The Imposter (26 page)

“Help!” I yelled,
“Guards!  I need help!” I screamed, blood thundering.

The doors burst
open and the same two men that I had given the keys to earlier sprang into the
room, eyes frantically scanning to room trying to get their bearings about what
was going on.

“He’s dead!” I
screamed, “Get him off me!” I continued to scream hysterically as the men ran
to the bed and pulled Cameron off of me.

I scrambled to
cover myself with my skirts as the men tried in vain to rouse their Laird.

“What happened?”
one of the men exclaimed in my general direction as he shook Cameron.

            “He woke up and wanted to…
he wanted to do it again,” I tried to act demure, and reminded myself to look
at the floor. “And he was on top of me, pumping away and I think that his heart
exploded from the exertion,” I explained, pleased that I was able to summon
some tears to look more convincing.  They were not tears of sadness, but were
tears of genuine fear.

“Aye, the Laird’s
dead,” the red-headed man confirmed, rolling Cameron onto his back, and
glancing accusingly in my direction.

“What are we going
tae do with her?” the taller man said to his comrade.  “It’s clear that the
Laird took her maidenhead,” he said, eyes scanning the blood stained sheets. 

“But she’s still
married to the McClain.  No one else will want her after this,” he said,
glancing back at the bed.  “Mayhap she’s a witch if laying with her caused his
heart tae explode,” he said, looking at me with disdain.

“I don’t know what
tae do with her, but go catch the McClain’s before they leave.  Let her be
their problem,” the red-head guard said, using a blanket to cover the Laird’s
exposed privates.

The tall guard ran
from the room, the soles of his shoes running down the hall were a beautiful
sound.  They just might be the sound of my salvation, I thought. 

The guard pulled
the fur coverlet up and over Cameron’s face, and then stood from the bed. 

“I’ll walk ye down
tae the foyer,” he said, motioning for me to follow him.

I followed
silently behind him, hope beginning to build tentatively within me.  I might
have just pulled this off!  All that I needed now was to see Devon, to know
that he was safe and to keep myself from falling apart in his arms.  I had a
part to play, the part of an unhappy wife who had just had sex with someone
else, someone other than my husband.

As I followed the
guard into the foyer, my heart soared when I say Devon, badly beaten but all in
one piece, standing next to the massive entry doors.  His eyes met mine, and
then darted away.  He was angry with me.

  We were all but
thrown out of the keep and the doors clunked into place behind us.  I wanted to
throw myself at Devon, to capture his face in my hands and see how badly he had
been hurt.  It took every ounce of my composure to fight my instinct to kiss
him, to hold him, to see if he was hurt badly.

“Doona touch me,”
he gritted angrily between clenched teeth in a voice so soft that only I could
hear. 

My heart sank at
the controlled anger ringing in his voice.  I was so happy to see him, but I
could tell that my sentiment was not reciprocated.

We walked silently
to our horses, Devon, Nathan, and I with Brennan trailing slightly behind us. 
I moved towards Nathan when he mounted his horse, thinking that it would be
safer to ride away from the keep with him rather than Devon. 

Devon’s hand shot
out possessively and grabbed my arm.  His touch sent waves of electricity
through my body.  I looked up at him, and he swung up into Stanley’s saddle,
pulling me effortlessly into his lap.  I rested my head against his chest and
promptly fell apart, sobs racking my body. 

 There were so
many things that I wanted to say to him, so many questions that I wanted to
ask, but for the moment, just knowing that he was safe was enough.

Chapter Fifteen

Close to midnight, Devon dismounted as they arrived at McClain castle.  He held Kate fast against
his body.  She felt so slight and looked so peaceful as she slept.  He regarded
her lovingly; now regretful of the harsh words he had spoken to her earlier. 
He wanted to kiss her and yet he wanted to spank her lovely behind for putting
herself in danger.

