Bedded by the Laird (Highland Warriors) (10 page)

‘Did I hurt you?’

‘No…’ she was
climbing up his chest, kneeling on his lap, facing him, kissing him, answering
him, ‘yes…’ she breathed, ‘but it was the best hurt, Laird, for it brought me
back to you.’

‘Let’s get you out
of these wet…’ he went to pull at the wet kirtle that clung to her and with the
laird she could never be scared and she lifted her arms for him as he peeled
the garment off and finally she was naked in his arms.

She watched as one
hand stroked at her breasts as the other held her waist and she sank back on
her knees with the pleasure as he caressed her too with words.

‘I do love you
Bridie.’ He never thought he would say those words and truly mean them. ‘ I’m
not going to rush you, not till you’re ready…’

‘I’m ready now.’
Her eyes met his and he could deny himself no longer.

‘We have to be
careful…’ He told her, for it would be cruel to his new wife if there
was
already a
bairn
on their way,
but Bridie thought he meant different.

‘Everyone’s asleep
and I’m not going to tell…’

‘I meant that you
don’t get pregnant.’

‘Oh.’ She had no
idea what careful meant, but she didn’t want to show him how little she knew,
didn’t want him changing his mind, so she agreed to be careful, whatever that
was. ‘We will be.’

He held her wet
and shivering in his arms and then he stood and carried her to the vessel.
Bridie was used to cold baths but this was warm and he went and stoked the fire
and then came back over, knelt beside her and kissed her again.

 ‘Would you
like some more whisky…’ he said, for he could taste it in her kiss.

‘No.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I want to
remember every moment, Laird.’

He was the most
beautiful man, tall, muscled, his thighs solid but she averted her eyes as he
removed his plaid and climbed in, for though wanting she was scared, nervous
and petrified too. As he started to soap her it wasn’t just nerves though that
fluttered her pulses, for who knew such strong hands could be so gentle and who
knew all the wonderful things they could do.

His mouth was
tender too, and sometimes not, for he kissed her breast till the flesh was
bruised but it was such a delicious hurt. His shoulders soon bore her teeth
marks too as she knelt and leant on him as he soaped her buttocks with one hand
and moved to the front with the other, but nerves caught up as his fingers
explored her entrance. She was petrified, so tight and resistant as one finger
slipped in.

‘Laird…’

‘It’s all right
Bridie…’ He was so patient, for he kissed her again, till he felt her relax and
slipped his finger in just a little further…

‘Better?’

‘I think so…’ He
was stroking her too, till she forgot to be scared and then he put another
finger in and stretched her a little, till her breath came shallow and fast on
his neck and she could surely no longer kneel. She could feel him hard against
her stomach and as she held him for the first time, stroked him she heard his
low moan reverberate on her neck and he wanted to lift her onto him, but better
that he be gentle for her first time.

And this was her
first time, the laird told himself, for she had never been made love to and he
would make love to her now, in a tender way that he never had before. He lifted
her from the tub to the fire he had stoked and he lay her on the rug and kissed
her till she was hot and red and not from the bathwater. Kissed her all over
till and was wet and warm and ready.

‘So ready,’ she
told him for he was over her, his weight on his elbows she could see his strong
muscles and knew the laird would take care.

‘I’ll take it out
before….’

‘Before what,
Laird?’

She knew nothing.

‘Bridie…’ He
should stop and explain things perhaps, except her hands were pressing onto his
shoulders and slowly he was stealing in and the sensation of Bridie gripping
him had him groan with relief as he filled her.

‘Oh.
. .’
She had never felt something could be so nice and she clung onto his shoulders
as moved back and then deep within again, felt the heat of intimate friction
flare and her hands slid down his broad back to taut buttocks and her fingers
started to dig in.

He moved in and
out, her tight muscles dragging him in and Bridie was moving with him too now,
pushing against him, flaring beneath him.

‘Laird…’

‘Alasdair.’ He
said, for here they could be themselves. ‘He was thrusting harder within and,
he could not believe what he had unleashed, for beneath him she moved, grinding
her heat into him, her mouth sucking on his chest. He had never known a lover
like
it,
there was a deep thrill that he had shown her
this pleasure but her unbridled passion had him breathless with restraint.

‘I have
to take it out Bridie…’

‘Please don’t,’
she moaned, because it felt incredible, her fingers moved to knot in his hair,
her legs wrapped around him her ankles tethering him and she locked him back
into their rhythm. ‘Why would you stop, Laird!’ She was sobbing and frenzied.
‘Why would you ever want to stop?’

He felt her pulse
around him, tight squeezes that dragged him in deeper and the scream that shot
from her lips he hushed with his mouth, and then his palm slid beneath her as
her back arched and he closed his eyes to the bliss of her and bucked hard and
deep within and then he stilled, felt her intimate flickers but with a groan,
with remorse his hand moved and unbuckled her ankles. He lifted out and Bridie
watched shocked as he pulsed over her, as he spilled onto her heat and thigh
and then his fingers spread his come slowly over her as she shivered and moaned
and writhed.

‘That’s why
Bridie.’

She had never seen
anything more beautiful.

‘I want to feel
that within.’

‘You will.’ He
told her and he took her to his bed and for the first time they were together
under the fur and he told her how it would be, stroked her warm body and spoke
with her between kisses.

‘My father had a
leman, Bridie.’

‘Miriam?’

‘Aye,’ he had
never really understood it but he did now, for he could marry only for
McClelland, but he had never once considered he might love. ‘I will look after
you and Gracie, I will give our children land…’

 ‘What about
your lady?’ Bridie asked, for it was the ball in just over a week.

‘She’ll
understand…’ he thought of Lady Helena. ‘Her father has a leman too.’

