Highland Defiance (The MacLomain Series- Early Years) (19 page)

The bliss it brought.

As if her thoughts materialized in front of her, the sun’s first rays burst from the horizon, their light orange rays surfing the waves until they too slammed against the cliff walls and peeked over the cliff.

With Adlin’s warm body against her back, the ocean’s salty mist fell over her face at the very moment submissive sunrays lit her skin. Eyes wide she watched as the sun introduced another hue, this one lighter, faster moving. It speckled the wave tips and dove over the cliff. Then another came, light orange mixed with purple, swarming over the ocean, filling every crevice until it crawled over the rock and her skin like an exciting warning of what was to come.

Mildred folded her arms over Adlin’s, cuddled back against him, and realized that he offered her a show unlike any other.

An interested, tentative deep red broke over the horizon. The minute it saw Scotland it roared over the ocean and them, freeing the beginning of a sunrise that few would ever see. The hair on her arms rose as the red shaved down to a thick, moody crimson and sat on the horizon, watching them. Within seconds it roared and boosted forward a feisty reddish-purple ripple that searched until it covered everything with its striking, powerful hue.

“Watch this,” Adlin murmured into her ear.

As he said it, the sun rose up a bit further. Bit by bit, the sky transformed into a wide array of reds, oranges, yellows, purples and blues. It covered the ocean and sky and all of Scotland in between. With it came another swath of fine sea spray.

Young, enamored, Mildred opened her mouth and caught the taste of it all on her tongue.

This was
life
.

The very best of life.

Though she grew up fairly close to the Atlantic in America, she’d never experienced anything like this. Now she knew… the ocean spoke.

Caught in color, feeling, emotion, she turned in his arms, her lips turned up to his. Ready, Adlin’s lips crashed down on hers, caught up as much in her as she was in him. He pulled her close and they fell into a mutual, mind-blowing passion, something powerful and rare and all theirs.

His hands threaded through her hair. Her arms wrapped over his shoulders. It was desire, but more… so much more.

It was everything.

Their lips covered one another’s, eager, unrelenting, never-ending. When his tongue met hers, Mildred was lost yet again. The beautiful sunrise, all of it, seemed like nothing when compared with being in his arms. Lips willing, searching, seeking, she lost all concept of time.

Anything to stay in his arms.

Hungry, consuming, they stayed that way as the sun fully crested and tried to distract them with out-in-the-open fiery rays. Hot, direct, it challenged their passion and came up lacking.

It was, as always, Adlin who finally pulled away, his eyes full of desire and need. “We have a whole day ahead of us. I don’t want to waste a minute.”

Mildred blinked and breathed, “Were we?” She gathered herself and licked her lips.
“Wasting a minute that is.”

Though Adlin shook his head, he said, “Aye, there’s so much to say and do. Just one day.”

They held hands and stared at one another. She saw that he was distressed and while that made her nervous it also made her need to be strong for him. “Okay,” she said softly. “Sure.”

As though he realized she saw how vulnerable he really was, Adlin stood taller, gathered himself and nodded inland. “Iosbail will be expecting us to break our fast.”

Break our fast? That’s right, it was the medieval period.
Breakfast.

“Yes,” Mildred said automatically even though she wasn’t hungry in the least.

“Fine then,” Adlin said.

Before she could move his lips were on hers again, his kiss long and thorough, before he pulled away.

Eyes half closed, she blindly followed him when he took her hand and led her back into the forest. As she followed Adlin, it felt as though she’d walked with him her whole life. The feeling was so strong that she stopped.

“What is it, Mildred?”

Reds and oranges were fading into the forest as she looked at him. “I just had the most overwhelming feeling of… comfort.”

Adlin’s expression warmed. “Of course you did.”

Instead of prying or asking why, he continued to lead her back to the holding. Although early, many were awake. The smell of meat and baked goods hit her nostrils through the cool air. Quiet and welcoming, random people smiled as they entered the courtyard. It felt homey and incredibly natural to be here.

“Weel, ‘tis about time ye showed yer faces!”

Mildred couldn’t help but grin as they approached the front door. Iosbail stood, hands on her hips, long black hair twirling down her chest, expression exasperated but pleased.

“I see you’re feeling right at home, lass,” Adlin said.

“Aye!”
Iosbail nodded at the stall. “Just drove one lad that way.” With a quick roll of her eyes and cluck of her tongue, she said, “Ye’d think he thought I’d bit off his ballocks last night for all he ran on the morn.”

Mildred burst out laughing but covered her mouth.

Iosbail’s eyes narrowed seconds before she shrugged and looked at Adlin. “So did you break her in then?”

Laughter froze in her chest.

Iosbail’s eyes stayed on Adlin. “Weel, did ye then?”

