Highlanders (26 page)

He moved in so fast, she lost her breath when he seized her shoulders. “I let no one use me,
Lady
Celeste. And if you think I want anything at all from you, you’re wrong.”

“I left Eiloch and gave my husband’s brother everything,” she said quietly. “To come to you.”

“There is no place for you here,” he countered. “Not after what you did.”

Her own temper erupted at that. “And what did I do that was so wrong? I went to seek help for my sister in any way that I could. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t lay down your life for one of your brothers.”

“It’s not the same.”

“No, because you aren’t a woman. I came to you for help, and I offered you the payment you wanted. I kept my word.”

“You used me.”

She drew herself up to her full height, glaring at him. “I didn’t hear you saying no to me that night. You enjoyed every moment of it, and that’s what angers you most. Because you still want me, even after all that.”

She rested her hand upon his throat and could feel his rapid pulse beneath her fingers. “It was my choice to lie with you that night. And I never stole anything from you. I returned and kept my promise, just as I said I would.”

“I don’t want you, Celeste. I’ll accept the horse, but that’s all I want from you. You’re nothing to me.”

He walked away, leaving her to stand there alone. Tears welled up inside her, and she turned away to let them fall. Better to release them now, where no one would see, than to be weak before her sister. Melisandre needed her to be strong. They had to gain shelter and somehow survive this.

But she simply didn’t know how to break down the stony pride of a man who hated her.

* * *

“D
O
YOU
WANT
me to send her away?” Laren asked while Dougal examined the stallion Celeste had brought. “She traveled a long way to see you.” His brother’s wife kept her voice even, but he sensed the frustration in her. She was dying to ask him what had happened, but he would say nothing.

Just remembering that night made him feel like a fool. Celeste had invited him into her bath, using her body and words to seduce him. He’d been such a fool, only too eager to touch her, to sheathe himself in her body and watch her crumble.

Had she ever wanted him? Or had she merely schemed to conceive a child to protect herself from her husband’s brother? He didn’t know.

After he’d left her, she’d gone back to Eiloch without a second thought. She’d returned with her enemy, leaving him to wonder if she was even alive.

And now that he’d seen her again, he craved her even more. Seeing her here, with her golden-brown hair pinned beneath a veil, her blue gown clinging to a slender waist, made him want to drag her back home again.

He loathed himself for the weakness.

“Dougal?” Laren questioned again. “She brought her sister and wants to stay.” The woman moved forward to stand at his side. “But Nairna thinks she should go back.”

She was leaving the decision up to him, but he knew what her wishes would be. “You don’t want to send them away.”

Laren shook her head. “I spoke with Melisandre for a short while. She said that Celeste gave up all rights to her land, to return to you.”

He said nothing, refusing to believe any of it.

His brother’s wife touched his arm, asking gently, “Why do you fight your feelings for her? I can see in your face how much it hurt when she left.”

“I knew she would leave me.” Every woman he’d ever known had left; why would Celeste be any different?

“She came back,” Laren said. “And I think you should give her another chance. At least hear what she has to say.”

“She gave me nothing but lies, Laren. Why would I want to hear more?”

The young woman let out a sigh. “Stubbornness runs in MacKinloch blood.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Her sister can sleep with my girls this night.”

“And what of Lady Eiloch?” he demanded, unable to stop himself from asking.

“Where do
you
want me to send her?” Without waiting for a reply, Laren walked away.

Dougal grimaced, for he knew he would find Celeste in his dwelling. The question was whether or not he’d have the willpower to turn her away. Or whether he should.

CHAPTER SEVEN

C
ELESTE
STOOD
WITHIN
the fence boundaries while the stallion explored his new home. Dougal kept his mare, Ivory, separated, but the animal appeared nervous at the arrival of the new horse. In one hand, he held a carrot, intending to entice Titan with it. The stallion was fully aware of him, but showed more interest in grazing.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Dougal warned Celeste. “He’s nervous already.”

