The Laird's Kidnapped Bride (12 page)

Eventually the ride began to soothe his temper. He could only shake his head in wonder over all that had transpired. It had certainly been quite a day, and his laughter reverberated around him as he remembered what had taken place earlier this morning. He could still picture the expression on Janice’s face when his wife poured the syrupy fruit over her head. The McDowell wouldn’t retaliate; he’d been aware of his daughter jabbing away at his wife’s self-esteem. Cameron had known the moment the foolish woman referred to Lark’s height that any hope for a peaceful meal was ended. The lass was unquestionably quick-witted, and the volley of shots she fired at Janice were quite remarkable and certainly put the wench in her place.

Wherever Janice had come up with the idea he would seek an annulment, he had no idea. It was incredible that she even thought of such a ludicrous notion. If anyone had maggots eating away at their brain, t’was her. Even if he was not taken with his wife, he would never dishonor either himself or her in such a manner. When the drizzle turned into a steady fall of rain, he reined his mount around and headed home. With luck, he would find his wife in a better mood, and once he changed out of his wet garments, they could sit down before supper and discuss the matter in a calm, civilized way. He did not want their argument to join them in bed, it would not make for a happy marriage if it did. He only wanted them to share passion, enjoyment and peaceful times there.

***

Lark had just placed one of the new gowns sewn for her in the trunk when the chamber door flew open and her soaking wet husband strode into the room. She closed the lid, sat back on her heels and tilted her head to gaze up at him. “We should send word to my father requesting my clothing and personal items to be sent to me. We also should demand that he pay ye my dowry, but I’m afraid ye probably would be disappointed and willna receive it.”

Cameron closed the door and stepped over to the blazing fire to warm himself. “Aye I agree, but ‘tis nae rush. I also believe he willna want to give up such wealth, but he must. Even if I have to petition the court to make him. About earlier, I would like to continue our discussion.”

Gaining her feet, she shook her head. “Nay. What happens out of these chambers stays out of them. Any argument we have ceases at the door. I willna have anger joining us in our bed.” She picked up a bathing sheet and held it out to him. She could see he wanted to argue with her but she also noticed he was pleased with her suggestion. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing that in these rooms the outside world wouldn’t touch them.

Pleased yet frustrated, he nodded his head, accepted the cloth and started drying his hair. “I am in full agreement, wife.”

She smiled, and returning to the trunks, opened one to pull out a dry shirt and plaid. She placed them down on the settee and walked across the room. “I will leave ye to dress and will see ye at supper.” Without waiting for a reply, she stepped outside and closed it behind her. She was relieved that he would do as she asked. Their chambers were their sanctuary from the rest of the world, and she did not want it being invaded by anger. Making her way downstairs, she helped the servants prepare the hall for supper. She was still working when he husband came striding towards her.

The grim expression on his face told her that he was far from pleased to see her working. Too bad. She placed the last trencher on the table and went to join him. Taking her own seat, she ignored him. She jumped when his hand slapped at the table, but she swung her head and faced him with a mild expression. “Is there something ye want?” She was tempted to wrinkle her nose at him, but she could tell he was already in a lather, and it wasn’t hard to guess what had annoyed him.

“Aye. Did I nae forbid ye to do any laboring?” He growled between clenched teeth.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she tilted her head to the side but kept her gaze locked with his. “Setting a few tables, ye moron, willna tax me. I am nae weakling and I willna be treated like one.” The man could be such a goose and it irritated her no end that he thought she was such a weakling that placing a few dishes on the table would tire her out.

“Wife, ye’re so small and delicate that a good breeze could blow ye away. There are plenty of servants to do the work and I willna allow ye to do it.”

