Claimed by a Laird (31 page)

“But—” she argued as the pressure mounted.

“Push now, lass!” the midwife instructed.

Anna set aside the worry over Galen’s injury for long enough
to do as she was advised. More difficult than she had anticipated, she grunted
and her legs shook.

Galen’s forehead leaned against the side of her head just as
she eased back to rest for a moment. “You will not die on me. I love you too
much to let you, Annie,” he whispered into her ear.

A warm rush of delight coursed through her. A sob escaped
from her throat as she leaned against him. He pressed a soft, but urgent kiss
against her cheek.

“You hear me? I will not permit it,” he whispered, his voice
rough with emotion.

She laughed and nodded vigorously, his strength seeping into
her as he clung to her. Her belly began tightened again, but this time all of
her fear was gone and a renewed energy coursed through her veins.

“All right,” she said with a confident nod at the midwife.
“Let’s finish this.”

Two months later

A smile tugged at the corners of Anna’s mouth as she propped
her elbows upon the windowsill and rested her chin on upturned palms. Far below
in the courtyard, Lenora cradled little Isabelle, otherwise known as Izzy, in
the crook of her arm as Alec made silly faces and pretended to tickle the
infant. Though Anna could not make out a single word of their conversation,
Lenora’s lips moved quickly as she smiled and waved a free hand around as
though telling a particularly amusing story. Alec’s deep, baritone chuckle
floated to the high perch of Anna’s chamber and he leaned toward Lenora,
planting a sweet kiss on her lips as he rubbed the wisps of soft red hair on
Izzy’s head. Dog growled at them from the steps of the keep and Alec admonished
him to hush.

Anna let out a deep, contented breath as her attention
drifted around the castle grounds, taking in the gentle rhythms of daily life.
The ever-busy MacAirth courtyard stood in stark contrast to the quiet, emerald
forests and mountains surrounding the keep and village in the distance. Never
once had Anna considered such a simple life would bring her so much joy and
satisfaction, but she was grateful every single day to whatever force had
brought her to this place.

It had taken quite a lot of convincing to get her father to
take the amber pendant back. When she had first presented it to him, his face
turned ashen as if he expected it to leap up of its own accord and pierce his
heart. Anna still wasn’t certain he understood her arguments about why it
shouldn’t be destroyed. As she attempted to explain how it needed to be passed
down through the generations for Neil Campbell to present to her in eight
hundred years so she would be able to come to the thirteenth century, Alec
stared at her with glazed eyes as if his brain had difficulty wrapping itself
around the idea she was simultaneously in front of him but still had yet to be
born. It wasn’t until sighs of frustration escaped her lips he gave up and
agreed to hide it until it was time for it to be passed on to the next
generation.

“I am going to kill your brother,” a dark, brooding voice
stated behind her.

She laughed and turned toward Galen as he threw shut the
door to their chamber. “Which one this time?”

He snorted in derision as he crossed the room. “Niall. I
cannot find a moment’s peace around him any longer. Every time I turn around,
he is under foot.”

Galen slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back
against him, nuzzling her neck.

“Niall looks up to you.” She rubbed his hands where they
laid against her waist. “He and my father have a lot of rebuilding to do and
you’re a great example for them.”

Galen grunted and nipped her earlobe with his teeth. “I
still cannot believe I allowed you to talk me into letting them stay here.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “They’re not even here most of the
time, except for Lenora. Once the castle has been rebuilt, then they will
permanently move back home.”

“Do you know how long it takes to build a castle?”

She shrugged, determined to not allow the incredulity in his
voice to prick her temper. “A few months?”

His chest rumbled with a chuckle that contained both hints
of genuine amusement and frustration. “God’s blood, woman! Try years.”

“Years?” she repeated, drawing her brow together. “No, that
can’t be. My father was just telling me he hoped to be done with the curtain
wall by winter.”

“But the keep will not be habitable until late spring at the
earliest. I doubt he would ask his wife to brave the lack of a roof during
winter.”

