine shook it away. Her love would be there. After the scene in the barn, with Cameron’s parting words, she knew without a doubt that she was in love with him.
She had likely always been in love with Cameron from the moment that she had laid her eyes on him all those years ago, but the desperation she had felt in his touch in the barn had only broken her heart open further. She didn’t know much about her soon-to-be husband, but there was a note she had picked up on when he had taken his hands off her.
He felt he did not deserve her.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Katherine fell back onto her pillows, biting her lip. He thought he wasn’t good enough for her, yet he had saved her life, protected her. Not every Scot would have gone traipsing through the wood and saved her life from that brute at the river or ridden out to find those that had fired arrows at her. At the time, she thought it was because he had been forced to by Arran, but now she understood that there was something deeper here.
And her poor handsome Scot thought he was ruining her by binding herself to him. There was no one else she would want standing by her side.
The problem was, Katherine had not seen hide nor hair of Cameron since that day. Another warrior had been assigned to her, following her around until she had snapped at him. He had fumbled through his words, and she had relented, knowing that he was only doing what he had been told.
Today she would see Cameron. Today she would be bound to him for the rest of her days, and he would have to face the fact that he was her husband.
What would he do? Katherine swallowed back the tears. Surely he would be there today. As he had told her, he was not a man to go back on his word, and if he said he was going to wed her, he would wed her.
Now she would have to show him that despite whatever he was fighting within himself, he was the man she wanted. Even if he couldn’t love her now, she would wait. To be loved by Cameron was likely a great feat in itself; for the time she had known the Scot, he had always been so closed off, so unwilling to share his feelings.
Would he ever allow himself to love her? Katherine would give up this keep and her seat if there were a chance that Cameron could love her in months, even years after they were wed.
Rising from the bed, Katherine shrugged on her wrapper, cinching it tightly around her waist. There was only going to be one path to his heart, and it started with this wedding.
Two hours later, Katherine entered the great hall, her hands clutched tightly around the bouquet of wildflowers and thistles that the ladies of the clan had gathered for her. Though her family was not present, the women had tried to make it memorable for her, dressing her in a gown of deep blue so her love would always be true, the tartan proudly pinned to her shoulder. Her hair had been pulled up in a series of knots and twists, and when Katherine had finally seen herself in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her.
She was a happy bride now, with a clear, determined objective in mind when it came to marrying Cameron.
She was going to show him what it meant to be loved and to give that love in return. He would likely fight her every step of the way, but he deserved love.
Her love.
The crowd parted as she made her way to the elder clansman that had deemed her the leader of the McDougal clan, finally spying Cameron waiting there for her. Her heart tumbled over in her chest as she took in his handsome form, from the green jacket he wore to his tartan kilt, dirk, and sporran. His hair was pulled back from his face, and while his jaw was clenched tight enough to break, she saw the intensity in his eyes when they locked on her.
Her entire being lit up like a great fire as his eyes roved over her, her mouth dry as she thought about him touching her body without the boundary of clothing between them. He would have that right after this ceremony, and she wanted nothing more than to have him touching her.
Loving her.
Steeling herself against the wave of emotions that battled within her tortured heart, Katherine somehow made her way to her spot, the clan closing in around them. It seemed that everyone had come out to witness their union, and Katherine’s heart did swell at that particular notion. They were accepting her as their leader.
Either that or they were curious as to know why she had chosen Cameron.
Katherine drew in a breath as she looked up into Cameron’s familiar eyes as the elder clansman took their hands and clasped them together, saying the sacred words that would bind them to one another. She felt every callus on Cameron’s hand, wanting to rub her thumb over his skin in an effort to let him know that it was going to be alright between them.
She could protect him as well.
When it came time for their vows, Cameron surprised her by going down on one knee, presenting her with his sword that she had seen him swing more than once in their time together. “I vow ye the first cut of mah meat, the first sip of mah wine,” he started, his voice ringing clear and loud in the quiet hall. ”From this day, it shall only be yer name I cry out in the night and into yer eyes that I smile each morning.”
Katherine’s breath caught as she thought about his words, how he was pledging his life to her. She had expected the traditional vows, but this ran deeper.
“I shall be a shield for yer back as ye are for mine, nor shall a grievous word be spoken about us, for our marriage is sacred between us, and no stranger shall hear
mah grievance,” he continued solemnly, raising the sword toward her. “Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor ye through this life and into the next.”
Tears blurred her vision as his words sank in. He was going to cherish her, but there were no words of love spoken. She wasn’t so certain she needed them. “Take the sword, lass,” the elder clansman whispered. “’Tis no easy feat for a warrior to give up his sword.”
Katherine did so, feeling the warmth from the steel being strapped to Cameron’s back. She had thought that this was him doing his duty by her, but giving up his sword meant far more. Cameron was a warrior first foremost, and his sword was an extension of his strength.
He had just given her his strength.
Cameron rose, and Katherine pressed her lips to the hilt of his sword before holding it aloft, thinking of the ancient vows she had wished to say to Cameron today. “I, Katherine, take thee Cameron tae mah hand, mah heart, and mah spirit, tae be mah chosen one.”
Cameron’s expression shifted to one of surprise, but Katherine rushed on, knowing that she had to get through them all. “Tae desire thee and be desired by thee, tae possess thee and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of mah love for thee. I promise tae love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again.” Her entire heart and soul was poured into those words, knowing that she meant every one. If he did not know now that she was desperately in love with him, then he was not listening to her words.
“The ring,” the elder clansman prompted as Katherine handed off her bouquet to the waiting attendant, clasping the hilt of Cameron’s sword in her opposite hand.
Cameron reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a single gold band, the light glinting off the metal. Katherine’s breath caught as he slid it on her finger, the warmth of his hand sending shivers down her spine. “My pledge I do thee troth,” he said softly, rubbing his thumb over the ring.
Highlander’s Royal Blood: A Steamy Scottish Medieval Historical Romance Page 8
