Seducing the Highlander (21 page)

Meriel stepped back and bent over to put the folded sleeve with the other on her sewing basket. Craig finally found his voice. “Two does seem a little excessive.”

Meriel stood up and her green eyes momentarily glinted at Craig before shifting to Hamish. “Perhaps, then, since I have done an
excessive
amount of work, I should let you thank me. I accept your offer of dinner.”

Hamish’s eyes shined with genuine excitement. “Great! Tomorrow night?” he half asked, half proclaimed.

Meriel moved to stand in front of Hamish, leveled her gaze on Craig, and then gave a slight tug to the body of the half-finished leine, gesturing for Hamish to bend over so she could slip it off. He did so and Craig felt his insides twist in anger. Not at Hamish, but at Meriel. She was not completely unaware of what she was doing, as he had believed. Oh, she was ignorant of how her touches were affecting his friend, but Hamish was not her focus—he was.

Damn woman. She was once again trying to make him jealous and it was working. Such deviousness required him to fight with similar tactics. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Why don’t you
make
dinner, Meriel?”

“Did you say
make
dinner?” Meriel repeated as she folded the last piece of the leine to place it on her basket. As she stood up, her hazel eyes narrowed to slits as they fell onto Craig.

“Hey! That is a great idea!” Hamish exclaimed, unaware of the cold look she was issuing Craig.

Meanwhile, Craig had to fight to keep his facial expression from giving away the triumph he felt. Meriel had a choice: refuse to go, or cook and deal with the consequences. Either way, she and Hamish would
not
be enjoying a pleasant meal together. “Aye,” Craig encouraged. “You had all that practice last year. Some of the most memorable meals I ever had were from the time you worked with Fiona in the kitchens.”

Cold calculation filled Meriel’s eyes. “I have never made dinner by myself before, but it would be interesting to try. Hamish, I will agree to a picnic with you on one condition.”

“Anything,” Hamish replied with a shrug of his shoulders. The tension between Meriel and Craig was unmistakable, but Hamish no longer felt the need to end it or avoid it. He was not sure why; he only knew that he enjoyed Meriel’s company and wished she had another reason to slip her hand once again along his arm.

“Let’s have it by the loch—and you can show me your favorite place, the one you were telling me about.”

Instead of grabbing his shirt and putting it on, Hamish crossed his arms, causing the muscles in his chest to ripple and bulge. Desire darkened his eyes, and seeing it, Craig knew that whatever game Meriel had been playing, Hamish was no longer an uninterested bystander. His friend might not yet recognize his growing feelings, but Craig had seen that look on Hamish’s face multiple times. The man enjoyed the company of women and he was starting to see Meriel not just as a friend, but something potentially more.

Craig snatched Hamish’s leine and threw it at him. “Now that you two have made your plans, it is time you
dressed
and left.”

Meriel’s head snapped around. Craig’s voice had been soft, almost casual, but it held a menacing sound that sent a shiver through her. Hamish took the tossed leine and tucked it under his arm. If he had heard the warning, he was not acting like it. “I think I’ll carry it since it irritates you so much.”

Taking a deep breath, Meriel placed her hand on Hamish’s chest and pushed him so that he began to walk backwards. Emotions were building, which was a good thing, but the accompanying tension was growing. Any more might create a situation that could potentially ruin all her plans. “I think you better go, Hamish.”

When they reached the door, he extended his hand to grab the door frame, stopping his backward movement. “Sure, but I promised you that I would help Craig with the chair.”

Strong fingers gripped Meriel’s wrist, removing her hand from Hamish’s chest. “I think I can handle the chair by myself,” growled Craig. “Meriel still needs to get her things.”

Hamish gave his friend an infuriating grin. “No problem. Meriel and I have
all
of tomorrow night.” Then he produced an exaggerated bow and turned to leave, pulling on his leine as he disappeared down the stairwell.

With Meriel’s wrist still in Craig’s grasp, he pulled her roughly to him. His arms tightened, threatening to crush her body against his hard strength. His blue eyes were intensely bright, and danger radiated from him like an aura. Meriel was far from afraid. She wanted this. She needed this. Everything depended on Craig’s response.

“Let go of me,” she whispered.

“Why? Isn’t this what you have been wanting? So much that you are willing to torment another man just to provoke me into action?”