Anna was happy at that moment she faced away from her
husband, since she wasn’t certain he would take too kindly to the relief surely
written on her face. She had fallen in complete love with her new extended
family, including Lenora, and hated the idea of them leaving any time soon. She
had spent so many years on her own it almost seemed as though the universe was
just now making up for the loneliness. Not only had she been blessed with a
wonderful husband and healthy baby daughter, but she had brothers and parents,
not to mention two huge clans that claimed her as family.

Together they stared down at the scene before them, watching
little Izzy being doted upon by her grandparents and anyone else who happened
to pass by.

“She is beautiful,” Galen murmured into her ear. “Just like
her mama.”

Anna turned her head and kissed his scarred cheek. “Thank
you,” she whispered, her heart swelling with gratitude.

“Now, what is it you wished to speak to me about?” he asked,
his tone turning rather business-like as he stepped back from her. “Catriona
mentioned you wished to discuss something with me, but I am expecting the
Sinclair to arrive soon.”

She pressed her lips together to stop the spread of the
secretive grin threatening to split her face. She stepped back from the window
and pulled the covering shut.

“Well, now,” she swiveled around to face him, delight at
finally being completely alone with him shivering in her belly, “seeing as how
my husband is such a busy man I rarely get to see…”

Anna leaned against the stone wall and allowed her gaze to
roam appreciatively over his body, tracing the contours of his muscular thighs
and broad shoulders with her eyes. She resisted the urge to pinch herself over
the fact she had actually fallen in love with and married such a fine specimen
of a man.

“What are you talking about, woman?” Galen asked. “I just
saw you this morning with Izzy and before that—”

His voice faltered and his expression lightened. One corner
of his mouth turned up in a boyish smirk and he removed his belt, tossing it
onto the bed. His gray eyes turned feral and caressed her form as they slid
over her possessively.

“Tell me about this husband of yours,” he commanded as he
approached her.

“Well, he is a very important man,” Anna replied, licking
her lips in anticipation.

The magnetism of his virility reached into her core and her
breath stuttered as he stopped within mere inches of her. Her eyes drawn to
his, she leaned her head back against the wall and parted her lips.

“What else?” he huskily asked, searing a path from the base
of her neck to between her breasts with a light touch of his finger.

“He is strong, handsome and very intelligent. And he
absolutely adores me,” she teased, her skin tingling beneath her clothing.

“I see,” he murmured, moving his eyes down to her breasts as
his finger caressed her abdomen just above her pubic bone in provocative,
feathery strokes. “And do you crave his touch like he craves yours?”

Her chest heaved under his stare, her nipples hardening and
rubbing against her leine. She swallowed hard and nodded, her senses reeling at
his nearness. She grabbed his leine and drew him hard against her, tilting her
face to slide her tongue along his jaw to his earlobe.

Galen growled in her ear, pushing his erection into her
abdomen. “And does this husband of yours know what a tempting little tart you
are?”

Anna giggled and nipped his earlobe with her teeth. “I think
he likes me that way.”

“Damn straight, he does.” He grabbed her skirts and dragged
them up her thighs as he dropped his lips to her neck.

Her eyes rolled back and her lids fluttered closed. His
calloused palm slid against her bare legs and she parted her thighs for him as
he licked and sucked her neck. His fingers caressed her folds, just barely
skipping across her clit. A sharp, shooting shockwave of pleasure reverberated
through her core, pulling a moan from her throat.

“Say it again, lass,” Galen rasped against her neck. “I
never tire of hearing it.”

He flicked her clit, sending another excruciating wave
through her and she dug her nails into his shoulders. “I love you,” she
whispered, dragging her fingers through his hair and pressing her cheek to the
side of his face.

He drew his lips to her mouth. “I love you too, Annie. More
than I ever thought I could,” he uttered, smothering the words on her lips as
he slipped two fingers up to her clit.

She groaned and pressed her open mouth over his as she arched
against him. His tongue swooped in, claiming hers as his fingers began a
maddening, circular dance over the sensitive nub. A heated rush vibrated
through her as moisture slickened her folds.

