Highlander's Challenge

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

The Wild Rose Press

www.thewildrosepress.com

Copyright ©2006 by Jo Barrett

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Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

"Don't think that because I let you drag me in here like some conquering warlord, that I'm afraid of you. I could put you on your back without stirring a breeze." Colin leaned closer. "No
woman
could put me on my back unless that was where I wished tae be with her riding astride," he said lowly.

Her eyes widened and her cheeks colored. So her armor was not so thick after all. The lass had a soft underbelly, but he truly wished he hadn't spoken of such things. The words brought to life too many tantalizing images.

"No woman would want you," she spat, and turned away. He snagged her by the arm and spun her around. She countered by grabbing his wrist and pulled, attempting to throw him off balance so she could jerk free, but he was too quick for her. Snatching her good wrist, he shoved her hand behind her back and leaned against her, imprisoning her in his arms. The moment he felt her toned shapely body pressed against him, he was lost. He could think of nothing, but how much he wanted to taste her.

His lips met hers—hard. He wildly feasted on her mouth as a low growl rumbled in the back of his throat. She answered the call, pressing against him with just as much force, just as much hunger. It stirred his blood to know that she too suffered the same pains as he, the same yearnings. His hand slid down her back to the odd trews she wore, relishing the way they molded to her firm, round bottom. Cupping her sculpted flesh, he pressed her firmly against his aching shaft. He had to have her.
Now
. 3

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

Highlander's Challenge

by

Jo Barrett

4

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Highlander's Challenge

COPYRIGHT ©

2006 by Jo Barrett

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [email protected] Cover Art by
RJMorris

The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Faery Rose Edition, 2007

Print ISBN 1-60154-096-5

Published in the United States of America 5

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

Pushing all negative thoughts from her mind, Amelia Tucker, or Tuck as she preferred to be called, lifted her hands out in front of her. Turning her palms in opposite directions as she rotated her arms through the air, she concentrated on her breathing, inhaling deeply as she brought her hands toward her body, exhaling as she pushed them away. Yin and yang. Out with the aggressive, in with the passive. She pivoted on her toes and raised her arm in a curve to shoulder level while sweeping her other hand toward her chest. Tension left her body as she focused on the flowing movements. Daily she performed her exercises, regardless of where she was or whom she was guarding.

"You look like you're doing the Hokey Pokey," a voice said from the doorway.

Not allowing the smart remark to deter her, Tuck continued executing each action precisely until she was finished. She needed this time, this meditation in motion. It helped to maintain her sanity in an insane world and focus her energies on what was important. Distraction could be deadly.

Lowering her arms to her sides, palms downward, she straightened her legs and equalized her body weight. She slowly relaxed and allowed her arms to hang naturally by her sides and breathed deeply for a few seconds. The exercise complete, Tuck opened her eyes and pinned her gaze on Jenny Maxwell, her latest client. "For such an 6

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

educated person, that's the best analogy you can come up with?"

The waif-like woman shrugged as she strolled into the room, her caramel-colored corduroys zipping with each step.

"Can I help it if your exercises look like a slow version of a nursery rhyme?" She sat down on the edge of the bed and clasped her hands between her knees.

Pleasantly relaxed from her workout, Tuck chuckled softly.

"I'll bet you've never Hokey Pokeyed in your life. You were probably in a lab somewhere dissecting something while the other preschoolers were wiggling their diaper-clad bottoms." She crossed to her luggage and changed into her jeans and cable knit sweater. Although she'd never consider herself a clothes hound, the heavy knits were one of the many things she liked about Scotland.

"Actually I was calculating the average number of times my fellow classmates made mistakes in their attempts to follow the basic steps, but eventually I was pressed into performing the dance," Jenny said matter-of-factly.

"I take it that was before they realized you were a prodigy," Tuck replied as her head popped through the top of her sweater, setting her short crop of curls to bouncing. Jenny sighed and adjusted her wire-framed glasses. "Yes." Often, Tuck sensed a deep sadness in her client's voice, but pushed it aside, never letting it mesh with her own. They were not friends or confidants. Jenny Maxwell was a job, plain and simple.

"So, where are we off to today? I'm sure there's a pile of rocks or some bushes you've missed on this tour," Tuck asked 7

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

for the sake of conversation, more than needing any real information. She knew exactly where they were going, the arrival and departure times, and any other pertinent points that would help keep Jenny safe. But she also wanted to be prepared for any of her client's whimsical changes to the itinerary so she could squash them.

Being an avid history buff, Jenny was determined to see everything in Scotland down to the last bit of heather, regardless of the danger. No matter how many times Tuck explained the situation, Jenny would frown at her, and say,

"Nobody wants to kidnap me." As if she wasn't worth the bother.

