The Handfasting (9 page)

“Anyhow, I got really
mad.  Steaming mad.  I do have a bit of a temper,” she confessed as she bit her
lower lip nervously before proceeding with the story.  “I lost my temper a bit
and spun around to give Rabbie his dues.  Just as I turned around with the
intent of driving my knee right into…right into his
parts
, you had come
up behind me and knocked him out cold.  It was sort of, rather unfortunate,
because my knee…well my knee landed just where I had intended it to… but I hit
you instead of Rabbie,” Emma said, her cheeks now red with embarrassment.

“Ye kneed me in
the ballocks?” Gavin said, exasperated.  “And then I fell in love with ye how?”
he asked, his surprise evident on his handsome face.

Emma smiled
shakily and burst into laughter. 

Gavin followed
suit and snorted loudly as he joined her in such a fit of laughter that tears
pooled in his eyes.  After a few moments, he regained control, and between
muffled giggles, he asked, “And this led tae us falling madly in love?”

“Mmhmm,” Emma
managed between fits of giggles.

Laughter suited
Emma well, and Gavin reached up to brush as stray lock of her blonde hair back
from her face.  Emma stilled at his touch, and her blue eyes searched his.

“You saved me.  Even
before you knew me, you were there to protect me,” she said softly as she
remembered how Gavin had rescued her from Rabbie’s advances.  “I wanted to
crawl under the nearest table and die when I turned around and realized that it
was you that I’d hit and not Rabbie.”

“What did I do?  I
mean, what did I do when I recovered?” Gavin asked, imagining how precarious
this first encounter must have been.  Surely he had been attracted to Emma
right from the start.  Secretly he hoped that he had pounded that MacArthur
bastard something fierce.

“You asked me to
dance,” Emma said, smiling now as she remembered how Gavin had gritted his
teeth and taken a few deep breaths before he had been able to speak to her.  He
had straightened his spine after the initial shock of her blow, fought for a
moment to regain his composure and then as if nothing had happened, Gavin bowed
over her hand and asked her to dance.

“Did ye at least
dance with me?  After that I’d hope that ye would have at least danced with
me!” Gavin said, laughing heartily now.

“Of course I did!”
Emma exclaimed, smiling radiantly at Gavin.  “How could I have said no after-“

“After ye kneed me
in the ballocks?” Gavin teased, enjoying the attractive flush that spread over
Emma’s face.  “At least I ken where tae start now.  Will ye dance with me
tonight, Emma?” he asked seriously now, his tone velvety and full of hopeful
anticipation.

“I’d love to,”
Emma smiled.  “I think it would be lovely to have a fresh start.  I’ll try to
be more careful with my knee tonight,” Emma teased, enjoying the playful banter
with her husband.

“I’d appreciate
that,” Gavin smiled.  His pulse quickened with the thought of dancing with Emma
tonight.  Lord how she affected him, and it was so good to see happiness light
her beautiful face.  He smiled at her now, relishing the fact that he was the
one who had brought the happy glow back to her face.

..ooOoo..

Two mugs of summer
ale had brought a feeling of warmth and contentment to Emma.  She couldn’t
remember being happier lately than she was right now.  Gavin’s fingers were
interlaced with her own and they sat side-by-side at the Laird’s table,
watching the bright glow of the Beltane fire as it rose into the night sky.

The spring air had
turned chilly, and Emma nestled deeper into the plaid that Gavin had settled
over her shoulders.

“Are ye cold,
sweetheart?” Gavin whispered against her ear.  The burr of his voice and his
close proximity made something stir deep within Emma.  The feeling of his
breath warming her skin aroused her.

“A little,” Emma
said, still watching the fire in an effort to thwart her feelings of attraction
to Gavin.  She was encouraged that they were becoming more comfortable around
each other, but she wanted things to move faster.  She wanted to touch Gavin,
to kiss him.  She wanted to make love to her husband again and the desire that
Gavin stirred deep within her was becoming more difficult to deny.

“Ye promised tae
dance with me tonight,” Gavin said invitingly as he stood from his chair, still
holding Emma’s hand.

Emma smiled.

“May I have this
dance, Lady Mackinnon?” Gavin asked cordially as he bowed over Emma’s hand and
placed a chaste kiss atop her knuckles.  The firelight danced over Emma’s skin
and Gavin drank in his wife’s beauty. 