“I traveled with him all the way here,” she countered. Her blue eyes fixed upon him, and she added, “He’s the most stubborn creature I’ve ever met. He won’t listen to anything I say.”

He thought he detected an undertone beneath her words. “Horses can sense when a rider is not in command.”

“It doesn’t matter what I say or do. He’s made up his mind already.” She went to stand beside him, and crossed her arms. “He doesn’t understand that I only wanted to take care of him.”

“Are we still talking about horses?” He risked a glance, and the glare in her eyes was unmistakable.

“I gave up my land to keep a promise to you. And it seems I made the wrong choice, since you’re determined that I should not stay here.”

“Laren is Lady of Glen Arrin. She’ll give you a place for the night until you can go.”

“Is that what you want? For us to leave and never return?”

“Yes.” He spoke without thinking, but the words held a note of falsehood. When he was around Celeste, he hardly knew himself anymore. He wanted her in his arms, her mouth upon his. He wanted to awaken beside her in the morning and fall asleep with her at night.

She was his greatest weakness, and he didn’t want to trust her again. When he’d allowed himself to believe, for a moment, that she’d wanted him, he’d felt a sense of wholeness. As if there was someone who would stand by him, who needed him. When Lord Eiloch had offered the ugly truth, it had only confirmed what he’d feared—that she’d only wanted to use him.

“Just a few days,” she murmured, lifting her face to his in a wordless plea. “If you cannot forgive me, then I’ll go.”

He didn’t want to try again. For he sensed that if he took even a single step forward, he would end up in her bed once more. Celeste de Laurent was like a sorceress, binding him to her until there was nothing left of himself.

She took his hand in hers. “We could go for a ride if you want. I could take Ivory and you could ride Titan.”

“Ivory is still getting used to having a saddle,” he argued. “She’s not safe for you.”

“Then I’ll see what I can do to tame that beast of a horse. I’ll ride Titan, if I must.” She sent him a slight smile. “We could race them.”

“I’d win.” He pointed toward the stallion, who was still grazing. “Your mount is more interested in food.”

“That could change, if he’s running alongside the female. He might try to chase her.” She straightened and offered, “I’ll make you a wager on it.”

“And what do you want if you win?” Although he doubted if her stallion would obey her enough to win the race, he wondered what she would ask for.

“I want to stay at Glen Arrin,” she said, “with my sister.”

Already she was taking the stallion by the bridle, leading him away from the grass. She spoke to him in a firm tone, as if trying to convince the animal to win. Dougal went to retrieve Ivory, amused by the way she was chiding the stallion.

“What do you want from me if you win?” she asked.

He helped her saddle Titan again, then boosted her up. “You already know what I want.”

Her face dimmed. “Don’t ask me to leave, Dougal.” The hurt look in her eyes made him feel like a bastard. But damn her, why should he let her stay? He had no desire to be tormented by her presence each day, reminded of the way she’d seduced him and cast him aside.

Celeste dug her heels into the stallion and urged him out toward the open fields. Without even waiting for him, she started the race. Cheating, was she?

He had to hurry to saddle Ivory and then catch up to her. Celeste had gained a strong lead, and as she took the stallion north, Dougal marveled at how well Titan ran.

Ivory raced to catch up, and the mare began to close the distance. Although Titan was a fast stallion, Celeste wasn’t as skilled a rider. She was also racing toward the edge of another loch. Dougal followed her, and soon enough, their horses were side by side.

He could pull ahead and win the race. But something held him back. Ivory, however, had other ideas, and began to force her way to the front. Celeste appeared dismayed and leaned forward, urging the horse even faster.

But the stallion had grown winded and was already slowing down.

“Come on!” she urged, but Ivory had pulled all the way ahead of them while Titan had slowed to a trot. When she tried again to move him forward, the horse reared up, sending her flying into the water.

He’d won.

