My Daring Highlander (28 page)

“Of a certainty, I’ll be glad to show
you soon, Seona. I want to slide this…” He placed his hand around
hers and squeezed his tarse, intensifying the pleasurable ache.
“Deep inside you and…” He bit his tongue before he said something
too vulgar for her ears.

“How on earth would it
fit?”

He growled. Just imagining working on
making it fit within her tight, wet heat near took his
sanity.

“Och, I’ll go slowly. ’Twill fit
perfectly.” Hell, he could hardly wait for what would be one of the
best experiences of his life.

“’
Twill hurt though… for
me,” she said.

He wasn’t going to lie. “Aye. For a
few minutes. But I will make it good for you before I’m done. Your
pleasure is more important to me than mine own.”

“You are the most generous person I
know.” She kissed his chin.

He didn’t feel generous at the moment.
He felt damned greedy, wanting her to slide her hand up and down
and stroke him very firmly.

His primal side threatened to override
his rational side and answer all her questions by showing her
exactly what he yearned to do to her—push, inch by torturous inch,
into her and show her how her body could adjust to accept
his.

He would kiss her and love her through
the pain, then, once he was fully imbedded inside her, he’d
withdraw slowly only to drive deep again. She’d beg him to go
faster. He would thrust until they both lost their minds, until she
cried out her pleasure and he released his seed inside her. He
muttered a curse before he could stop himself.

Somehow her hand had sneaked beneath
his plaid and long shirt. Her bare cool skin against his… “Saints.”
Her hand squeezed the tip of his erection and he thought he was
going to blast like a cannon.

“Your skin feels so silky and hot,”
she whispered. “I cannot believe how hard you are.”

All he could do was grind his teeth,
curse and struggle for control. He gasped for breath. “You’re
determined to drive me mad.”

“Aye. I want to give you pleasure.
Tell me what to do.”

How could he refuse that offer?
Clasping his hand around hers, he showed her how to stroke up and
down his rigid shaft. Damn, he was on the edge already. He’d wanted
her too long. Months.

He tried to think of something else to
distract himself, but ’twas no use. She filled his mind; her scent
filled his head. He clasped her to him and kissed her, devouring
her lips as she continued stroking without his help. Her tentative,
light touch aroused him even more. And then the fuse lit, burning
through his groin and exploding with a pleasure more astounding
than he’d ever felt. Groaning, he dragged her tighter to him,
loving the pressure of her body against his.

How he’d wanted to be inside her when
he did that.

He kissed her forehead and pulled in
laborious breaths, enjoying the final ripples of pleasure that
reverberated through him.

“Oh, that was…” she said in a
surprised tone.

“Aye?” He wondered what she’d wanted
to say. He could only describe how it had felt to him. “Amazing.
Spectacular.” He finally came back to himself. “And I’m guessing
your hand is drenched with my seed.” He wiped her hand on the tail
of his shirt. “See? That’s what happens when you take away my
control.”

“I’m glad.” Her teeth flashed white in
the dimness. And she actually sounded happy, not afraid or
disgusted.

“You are?”

“Aye. I wanted to give you pleasure. I
simply didn’t know how. I’m glad you showed me.”

To have a wife who not only enjoyed
bed-sport, but wished to boldly seduce him, would surely be heaven
on earth. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he wanted to marry
her, but ’twas certainly a delightful bonus.

“Hmm. Later, I’ll show you more.” Once
they were married. And he was determined this would happen. He
kissed her lips. “I’d best make my escape before your aunt returns.
I know not what kind of stamina MacMillan has.” He
chuckled.

“You are wicked,” Seona
accused.

“I’m afraid I am.” Grinning, he arose
from the bed.

“Keegan, wait.”

“Aye? I wasn’t leaving just yet.” He
didn’t want to leave at all.

