Rebel Kiss: A Historical Romance Novel (Scottish Rebels Book 1) (14 page)

Rowan kissed
Anna’s hair and pulled her up closer against his chest.  She was so innocent and
her uninhibited response to his touch had pleased him greatly.  Hell, the fact
that she had allowed him the pleasure of bringing her to orgasm for the first
time pleased him beyond belief.

 “What about you?”
she asked, looking up boldly to meet his eyes.

“I’m exhausted just
from watchin’ ye,” he said, smiling down at her, still holding her hand.

“That’s not what I
meant, Rowan,” Anna said, suddenly embarrassed, biting her bottom lip.  “What I
meant is…is there something that I could do to make you feel like that?  Can I
do that to you?”

Rowan swallowed
hard, now understanding the implication of her comment.  His cock pulsed in
response.  He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside of Anna’s slick,
wet heat, but there was no way in hell that he would allow that to happen.  He
could never dishonor her by stealing her virtue, stealing what belonged to
another man.

Rowan had vowed
long ago to save the act of love making only for his wife. He had struggled and
denied himself on many occasions, always stopping just short of penetrating the
willing lasses that had warmed his bed.  There was no particular reason that
Rowan Murray had remained a virgin except that he had thought it was the right
thing to do.  He wanted to save himself for his wife, and never before had he
felt compelled to take a particular lass to wife.   The problem now was that
although he felt the desire to claim Anna Stanton as his wife, to beg her to
have him, she was already taken.   

Touching Anna so
intimately had been one thing, most likely a poor choice in moment of weakness,
but making love to her would be another thing entirely.  He would never be able
to let Anna go if he made love to her.

“I’ll survive,”
Rowan whispered, grinding his teeth together in restraint.  Just the thought of
Anna’s fingers closing around his shaft was enough to make him need to spill
his seed.  “Pleasuring ye was all that I needed,” Rowan lied, remembering how
good she had felt, how tight and wet around his fingers.  “Time tae go tae
sleep, Anna,” he whispered, pulling her down next to him, worried that if his
thoughts continued down this path, he might ravage the lass while she slept.

Anna had settled
against Rowan’s chest, and suddenly, her eyes flew open with the realization
that she was wasting precious time.  She turned in Rowan’s arms, and casting
caution and propriety to the wind, she kissed him with every fiber of her
being.

Rowan’s arms
tensed around Anna, bringing her back to awareness.  “Shh,” he whispered, his
voice barely audible as he reached for his dagger.

Anna’s heart
hammered in her chest.

Footsteps crunched
through the dry leaves that littered the forest floor, bringing with them an
ominous feeling of dread that settled like a knot in the pit of Anna’s stomach.

Chapter Ten

“Shhh…” Rowan said
sternly as he tucked the blanket securely over Anna’s head and shielded her
with his body. 

Adrenaline
thrummed in Anna’s veins.  She could hear Rowan’s heart pounding wildly beneath
her cheek.  Something was very wrong.  There was a feeling of alarm that Anna
couldn’t shake.  The small hairs rose on the back of her neck.  Anna knew that
the Murrays only had two daggers between them as well as her own.

The footsteps
approached the campsite, stopping at the edge of the fire. Anna felt Rowan’s
arms tense around her.  He pulled her even closer, molding her body
protectively to his beneath the blanket.

“Is it just the
three of you?” A gruff masculine voice asked without wasting time with an
introduction.

“Yes, Sir.  Just
myself and my brothers,” Quinn said firmly.

Anna felt her
muscles begin to quiver with fear and in response, Rowan’s grip on her shoulder
strengthened. 

“Have you by
chance seen a young lady traveling north around these parts?” The man asked,
now standing only a few feet from where Anna was concealed.

“No, not that I
can remember,” said Quinn, pretending to contemplate the question.         

  Are these men
looking for me?

“There was a
shipwreck off the coast; the
Mary Catherine
went down in a storm just
south from here.”

“Aye?” Quinn
asked, seemingly indifferent.  “I’d not heard.”

“There’s a young
woman who has been seen around these parts, she survived the shipwreck.  She’s
betrothed to Jonathan Arbor, a Lieutenant in the King’s Army.”

“Hmm, I’ve heard
the name before,” Quinn said, pretending to ponder the information.  His right
eyebrow arched slightly, the only indication of his surprise.  For some uncanny
reason, Quinn knew that the young lady in question was certainly Miss Anna
Stanton.

The second man
chimed in, eager to have his part in telling the story, “Arbor’s offering a reward
to whoever brings her into his care safely.  He’s offering a pretty penny to
get her back.”

“I’m sure that
she’ll contact the magistrate as soon as she arrives in a village, that is if
she actually survived the shipwreck,” Rowan said speculatively.

“Oh, she survived
all right.  She wrote a letter to Colonel Murdock back in Manteo, some of
Arbor’s men were given the letter to carry to Murdock, and suspecting that it
might be from her, Arbor got a hold of it an opened it.”

Adrenaline rushed
through Anna’s blood.  Jonathan had read her letter and he knew that she was close
by.  She fought the primal instinct to run.