Dougal wheeled the horse around and hurried back to where she’d been thrown. Celeste trudged through the waist-high water, glaring at the stallion. The animal nickered at her, and she was so angry, she flicked water at it. “You are welcome to him, for he’s a horrible creature.”

Her hair was sodden from the water, her gown plastered to her body. Dougal couldn’t stop the laugh that rumbled from inside him. He dismounted, holding on to Ivory’s reins.

“Don’t you dare laugh,” she warned. “I don’t know why I ever thought this was a good idea.”

“I warned you.” His grin was so broad, she dipped her hands in the water and slung a wave at him. The water doused him in the face, dripping down his shirt, but he hardly cared as he laughed even harder. “Next time you need someone to tend you in the bath, I’ll send my horse.”

“How can you stand there and laugh at me?” she demanded, sloshing through the water until she stood before him. “This isn’t at all funny.”

Oh, but it was. He reached out for her veil and wrung it out. His shoulders shook as he did, but when he glanced back at Celeste, she was crying. Her face held a lifetime of misery, and she clutched her waist as if she was in pain.

“Were you hurt?” he asked, letting go of Ivory’s reins. She’d struck the water, but had he been wrong? Had she hit her head? He hurried to her, not knowing if he should touch her or not.

“It w-wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” she sobbed. “I thought when I returned that you’d be glad to see me. That you’d want your horse.”

“I did want my horse.”‘

“But you wanted to be rid of
me
,” she wept.

He was so dumbfounded by her reaction, he raked a hand through his hair, wondering what to say. Before he could think of anything, she started pouring out her woes.

“I don’t know why I ever thought I should return to you. It was awful at Eiloch, but at least I’d have a place to sleep at night.”

“Until they tried to kill you,” he felt compelled to point out.

Celeste leaned into his tunic, pressing her face against his heart. “You made me feel safe. And I don’t care what Lionel said to you—it wasn’t true. I never would have taken a child from you. At least...not without coming back.”

Every word he’d been meaning to say froze within his throat. Was that the reason she’d returned? “You’re not having a child, are you?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps not. Or maybe I am. But even if I was, you’d never want to see me again.” She wiped at her eyes and tried to step back.

Before she could move away, he slid his arms around her waist and drew her in again. “You’ll stay here until we know if there is a child.”

She let out a slow breath. Her eyes were wet and red-rimmed. “Will you forgive me for what I did, Dougal?”

He went motionless, realizing that she was not speaking only of the time during the past fortnight. She was talking of the choice she’d made, to wed Edmon de Laurent.

Her face flushed, but she reached up to touch his cheek. “You have a terrible temper, and you’re as stubborn as that wretched stallion. But you’re the only man I want. And . . .” She mumbled something against his chest that he couldn’t quite believe.

“And what?” He tipped her chin up, certain he’d misheard her. “Say it again.”

“I never stopped loving you,” she whispered. “With every moment I spent at your side, I wanted another day. I couldn’t imagine being with any other man.”

He searched her face to know if there was truth in her words. When she tried to pull away again, he held her fast. “You’re going to drive me to madness if I let you stay, aren’t you?”

A hopeful smile touched her mouth. “I want to stay, Dougal. But only with you.”

* * *

H
IS
MOUTH
CAME
down upon hers, as if he’d needed the words. Celeste wound her arms around his neck, their tongues tangled together as he warmed her wet skin with his body. “You need dry clothes,” he said. “We’re going back.”

“Or you could build a fire here,” she said. To convince him, she kissed him again, pulling his body as close as she dared. The need to be with him again, to feel his body against hers, was taking apart her inhibitions. His hands were moving over her, and despite the chill of her wet clothes, she was feeling warmer with his touch.

“No. We’re returning to Glen Arrin,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t, I’m going to lay you on the ground right here.” He lifted her onto Titan’s saddle, and then startled her by swinging up behind. He took Ivory’s reins and tied them to the saddle, walking the mare behind them.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

He sent her a wicked smile. “So I could touch you during our ride.” Against her bottom, she felt the rise of his erection.

