Highland Lover: Book 3 Scottish Knights Trilogy (26 page)

Jake felt her melt against him as he teased her lower lip with his teeth and tongue. When she moaned again softly, he slipped his tongue into the moist softness of her mouth. She responded at once, pressing harder against him, and he stroked her back and waist, holding her close. When his cock responded eagerly to her body’s touch, one hand drifted to cup the curve of her bottom.

Although he had deftly moved her out of the moonlight
to the darkest area of the roof, it was as well, he thought, that they were outside and atop her cabin.

Had they been anywhere more private, with a bed, his self-control would vanish. He wanted nothing more
now
than to scoop her into his arms and take her to his bed. That that bed was a narrow straw pallet on the forecastle cabin floor would not matter a whit to him. Her shelf bed would be worse.

His lads would keep their mouths shut. But he knew that their silence would be as great a condemnation of the example he’d be setting as his guilty conscience could produce. Come to that, the case would be the same if any of them should chance to look his way while he trifled with the lass.

Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, Alyson put both hands on his chest and pressed firmly.

Letting go of her, he said, “What now? Is summat more amiss?”

“Aye, this is, and you know it.”

He nearly reminded her that she had enjoyed it, but she was no alehouse wench for teasing. Instead, he said, “It may not be wise. But in troth, I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long that I seized the opportunity when it presented itself. And then, when a second opportunity arose…”

“I did not stop you. I ken that fine. Also,” she added, “since we’re being truthful with each other, I enjoyed it. I even felt much of the pleasure that you and Lizzie described. However, this is not only wrong because I should more properly be mourning my husband. It is also wrong because naught of good can come of it. You did say, did you not, that you never intend to marry, that your freedom is too important for you to risk losing it so?”

“I did say that,” he agreed. “And I meant it.”
At the time
, the irksome mutterer in his head added. Jake ignored it. He’d meant what he’d said, so she was right. To take advantage of her as he had was wrong, in more ways than one.

So why did the thought of not doing it again seem worse?

Alyson felt a sense of righteousness at having expressed her feelings. But when he released her and did not move to touch her again, the feeling died.

“You did say that I would not have to go down by way of those steps,” she reminded him with a small sigh. “How will I get down otherwise?”

“I can lower you or get down first and lift you down,” he said with a twinkle. “Your cabin is just eight feet high, after all. The reason I did not jump down before was that I knew I’d wake the lads if I did.”

“
And
you like to show off your agility.”

“In troth, lass, I wanted to share that view with you. I wanted you to share my way of getting up there, too. I haven’t done that with anyone else before.”

“I’ll never forget going up as we did,” she said sincerely.

“Were you terrified?”

“Not with you. I felt dizzy when I looked down, but the feeling passed.” She did not mention that she took care not to make the mistake again. The truth, though, was that she had not given the sea a second thought until she was on the roof with him and gazing out on its moonlit splendor.

“I’ll go down the way we came up,” he said. “I still
don’t want to wake the lads. They need their sleep. Also, I like my route best.”

She moved to the edge of the roof to wait and saw Mace at the helm, apparently still oblivious to her and to Jake. Watching Jake descend, she marveled again at how easy he made it look and hoped that Will never saw him do it. The way the boy aped and admired the men on the
Sea Wolf
, she was sure he would try to emulate anything that he saw them do.

Jake spoke quietly to Mace before turning back toward her. Then he came to stand beneath her and said, “You’ll have to sit at the edge, lass. Then, if you lean forward, I’ll be able to reach you. Take care as you lean toward me that your cloak does not catch on anything.”

“I’ll drop it down to you first,” she said. She could almost feel his hands on her just by thinking about them.

He took her cloak, glanced around, then opened the cabin door and put the cloak inside before turning back. He reached up, and when she leaned, he caught her at the waist and eased her down until she could put her hands on his shoulders. Then, he took his time before letting her feet touch the deck.

She told herself that he lowered her slowly only so she could avoid snagging her skirt. But when her gaze met his and she saw how his eyes sparkled, she knew that he meant to tease her.

With a guilty notion that her eyes were sparkling, too, she hoped Mace would continue to ignore them.

“What did you say to Mace?” she murmured when her feet finally touched solid decking.

“You need not speak so softly, lass. I just told him that I think it will be light enough for us to see the Bass Rock
when we pass it in the morning. He agrees, and I thought you might like to see it by daylight. I’ll wager young Will has not yet seen it so before, either.”

“Would he not have seen it when he, Jamie, and Orkney first got there?”

