Capturing A Highland Knight (12 page)

             
“Aye, me too.”

             
Annabelle was surprised by the real affection she saw on Derek’s face when he talked of Tobias.  It did something to her insides.

             
“We will stop now for the noon meal.  I need to stretch my legs,” Colm said, reigning his horse to a stop.

             
“Aye.  Ye ken I would love a bath,” Annabelle said wistfully.

             
“Aye, I suspect ye would, but ye have to wait until we reach Bondlach,” Derek said, shaking his head at Colm who was about to speak.

             
“I ken it, but I can dream canna I,” she said with a smile.  She dismounted and went into a clump of bushes to relieve herself.

             
“Why dinna ye tell her that we will camp near a loch tonight?” Colm came up beside him and asked.

             
“Because I want to surprise her,” Derek smiled.  Colm smiled in return.

Chapter 15

             
They rode until almost dark again, Derek and Colm relating more stories of their childhoods.  Annabelle did not think she had laughed so much, and she realized that the ice was melting around her heart toward Derek.  She liked this new side of him.  When he was not being a brute, he was quite lovable.

             
Annabelle stilled.  Lovable?  She had never thought of him in that context before.  She looked over at him as he laughed over something Colm was saying.  Lovable?  Was she falling for her husband?

             
She faced back forward again, trying to come to grips with her thoughts.  She loved his kisses and the feel of being wrapped in his arms.  She loved how it felt when he was inside of her and how he held her so gently after they made love.  But what about Eilidh?  Would he still visit the other woman?  Was she a fool to allow herself to soften toward him?

             
“Annabelle, are ye alright?” he asked her, concern on his face.

             
“Oh, aye.  I was just thinking that we should probably make camp.  ‘Tis getting dark.”

             
“Aye,” Derek said, watching her intently.

             
She evaded his gaze.  Would he see what she was thinking?  Would he mock her if he knew?  She shook her head and slid from her horse.  Derek took the reins and tethered it near his own.

             
“Colm will set up camp.  I have something I would like to show ye,” he said coming up behind her and taking her hand.

             
She started, but allowed him to guide her toward the trees.

             
“Where are ye taking me?” she asked curiously. 

             
He did not answer but continued to maneuver them through the trees until they came to a small clearing.  There was a small loch.

             
“Och, Derek!  A loch!” she squealed, releasing his hand and running to the water’s edge.

             
“Aye, lass.  Ye said ye wanted a bath,” he said with a lopsided grin.

             
“Oh, Derek, how wonderful,” she said, beginning to unlace her gown.

             
“Let me do that,” Derek said quietly coming up behind her.

             
Annabelle let him, barely able to hold in her excitement.  When Derek finished unlacing her gown, Annabelle quickly wiggled out of it and started to move away.  Derek stopped her by wrapping his arms about her.

             
“Derek, what are ye…?” she asked, trying to turn toward him.

             
He did not answer but planted little kisses on her exposed shoulder and neck.

             
“Derek…” she whispered as sensation overcame her.

             
“Shh, lass.  I miss holding ye,” he murmured, pushing her shift off of her shoulders.

             
He turned her to face him and took her mouth in a hungry kiss.  Annabelle returned it with equal ferocity.  He scooped her into his arms and laid her on the ground.  He came down beside her, reclaiming her lips.  His hands roamed freely over her body.  He kneaded her breasts through her shift.  He released her lips to trail kisses across her cheek and down her neck.

             
He reached down to the hem of her shift and inched it up her legs.  His hands trailed against her soft skin as the shift rose higher and higher.  Annabelle sighed and wiggled against him trying to pull his lips back to hers.

             
Derek chuckled and pulled the shift over her head.  She lay naked before him and he caught his breath at the beauty of her body.

             
“Ye are so beautiful, Annabelle,” he whispered in a strained voice.

             
Derek’s hand found what it had been searching for and he delved a finger inside her tight sheath.  Annabelle arched into him, gasping at the pleasure.

             
“Derek, please, I canna wait,” she panted.

             
“Aye, I canna wait any longer,” he rasped, tugging his kilt, claymore, boots, and shirt off.

             
He quickly rejoined her and plunged into her heat.  They both sighed their relief, and Derek began to move inside of her.

             
“I canna get enough of ye, Annabelle,” he said in her ear as he pumped harder and faster into her.

             
Annabelle knew that she was close to rapture.  She clutched her arms around Derek’s shoulder and rose to meet his every thrust.  After a few moments, the dam broke and they both cried out as their bodies shook from the force of their climax.  Derek slumped on top of Annabelle and she wrapped her arms tighter around him.

             
“Now ye may take yer bath,” he whispered in her ear when he was able to speak.

             
Annabelle laughed, but did not make a move to get up.  She loved the feel of him on top of her.  Derek finally stirred and stood to his feet.  Annabelle felt bereft.

             
“Come, and let us wash the dust off of us,” he smiled, holding his hand out for her to take.

             
Annabelle took his hand and they walked into the loch.

§

              Derek took first watch again.  He moved into the shadow of the trees and listened for any sound.  The Bruces would be out patrolling, and they were on Bruce land.  Annabelle and Colm lay close to the fire much as they had the night before. 

