Taming the Wild Highlander 04 (18 page)

"
Relax, bonny Edana," he said, kissing her mouth.

She
tried to relax, but the anticipation was killing her. She stroked his backside, encouraging him to continue, but when he still didn't move deeper inside her, she said, "Are you hurting?"

He smiled then
and kissed her cheek and deepened his thrust. She welcomed him with urgent kisses, caressing his arms and back and even his arse, loving every bit of him.

Edana was Angus
's, the sweetest, most impulsive—for being such an innocent—lass he'd ever known. When she'd thrown herself into his arms, he'd loved it. No quivering rabbit waiting for him in bed. Though he'd had every intention of showing her he would give her as much pleasure as he could and change her opinion about sex if she had been afraid of the intimacy shared between a man and woman. She proved to be a dream in the flesh.

Twice, he
'd brought her to pleasure, and twice she had looked ravishing and ravished all at once. He couldn't believe she'd touch his staff, and he nearly groaned out loud. He had assumed it might be weeks—if ever—before she had the courage.

Her
hands on his face, his tongue enjoying hers, her teeth nipping at his lip, he continued to kiss her. And to thrust into her, enveloped in her tight, hot heat, unable to hold off. Then he came deep inside her, bathing her in his love.

He prayed his lovemaking hadn
't made her too sore or anxious about joining with him again. With traveling the next day and for several more, they would probably not get another chance for some time, which would give her time to heal.

H
e finished and eased out of her. Saw her smiling up at him, full of wonder, and he kissed her again. She was everything he needed in a woman and a wife.

"
Was it all right?" he asked, leaving her to get a towel, wet it, and wash her.

"
Aye," she said, watching him. "Can we do it again?"

He grinned. He
loved
her.

***

The next morning in the great hall, Edana couldn't help but feel a little shy when she broke her fast among her clansmen. Many of her people offered her smiles when they had never done so before. Had they accepted her just because Angus had taken her for his wife? Annoyance filled her, yet, making up with her father had meant the world to her. Her father had smiled at her and whispered in her ear that he hoped she would soon have wee grandchildren for him to spoil, especially if she had daughters.

That made her face heat and she knew she had to be blushing to high heaven.

Now, if only she could help Angus and her father to locate her brothers, all would be well.

Lady Allison practically bounced around on her toes she appeared
so eager to see Edana off after they ate, so Edana and the others could bring her brothers home. Una would accompany her as before, and she seemed just as eager to get on their way.

Niall and Gunnolf kept smiling at Edana and Angus, knowing just what had happened all last night. Mayhap
not all that had happened. She had walked slower than she normally did this morning, and she feared riding a horse might be a wee bit taxing. Yet she wouldn't have had it any other way. She believed she and Angus wouldn't have much of a chance to share carnal pleasures during the journey. The memories had to be lasting so she could reflect on them and smile all over again.

Twice during the night, Angus had been rather reluctant to make love to her. But only because he
'd worried how she might feel today, especially with having to ride for who knew how long. Half in the haze of lovemaking, she thought he had murmured she was his wild Highlander, which had pleased her all the more. She adored the way he had treasured her for waking him to make love with her again and hadn't been annoyed that she had disturbed his sleep so.

Before he helped her to mount
the horse, he whispered into her ear, his warmth sweet breath making her tingly all over again, and she wished they were in her bed still, "Edana, are you sure you can manage?"

"
Aye." She would suffer any discomfort to search for her brothers.

Looking anxious, his brow furrowed and
his dark eyes on her, Angus helped her onto the horse. And then they rode through the gates and headed for Lockton Castle.

When they reached there, they
intended to stop and would request her horse and Niall's and Angus's belongings be returned to them, as they had allowed Keary to take the horses, clothes, and weapons of the men Gunnolf had knocked out and left unconscious in the cave.

With a force of twenty-five men and two women,
she was glad the journey was uneventful this time.

She slept
with Una both nights, but only after Edana had shared kisses with Angus in the dark, felt his mouth on her breasts, stroked his staff through his plaid, and then still feeling wet and needy, retired to the tent she shared with her maid.

The days were sunny, the nights cool and breezy, and clouds dusted the heavens.
She was grateful the rain had let them be.

When they
reached Lockton Castle, they had not expected to receive such a warm welcome. Keary made amends by offering to serve them a meal that eve, giving Edana and Angus a bedchamber for them to use when they retired for the night. He had noted his sister was not among them, but had not made any issue of the fact.

Edana didn
't know what to think of Keary's change of heart. He smiled at her, but was careful not to show too much interest. And he was just as friendly toward Angus, who appeared as wary of his intentions as she felt. Keary joked with her father and with Niall, both of whom shared in the jests, but with a reserve that showed they were just as suspicious. Gunnolf remained aloof, arms folded, guarded.

While
everyone else enjoyed the food, she and Angus had been anxious to leave the great hall and retire to the bedchamber. He ran his hand over her thigh again, and she smiled knowingly up at him.

"
Think you anyone would notice if we slipped away to the chamber?" she asked Angus.

He smiled wickedly down at her.
"All of your men, Keary, his people, and my own friends. Aye. Nary an eye would be anywhere except on us."

She poked at her bread.
"Doing it would almost be worth it. Except I would be embarrassed to hear all the comments when we left the hall. Was it verra bad when you left to join me in my bed?"