Exasperated, she tossed her hands up in the air. “Of all the ridiculous things I have ever heard come out of yer mouth, this beats them all. Ye have insulted me and I find it offensive that ye think I am so feeble. Until ye have something that is intelligent to say, dinna ye speak to me again, ye flea-bitten boar.” She turned away from him, because if she didn’t, she would clout him over his thick head. Good breeze indeed, she was beginning to think her husband wasn’t very smart if he thought such a ludicrous thing. She let one of the servants know to serve the evening meal. Concentrating on eating, she ignored the fool sitting beside her, simmering in his anger. Well, let him stew; he deserved it.

He insulted her by practically calling her frail, and she would not put up with it. She was now bound and determined show him just how fit and strong she was, and she was going to make him eat those words and hoped he would choke on them. Damn rotten goat, she huffed in annoyance. The silent, tense meal finally over, she decided to prick his temper. Leaving her chair, she strolled through the hall and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. She could feel his hot eyes boring into her but refused to acknowledge that he was even in the room. The battle had begun and she was not going to lose, be damned if she would. As she stared into the flames, she thought of her father and wondered what his reaction was going to be when he found out she had married the McCloud.

It was a fact he was going to be furious that he had lost such wealth, but how was he going to respond? Would he come and try to force her to return home? Aye, he would. He’d probably order her to obey him and demand she request an end to her marriage. He also would force her to go through with the wedding to Sir Walter. She frowned thoughtfully. If she left, she wouldn’t have to spend the rest of her life in this wild, untamed place. She wouldn’t have the big oaf trying to order her about and sadly, she would most definitely not spend those wonderful moments in his arms. On the other hand, she’d be forced to marry a man she utterly detested. She sighed in melancholy. Whichever way she looked at it, she was doomed.

On the bright side, if she remained here, at least she would have a chance to live her life the way she wanted, if she could make her stupid husband see sense. She enjoyed conversing with him on occasions and she most definitely liked what they did in bed. She was also starting to make friends here. Would her life here be so bad if she stayed, she wondered? She definitely knew she would loathe any intimacy with Sir Walter; she shuddered just thinking about it. Even the thought of that horrid man so much as touching her made her sick to her stomach. A little stunned, she realized her choice was already made. She would stay married to her flea-brained husband and reside here for the remainder of her life.

Now, all she had to do was train the thickheaded man and make him fall in love with her. She herself, of course, would not be so foolish as to love him back. He would walk all over her if she did. Just like he was trying to do now, she reminded herself. Ha! He was never going to succeed. That was never going to happen. Her father had bullied her enough, and she wasn’t about to let another man do it as well. A hefty sigh breezed out of her and she started thinking of ideas of how to make her dull-witted husband fall in love with her.

***

Throughout the meal, Cameron silently stewed. The wee lass had set a match to his temper, well, so be it. Outside the bed chamber, he would not say another word to her unless it was absolutely necessary. If she expected an apology she could hold her breath, because he had no intention of doing so. After all,
he
had done nothing wrong. Through narrowed eyes he glared at her from across the hall as he sat drinking ale from his mug. Whatever was going through that head of hers must be something worrying, if that frown on her brow was anything to go by. He studied her intently as he tried to figure out what it was that was bothering her.

If she was even considering for one second not sharing his bed, she would soon come to realize it was a wasted effort. Tonight, though he couldn’t sink himself inside her, there were other ways to make love to her, and that’s just what he intended to do. Perhaps it would not be as satisfying, but it would slake some of the hunger for her that was gnawing away at him. Already half aroused, he turned his thoughts to other matters. He glanced around the hall and for the first time, noted that just about every man in the room was wearing a sour expression and the women wore a look of determination. Now what was the matter with everyone? As if this day weren’t bad enough, he had a feeling it was just about to get worse. He rattled out a growling breath and somehow knew that his wee aggravating wife was behind whatever was causing the discontent growing between members of the clan.

Some of the men must have noticed his attention on them, and half a dozen rose to their feet and came to stand in front of him. “Well, one of ye spit out what’s bothering ye.”

Robby took a hesitant step forward and cleared his throat. “’Tis our wives, Laird.”

“What about them?” he asked in exasperation.