             
He smiled at the memory of making love to Annabelle at the loch.  Her passion did not cease to amaze him.  It was intense, and his own reaction was astounding.  He had not wanted a woman so much.  And he wanted her over and over again.  His body hardened just watching her sleep.

             
Derek sat down next to a tree and continued to listen for any sign of the Bruces.  He closed his eyes and leaned back.  His mind turned to another problem.  What to do about the massacre at Dunwiche.  He wanted to protect Annabelle as long as he could.  She still did not remember what had occurred, but he was not sure how much longer to keep it from her.  Would she instantly leave, or would she allow him to sort everything out?

             
He frowned at the thought that she would leave him.  That was something he could not allow.  He did not want to delve too deeply into the emotion that triggered that thought, but he knew he would not let her go.  But he knew that she would be angry.  He would find a way to appease her, if it came to that.  And he could think of many methods he could employ.  He smiled at the thought.

             
Suddenly he came alert.  He heard something behind him.  Sitting still, Derek listened until he could make out that there were two horses and riders.  He rose slowly and went to awaken Colm.

             
“They are here,” he whispered.  Colm was instantly up with his claymore in his hands.

             
Derek walked around to Annabelle and nudged her.

             
“Derek,” she mumbled.

             
“Aye, lass.  The Bruces are upon us.  Ye need to find a hiding place,” he said, helping her sit up.

             
“Nay, I will fight,” she replied, scrabbling to her feet.

             
“Nay, go and find a hiding place.  We doona have time to argue about it,” he said angrily.

             
Annabelle stood staring at him defiantly.

             
“I can fight, Derek,” she said in a low voice.

             
Instead of answering, Derek grabbed her arm and dragged her to a clump of bushes.

             
“Stay here and doona make a sound,” he commanded and turned to rejoin Colm.

             
“Derek, wait,” she said running up to him and then tripping over her dress.  She fell at his feet, but was quickly back on her feet.

             
She closed the distance between them and kissed him lightly on the lips.

             
“Be careful.”

             
Derek looked at her, bemused, before he walked away.  Annabelle smiled and headed back to the bushes.

             
“I could only hear two of them, but it doesnae mean there arenae more,” Derek said when he joined Colm.

             
“Aye.  They are kenned for the ambush.  Is the lass safe?”

             
“Aye.  She is weel hidden.”

             
Colm nodded and they stood awaiting their company.

             
“Derek, the lass doesnae remember that she was wed?” Colm suddenly asked as they watched the men approach.

             
“Nay, she doesnae.”

             
Colm looked thoughtful.

             
“Ye arenae going to tell her.”

             
Derek shook his head in confirmation.

             
“’Tis for her safety.  I doona want her to go running back to Dunwiche looking for her clansmen only to be killed fer her efforts.”

             
Colm nodded.  They stood with their hands to their sides, legs apart.

             
“Ready, old friend?” Derek asked him when the men drew near.

             
“Aye.  ‘Tis just like old times,” Colm replied with a lopsided grin watching the biggest of the men approach them.

             
“Weel, look at this, Colin.  It seems we have visitors to our fair land,” one of the men said as they stopped their horses in front of the men.

             
“I see, Donel.  Do ye think they are lost?  I would bet that they are lost, or otherwise they have a death wish,” Colin smirked at his friend.

             
Donel stared at the men intently.

             
“Ye ken, Colin, I think these are MacDougals.”

             
“MacDougal, ye say?  Now why would a MacDougal be on Bruce land?”

             
“I doona ken, but suspect they willnae have a chance to tell us,” Donel chuckled as he kneed his horse into motion.

             
Derek and Colm had stood motionless listening to their inane chatter.  But when Donel spurred his horse at them, they were ready.  They both pulled their claymores from their sheaths on their backs.

             
Donel swung his sword at Colm, and Colm blocked it with his claymore and then sliced through Donel’s horse’s flank.  The beast reared and went down.  Donel rolled away and jumped to his feet.  He charged at Colm with his sword raised.  Colm sidestepped and blocked another blow aimed at his head.

             
Colin used the same tactic with Derek, but instead of taking his horse down, Derek used forward momentum to knock Colin from his horse.  Colin lay stunned for a moment before he was back on his feet sword in hand.  He rushed at Derek, and as he approached, Derek raised his claymore to deflect a blow, then turned and sliced Colin across his shoulder. 

             
“Ye will pay for that, MacDougal,” he roared as he rushed him again.  This time Derek miscalculated and barely blocked Colin’s sword as it sliced his side. 

             
Derek felt the warm blood trickle down his side, but he did not register the pain, too intent on disabling his opponent.

             
Colm had also injured his opponent with a gash across his thigh.  He rushed the man when he fell to his knees in the dirt.  Using the hilt of his sword, he punched the man in his face.  At first Donel did not go down, so Colm punched him again with all of his strength.  The man wavered for a moment and then fell face first into the dirt.

             
He turned just as Derek was pulling his sword from Colin’s midsection.

             
“Ye dinna kill him?” Derek asked him as he wiped the blood off his sword onto Colin’s shirt.

             
“Nay.  He was a big mon, and I found myself tiring,” he grinned.

             
Derek laughed.  Colm always said that after a battle.  He would go wake Donel up again to finish what he started.  He thought that Colm did it for amusement.  He guessed that Colm did not like the fight to be over so fast.