He carried her to
their chamber and settled her gently on their bed.  Using his dirk, he cut the
fabric of the Cameron’s gown from her sleeping form, not wishing for the
bastard’s possessions to be in contact with his lovely wife.  Removal of the
silk gown revealed a sheer barely there chemise, a garment that would surely
make sleep impossible tonight.  Through the thin fabric, Devon could see the
pink nipples crowning her full breasts and the outline of the thatch of curls
that covered her womanhood.  He groaned out loud, taken aback by the torment
that his woman lorded over him, even when she was asleep.  

She was lying on
her side, auburn hair pooling around her full breasts.  Devon ached to touch
her, brave lass that she had been today.  He ached to claim her as his own,
make her his wife in all senses of the word.  Fill her with his cock and spill
his seed deep within her. 

He stripped off
his shirt and kilt, letting them pool around him on the flagstone floor. 
Naked, he joined her on the bed, wondering if he could withstand the sweet
torment of lying next to her without taking her as she slept.  For the first
time, he settled his naked body behind her, his front to her back, and wrapped
his arm about her waist.  In immediate response, she nuzzled her sweet bottom
back against him, a tiny movement that almost caused him to loose all reason. 
If she only knew how her body affected him!         He stroked his callused
hands, one finger at a time, up the curve of her hips, over her perfect bottom,
and through her auburn hair.  She would be the death of him.  It felt so good,
to lie here with her, to lie with his wife, and touch her so innocently. 
Touching her stirred a need deep within him, and he felt his cock harden, ready
to take her at the slightest invitation.  Hell, he needed no invitation!

Using every thread
of discipline that he had, he held his beautiful wife while she slept.  He
fought off the urge to take her from behind, to wake her as he entered her
slick, wet heat.  She was far too tired, the role that she had played today
with the Camerons had been a mighty one.  He would let her rest now, and go
about the business of making her his wife tomorrow.  Maybe even first thing in
the morning, he promised himself, causing his cock to pulse and buck against
her behind.  

Devon fought his
masculine instincts with every thread of will power that he was able to cling
to.  He had promised not to touch her until she was ready, ready to be his wife
in every sense of the word.  He would wait until she was ready.  Wait until she
was ready, even if it killed him in the process.  And with that thought, he
pulled Kate up snug to his chest, and tried to ignore the sweet smell of her
hair and the provocations of her body.  He would be a gentleman if it killed
him.

Devon awoke before
the first light of morning with Kate still curled against his body, sleeping
like the dead.  He kissed her temple and brushed her auburn hair back from her
face.  She looked so innocent and beautiful while she was sleeping.  Heck, she
looked innocent and beautiful all the time, he admitted to himself.  This brave
lass had stirred feelings inside of Devon that he hadn’t known he was capable
of having.

He forced himself
to slowly draw away from his wife, and quietly crept from her bed, still
admiring her sleeping form as he quickly dressed and closed the chamber door
behind him.  There was much that needed to be done this morning, and he planned
to return to their chamber in a couple of hours.  She would probably still be
fast asleep when he returned from his duties.              He needed to brief
Collin on the battle with the Camerons and speak with his men.  He also needed
to find Brennan and give him a tongue lashing like he had never experienced. 
Not only had Brennan’s stupid actions almost gotten him killed, but they had
put his wife into danger. 

A tongue lashing
would not be enough; Brennan might just need to be beaten within an inch of his
life for putting Kate in such danger.  Brennan’s negligence was not acceptable in
the least. 

Devon hated the feeling
of not being in control and loathed the fact that he had not been able to
protect Kate, had not been able to stop her from trying to sacrifice herself in
order to save him.

He would make sure
that she understood that she was never, ever to place herself into danger, even
if it meant that his life would be taken.  It was his job to protect her, not
the other way around.  Devon planned to make sure that his wife understood this
message, just as soon as he kissed her senseless and drove her mad with desire. 
He set off about his tasks, looking forward to a quick return to his sleeping
wife.

***

I awoke in the
early morning hours, and instantly panicked when I felt the cold bed beside
me.  Devon should be here, here with me.  Where had he gone?  I looked around
the room and was relieved to see a bundle of his things next to the door.  So
he had been here, I thought, relaxing a little.  He probably had business to
attend to, I assured myself. 

