A Warrior's Perception (9 page)

She had secretly longed for his touch even after he had lain with Grace. Her body molded to his and her hands took a will of their own. Andra caressed every muscle she could reach as he returned the favor. She moaned again as he sucked on her tongue. He released her mouth and she leaned her head back as he kissed her neck. She fought for control as he sucked on her neck and shoulder.

“
Ye play with me,
”
she accused breathlessly as he lifted her off of the floor.

“
Nay woman.
”

He held her bottom as she curled her leg around his waist crushing his hard manhood into her softness. She held onto his shoulders as he growled into her throat. She smiled, remembering his growl of desire. He dropped to his knees at the bed and laid her back onto the bed. He slid his hands up her stomach and cupped both of her breasts. His shaft pulsed as he pushed himself atop her and caught a nipple in his mouth.

She squirmed in delight, but pushed at his head,
“
Stop! Na man will possess this body. Na man!
”
She cried out in pleasure as he tugged at her nipple with his teeth.

“
Save one. Ye husband,
”
he groaned as his shaft rubbed against her soft mound of golden curls.

“
Nay. I will'na wed,
”
she whispered as she kissed his brow.
“
Na man will cause me the pain that comes with pleasure.
”
Her eyes swirled dangerously from sea green to emerald,
“
I belong to na man!
”

Kagan reached for her lips and she met him in her need. She hungrily sucked on his tongue and bottom lip as he rocked against her, letting her feel his erection. She arched and tears flooded her eyes knowing that she wanted him and had since their first encounter. His rock hard body sent tidal waves of glorious sensations through hers.

“
Lea'e Kagan, milord, lea'e. I am'na worthy of ye touch.
”

Kagan crushed her lips and groaned as she ran her hands through his hair and whispered his name into his mouth. With fierce determination, he plundered her mouth with his tongue until she pulled away almost to the point of being completely breathless. Her arousal was gloriously smoldering in her bewitching eyes.

“
Why do ye make me want ye? Why does fire race through my veins when ye touch me? Why did ye wait for three years? Why did ye lay with the maid after ye tortured my body in the stables?
”
she cried as she continued kissing him.

Kagan sat up bringing her with him. He knelt on his knees between her legs as she ran her hands along his shoulders and back. She leaned into his arms and took possession of his lips, holding him at bay as she took his hands and held them on each side of her hips, not allowing them to caress her. Kagan reeled in her touch, dived head first into her flawless skin, and his heart threatened to erupt from his chest.

Kagan stood abruptly when she broke the kiss. He turned and took two giant steps away from her. And for the second time in his life, this woman had successfully seduced the seducer. His giant stone heart stopped and as if glass were shattering all around him, he stood perfectly still and swallowed hard.

He would have her! He would make her want him as he wanted her and she would scream out his name and his name alone. She now belonged to him and she would see it that way soon enough. He turned back to her and quickly reached for his woman. She stood and stepped out of reach, wrapping herself in the cover she dragged from the bed.

Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her to face him. He kissed her, wanting to taste her and needing to possess her. He deepened the kiss and slowly opened his eyes. She was crying, tears cascaded down her cheeks and flowed into his hungry mouth.

“
I canna do this. A man will'na ha'e me! I belong only to myself and I will ne’er succumb to ye!
”
She all but screamed as she buried her face into his arm.

His body was screaming for pleasure as he tried to settle his need and bite down her rejection,
“
And what am I? Am I a leach, a disgustin' lizard, na worthy to scrabble at ye feet? Does'na yer body soar at my touch, do'na ye grow wet in desire for me?
”

“
Nay, ye are something far worse; ye are a strong powerful beautiful man who deserves a beautiful proud wife. The likes of which I can ne'er be!
”
she bit out.

“
Ye could ne'er be proud of me? Me, the laird?
”
his anger filled his heart,
“
Are ye so high and mighty that ye hold yer nose up to me? To me? How dare ye? And who, pray, do ye think is worthy of ye touch, ye fire? A king? A god?
”

Andra's sobs wretched her body,
“
Nay, nay! Stop teasin' me! Stop! I am unworthy of ye. Tis I who ye could ne'er be proud of. My body is fat and ugly; na man wants what little I can offer. Why do ye attack me so cruelly? Just because ye are laird, ye feel it necessary to mock me! Get out! Get out!
”
She cried in agony as she tried to shrink into the cover around her body.

Kagan was standing on unfamiliar ground and stooped to pick up his kilt. He backed away, retreated to regroup his defenses. He pondered her words as he watched her turn her back to him. He tied the kilt in place around his hips and took a deep breath. No woman in her right mind would ever dare to refuse him!

