A Lesson in Passion (22 page)

Campbell spoke up immediately, “Dinna listen
to him, Ginny. He is only jealous ya would choose me over him. I
will treat ya well. Ya willnae want leave my bed.” The MacBains
laughed and snickered. Ginny rolled her eyes at the arrogance. Her
only consolation was that people didn't live very long in this age
and her potential husband, with all his arrogance, would probably
die soon in some battle.

Ginny looked Ian in the eyes. Despite
everything, she still wanted him. Maybe it was the time they spent
together or maybe she saw something else in him that no one else
got to see. Ginny liked bantering with him and the tingly feeling
at the thought of his touch. And dammit, hadn't she put up with
enough to justify having the best sex of her life? Hadn't she lived
without showering, pasteurized food, all the shows racking up on
her DVR so she could fall in love with an unlikely individual, get
married and have non-stop fantastic sex where she would orgasm by
just being naked near him?

Before she could think anymore, Ginny walked
over beside Ian. He grabbed her and hauled her up onto his lap.
Ginny turned and saw the frown on Campbell's face. “Ya made the
wrong choice, Ginny. He willnae marry ya. He wants his alliance too
much for that.”

Not wanting Ian's arrogance to get out of
hand, Ginny turned to Campbell and said, “Sorry, Campbell. I just
can't see myself marrying a man who would knock a woman
unconscious, then leave her tied up in the middle of nowhere.
You're a swell looking guy, but a girl has to have her standards.”
Hopefully, Ian wouldn't think she chose him because she wanted very
badly to sleep with him. She doubted her deception worked at
all.

“Get off my land, McKenna. Ya have
what ya came for, now go.”

“I dinna get everything I came for,
but we will go. Be warned, MacBain. If I catch ya near my land, I
willnae leave anything to be healed. Aye?”

Campbell laughed. “Aye.”

The McKennas turned their horses
around and began galloping off. Ginny remained silent. Ian figured
she was forlorn about his impending marriage. He hadn't been brave
enough to tell her that they were heading to intercept Broderick
and the Laird MacDonald's daughter. The marriage needed to take
place sooner, rather than later. All signs pointed to war and Ian
wanted as many allies as possible. Ian only wished he knew exactly
which clan he should declare war against.

• * Chapter 19 *
  

When Broderick arrived at the
MacDonald keep, he was tired, hungry and thirsty. He and his men
rode hard, late into the night, getting up early the next day. It
was essential that this alliance be made, especially without the
knowledge of who the true enemy was.

There was also something in it for Broderick.
He loved Ian like a brother, fought beside him in many battles,
risked his life for his clan, but he could not accept the
Englishwoman as part of his clan. Somehow, she managed to get Ian
to care about her, bewitching him. It was more than he could
handle.

When this task came up, he gladly took it.
Both to guarantee it was done and to get away from her and her
non-stop chatter. She spoke strangely, using words he'd never heard
before. Although he didn't relish hurting Ian, making the
Englishwoman suffer added to the joy of this task.

A few MacDonald men met the McKennas outside
the courtyard walls. Although not an official alliance, the
MacDonald's had always been friendly to the McKennas. And so the
men began to talk, exchange information and gossip, find out about
relatives. They walked together to the keep, into the great room
where the MacDonald laird was waiting with his daughter.

Broderick was stunned. She was, by far, the
most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She had red hair, not the dull
brown kind, but true red hair. It was long and hung in a braid down
her back. Her skin was pale, but covered in delightful freckles.
They covered her nose and cheeks and made her look younger than her
seventeen years. The girl had a thin face, long nose and a pair of
mesmerizing green eyes. She was tiny, probably only came to
Broderick's chest, but she carried herself regally.

Broderick was shocked with himself. How could
he feel lust towards his laird's future wife. He bowed his head to
the MacDonald laird. “It is my pleasure to escort your beautiful
daughter back to the McKenna.” Broderick was a man of few words,
but did he really just call her beautiful to her own
father?

When he looked up and saw her eyes on him, he
started to get hard. He immediately turned to the laird and put on
his best grimace. The laird did not seem to notice his slip, since
he was yammering on about the alliance and information he recently
acquired.

“Please, have your men sit and
partake of a meal. I need to speak to ya about yar enemies,”
MacDonald said, waving a hand to the table set up behind him. It
was covered in food, meat pies, bread, cheese and ale.

“
Thank ya, Laird. That is
kind of ya,” Broderick followed the older man to one end of the
table and sat down to eat. Once seated and served, he noticed that
the laird's daughter had also joined them.
How strange
, Broderick thought. Since
when would a laird allow a woman, even his daughter, to join in a
conversation about war.

The laird was too busy eating to start the
conversation, so Broderick turned to his daughter and asked, “What
is yar name, child?”

Her chin immediately came up and she took on a
haughty air. “I am no' a child. I am old enough to marry yar laird,
am I no'?”

She was a true Highland lass, with backbone.
Ian didn't realize how lucky he was to receive such a gift. It made
Broderick jealous and he knit his brows together over the confusion
of his feelings. He took another bite of bread and continued to
stare at her.

“My name is Elspeth,” she finally
revealed.

“Tis a beautiful name,” Broderick
replied. What was with his sudden use of the word beautiful. He was
beginning to think there was something wrong with him. Broderick
was no virgin. He'd had many women over the years, many young
wenches who begged for a strong bed partner. But this was
different. He knew this woman could be a true partner in life with
him, not just in bed.

Casting his eyes downward, he silently shamed
himself. This was his laird's bride. He shouldn't have such
thoughts about her. He glanced at her again and noticed that she
had particularly large breasts for her skinny frame. This led to
him getting hard again. Thankfully, she wouldn't be able to tell
with him seated at the table.