Her pulse pounded through her veins. She dragged her tongue
against his, erratically tasting and retreating as flashes of heat followed one
after the other between her thighs. Her legs were like rubber and she tore her
lips from his, gasping for air.

His hot breath quickened in her ear as she clung to him,
rocking her hips against his hand. Two of his fingers dove inside her as his
thumb flicked her clit in quick strokes. Her body bucked and jumped as bolts of
pleasure radiated outward. She groaned his name, pumping herself up and down,
frantically seeking the release she craved.

Her core convulsed in jerky twitches, ripping the last ounce
of strength from her. Her knees buckled. She slumped against him, allowing him
to hold her up as a hot, frenzied surge rolled through her pussy.

He gently licked and bit her neck before whispering,
“Release me, love.”

Anna shuddered as a new rush of passion coursed through her,
strengthening her. She needed him inside of her. Now.

Her hand dove into his breeches. Closing around the silken
length of his hard shaft, she used her other hand to push down his pants. She
whimpered as he withdrew his hand from between her thighs and shoved her skirts
to her waist. Grabbing her by the hips, he lifted her off her feet and wrapped
her legs around his waist, allowing his weight to hold her against the wall.

Galen thrust the tip of his cock against her and paused.
“Look at me,” he commanded.

She lifted her eyes to his, reveling in the dark arousal
sweeping across his face, and her core twitched in anticipation. In one almost
violent thrust, he impaled her to the hilt.

“Oh,” she breathed, her eyes widening as her pussy stretched
to accommodate him.

His upper lip turned up in a snarl as he regarded her with
pure male satisfaction. As his features tensed, alerting her to the fact his
arousal was getting the better of him, it was her turn feel smug. Her tongue
darted out and traced his bottom lip as she pressed herself into him.

A small smile played at her lips as she brushed them over
his. “Fuck me hard,” she ordered in a breathless whisper.

“As you wish, Lady MacAirth.”

Galen partially withdrew and then furiously pounded into
her. She cried out, her core throbbing with liquid fire as she wrapped her arms
around her husband’s neck.

Their ragged breathing filled the chamber. Anna’s heart
pumped wildly but seemed still compared to the pulsating swells of pleasure
between her thighs. She moaned loudly, thrashing against him as a blinding
ache, satisfied only by his cock fully embedded in her, rushed through her.
Tremors ripped through her core and she cried out as her pussy pulsated around
his thick shaft.

He pressed her against the wall, her hard nipples throbbing
as his chest grazed them. Hammering into her with two long, hard strokes, he
grunted and stilled. His cock twitched and throbbed within her, causing a
delicious little spasm to ripple through her once again.

Anna’s eyes fluttered closed as his face fell into the crook
of her neck. Running her fingers through his hair, she planted slow, soft
kisses along his neck as her heartbeat returned to normal.

Galen’s breathing slowed and he reached behind himself,
unhooking her ankles from his waist and languidly drawing her legs down to the
ground.

“Well now, lass,” he murmured against her cheek as he lifted
his head from hers, “I do believe we should do that more often.”

She laughed, allowing him to smooth her skirts down her legs
before he readjusted his own clothing. “As you wish, husband.”

A wisp of dark-brown hair fell in front of his face, giving
him a wild air as a confident smirk played on his lips. “Ah, if only you were
always so compliant, my love.”

Her heart skipped a beat at those words
.
A slow,
steady smile of joy spread across her face. “My love,” she whispered half in
wonder as she reached up to caress his cheek with her fingertips.

Galen captured her hand with his and pressed his warm lips
against her palm. “Yes. My love,” he repeated, his voice husky with affection.

Anna nodded, a new sense of life surging through her.
Finally, shadows no longer stalked her heart. Peacefulness surrounded her as
she turned her face up to his.

“You are mine,” he whispered.

She exhaled slowly and then welcomed his lips with her own.

Yes, she was finally home.