Bridie fell asleep
in his arms, it was the best sleep but he woke her before sunrise and saw her
back to the turret and to her own bed.

‘Carry on as
normal for now.’ The Laird told her. ‘You get back to work and you don’t
mention this to anyone – it would not be fair on my bride to hear this
from anyone but me, but soon it will all be sorted.’

She held her
secret to her.

She dressed and
smiled at
Mrs
Moffat, who was so relieved to see
Bridie back to her old self again.

‘No, I’ll take the
laird his breakfast,
Mrs
Moffat said. ‘You get on and
make some bread.’

And the laird looked
up as the door opened and he closed his eyes as she grumbled about her knees
and he swore
Mrs
Moffat knew.

He dressed and
surveyed his land and the traps were full and plenty and he could hear the
bellow of a stag in the hillside and they would go hunting this afternoon.

But first he
headed back to the castle where he was to meet with Lady Catherine’s father.
Tomorrow it would be Lady Helena’s father with whom he would talk, for it was a
decision that must be carefully made.

‘There’s a woman
here asking to speak with you.’ One of his guardsmen approached. ‘Her name is
May Douglas, she’s from the
Glenbarach
castle.’

‘From
Glenbarach
?’ The Laird frowned, but he nodded and told the
Guardsman she could be let through, though he would not be considering Lady
Donalda.

‘I am May
Douglas.’ She was a stern looking woman with pale blue eyes. ‘Sister to the
late Lady Jean.’

And what can I do
for you?’ Angus asked, curious as to why Laird Peter had sent a woman to do his
work.

 ‘I am here
to discuss my niece.’ He saw her swallow before raising her chin to meet his
eye. ‘Lady
Glenbarach
…’

The Laird took in
a breath, thinking of the rotund Donalda who, by custom, must be presented for
his consideration.

‘If there is
anything to discuss then I will do so with Laird Peter.’ Alasdair clipped, for
he spoke business only with men.

‘I don’t think you
understand, my niece is here.’

‘There are no
Glenbarachs
here,’ Alasdair said, ‘nor will there ever be…’

‘That’s not what
one of our men says.’ May stood firm. ‘He saw her with his own eyes, when you
brought him here. He swore that he had seen her, that he kissed her hand…’ her
voice trailed of, the
colour
paling from her face as
Gracie toddled through, shrieking as Bridie tried to catch her.

‘I’m sorry to
disturb you Laird…’ Bridie grinned, hoisting Gracie onto her hip and leaving
them. ‘She can run…’

‘Away.’ The Laird
dismissed her, wishing now he had not let May in, for all too well he
remembered the look of shock on the
Glenbarach
warrior’s face as Bridie had gone to offer him a drink.

 ‘He was
speaking the truth.’ May’s hands were shaking as she took a small leather pouch
out and offered it and after a moment the Laird opened the pouch and looked for
a long time at the miniature portrait.

It could just as
well be Bridie.

‘The auld Laird
Glenbarach
had a Frenchman come and do this portrait of his
wife, the Lady Jean. She lost her baby daughter sixteen years ago, thought she
was stolen by the fairies. But she’s here.’ She gestured toward Bridie.
‘There’s no mistake.’

‘Oh there have
been plenty of mistakes!’ The Laird growled. ‘You leave your men behind in
battle and your babies to perish by a burn….’

 ‘What
happened is our business, not yours,’ May said, refusing to offer any further
explanation.

‘Well it’s my
business now.’ Alasdair said. ‘For Bridie lives here.’

‘Which
she won’t be for even a moment longer.
I am taking her
to her home.’

‘We take care of
Bridie…’ Alasdair said but he knew it was hopeless. He thought of their plans,
of the hope that had shone in Bridie’s eyes and he could not stand the thought
of her soul again being broken, but if it had to be, it must come from him.
‘I’ll speak with her.’

‘You will not.’
May said. ‘From the look on your face it’s as if you’re about to tell her she’s
heading to her death, when it’s good news. Just wait till she finds out she’s a
lady born. Wait till she finds out that she no longer has to sweep your floors
and tend your fires.’

And so Bridie was
sent for and then taken aside by May and Alasdair stood, listening to the
sobs
as the news was broken, as she told May all that had
happened and how the laird would take care of her. He waited for her to break
free and dash to his arms, but it was not Bridie who came over, it was an even
more indignant May.

‘You took good
care did you? Such good care she was to be married to the simpleton that
attacked her, such good care that she tried to take her own life this very
morn….’

‘We sorted that.’

‘Aye,’ May said.
‘So my niece told me. You’d take her as your leman!’ She shot Alasdair such a
look of such distaste that, for the first time, the strapping Laird felt
somewhat small. ‘Shall I pass that on to the Laird of
Glenbarach
?’

‘Laird…’ Bridie
did rush to him then. ‘Please Laird,
dinnae
send me
to
Glenbarach
.’

‘You’re being
taken to your rightful home.’ May was not moved in the least by Bridie’s tears.
‘
Och
, you’re just like your mother always making a
song and dance when there was no need for one. Get your
bairn
and we’ll go to the carriage.’

‘She needs time to
say goodbye,’ Alasdair said, for it was all too soon and too fast. ‘Give her a
moment to collect her things.’

‘Things.’ May
sniffed and looked at Bridie who stood in her flimsy kirtle, bare foot and with
wild untamed hair. ‘I can assure you – there is nothing my niece needs
from the
McClellands
.’ She called for Bridie.’ Come
on now child. I’m taking you home.’

Except Bridie put
up a fight, and clung to the stone wall till her fingers were bleeding.

‘You’re carrying
on like a savage,’ May said, but Bridie wanted to be a savage, wanted to be so
awfy
that this horrible May would just give in and go home.
Go back to
Glenbarach
and leave her and Gracie alone.