Kneeling on the high bed, she wrapped
her arms around his neck. He slipped his hands down her back, over
the silken skin of her hips and derriere to her thighs. “Mmm,” he
purred and kissed her. How he needed her in every way… physically,
emotionally, spiritually. “I love you,” he whispered.

“And I love you.”

At her words, his heart pounded
harder. Aye, he was determined to have her as his wife no matter
what her father said. Keegan truly did not want to start a war, but
he would if he had to.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Aunt Patience, I wish to speak to you
for a moment in private,” Seona said the next morn in the great
hall as everyone in their party gathered to leave. “I want to ask a
favor of you.”

“Aye?” Patience looked
mightily
impatient
at the moment. She glanced toward where Hugh MacMillan stood
on the other side of the large, dim room.

Seona headed to the small alcove at
the back.

Only a little limp left in her step,
Patience followed. “What is it?”

When they were out of view and earshot
of everyone, Seona said, “I ask that you not mention to my father
that I’ve been talking to Keegan MacKay.”

Patience put her hands upon her hips.
“You were doing far more than talking to him.” Her voice was low
but irate. “You were kissing him in your bedchamber. You’ve been
disgraceful.”

“He is going to ask Father for my hand
in marriage.”

Patience snorted. “A lot of good it
will do him. He is far beneath you.”

Fury burned through Seona. “He is not
beneath me. As you well know, he is second in line to the MacKay
chiefdom.”

“Nevertheless, your father will not
allow you to marry him, and he will be most displeased about your
association with MacKay. Especially the kissing.”

“That’s why I ask that you not tell
him.”

“Your father is my brother and I
always tell him the truth.”

Her aunt’s self-righteous tone made
Seona grind her teeth. How could the woman pretend to be a perfect
angel when ’twas obvious to everyone she was doing the same things
with MacMillan? Probably more, if the truth was known. If Patience
told Seona’s father that Keegan had been kissing her in the
bedchamber, he might fly into a rage and have Keegan killed. She
couldn’t risk that. She would use the only leverage she had and
pray it worked.

“If you tell him about Keegan, then I
shall have to tell him about your tryst with Hugh MacMillan, a man
Father will see as far beneath you.”

Patience’s mouth dropped open. Her
eyes grew wide. “Why, you little tattle.” Though her words were
low, they were sharp. When her aunt’s hand raised and flew toward
her face, Seona lifted her hand just in time to stop the strike.
She then locked her aunt’s wrist in a firm grip.

“Do not ever do that again,” Seona
said through clenched teeth, surprising herself. She didn’t know
she could be so fierce when it came to protecting Keegan. But he
was the most important person in her life now.

“How dare you?” her aunt sneered,
yanking her hand back. “Your father will hear about
this.”

“Very well. He will also hear about
how you are sleeping with one of the guards.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“I ken the truth of it and so does
Keegan. Hugh is always honest with Keegan, his direct
commander.”

Her aunt’s mouth opened and closed as
if she would say something, but didn’t for a long moment. “You
wouldn’t,” she whispered.

So, ’twas true. Her aunt really had
slept with the guard. Seona was relieved. This might be the only
way to keep Keegan safe. “Say anything against me or Keegan to my
father and find out. He will no longer allow you to stay at
Gillenmor and he will withdraw your funds. Where will your food and
fancy clothing come from then?”

“You little strumpet!” her aunt
hissed.

“No more than you are.”

Her aunt stood glaring daggers at her.
“You are not the sweet innocent lady I thought you
were.”

“I cannot say the same
about you. I always knew you had a malicious streak.”
Just like Father.

Her aunt’s eyes merely narrowed
further.

“Do we have a deal?”

“Aye,” her aunt said through clenched
teeth, then limped away as fast as her sore ankle would take
her.

Hoping she’d done the right thing,
Seona released a breath and stepped away from the alcove. Her gaze
scanned the great hall and locked with Keegan’s. Immediately, he
headed toward her.

Her heart rate spiked as it always did
when he was near. She had hardly been able to sleep last night
after the amazing things he’d done to her.