Angus grinned at her and sipped from his mead.
"You would have blushed furiously, lass."

She sighed. No one had said anything when she had left with Lady Allison and Una to retire to her bedchamber.
"Mayhap if we left together, they would say naught."

"
I am game to try it if you are," Angus said, his hand sliding up and down her thigh, making her blood heat.

Before
she could agree to take their leave, her brother Kayne warned her—
Drummond ill. Fitz…burn.

Her heart skipped.
"I have heard from Kayne," she whispered to Angus. "Drummond is sick. Do you know of a Fitzburn?"

Frowning deeply, Angus shook his head.

She turned to her father seated on the other side of her and repeated what she'd heard.

Her father
's face paled a little. "Drummond ill? That isna good to hear." His voice hard with concern, he asked, "What is this Fitzburn? A person? Place?"

"
I dinna know what significance it has. The name doesna mean anything to you?" she asked.

"
Mayhap a tavern by that name?" Angus asked.

Keary
must have gotten the gist of their conversation, though she'd noticed he'd been watching her during nearly the whole of the meal—despite that she had been trying to ignore him—and said, "There is a tavern by that name a day's ride from here. Due north."

"
We must go," Edana said anxiously, glad Keary had proved helpful. "If we leave tonight, we would reach the place by morn or a little later. If we wait, it would be nighttime again. My youngest brother, Drummond is ill. We canna delay."

"
What is it you seek?" Keary asked.

Edana stiffened, recalling Allison
's reluctance to mention the woman in front of Keary, but mayhap he knew which chief kept her as his mistress. "Oppida. Do you know of her?"

Keary
's eyes narrowed. "Aye. What of her?"

"
My brothers must have…" She had to have blushed with embarrassment as hot as her face felt. "Done something that caused someone to take offense, and the man serving as her protector has placed them in his dungeon."

Keary
slammed his fist on the table.

Edana jumped a little.
Angus took her hand in his and squeezed it with reassurance.

"
I should have killed the witch instead of allowing her to run away. No' that I thought a whole lot of the matter while my brothers fought me to rule the clan," Keary growled and Edana had no doubt the woman had angered him.

"
What did she do to earn your ire?" Edana asked, worrying the woman might cause her brothers further pain and suffering.

"'
Tis too delicate a subject for you to hear, lass." Keary said to her father, "I dinna know where the wench is, but if a powerful chief is keeping her and he willna let the slight go and release your sons, mayhap a few more men and another clan to back yours might be in order."

Edana clamped her mouth shut. She couldn
't believe how much Keary's attitude had changed with regard to her.

She suspected he was up to no good.

Instead of getting a good night
's rest, and for Edana and Angus that meant no lovemaking as they had both hoped, the much larger group of men rode out from Lockton Castle, this time with Keary leading a force that amounted to thirty-strong of his own. As much as Angus was disappointed he could not spend the night with Edana in marital bliss, he was just as motivated to free Edana's brothers, and concerned about Drummond's health.

He remembered Drummond fo
r being the most impetuous of Edana's brothers when Angus had last seen him. Drummond had been so angry over the girl's drowning and so upset that Edana had locked herself in her chambers for the final three days of the MacNeills' visit, that Angus had been quite impressed with him. He'd felt as Drummond had about Edana, concerned for her peace of mind.

Angus glanced at her, her brat covering her head like a hood to protect her from the chilly breeze.
He wished he could be with her in a big bed making love to her, keeping her warm, pleasuring her. Not believing his fortune in marrying the lass, he was glad Keary had not had the chance. Angus wished he had gone to see her at Rondover Castle way before now and…

He shook his head. What was done was done, and now he had every intention of always being there for her.

The winds shifted, whipping out of the north, and he knew they were in for another storm.

"
Drummond canna die on us," Edana said, sounding anxious.

"
Aye, lass. He is a strong man—a fighter. He will come through." Angus believed that with all his heart, though he still prayed fervently that it would come to pass.

That day so long ago, h
e had observed Drummond take the lads to task who had been involved in the tragic drowning—using his fists on the lads because he was so angry. Drummond hadn't cared that their father had already punished the boys with making them do extra work.

Their pranks had hurt Edana deeply, not to mention
they had contributed to the older lass's drowning. Edana's eldest brothers had overseen the lads' work, making certain their duties were even more onerous. But Angus had admired Drummond for taking it to a more physical level. He truly believed if Drummond had not, the lads could very well have done the extra menial labor and smirked about it the whole time. They had needed some other form of punishment to serve as a deterrent from treating Edana so horribly. They had to know if they did anything further to her like that, their actions would earn them more of the same kind of rough treatment.

If any had tried to stop Drummond in meting out his own form of punishment, Angus would have stepped in
to help Drummond. Or if any of the boys had looked to be getting the better of him, Angus would have fought on his behalf. He truly liked him and all his brothers.

"
When we free your brothers, think you they will approve of my marrying you?" Angus asked, trying to get her mind off worrying about them.

She gave him a small smile.
"They will want to know why we wed so hastily when you have no' seen me in years. Once we free them, and that is no longer a concern, they may be troubled. After the initial shock, will they be happy for me? Oh, aye, husband, because they will see how contented I am."