“They refuse to let us into our beds unless we bathe and change our clothing every day. They also insist we shave off our beards.”

He started at the man in disbelief for a few seconds before his gaze honed in on his wife. He had been right. This was her doing, he was certain of it. Returning his attention back to Robby and the others, he leaned back in his chair. “I see. Tell me this, do yer wives smell pleasant and their skins feel soft? Do ye nae think that ye would scratch their tender flesh with yer facial hair?” He saw the men contemplating his words. He almost grinned when every set of shoulders sagged. “’Tis nae so bad. A little soap and water willna kill ye and I assure ye, the reward is great. But ‘tis yer decision. I, for one, like my bed and my wife in it. Yer wife in yer arms and a soft bed, or the cold, hard ground and empty arms. The choice is up to ye to make.”

The expressions on their faces told him what he had known all along. No man was foolish enough to opt to sleep on the floor alone if a mere bath were the price for sleeping in his wife’s bed and arms. Cameron watched them file away and wasn’t surprised that within minutes, every man in the hall had left in a hurry. It was a certainty that many babes would probably be conceived this very night. His gaze went to his wife again and saw her talking with some of the women. He was pleased to see her settling in and making friends. If only she would do as she was told, they would have a happy life – but the infuriating wee imp was just too obstinate to listen to reason. He watched the women depart and his wife rose to her feet. Without once looking his way, she climbed the staircase.

Heart racing, he finished his ale and placed the empty mug down on the table. He would give her a few minutes to ready herself for bed. Lust fired through his bloodstream as the seconds ticked by, his cock growing thick and heavy. He knew that if he remained down in the hall much longer, the evidence of how much he wanted his wife would be seen by all. He surged to his feet and raced up the stairs; when he reached their chamber, he threw the door open, entered the room and closed it behind himself. He strode through to the bedchamber and was pleased to find her already in bed with a whimsical smile on her lovely face. Without a word he stripped off his clothing and joined her beneath the covers.

His hand stroked down the side of her head and he leaned forward and nuzzled her neck. “Ye smell glorious, sweeting. I ken ye must be tender but I need to touch ye.”

“Aye, husband, I need that as well.” Lark had seen the evidence of how much he wanted her and she pressed herself closer to his hard, muscled body.

Those few words were all he needed. His mouth captured hers and he started his seduction with his hands. It wasn’t long before she was purring and moaning. His lips slowly traveled down the length of her neck along her collar bone before his tongue came out and laved the hard-pebbled nipple. He grazed it with his teeth before he captured it and bit lightly. She cried out and pressed his head closer. He drew the tight bud into his mouth, and capturing her hand, dragged it down to his straining cock. He growled around her breast when she wrapped her fingers around his raging sex. He showed her how to stroke him, and when she knew what she was doing, he removed his hand from hers.

Jaw taut, trying to hold back his lust, his fingers slipped between the moist folds. He skimmed them up and down before he sank one into her. The need to completely taste her was like a fire in his brain; it had been many years since he had wanted to do it. His mouth slipped from her breast as his tongue and lips made the slow journey down her torso. When he came to the nest of curls, he settled between her thighs and gazed at her confused face with the desire burning in her eyes. “Dinna be frightened, dearling. ‘Tis just another way to make love to ye.” When he saw the wariness and acceptance mingled in her eyes, he bowed his head and parted her dewy womanly folds. Seeing the moisture beckoning to him, his mouth watered and his tongue swept the dewiness of her desire. He savored every drop.  

His teeth scraped along her clit and she jerked up her hips. He captured them to hold her still and sucked the bundle of nerves into his mouth. He drove one finger into her tight damp passage and then another. He lapped, sucked and nipped until she stiffened and came apart. Her loud, keening cry filled the chamber and still he wasn’t finished. Only when he had his fill did he rise up over her and give her a searing kiss, knowing that this was only the beginning. It was going to be a very long night of discovery for her and lovemaking for both of them.