The first man
continued, enjoying the adventurous thread that he was spinning.     “The
reason that Arbor has put out the reward is that no one has seen her since the
inn at Manteo.  She mentioned in her letter to Murdock that she was traveling
with some companions.  Half of the passengers on the
Mary Catherine
were
prisoners being transported to the New World as indentured laborers.”

The second man
chimed in again, not wanting to be left out.  “Arbor’s worried that mayhap
she’s been kidnapped by some of the prisoners and that she may be in danger and
not even realize it!” he said fantastically, voice rising with enthusiasm.

“That is most
worrisome,” Rowan said softly, still clutching Anna firmly against his chest. 
“Seems tae me that Arbor should have taken more care in selecting an able guard
tae mind the lass.”

The men grunted in
response, seeming to agree with Rowan.

“I’m sorry that we
canna help ye,” Quinn said calmly, “but we havena seen such a lass that matches
yer description.”   

“Well, if ye do,
alert the magistrate at once.  The people that she’s with may be dangerous,
especially if they’ve gotten wind of how valuable she is to Arbor.”

Anna felt Rowan’s
breath hitch slightly.  His thumb rubbed reassuringly across the skin of her
back as he crushed her against his chest.

“Well, should you
see her, we’ve been told that she’s fair-haired and slight of stature, pretty,
and has a pronounced English manner of speech.  I’d be most obliged if you seek
us out.  The name’s Percy Ellis.  We’ll share a portion of the reward with you
if you heed viable information about where she is.”

“We’ll do that,
Sir,” Quinn said.  “Have a good night.”

“Same to you,
fellows,” the man said as he and his companion continued down the road.

“Shhh….doona move
yet,” Rowan whispered, almost inaudibly.  “They might be checking out our story
and waitin’ in the bush.”

Dread settled in
Anna’s mind as she contemplated her current predicament, cuddled against
Rowan’s chest and bathed in silence.  Jonathan was looking for her and he
believed that she had been kidnapped by prisoners that had escaped the sinking
of the
Mary Catherine
.  Jonathan was spot on in his estimation of what
had transpired, except for the kidnapping part.  When you were kidnapped you
were not supposed to want to stay with your captor.

“Ye’ve some
explaining tae do, Anna,” Quinn whispered into the darkness.

..ooOoo..

Anna awoke the
next morning to the sound of Malcolm and Quinn cleaning up camp and readying
the horses.  She was still wrapped up tightly in Rowan’s arms underneath the
safety of the blanket.  Her face flushed with color as she thought about what
had transpired under the cover of said blanket last night.  Nervously, Anna
glanced over at Malcolm and Quinn, trying to gauge if they had heard anything
last night.

“Time tae get up,
lazy bones!” Malcolm called in Anna’s direction when he saw that her eyes were
open. 

Anna hoped that
her face wasn’t really as red as it felt.

“And why don’t ye
jab my brother in the ribs while yer at it,” he prodded, swinging the saddle up
onto the sorrel mare’s back.  “We
could
use his help getting the horses
ready,” Malcolm said, voice heavy with disdain.

Rowan chuckled
softly under the blanket and squeezed Anna to his chest once more.  When he was
absolutely sure that his brothers weren’t watching, he lifted up his head and
placed a soft kiss right at the base of Anna’s ear, in the hollow of her neck.

Fire shot across
Anna’s skin as Rowan’s lips touched her, reminding her of how it had felt to
kiss him last night.  She wanted to stay in the cocoon of Rowan’s arms, safe
beneath the warm blanket.  Her lips tingled as she thought of kissing him
again.

“I doona want tae
let ye go,” Rowan whispered huskily against her ear, his breath warm against
her skin.

“Then perhaps you
shouldn’t,” Anna said wistfully as she snuggled against him one last time.

Rowan slapped her
playfully on the bum and then threw back the blanket, stretching languidly
before shuffling over to help his brothers ready the horses.

“What if we happen
across those men on the road and they see me?” Anna asked to no particular Murray.

“We’ll be more
careful,” Quinn responded.  “We’ve come this far towards Williamsburg that I’d
rather not take the chance of handin’ ye over in the middle of the night to
strangers.”

“We wouldna want
tae split the reward with them anyway,” Rowan chided, teasing Anna.

She laughed, her
eyes dancing over to meet Rowan’s.  He stared back at her, pausing as he
tightened the cinch strap on the mare’s saddle.  The smile fell from his face.

Even Rowan’s
playful banter couldn’t hide the fear that was looming in his green eyes.

..ooOoo..

Rowan’s back ached
from too many nights sleeping on the hard ground.  He stretched his shoulders
as best he could while riding in the saddle.  His left arm was asleep from
holding Anna.  She slept like the dead.  Had Rowan eased his grip about her
middle, she would have slid right off the horse.  Keeping Anna safe in his
embrace was worth whatever pain that it caused him.

Rowan smiled and
kissed her hair, assured that the secret affection would be shrouded by the
darkness of the night, safe from his brothers’ watchful eyes.  Anna smelled
like heaven.  Sweet and feminine, like fresh rain on a summer day.