Meriel moistened her lips and dragged in air. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Stop, Meriel. It’s time for the truth.” But before she could answer, with his free hand Craig buried his fingers in her hair, pulled her mouth to his, and kissed her. He had to kiss her; he had no other choice. Meriel was relentless, and until he yielded to what they both desired, he would have no peace.

The moment she had slipped the half-finished leine off Hamish, Craig had made up his mind. She had intentionally besieged his sanity, and now it was her turn to suffer. He could think of no better way than to give her what she wanted—a long, soft, lingering kiss that would leave her both longing and unfulfilled.

Meriel felt his lips against hers and shivers of delight ran down her spine. His closed mouth was warm and sweet and highly enjoyable, but far from satisfying. Meriel smiled inwardly. Craig thought himself to be in control, but she was far from a novice at the art of kissing, and she could feel the evidence of his desire.

Standing on tiptoe, Meriel weaved her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his thick dark hair. Pressing her mouth against his, she gently traced his lips with her tongue and then began to nibble on his lower lip. The heat in her veins rose and she could not restrain the tiny sound of desire coming from the back of her throat. If Craig did not respond soon, she would erupt into a blazing fire.

Need slammed into him, hard and painful, and the hair on the back of his neck stirred in primal reaction to her seduction. She was forbidden to him, not just by her father but by his own decree, and yet God knew how he wanted her. He felt on fire and overcome with need. Giving way to his baser desires, he took over and thrust his tongue inside her mouth. Then he kissed her, hard and deliberately, letting her feel the savage intensity of his desire. He half hoped it would scare her, but when she responded, eagerly tasting him in return, it only inflamed him more.

Meriel was drowning in sensation. Her blood was pounding in her head and she fought to remain alert enough to do what she must. And yet, part of her knew she was fighting a losing battle, for the more his lips moved against hers, the less will she had. Meriel felt alive and wild and thoroughly without discipline. Her mouth slanted over his, her tongue meeting each stroke.

His body was pressed against hers, and instead of pulling away, her instinct was to sink even more into his warmth. She had never known such pleasure, felt such shameless desire. With Craig, there was no fear, no inhibitions, and Meriel knew she was close to losing the one thing she could not afford—control.

Craig was a bit surprised at how quickly his own restraint had left him, but from the moment her tongue had touched his lips, the need to taste her in his mouth had been almost crippling. And his desire was only growing.

Craig’s hands glided from Meriel’s neck down her spine, molding her body against his so that she could not help but feel the throbbing mass of his erection. And still she did not resist. His fingers followed the smooth curve of her back and up her sides to caress her breasts as his kiss took her deeper and deeper into a place neither of them had ever gone. Her mouth—sensuous, perfect, so hot and moist—and her body, nestled into his, became his world and he wanted it all. He had started something he had promised himself he would not finish, but Craig was now unsure if he could summon the will to move away from her.

Under his touch, Meriel’s breasts swelled and her nipples contracted, sending waves of desire between her legs. The sensation was new and unexpected and it momentarily jolted Meriel back to semi-awareness. Craig was stirring feelings inside her she had not thought possible. It was incredibly enticing. Only the knowledge that every dream, every hope she had for her future would be lost if she succumbed, kept her from shutting her eyes and giving in to what her body wanted.

Meriel eased her tongue out of his mouth and closed her lips. With extreme willpower, she pulled back slightly. She took in a deep breath and then let it go, before giving him one of her most brilliant smiles, hoping it looked genuine. “Fine,” she said huskily. “I admit it. I did want you to kiss me again.”

Craig swallowed, unable to speak. Every nerve in his body was screaming for release, while his mind was attempting to digest the idea that
Meriel
, not he, had ended their embrace.

Going back on her tiptoes, Meriel laid a hand on his chest for balance as she placed a soft, warm kiss on his temple. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. “That was wonderful. You really are good.”

Moving leisurely around him, she walked over to her sewing basket and picked it up. After making sure all the pieces she had pinned would not fall out, Meriel turned around to leave.

Craig had watched, incredulous at her relaxed demeanor while his own emotions were an insane mix of confusion, turmoil, and dazed pleasure. “That’s it?” he asked. “You just wanted a kiss?”