Suddenly, the MacDonald turned to him and
stated plainly, “I have come to find out which clan committed the
treachery.”

“What?” Broderick was furious that
he waited this long to tell him.

“One of my men has family in the
Sinclair clan. When he went to visit his sister, she told him the
story. She had heard it from one of the warriors.”

Broderick looked puzzled. “The Sinclairs? We
are no' friendly, but the McKennas have done nothing so bad to
cause this.”

“Aye. I have heard rumors that the
leader is hell bent on revenge. Tis war they want.”

“Tis war they will get,” Broderick
said through gnashed teeth. “I need to get Elspeth back as soon as
possible. With your permission, we will leave before
dawn.”

“Aye. That would be best. I will
have five of my men ride with ya. I canna have anything happen to
my daughter.”

Broderick, perfectly serious and without
reservation, said, “I will defend her with my life.” As he said it,
he stared at the young enchantress. With her head bent, she stared
at him through her long lashes and smiled.

*
*
*

After a few hours of riding, Ginny finally
became curious. “I didn't realize Campbell rode so far from your
keep with me. He complained to me that it hurt too much, which is
why he left me in that field.”

“Ya werenae that far from my keep,
Ginny. We are riding somewhere else.” Ginny furrowed her brow at
him. Was that all the explanation she was going to get. Where the
hell were they going and why would they be bringing her
along?

“Okay, so where the hell are we
going then?” she asked insolently.

Ian smiled. It was her most endearing trait,
her inability to accept his leadership without question. It was
probably not a trait he should allow, but Ian found it refreshing
at times. She could be so insolent, so hard headed. It made him
ache just thinking about it.

“We are going to meet up with
Broderick. To bring ya back to the keep would take too much time. I
need this alliance now,” Ian didn't want to reveal that truth to
Ginny, but he wasn't going to lie to her either.

“
Oh,” was all she
said.
Great, I get to attend the wedding
as well,
she thought. Ginny closed her eyes
and tried to rest. The jarring of the horse and the constant feel
of his hard chest against her kept her awake. She tried to envision
what their sex would be like. Ian, of course, would be quite
skilled and know exactly how to bring her to orgasm over and over
again. Although she was a virgin, the pain would be temporary and
quickly forgotten. It made Ginny's nipples hard just thinking about
it.

They finally stopped for the night. With her
head still pounding, partly from her attack and partly from
thinking about her potential lovemaking, Ginny begged to get some
sleep immediately. Ian took her to the stream running nearby, so
she could wash up. The water was freezing, but it felt so good
against her skin.

With just Ian there to witness, Ginny took off
her tunic, leaving just her chemise like undergarment. She smiled
to herself when she heard his gasp. Taking the small handkerchief
she carried out, she began to wash as much of her exposed body she
could. It was cold, but Ginny knew that Ian would warm her up if
she asked.

She worked on washing her neck and shoulders.
Then she reached into her garment to wash her armpits, which were
disgusting and hairy. Ginny could admit that not having to shave
had its advantages, but after so many years, it just grossed her
out being so hairy. When her armpits were clean, she sat down and
worked on her legs and feet.

Chancing a glance back at Ian, she saw that he
stood as still as a statue, staring at every move she made. It
wasn't so dark that Ginny couldn't tell that he was hard as a rock,
pitching a tent with his kilt. She wasn't even sure that he was
breathing.

Ginny wanted to wash her most intimate area,
but also didn't want to chance sending this laird off the deep end.
She turned away from him fully, and reached under her garment to
washed as quickly as possible. When done, Ginny put her tunic back
on. It seemed kind of ridiculous, washing at all knowing she would
put on the same dirty outfit, but it had felt so good to be clean,
even for only a moment.

When done, Ginny turned and stared at Ian.
“Thank you, for bringing me here so I could wash up. It was
quite... refreshing.” Ginny spoke the last word as a
whisper.

Ian was a man of great discipline. He had
great endurance and patience when the situation called for it. This
woman would undoubtedly be his ruin. She had just spent this time
teasing him. Did she think he would be able to keep his hands off
her? A man can only take so much before he breaks, and Ian had
reached that breaking point.

Before she could speak one word of refusal,
Ian grabbed her. His lips kept her from voicing any objections. He
opened her mouth with his tongue and began making love to her with
it. His tongue took possession of her mouth and his hands held her
face. He vaguely noticed her hands on his arms. Ian knew she was
responding to him. She was kissing him back, using her tongue to
duel with his.

Ian moved his hands down her delicate neck, to
her small shoulders. Now that she was kissing him back, he could
use his hands to explore her body. First, he moved them down her
back, pulling her closer to his body, against his hard arousal.
Then he cupped her bottom and pulled her off the ground slightly to
allow him to kiss her deeper. Just as his hands came back up to
feel her hard nipples, even under her layers of clothing, one of
his men called out to him.

“Laird. Are ya alright?”

Ian stopped kissing Ginny long enough to
scream something derogatory to his soldier. Unfortunately, it was
enough to break the spell for her. Ginny pulled away and quickly
returned to the camp. Instead of following behind her, Ian stood by
the stream and washed himself down. The cold water helped to reduce
his throbbing erection, but did nothing to lighten his mood. What
was he doing? He couldn't have her, not in the way she wanted. He
needed to stop this before he married the MacDonald
girl.

Ian completed his washing and returned to
camp. He saw that his men had made a small pallet for Ginny to
sleep on to keep her from getting damp. With her back to the fire,
she pretended to be asleep. He would leave her be for now, but he
had every intention of keeping her warm tonight. Just as he had
every night since she came to his keep.