“
Any man, warrior, king, or god would die a thousand deaths to lie in yer arms but for one night. Why can'na ye see yer own beauty?
”
His deep voice kissed her ears with the compliment.

He turned and flinched as pain erupted from his earlobe and a vase crashed and shattered into the door. His hand flew to his bleeding ear and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door in his wake.

Blasted woman!

He raged down the steps like an angry bull. The three Duncans had listened intently at the bottom of the stairs, but quickly tried to look busy as the laird sailed down the steps and roared his return upon their ears.

“
What ha'e ye done to her?
”
His rage was evident as he asked,
“
She is touched in the head! No woman can deny me. Explain this now or suffer my hand!
”

Only Crimm dared to answer,
“
Only what ye ordered us to do! In ye lust of her; ye chose to keep her locked away! Tis ye that wanted her trained to defend herself, tis ye that insisted she learn of worldly ways, or ha’e ye forgotten at ye own convenience?
”
Any other man would have fell at Kagan's blade for daring to question his methods, but Crimm Duncan was not any other man.

“
Hold ye tongue!
”
ordered Adalie,
“
We are all at fault in this!
”

Crimm rubbed his temples and paced the stone floor, Aran retreated to the kitchen needing to break something, and Adalie dropped into his chair with heavy heart. The father silently begged his daughter for forgiveness.

“
Her ma would ne'er forgive me, but I only wanted what was best for her,
”
he whispered into his hands,
“
How are we goin' to repair the damage?
”

Laird Kagan growled and disappeared down the corridor, unable to bare Andra's sobs any longer. He stalked like a madman to Demon. He mounted the warhorse, bareback, and rode him hard and fast into the hillside with the highland wind in his face and his highland mist behind him. His, she was his!

Her fate had been decided, signed and sealed. She had been ordered to pack her bags and depart for McKregan Keep in three days. Crimm was to accompany her on the journey to make sure that she arrived at her would be husband's keep. Her father had made it perfectly clear she would go either sitting on top of a horse or tied and gagged in the carriage. She was to marry Laird McKregan, lie in his bed, and have his babes.

He would savagely take her body, leaving her to the terrible mountains of pain that he would put her through. And he would use her body whenever he wanted and walk all over her heart like the heathen he was simply because that was the way it was. Women had no right to disagree! Her heart pounded in her ears and her loins ached.

Andra pulled herself from her bed and prayed she would break her neck as she walked across the room to her tub. She sank into its warmth and wondered what he was doing this morning. Jerking upright and splashing the water into the floor she realized what she had been about to do. Forcing the lump in her throat down, she mentally put herself in check. The Laird McKregan was an arrogant womanizing bastard and she would not daydream about him!

Grabbing the cloth on the rim of the tub and scrubbing at her body until it turned red in protest Andra denied her tears access to her eyes. She lay back and immersed
herself
in the water, running her hands through her long hair. She took a deep breath, reached for the soap she used to wash her hair, and prayed she was strong enough to resist him.

After making sure her body was beyond clean, she wrapped herself in the soft robe and edged to the vanity. Andra brushed her wet hair until the tangles disappeared, desperately trying not to think about Kagan.

She braided her tresses, letting the braid hang over her shoulder and down to her waist. Her face softened as she turned to her bed and imagined Kagan stretched atop her, between her legs, rocking back and forth, loving her.

She stood abruptly and dressed herself in baggy pants and a striped shirt. She left the room and headed downstairs. Pierre Guston would be furious if she showed up late to lessons. And Ell'andra Duncan had never been late and never once had she questioned his teachings, no matter how odd and eerie they had seemed. No matter how disgusted she had been in his presence. He had taught her how to defend herself against men and women. He had tirelessly drilled it into her head just how to use her body to trick a man's attention, how to make a man fall to his knees if ever one tried to harm her.

Her stomach lurched as she remembered all the times he had made her touch him. He had shown her every part of his body and taught her how each part responded to pain. He had made her touch each sensitive spot on his body, teaching her how to pleasure or pain each spot. Andra's knees grew weak as she compared Pierre's shaft to Kagan's. Kagan was hard, huge and long, Pierre's was always soft and mushy and very wrinkled. She hated it when he would make her touch him and her stomach had always grown queasy. Kagan's was beautifully smooth and sleek, and she had wanted to touch his when he stood before her naked.

She went to the training grounds behind the stables. No one was about yet and she made her way into the trainer’s quarters. She knocked on Pierre's door. His shaved head emerged and towered slightly over her.

He frowned down at her,
“
Your lessons are done, my sweet. I have taught you all you need to know.
”

Andra grinned,
“
Then ye think I am ready to defend myself?
”