Before Adlin said a word, Mildred responded. “He did. Care to be any
more crass
, Iosbail?”

Eyebrows raised, Iosbail’s eyes grew merry. “I like her.”

Then she turned and vanished inside the keep.

Adlin grinned and shrugged when Mildred looked at him. "She likes you. Great sign, lass."

“Well, thank the Lord,” she responded sarcastically but in good humor. “Where would I be if your sister had issue?”

“Let’s eat and go.” Adlin pulled her inside.

Half an hour later, belly full, he pulled her back out.

The day was warmer than the one before.

Trees swayed, sea salt filled the air.

“What’s that?” she asked and pointed at the bag on his shoulder.

“Supplies.”

Hand in hand, they continued walking for several more minutes. The forest grew thicker but the land turned uphill. “I thought you said we’d reached the northern most point of Scotland.”

“Aye.”
He smiled.
“But certainly not the highest altitude.”

Curious, she watched as he stopped and pulled a pair of sturdy boots from the bag.
“Time for you to change.”

Mildred sat on a nearby rock. “But I have no socks.”

Adlin went down on bent knee and took her foot. “These.” He pointed at her odd shoes that she thought boots.
“Are socks enough.”

Before she knew it, he had both boots on, his nimble fingers working the strings until they tied tight. Kneeling, he came between her legs and cupped her cheeks, his thumb skimming her lower lip. “What do you want from this, Mildred?”

Confused, she shook her head. “I don’t know. What do you mean?”

“From this day, from me, what do you want?”

What did she want? Honestly, she’d given it very little thought. She put her hands over his. “To understand
what
I want.”

Surprised by her own response, she knew it to be the truth. This day with Adlin was fresh and new but somehow old. It was a day that she got to escape and be outside herself, at least outside the person she’d always thought she was.

Adlin’s eyes studied hers for several long moments. “Good,” he said softly.

This time he didn’t pull her after him but stood and started through the woods. Sort of stunned, she sat for a moment, but not for long. In hot pursuit she trailed him up an ever narrowing path through the woods. Adlin moved smooth and smartly, his long legs at ease in his own land.

And he wasn’t about to give her any help.

It occurred to her then… perhaps he and Iosbail had something in common. Yet she kept up, curious about his quick pace and somewhat distant attitude. In fact, she rather liked it. This allowed her time to gather her thoughts. Yes, she was in a foreign land and time. Much like her brother and friends back home would soon be if they went off to war.

Strange how thoughts of her issues back home suddenly resurfaced.

Then it occured to her... had she been purposly ignoring her real feelings?

The idea of Jonathan going off to war petrified her. He was ready to fight a battle that he had nothing to do with. He could turn away, not be a part of it. He had that
choice
. A choice she didn’t have right now. Not that their circumstances were anything alike really.

The path narrowed then ended. “Time to climb a bit,” Adlin said.

Determined, ready, she grabbed the first tree root and pulled herself up. Grateful for her new shoes, Mildred continued. Despite how determined, the route grew more difficult. Whether the air thinned or she’d just grown weak, it was hard to tell. 

Eventually, Mildred found herself trudging uphill at a slow grade. Slight at first, she marveled at the trees thinning on the right and the vast view of the ocean. Eventually, the incline became steeper, the trees thinner.

Adlin stopped.
“Time for you to go first.”

Though she had lots of questions, Mildred sidled past him, more aware of the way his skin glistened with sweat than anything else. Why were they doing this when they could easily spend the day in bed?
That in mind, she didn’t meet his eyes but traveled upward.
It soon occurred to her he’d put her in front of him for good reason.

The path became not one that she walked but once again one she climbed. And this climb proved far tougher than the first.

“I’m right behind you, lass,” Adlin said.

With an emphatic
humph
, she pulled herself onto a narrow ledge and frowned when Adlin sat alongside.

“Your body is shaking.”

“Do you blame me?” She asked, gripping the rock.

“No.”

“Adlin,” she growled, frustrated by his indifference.

With a sharp shake of his head he looked from the horizon to her. “What, Mildred?"

“Do you hear how hard I’m breathing?” She pointed at the trees below. “I’ve followed you without question.” She glanced up the mountainside, dubious. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. We're almost there." When he stood and held down his hand, she took it. Instead of continuing the fairly treacherous climb, he led her up a narrow path that cut alongside a moss covered sheet of rock.

Mildred exclaimed in surprise when ancient looking steps appeared. As expected, they made the climb considerably easier. It was hard not to stare up in wonder as the path became framed on both sides with hundreds of feet of rock wall that narrowed at the top. Wind whisted high overhead and created a sound simliar to a church pipe organ.

"Beautiful," she murmered.

"My thoughts exactly," he said. When she glanced over her shoulder it was to catch his eyes on her backside. He winked and nodded for her to continue up the steps.