“Nay, because they’ll have approached it as they left, in darkness. They’d not have wanted anyone seeing a boat so near Bass Rock. Douglases at Tantallon can see what goes on there by daylight. Doubtless Albany had men along the coast seeking any sign of them, too. So they’d have anchored on the windward side of the Rock and kept their lanterns dark, as the
Maryenknyght
did when it collected them.”

“We did, aye,” she said. She realized she still had her hands on his shoulders. His face was near enough for her to see the desire in his eyes.

Sobering, he said, “Get you in, lass. It is too chilly to be out without a cloak. Also, if we are to see the Rock in the morning, we both need sleep now.”

“Aye, sure,” she murmured. “Thank you for showing me your view, Jake. I’ll remember it forever as one of the wonders I have seen.”

She turned then and went into the cabin. When she had shut the door, she leaned against it, remembering the sensations he’d stirred in her and hoping she could enjoy such feelings again. Mayhap someday, somewhere, she would meet someone else who could make her feel those things, someone who did not know and love the freedom Jake Maxwell found on the open sea.

She envied him that love. Faith, she envied him that freedom! But she feared that his desire for her, however strong, could never overcome his yearning for the freedom of the sea. She knew, thanks to Niall, that she would
not stay in love with a man whose love for her was not strong enough to keep him home with her.

Friday morning, Jake sent Will from the foredeck to rap on Alyson’s door in time for her to dress and enjoy a good long view of the Bass Rock.

When she emerged from her cabin, Jake noticed that she had plaited her hair in one long braid that draped over her left shoulder. It was long enough to fall across her left breast and extend past her waist. The sight stirred a strong desire in him to see it hanging free. He thought it might reach to her knees.

Reluctantly shifting his gaze, he saw the Bass Rock looming out of the thin morning mist ahead. Catching her eye, he gestured toward it. Will was already standing near the first portside bench, eyeing his erstwhile home.

Alyson joined the lad, and the two of them gazed at the Rock. Will glanced back at Jake moments later, his expression set and sorrowful.

Jake crooked a finger, and saw the lad speak to Alyson before he turned to the gangway and ran along it to Jake.

“Aye, sir? Ye said I could look at yon rock. But if ye want me for summat, I’ll see tae it straightaway.”

“I thought you looked sad,” Jake said. “Art missing Jamie, lad?”

Will grimaced. “He’ll be a-missing
me
. Be ye sure they willna hurt him?”

“I’m sure. English Harry thinks highly of himself, and he is no fool. By now he has realized that he cannot conquer all of Scotland. We will never bow to his notion that Scotland is but a northern shire of England.”

“That’s a right daft notion, that is,” Will said fiercely.

“It is, aye. So my thinking on the matter is that English Harry will exert himself to influence us in every other way he can. Although he pretends to a truce now, he may still send armies to attack us. But he is also likely to try to persuade our Jamie that England has only good intentions toward us. If Harry can do that whilst Jamie is young, then when Jamie becomes King of Scots, Harry will wield much influence over the Scottish Crown.”

“Jamie is too smart for that. But he will return. Ye’re sure about that?”

“As sure as I can be,” Jake said. “Sithee, laddie, if Harry hurt or killed a child… and Jamie
is
still a child, although he talks as if he were grown…”

“Aye, he does that,” Will agreed with a wry smile.

“He does, but if Harry were to harm him, it would stir the wrath and disgust of the Scottish people and inflame their enmity. He would thus lose any chance of influencing Scotland to benefit himself.”

“Aye, perhaps,” Will said. “But men said the same about the wicked Duke o’ Albany afore this happened. And
my
thinking is that Albany must ha’ told that old Harry in England that our Jamie were on that ship.”

“We agree in our thinking, lad,” Jake said. “You make me realize, too, that you’ve a head as good as Jamie’s on your own shoulders. You are also wise enough to know that we should keep our opinion to ourselves. Albany has long ears, and he will not want such opinions flying around Scotland.”

“But he’ll become King now when his grace dies, won’t he?”

“Not as long as Jamie lives. When his grace dies,
Jamie will be King of Scots until
he
dies, which we must pray does not happen for many a long year. But Albany will likely be Governor of the Realm again, and gey soon now.”

“ ’Tis much the same, tae my thinking.”

“Not the same but close enough to satisfy him for a while, I hope.”

Hearing the boy’s deep sigh, Jake gently ruffled his hair.

Will looked up again. “How long till Jamie comes home then?”

“I wish I knew.” Pondering the question, he considered what he knew about Albany. “It may be a long time.”

“Mayhap until Albany be dead hisself?”

Jake closed his eyes. “We will hope it is not
that
long,” he said.

“Aye, but he’s a rare villain, that ’un, so it may be,” Will muttered.