She was curled up
against Rowan’s chest, sleeping soundly from the rhythmic gait of the mare as
they arrived at the inn.  It was well after dark and the tavern windows were
bustling with life and merriment.  The sounds of fiddlers and singing poured
out into the street of the small town.  Rowan smiled, looking forward to the
possibility of dancing with Anna again tonight.

He watched her as
she slept, cursing his reckless heart for choosing such an inopportune time to
fall in love.  As Rowan looked upon Anna’s lovely face, he was suddenly certain
about the feelings that he had tried to repress.  It
was
love.  Love
truer and sweeter than any that he had ever experienced.

Anna was
everything that he had ever wanted.  She was smart and feisty, playful and
kind.  And when she smiled at him, Rowan wanted to be a better man.  Because
that was what Anna deserved.  She deserved the best of him.

Looking at Anna
asleep in his arms, Rowan realized that his dreams hadn’t died in Scotland.

He was tormented. 
Should he fight to keep Anna or should he distance himself from her so that she
might have a life more deserving of her position?  He had nothing to offer to
the lass, nothing save the love that he felt for her in his heart.  Rowan
wondered if love was enough.  Anna deserved so much more.

Because he loved
her, Rowan knew that he should encourage Anna to carry through with her
betrothal to Arbor.  He would force himself, however difficult it would be to
stay away from her, not allowing himself to succumb to further weakness. 

It would be for
the best. 

Anna was promised
to another.  She was used to a life of riches that he would never be able to
provide.  She deserved better than the penniless, gambling son of a farmer.

 He would force
himself to let her go.

Because he
loved her.

“Wake up, sleepy head,”
Rowan whispered into Anna’s hair as he pushed his conflicting thoughts aside. He
would wait for Anna to make her choice, however painful said choice might be. 
Rowan brushed the blonde mass of curls back from Anna’s face.  She was so
beautiful and so trusting of him that it was painful.

Anna’s eyes
fluttered open and she sat up in Rowan’s lap, looking around to see where they
were.  “Are we going to stay here tonight?” she asked anxiously, rubbing the sleep
from her eyes.  She was nervous about spending another night on the road, given
last night’s unexpected visitors.  The stable beside the small inn was a
welcome sight.

“Aye, but first we
need tae see if we can win some money,” Rowan said, raising his eyebrows as he
looked over at Quinn.

Anna slipped down
from the horse and watched as the brothers handed the reins of their horses
over to the stable lad.  The horses obediently ambled after him towards the
barn, ears pricked up in hopes of being fed.

Quinn dug in his
pocket and tossed a coin to Malcolm.

“We doona have
verra much left.  Why don’t ye get something for Anna tae eat?” Quinn asked
suggestively, winking at his youngest brother.

Malcolm took
Anna’s hand and tucked it into the fold of his elbow, leading her through the
door and into the tavern.  “What he really means is that I should watch ye so
that neither of us get…” Malcolm trailed off, freezing in his tracks as he
stepped into the tavern.

Anna felt
Malcolm’s arm tense beneath her hand and immediately, she knew that something
was very wrong.

Malcolm glanced
frantically over his shoulder at Rowan, who shook his head slowly from
side-to-side and motioned for Malcolm to take Anna over to an open table.

“What’s amiss?”
Anna asked, concern thick in her voice as she scanned the tavern.  There were groups
of men gathered around card tables and a group of fiddlers playing music in the
farthest corner.  A few couples were dancing and singing to the music.  She noticed
a man with his head down on the table, having overindulged in his drink.  It
looked just like any other tavern that she had been in.

“Nothing’s wrong,”
Malcolm said with mock assurance.  “What would ye like tae eat?”

“What’s wrong,
Malcolm?” Anna prodded, this time more insistently. Malcolm was a lousy liar
and Anna could readily identify that something was troubling the Murray brothers.

Malcolm exhaled
slowly, accepting his defeat.  “This place is filled tae the brim with the
King’s soldiers.  English soldiers,” he explained, eyes darting nervously
around the tavern.  “Some of them may be the men that happened upon us last
night.  We canna leave now without drawing suspicion, so we’ll need tae be
verra careful.”

Anna knew that the
Murrays had every reason in the world to be wary of English soldiers.  Her
situation with Jonathan further complicated things.

“Oh,” Anna said,
now realizing why the brothers had hesitated when they entered the room. 
“Let’s go then,” she whispered tersely, eyes scanning the room cautiously.  She
had heard the men’s voices last night, but had not seen their faces.  There was
no way that she could recognize them.

“We canna leave
now.  It’d draw attention tae us.  Most of these men are drunk, sae keep yer
head down and pray that they’ve no heard of Arbor’s reward.  If anyone asks,
claim tae be my sister.”

“Alright,” Anna
whispered, bringing her eyes back to Malcolm.  Her pulse raced in her veins. 
Anna was not a practiced liar and it was difficult to remain composed and
collected.

“I hope they hurry
so that we can get out of here,” Malcolm said, voice cracking as he tried to
hide the fact that he was scared.  His eyes scanned the crowd and watched his
brothers hopefully.  They were excellent gamblers, even when they didn’t
cheat.  “I’d rather sleep in the forest again.”