Meriel walked up to him and reached up to quickly brush her lips with his. “Why not?” she answered. “Our friendship survived the first one, and I have complete confidence that it will survive this kiss as well. Perhaps several more if we are in the mood.”

Craig stared at her. Never before had Meriel seen the amount of intensity he was channeling through his eyes. It made her heart race in both fear and anticipation. She had to leave, and based on the flurry of emotions flickering in the various muscles of Craig’s face, she was not sure he was going to let her.

Licking her lips, Meriel pointed to the hearth chair with her chin. Then, in what she hoped to be a singsong voice, said, “Don’t forget to bring down your brother’s beloved chair,” and turned to leave. She made it out the door and to the stairwell before she began to visibly shake. Taking one step at a time, Meriel told herself that it was over. She had done the impossible. She had succeeded.

Craig could no longer deny he wanted her.

Now she only needed to get him to admit that he loved her.

“I must admit that you were right. This view of the water may have taken a long time to get to, but it was definitely worth it,” Meriel said, sighing.

Hamish swallowed a snappy reply as he set the heavy basket of food on the ground. The reason it had taken so long was her absolute refusal to get on a horse. Nothing he promised would convince her to ride, and he finally conceded to her demands that they walk. And despite his initial trepidation, the journey had not been as onerous as he had expected. With the exception of hauling what felt like a ton of food, Hamish had actually preferred it to riding because they had been able to converse more easily.

His typical dialogue with a woman was primarily filled with flirtatious comments. The concept of expressing his opinions, likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams was inconceivable—he did not even discuss these things with his friends, let alone a woman. He pondered them often, but revealing his innermost thoughts was not something he had believed possible. And yet he had done just that. Somehow, when Meriel asked a question, he knew she truly was interested in the answer. Not in changing it or judging it, but just learning what he felt or believed. As a result, he found himself answering her questions one after the other without realizing he was doing so.

“What all did you put in this thing?” he asked, gesturing toward the basket. “I cannot believe that food for two people can weigh this much.”

Meriel laughed. “I doubt the food is what is making it so heavy. I brought plates, and mugs for the ale.”

Shock lit Hamish’s dark green eyes. “Ale?” he breathed, and bent down to look inside. Sure enough, there was a jug. When he had thought about eating out by the loch, he was thinking that they would dine like they did on the trail. He had no idea Meriel would prepare an actual meal. He was glad, for he was ravenous after the walk and lugging the hefty basket, but unfortunately, it also meant that he would be carrying the thing back nearly as weighty as it was now.

“Next time
I’ll
pack dinner,” Hamish groused, closing the lid and crossing his arms. Huge, tall, and very muscular, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, he looked quite imposing. It was not a conscious action to stand in such a way to illicit an apology, but that was what he was expecting nonetheless.

Meriel, however, just shrugged, refusing to feel guilty. “It wasn’t
that
heavy,” she remarked. Hamish made a low sound in his throat, but Meriel refused to offer him any of the sympathy he was indirectly demanding. “If it truly was that burdensome, then perhaps all those muscles of yours are getting soft. Maybe you should carry a heavy basket around with you more often,” she suggested.

Hamish rolled his eyes, giving up. “And to think I once thought you a sweet little angel that could not speak or do anything that might offend a soul. I could not have been more wrong.”

Meriel laughed out loud, kneeling down beside the basket. “You thought I was an
angel
?”

“Aye. Innocent and agreeable, always seeking to accommodate and please others,” he answered, sitting down and then stretching out on his side.

Meriel opened the basket and pulled out a bag of almonds. She ate one and tossed another at Hamish’s open mouth, missing her target by several inches. “Good Lord, you make me sound incredibly boring.”

Hamish did not say anything and popped the wayward nut into his mouth. In truth, he had thought she was boring. Never again would he be so quick to judge a person.

“I’m actually far naughtier than my sister,” Meriel continued, with an impish smile. “I was the instigator in most of our antics, and though I rarely admit it aloud, I can be the most stubborn of my family.”

That fact Hamish would not argue. A few weeks ago, he might not have believed such a trait could reside in someone who came across as so nice and sweet, but he now knew differently. Never had he met anyone like Meriel and she was becoming incredibly alluring.

