Captured by a Laird (41 page)

William and the girl rode out into the cold, starlit night. Once they reached the path that ran along the river, she took the lead. She rode her horse hard, as if chased by the devil. When at last she reined her horse in, William pulled up beside her, his horse’s sides heaving.

“Thank you for this,” she said, giving him a smile that made his heart tighten in his chest.

His breath came quickly as he stared at her. She was stunning with her face aglow with happiness and her fair hair shining all about her in the moonlight. When she flung her arms out and threw her head back to laugh at the stars, he stopped breathing altogether.

Before he could gather his wits, she slipped off her horse and ran up the river bank. He tied their horses and followed. Pushing aside thoughts of how dangerous it was for them to be here, he spread his cloak for her on the damp ground beneath the trees.

She sat beside him in silence, her gaze fixed on the swath of moonlight reflected on the moving surface of the dark river below. As she watched the river, he studied her profile and breathed in her scent. He thought she had long since forgotten his presence when she finally spoke.

“I will remember this night always,” she said, giving his hand a quick squeeze. “I will hold it to my heart as a happy memory when I have need of one.”

He took hold of her hand when she touched him and did not let it go.

She fell silent again, and he sensed that her thoughts, unlike his own, were far away again. Experienced as he was with women, he was surprised by his intense reaction to this girl. All of his senses were alive with the nearness of her—his skin almost vibrated with it. And yet, he felt a profound happiness just sitting here with her and gazing at the river on this chilly autumn night. He never wanted to leave.

When she shivered, he forced himself to break the spell. “You are cold and we have been gone too long already. If someone notices you are missing…”

He did not finish; she knew as well as he the disaster that would follow if she were caught. Resigned, she let him help her to her feet.

They rode back at a slower pace, riding side by side this time, still saying little. William tried to fix it all in his memory: the moonlight, the dark river, the gentle snorting of their horses. The girl, he knew, he could not forget.

The guards at the gate wordlessly let them in. When they reached the stable, William helped her dismount. The feel of his hands on her slender waist as he set her down—closer to him than was proper—made his heart race and his head feel light.

Looking down at her, he felt a longing so intense it caught at his breath. His gaze dropped to her mouth. Only when she took a step back did he realize he had been about to kiss her. It was wrong for many reasons, but he wished with all his heart he had done it. With a sigh, he left her just inside the doorway and led the horses into the pitch black of the stable.

When he returned, she whispered, “I am most grateful to you.”

“Lady, I would save you from this marriage, if I knew how.”

He spoke in a rush, not expecting to say the foolish words that were in his heart. He was as good as any man with a sword, but he had no weapon to wield in this fight. Some day, he would be a man to be reckoned with, a man with lands and power. But as a landless knight, he could only put her at risk by interfering with the King’s plans.

“I will do my duty and follow the wishes of my father and my King,” she said in a strong voice. “But I thank you for wishing it could be otherwise.”

He wished he could see her better. Impulsively, he reached out to trace the outline of her cheek with his fingers. Before he knew what he was doing, he had her face cupped in his hands. He felt her lean toward him. This time, he did not stop himself.

Very softly, he brushed his lips against hers. At the first touch, a shot of lust ran through him, hitting him so hard he felt lightheaded and weak in his knees. He pressed his mouth hard against hers. Dimly, through his raging desire, he was aware of the innocence of her kiss. He willed himself to keep his hands where they were and not give in to the overpowering urge to reach for her body. If she had shown the slightest sign she had been down this path before, he would have had her down on the straw at their feet.

He broke the kiss and pulled her into his arms. Closing his eyes, he held her to him and waited for the thundering of his heart to subside. God have mercy! What happened to him? This girl, who trusted him blindly, had no notion of the danger.

Swallowing hard, he released her from his embrace. He could think of no words, could not speak at all. With deliberate care, he pulled her hood up and tucked her long hair inside it. Then he let his arms fall, like heavy weights, to his sides.

“I did not want his to be my first kiss,” she said, as though she needed to explain why she had permitted it.

His gut twisted as he thought of the firsts the other man would have with her.

She took a quick step forward and, rising on her tiptoes, lightly touched her lips to his. In another moment, she was running across the yard, clutching her cloak about her.

For many years, William dreamed of that night. In his dreams, though, he held her in his arms by the river in the moonlight. In his dreams, he kissed the worry and fear from her face. In his dreams, he rescued her from her unhappy fate.

In his dreams, she was his.

Buy KNIGHT OF DESIRE

BOOKLIST

THE DOUGLAS LEGACY

CAPTURED BY A LAIRD

CLAIMED BY A HIGHLANDER (coming)

THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS

THE GUARDIAN

THE SINNER

THE WARRIOR

THE CHIEFTAIN

ALL THE KING’S MEN

KNIGHT OF DESIRE

KNIGHT OF PLEASURE

KNIGHT OF PASSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margaret Mallory is the award-winning author of the Scottish historical romance series, THE RETURN OF THE HIGHLANDERS, and the medieval trilogy, ALL THE KING'S MEN. Her books have won numerous honors, including a RITA© nomination, RT Book Reviews' Best Scotland-Set Historical Romance Award, the National Readers' Choice Award, and two Maggies. CAPTURED BY A LAIRD is the first book in her new Scottish Historical series, THE DOUGLAS LEGACY.

Margaret abandoned her career as a lawyer to become a romance novelist when she realized she'd rather have thrilling adventures with handsome Highland warriors than write briefs and memos. Margaret lives with her husband in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, which looks a lot like parts of the Scottish Highlands. Now that her children are off on their own adventures, she spends most of her time writing, but she also loves to read, watch movies, hike, and travel.

Readers can find information on all of Margaret’s books, photos of Scotland, historical tidbits, and links to Margaret on Facebook and Twitter on her website,
www.MargaretMallory.com
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