“I’d love to,”
Emma responded.  She tossed Gavin’s plaid aside and stood.

“Ye’ll have tae
promise tae keep yer knee under control,” Gavin teased as he led Emma towards
the fire.

“No fair,” Emma
said teasingly.  “I thought we were starting over!”

“Aye, we are,”
Gavin said playfully.  “A man just needs tae protect himself.”

Emma swatted
playfully at Gavin’s chest with her free hand.  With lightning fast reflexes,
he trapped her hand in his own and pulled her against his chest.  He brought
her other hand up to his chest and released it, then settled his hand at the
base of Emma’s spine.

There was no music
in particular that they danced to.  The fire was surrounded by their clansmen,
some played drums while others strummed guitars and sang bawdy, drunken ballads. 
They needed no music and found their own rhythm, holding each other close as
they swayed in each other’s arms before the fire.

Emma slid her
hands up behind Gavin’s neck.  She rested her face against his chest and
inhaled deeply.  It felt so good to hold him like this.  She had wanted to
touch him like this from the moment that he had returned, but had forced
herself not to.  It had not been proper because he didn’t remember her.  He
didn’t love her.

Emma’s fingers
toyed with the small hairs at the base of Gavin’s hairline.  He was so much the
same and yet so very different.  His hair felt foreign beneath her fingers,
being cropped shortly now.  She missed his long hair and hoped that he would
grow it back.

Gavin’s masculine
scent overwhelmed Emma’s senses as her cheek rested against his expansive
chest.  He still smelled like her Gavin, spicy and sweet and also Earthy from
spending so much time outdoors.  Emma closed her eyes and lost herself in
Gavin’s strong arms.  She had dreamed of feeling his arms around her just like
this.

Gavin tightened
his arms around Emma and pulled her more securely against his chest.  It felt
good to hold her like this, to protect her and to feel her warmth against the
length of his body.  She was such a beautiful, strong lass and he was
overwhelmed with the power of her love.  Holding her so intimately kindled
feelings of arousal beneath his kilt.  Her body was lithe and fit, and he could
feel the swell of her breasts against his chest, and his cock began to harden
in response.

He leaned down and
kissed Emma’s forehead.  Her eyes fluttered open and she raised her head from
his chest, smiling up at him sweetly.  Gavin’s heart skipped a beat.  He was
glad that he didn’t remember her kneeing him in the ballocks, but for what it
was worth, whatever pain he had experienced had been worth it.  Emma was a rare
treasure indeed and he knew right then that he was falling in love with his
wife all over again.

Chapter Eight

“Stop!” Emma
screamed as she struggled against her assailant.  “No!”

He towered over
her, and he pinned her effortlessly against the stone corridor as he planted
sloppy, wet kisses over her neck and face.

“Please stop!”
Emma begged as she pushed against his chest.  She felt helpless despite the
fact that she was straining with all of her might to get away from him.  He was
just so much bigger than her, so much stronger.  Tears streamed down her face
as she moved her head to the side, trying to shield herself from the assault of
his greedy kisses.

His breath reeked
of a heady mix of alcohol and onions, and Emma’s stomach churned in revolt as
his pungent breath burnt her nostrils. 

“That’s a good
lass,” he whispered as he grabbed her chin and captured her lips in a kiss. 

His full red beard
felt foreign against Emma’s lips.  He was rough, scratching her delicate skin
with the haste of his assault.

Emma screamed
against his lips as he tried to deepen the kiss.  Her stomach churned as he
slipped his tongue into her mouth.  She nipped his tongue with her teeth in
protest and he snarled, pressing her forcefully against the stone wall and
deepening his kiss.

“Doona try that
again,” he growled as he slid his thigh between hers, effectively pinning her
to the wall.

Emma screamed
bloody murder.  Never in her life had she felt so trapped.  She was strong and
feisty but this brute was more than twice her size.

“Stop that ye
bitch!” the man thundered, grabbing Emma’s upper arms firmly in his hands and
squeezing tightly.

Emma winced as
pain shot up her arms.  Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes were wild.  Her
heart thundered in her chest.  Was he going to stop?  Would he rape her? 