Meriel put the bag of almonds down, stood up, and walked to the loch’s shoreline. Crouching, she selected a small round pebble. The afternoon sun was setting and Hamish wondered if the moonlight would create the same mesmerizing glow on Meriel’s hair. Tied in a loose twist that hung over her shoulder, several strands had come loose and were now dancing in the light breeze coming off the loch. Her blue gown was one she had worn several times, and yet it wasn’t until now that he realized how incredibly flattering it was on her.

Unaware of the direction of Hamish’s thoughts, Meriel glanced back and gave him a mischievous wink. Then she fingered the rock she had picked up and slung it into the water. It sank on impact. This time she looked back and glared at him as if it were his fault.

Hamish grinned. “You cannot seriously blame me for that dismal performance.”

Meriel tilted her chin at him. “I can never get one to bounce along the water like my sister, Raelynd, can. I once saw her skip a rock six times.”

Hamish laughed, hauling himself back up to his feet. “
Six?
That’s no accomplishment. You, my lady, are looking at one of the most skilled Highlanders in the art of stone skipping.”

Meriel arched a brow and crossed her arms, not even trying to hide her doubt. “Easily said, and I quite look forward to the reason you will invent when your pebble fails to live up to your boast.”

Hamish’s eyes twinkled as he narrowed them in mock wounded pride. “Prepare yourself, my lady, to grovel for mercy.”

Walking up to where she stood, he knelt down and selected a handful of smooth rocks. Then, palming one in his hand, he turned it over several times before giving her a speculative, sidelong glance. Then he slowly reached back and, swinging his arm low and near his hip, he let the rock fly. It bounced once, twice, and then it hit the water rapidly so many times Meriel could not count the number of skips it made before sinking. Then Hamish let another fly, and then another. Each did the impossible, skipping numerous times far out into the loch before finally disappearing.

Hamish slapped his hands against each other, wiping off the dirt. A boyish look of satisfaction beamed from both cheeks. “What say you now?”

Meriel laughed. “I would say that you had too much free time in your youth.”

“Aye, perhaps I did,” Hamish admitted, scuffling his feet, knowing that other women found him to be quite irresistible when he acted thus. “And yet I detect a note of jealousy in your voice.”

“Maybe a little, but then I have always been slightly envious of those who could do things like that. I never can seem to get my body to do what I want it to—including throwing rocks!”

Hamish knew she was being overly dramatic, but he had also personally witnessed her lack of physical prowess. Meriel had skills with a needle, and she was creative, but she was not at all athletic. Still, just because she wasn’t naturally gifted did not mean she was completely incapable. “Come here, and I’ll teach you how to throw a rock.”

Meriel shook her head. “There is no way that I can do what you just did.”

“Of course you could if you practiced for five or so years, but with a few minor adjustments, you could beat your sister.”

Meriel’s hazel eyes widened, totally inspired by the idea. Raelynd had always been superior in everything they did outside—riding, swimming, running, the list was never ending. Her sister had even once ridiculed her inability to throw a simple rock. Being able to best Raelynd at skipping stones was a minor thing, but it would be incredibly cathartic.

Seeing her interest, Hamish began. “There are four things about skipping rocks you must remember—the rock, speed, spin, and release.”

Meriel swallowed. Even skipping stones sounded too complicated for her uncoordinated body. “I just realized teaching me how to throw things is probably not a good idea. Trust me, after a few minutes you will be pulling out your hair and cursing at me inside your head. Let’s stop while we are still friends.”

“I am no coward and neither are you. Now, come here,” Hamish said and squatted, pointing to a group of rocks. When Meriel finally acquiesced and came over to join him, he continued. “The pebble you chose was not only too small, it had the wrong shape. For it to bounce, it needs to be fairly flat, like this one.”

Meriel inspected the palm-sized rock. It was flat, but it also looked heavy and even more inclined to fall to the loch’s bottom when thrown. “What about this one?” she asked, selecting a rock similar to the one he was holding.

“Aye!” Hamish responded eagerly. “Now, find several more and I’ll tell you about the next three secrets.”

Meriel chuckled to herself and did as instructed. She could not believe she was searching for rocks, but Hamish was so excited at the prospect, she was beginning to feed off of his enthusiasm. Standing up, she said, “What next?”

“That would be speed, which you have. Most people think that a stone has to be moving really fast to skip along the water—”

“It doesn’t?”