Tuck, however, didn't take her job lightly. There had been kidnapping threats made, and she, as well as Jenny's father, refused to ignore them. Thanks to her multimillionaire status, Jenny had become some lunatic's distorted version of a hefty retirement plan.

Her charge jumped up from the bed like an eager child.

"We're going to the Isle of Mull, and if we don't hurry we're going to miss the ferry. I can't wait to see Arreyder Castle, and Raghnall Castle, and the fishing village, and the gardens," she rambled on.

Tuck held back her moan as she shoved her knit cap on her head and tucked her hateful curls underneath. She despised their walks through old gardens where there were too many places she could get caught unaware.

* * * *

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Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

Less than an hour later the ferry pulled into Mull Bay alongside fishing boats and yachts bobbing gently in the water. The passengers disembarked and a few tourists, Jenny included, oohed and awed at the brightly painted buildings lining the streets down to the pier.

Tuck made mental notes of important thoroughfares and businesses as she drove the rental car off the ferry and through the small town, relieved to see the map she'd memorized was correct.

It wasn't long before her client started another of her longwinded lectures, this one on the beginnings of the island and its inhabitants. With a photographic memory, Jenny had a tendency to regurgitate everything she ever read, and, if the number of pamphlets clutched in her hands were any indication, they were in for a very long day. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Tuck took the singletrack road toward their first stop. Nodding here and grunting there in response to Jenny's continued chatter, she gave her rearview mirror a quick glance, making sure they weren't being followed. Convinced they were safe, she took a moment to admire the scenery.

She silently sighed in appreciation. The farmlands dotted with sheep and cattle, the moorlands, and sparsely wooded hills, much of the country's ruggedness called to her like a kindred spirit. But this particular island had an unusual soothing quality she hadn't anticipated. An almost coming home feeling. Something she'd never felt before. She couldn't understand why Mull seemed to mean something to her, something personal, but she pushed the 9

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

sensation aside. Dwelling on it served no purpose. The success of her assignment was her only priority.

"Look, there it is," Jenny said excitedly. The massive stronghold rose up before them as they neared. Pulling the car into a parking space, she stared at the aged stone structure perched on the rocky point overlooking the sound. Out of the dozens of castles she'd seen on this insane trip, this one sent a faint but definite shiver down her spine. Why?

Stepping out of the car, she turned and carefully scanned the parking area. More likely it wasn't Arreyder Castle but something else raising the hairs on the back of her neck. Yet no one seemed all that interested in her or her client.

"Hurry up, I don't want to miss the start of the tour," Jenny said, trotting up the walk toward the castle. Tuck kept her eyes on their surroundings as she hurried after Jenny and snagged her arm. "Do
not
do that again. You stay with me at all times," she said. Jenny's mouth turned down. "Oh, yes. I'd forgotten. You're my bodyguard. It's your job to be with me." She pulled away and walked off, her shoulders sagging.

Tuck sighed and shook her head, despising herself for hurting Jenny's feelings. But Mr. Maxwell hired her to protect his daughter, not to be her companion. She couldn't wait for this job to be over. Guarding someone who didn't want to be guarded and was a wacko genius to boot was hard as hell, but this would get her the recognition she craved. She just needed to get through this one assignment. 10

Highlander's Challenge

by Jo Barrett

Her eyes peeled for any sign of danger, they entered the fortress. The guide's voice echoed off the cool stone walls, explaining the changes that occurred to the castle over the centuries. The crowd shifted across the room toward the huge fireplace, and Tuck's brow rose at the impressive display of claymores and daggers hanging above the mantel, all in pristine condition. She wouldn't mind getting her hands on one of those beauties just to feel the weight of it in her palm, hear the swish of steel as it sliced through the air. Moving on, the small group was shown a bedroom or two above the great hall, the dungeons, and the kitchens, but the family's private quarters were off limits. She wondered what it was like to live in a castle in the 21st century. Nothing like it had been in the old days, she was certain. Nearing the end of the tour, they followed the guide up a winding stair leading to the top of the keep. Climbing the worn stone steps, they passed through an arched doorway and stepped out onto the battlements. The wind slapped against her face, and she took long deep breaths of salty air, then flipped up her down vest collar against the chill. Scotland in June was a lot cooler than she'd anticipated, but the view of the Sound of Mull was well worth the bite of the wind. She intentionally forgot how her fair, freckled cheeks would redden instantly or that the tip of her nose would run a close second to Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Slipping her hands into her pockets, she deftly opened the small bag of Gummy Bears she'd stashed there that morning. The jellied candy was her one big weakness. She was a Gummy Junkie. Thankfully, they were extremely popular in 11