“He could at least
leave a note!” I said out loud to the quiet chamber, mentally cursing his
insensitivity.  After all we had been through I desperately wanted him here
with me.

I quickly got out
of bed and resolved that I would go find him.  There were so many things that I
wanted to say to him, wanted to talk about.  And, I wanted to touch him, to
kiss him, to reassure myself that he was back in one piece.  Almost losing him
had been terrifying.

I chose a blue gown
that I knew suited me well and accentuated my figure in all of the right
places.  I spent extra time fixing my hair and even pinched my cheeks a few
times to give them color before heading out to search for my husband.  I
planned to waste no time getting him right back here to this room, to this bed
where I could finally make him my husband in every sense of the word.  Having
felt the terror of nearly losing him, I would not be denied again.

Chapter
Sixteen

“Ye will never put
yerself at risk again!” Devon thundered as he slammed the door to our chamber
closed behind him, startling me.

This is not the
welcome that I had been anticipating.

“They were going
to kill you, Devon!” I yelled back, shaking now as I thought of what might have
happened.  I dropped the brush that I was clutching in my hand, and it
clattered to the floor.  I had been getting ready to go find Devon, hoping to
welcome him home.

“I told ye tae
stay here, and despite Brennan’s stupidity, that’s exactly what I expected ye
tae do.  Ye should have stayed here, nay matter what happened,” his voice was
more controlled now, but still ringing with anger.

“I only did what I
had to do to make sure that you returned in one piece,” I explained, angry now
that he was being so arrogant and controlling.  “It did work, Devon,” I goaded,
secretly proud that I had successfully accomplished the risky scheme that had
led to his safe release.

“Aye, it did work,
but when I think of what might have happened tae ye, of what ye withstood in
his chamber…” he trailed off unable to find the correct words to express his
anger.

“I’m fine,” I
assured him, reaching up and stroking his jaw line, relishing the feel of him,
so warm and thankfully so alive.  Stubble dusted his face and felt prickly
beneath my fingers.  I liked how he felt, and being unshaven lent him a
particularly dangerous look that set my heart alight.

My touch melted
his resolve to fight, and I watched as his eyes softened.

“Promise me that
ye willna do something sae stupid again?” he asked, eyes questioning me as they
glowered down at me. 

“No,” I whispered,
defying him.

Devon exhaled
slowly, seeking to regain his composure.  “Ye’ll be the death of me, woman,” he
mumbled, shaking his head from side to side.

“I’d do it again
in a heart beat,” I vowed, pressing him to further exasperation.

“Could ye just
once listen tae me when I ask ye tae do something?” he asked, stroking my hair
back from my face and securing it behind my ear.

“Maybe someday
I’ll try that,” I smiled up at him, teasing him as I leaned into his touch. 
“Let me look at you,” I said now, concerned as I looked up at the myriad of
cuts and bruises that marred his beautiful face.  The Camerons had not been
kind.

“I’m fine lass.  Doona
fash over me,” he said, brushing my hands away and nuzzling my neck.

“No, Devon.  I
need this.  I need to see for myself that you’re alright.”

He straightened up
begrudgingly, and allowed my fingers to explore him.  I traced a nasty gash on
his cheekbone ever so lightly and my heart tore, thinking of what he had
endured.

He reached up and
took my hand, then led me silently over to the bed.  He settled himself in the
center and pulled me onto his lap so that I was facing him; my legs intimately
straddling his waist as we sat facing each other.

I traced the cuts
on his face and skimmed my fingers over his split bottom lip, heart aching to
think of the horrors that he had suffered as a prisoner of the Cameron’s.  Devon
had closed his eyes and he sat still as a statue, allowing me to take stock of
his wounds. 

I raised his hands
to mine and gasped when I saw his mangled, bloodied knuckles.  I brought the
backs of his hands to my lips and kissed his broken knuckles, aching to take
away his pain.  Tears streamed down my face and I kissed the tattered but still
intact braided red twine that encircled his ring finger.