“There’s no need to rush,” she said, reaching back to touch him. “It might take a while before we reach the fortress.” Her palm curled around his length, and he sucked in a breath of air when she rubbed him.

“Are you wanting to play,
a
chrìdhe?
” he asked, sliding one hand beneath her skirts. The warmth of his palm against her bare skin was shocking, and she inhaled sharply when another hand stroked her breast. She felt him unfasten the ties of his trews, and a moment later, his hot shaft was pressed against the base of her bottom.

The touch of him made her achingly wet. “I don’t know if I can wait until we get back,” she murmured, groaning when his fingers teased her nipple. She was grateful that the stallion was walking slowly, allowing Dougal to touch her intimately. He cupped her, and she was so wet, she reached back to guide him inside her.

For a moment, he remained sheathed within her while the horse walked. The slight motion of the animal made her shift against him, and she shuddered at the tight sensation. If anyone saw them, they would see only her skirts covering his legs. No one would know that they were joined together in lovemaking, and Dougal thrust against her, using the horse’s gait to ease the penetration.

Inside, her body was throbbing against him. She’d never felt anything so exquisite as his body within her, until he nudged the horse lightly and sent Titan into a trot. Now the rhythm was bolder, and Dougal forced her to rise up while he thrust and withdrew.

“You’re riding both of us,” he said against her ear, using one hand to stroke her breast while he plunged against her. “Don’t fall off.”

It was a fight to keep her balance while he slid so easily within her, and with every bounce of the horse, the nerves within her gathered tightly, rising hard. She sat upon him, letting him fill her deeply, thrusting over and over.

“Dougal,” she moaned, and he doubled his rhythm, grasping her waist and slamming her against him. Her hands dug into the horse’s mane as he filled her, forcing her to grind against him until she went liquid and convulsed around him.

“More,” he ordered, changing the horse’s rhythm back to a walk again, until she was breathless, accepting his hard invasion over and over. She was crying out, but he never stopped his thrusts, pushing into her until at last he let out a shuddering breath and took his own release. Even when the horse continued to move, the aftershocks made her clench around his shaft.

He kissed her neck, and remained inside her while they continued the journey back. “I’m not wanting to start over, Celeste. I want to continue on, where we left off.”

“Then you’ve forgiven me?” She drew his arms around her, feeling as if a weight had lifted from her.

“I said many things out of anger that morning. But you were gone before I could come to my senses.” He nuzzled her neck before he withdrew from her body at last and fumbled with his trews to fasten them again. Even when he adjusted her skirts, she could feel his body pressed close. “I’ll admit, I have a few faults. Not too many, though.”

She laughed at that, drawing his arms close. “You’re a hotheaded man,” she said. Tilting her head back, she added, “Hot-blooded, too, I’d say.”

“With you, I am.” His mouth moved up to her ear, and she trembled at the warm breath against her skin.

“I want to ride faster with you,” she said. “Take me home, Dougal.”

He urged the stallion on, holding her close. Ivory kept up with their pace, and there was beauty in the sight of the two horses running together. Celeste felt so alive in his arms, she could hardly piece together any thoughts.

When he lifted her down, he took her hand in his and led her back to his home. The interior was dim, lit only by the peat fire. She saw the simple pallet on one side, while there was a wooden table and bench on the other. In the small space, she held him tightly. “I thought once that I could never live in a house like this or return to the life I had before I married Edmon.”

His hand moved up to cup her cheek. “And now?”

“Now I wouldn’t care where we lived. So long as you’re with me.” She kissed him hard, holding him fast. “I know I’ll always be safe with you.”

“Stay with me,” he said, drawing his arms around her.

Celeste rested her hands upon his heart. “You told me I have to stay until we know if there’s a bairn growing inside me. What if there isn’t?”

“Then we’ll have to keep trying until there is.” He lifted her into his arms and held her close. “No matter how long it takes.”