“Nay. It requires some, but the throw you gave a few minutes ago was more than strong enough. But instead of throwing over your shoulder, throw at your side, like this.” Again Hamish whirled a rock at the water, and this time she tried hard to count the number of times it bounced before disappearing and decided it was close to two dozen.

Meriel reached back, trying to swing her arm low by her hip, and hurled the stone. It bounced twice. She spun around to face him, beaming with pride. “Did you see that? It
skipped
! I actually got it to
skip
!”

Her smile was a force Hamish was not prepared for, and it utterly disarmed him. For several seconds, he feared to move. “Aye,” he managed to finally say, coughing into his hand in an effort to regain some of his composure. “Now with a little spin and just the right release, you will think yourself quite the accomplished rock thrower.”

Meriel licked her lips and placed her hand, which was holding her next rock, in his. “Show me.”

Hamish swallowed, taking the stone from her fingers and stepping back. Focusing on the rock, he twirled it in his palm, gripping it so that one finger was on its side. “The stone does not have to spin much, but it helps. Just hold it like this when you throw, but the real trick is the release.” He held the rock parallel to the ground and then angled it slightly upward. “To get the stone to bounce, it must hit the water at an angle like this. Too flat, it immediately sinks. Slant it too high and it will skip but not far. Try it.”

Meriel retrieved the rock and rolled it in her hands as she had watched Hamish do. Then with a deep breath, she pulled back her arm and let it fly. It skipped once. She bent down, got another rock, and was about to try again when Hamish walked up behind her, nestling her back against his chest. Aligning his arm along hers, he cupped her hand and guided it into several practice swings.

Meriel instantly felt smothered and fought the instinct to push him off her, knowing the moment she did, Hamish would retreat and the evening would be ruined. Keeping her mind focused on throwing the stone, she forced her body to relax and accept what Hamish was showing her.

He stepped aside. “Try it now.”

Meriel pulled her arm back and, trying to keep the same arc Hamish had been showing her, released it. The stone skipped five times. Uncontainable excitement radiated from her. She spun around, jumped up, and threw her arms around his neck, giving him a quick, enthusiastic hug. “I did it!” she exclaimed and immediately crouched down to scoop up several more smooth rocks so that she could try again and again.

Hamish was glad Meriel was so engrossed. His body was betraying him and before she noticed, he had to get it back under control. Meriel was not his to desire, and yet, when he had come into contact with her backside, all he could think about was how nice she felt against him. If such an innocent touch could be so arousing, what would it be like if he turned her around and pulled her close?

Hamish shook his head and went to lie back down on the blanket, suddenly glad she had made him carry a jug of ale. He would need to down it all to redirect his thoughts.

“Eight times! Did you see that, Hamish? Me, Meriel Schellden, skipped a stone
eight times
!”

Hamish waved her over to come and eat. He had grabbed one of the plates and filled it with meat, bread, and cheese and was piling up the second one. Meriel took the offered plate and sat down on the grassy spot next to Hamish.

“This
was
a good idea,” she said, and sighed. “Much better than eating in the Great Hall. I’m glad you asked to have dinner together, and I’m even more thankful that you made me accept.”

“Why were you so hard to persuade?” Hamish asked, using his teeth to rip a piece of meat free from the leg bone.

“Because I should be the one thanking
you
for enduring all the unnecessary fittings. I only accepted your offer when I figured out what you were really trying to do. Genius idea, us having dinner together in order to make Craig and Wyenda jealous.”

Hamish felt his lips twitch. Of course Meriel thought jealousy would be the reason for his asking her to eat with him. This entire farce had been based on his suggestion of how she should go about winning Craig’s heart. Never had he anticipated that he might fall prey himself. “Genius idea, perhaps, but it was not mine. I confess I overheard Laurel talking to her friend Aileen about her doing something like this as a sign of appreciation.”

Meriel masked a smile. So that was how Laurel planted the idea in Hamish’s mind. “Then you still get credit. Good ideas should be stolen and replicated. Don’t you think?”

Hamish put his hand beneath his head and stared up at the darkening sky, thinking about how Meriel naturally tried to make those around her feel good. “It is pretty out here.”

“Quiet too,” Meriel added, continuing to eat the food on her plate. She had been so busy helping Fiona get ready for the outing, she had missed the noon meal.