“Are you well?” he asked. “You
appeared upset.”

“Aye.” She briefly explained the
precarious deal she had with her aunt about keeping each other’s
secrets.

“’
Tis brilliant.” Keegan
grinned. “You are more cunning than I realized.”

Truth was she’d do anything for him,
to keep him safe.

“And you’ve already proven yourself a
lady warrior.”

“I thank you.” She enjoyed the look of
pride in his blue eyes.

Too soon, he sobered. “We’ll be
heading out in a few minutes. Once we draw nearer to Gillenmor,
Haldane will become more of a threat. Do you remember our
knife-fighting lessons?”

A chill passed over her.
“Aye.”

“And you still carry the knife I gave
you?”

“Of course.” She placed her hand upon
the weapon strapped to the inside of her forearm. ’Twas her most
valued possession.

Keegan nodded. “I pray you won’t need
it, but just in case. We suspect Haldane may increase his efforts
in capturing you the closer we get to Gillenmor. He may have hired
more men. We must be ready for anything.”

***

Seona, her aunt, and their two maids
rode in the center of the two dozen men in their party. She was
happy that Keegan rode to her left most of the way. She often
watched him out of the corner of her eye. He and the rest of the
guards were ever on alert. Talking was kept to a minimum, the only
sounds the horses’ hooves striking the ground. She had been through
this area a few times and knew they were only a mile or two from
Gillenmor. Anguish weighed heavily on her heart with each step they
took forward.

Up ahead, the narrow muddy road snaked
through a small dark forest. Seona dreaded riding through
there.

“Halt!” Keegan lifted his hand. “’Tis
likely they are hiding in that wood, waiting to ambush
us.”

The other men nodded, murmuring their
agreement.

“I need ten or twelve of you to scout
the wood and kill the outlaws if you find them,” Keegan
said.

“Aye,” several of the men said, their
eyes lighting with eagerness.

Fourteen men, both MacKays and
MacKenzies, rode swiftly toward the wood. Everyone else waited in
silence, watching. The breeze picked up, blowing the vibrant green
grasses of the gently sloping meadows where cattle and sheep
grazed. Crofters tended their crops in the distance, the soil rich
and dark. Stone dykes and low-growing bushes divided up the
fields.

’Twas a beautiful, calm area. Seona’s
home. But it did not feel like home to her anymore. Nay. Now her
home was the rough and craggy northern Highlands around Durness.
’Twas a wild and untamed place, filled with rocky terrain, prickly
yellow gorse bushes, deep icy lochs and turbulent skies, but its
beauty reminded her of Keegan. If she could be with him, she would
be at home.

She glanced aside at him. His sharp
gaze was fixed on the wood, as if he could almost see what was
hidden in the trees. His whole body was tense, as if he was
prepared to launch into battle at any moment. She prayed there
would be no battle, no ambush or attacks. Why could Haldane not get
it through is daft head she would never willingly marry
him?

Keegan glanced at her, catching her
gaze. The color of his eyes made her think of a blue flame, so
intense and practically glowing with vibrant life. He gave her a
faint, warm grin, then turned his attention back to the forest. How
she loved his protectiveness and his strength of
character.

A quarter hour later, the MacKay and
MacKenzie men emerged from the forest. She counted all fourteen of
them as them approached. Thank heavens no one had been
hurt.

“We saw neither hide nor hair of
them,” MacMillan reported.

“’
Slud. Where are they
hiding?” Keegan muttered. “We ride on, then. Be ever on
alert.”

“Aye.”

They all urged their horses forward
again, at a quicker pace than before, and were soon enshrouded by
the forest. Seona had always been afraid of traveling through this
area because of how dark it was, with the thick trees blocking out
the sun. The air was cool and dank and smelled of rotting leaves.
Some even said the wood was haunted because of the many people who
had been murdered here. She had never seen a spirit, but she always
got chills here.