“I’ve been without
a lass for a long, long time,” he whispered, his breath warm and sickening
against the flesh of Emma’s neck.  “Gavin’s half daft now.  I reckon that he’ll
no even remember that ye belong tae him,” he purred as he placed wet kisses up
Emma’s neck and she struggled against the wall of his massive chest.  “His
claim on ye is about tae run out,” the man hissed as he bit the flesh of Emma’s
ripe breast that swelled just above the neck line of her gown.

“Gavin!” Emma
screamed in desperation between muffled sobs.

“I told ye tae
knock that off!” the man growled again, slamming Emma forcefully against the
wall.  His thigh pressed firmly between hers and he bent to ruck up the fabric
of her skirts.  His thick fingers ran up the length of her bare thigh, and Emma
screamed again, tears rolling steadily down her cheeks.

“Stop!  Please
stop!” Emma begged, her chin quivering as she shook her head from
side-to-side.  She clenched her eyes shut and retreated to the solace of her
mind, blocking out the touch of his rough hands against her skin and the
feeling of his nauseating wet kisses as they assaulted her bare flesh.

Emma’s eyes flew
open at a sound filled with so much rage that it rattled her very being.  Her
heart soared when she saw Gavin.  There was a look of such hatred and blind
rage overtaking his handsome face that she almost did not recognize him. His
eyes were berserk, completely unrecognizable as he leapt at her attacker.

Gavin tore her assailant
away from her as if he weighed nothing.  He spun the vile man around and
punched him squarely in the jaw, knocking him to his knees with the force of
the blow.  Gavin lunged at the man, and was on top of him in an instant.  He
was overcome with his rage as he pummeled the man with the reign of his fists.  

Emma brought her
hands to her mouth in shock as she watched Gavin punish her assailant.  She
shrank back against the wall and her body shook as she watched Gavin beat the
man within an inch of his life.

“Stop!” she
screamed as she reached down and touched Gavin’s shoulder.

He turned to her,
chest heaving with exertion.  His eyes were wild.

“Ye ask me tae
stop when he almost raped ye?  Do ye realize what almost happened, Emma?” Gavin
asked, rage still clouding his eyes.  He was now the ruthless warrior that he
had been trained to be since childhood.  He wanted to kill the bastard that had
dared to touch Emma.

“Don’t kill him. 
He’s paid enough.  Please, Gavin…” Emma begged as tears streamed down her face.

Gavin took a deep
breath and looked back at the man beneath him.  He had slipped into unconsciousness
and lay bloodied and beaten against the cold flagstone floor.  Emma was right. 
He did not need the burden of taking another man’s life on his soul.  Even if
the bloody bastard deserved to die.  Gavin had never felt such blinding rage as
when he came upon this man, his unknown kinsman, assaulting Emma in the
corridor. 

He stood and
brushed his hands on his kilt, wiping the blood from the man’s face away before
he dared to touch Emma.  He reached for her and she ran into his arms.  He
crushed her against his chest and rested his cheek on her head as he held her
tight against his chest.  Touching her, holding her like this calmed him. 
Gavin fought hard to control himself so that he could tend to Emma.  The reality
of what had almost happened was beginning to take root in Emma’s mind and Gavin
wanted her to know that she was safe. 

“Shh,” he
whispered as he rubbed her back.

Emma sobbed
against his chest.  She knotted her hands in the linen of his shirt, and enveloped
herself in the safety that he provided.  Thank God he had found her in time!

“Shh,” he coaxed. 
“It’s alright, now.  Yer safe,” he whispered reassuringly.  “I’ll find out who
this bastard is and have him banished from the clan.  He has no place here as
long as I’m Laird,” Gavin vowed as he kissed Emma’s head and stroked her hair. 
“C’mon sweetheart,” Gavin said softly as he swept Emma into his capable arms
and stepped over the unconscious man in the corridor.  He walked purposefully
back to their chamber, intent on making sure that Emma really was alright.

..ooOoo..

Gavin held Emma
against his chest as he latched the deadbolt into place, effectively securing
them in their chamber.  He strode over to the giant four poster bed and sat
down, still holding Emma in his arms.  Collecting himself and fighting to
remove the scowl from his face that lingered from his thoughts of the bastard
that had dared to touch Emma, he took a deep breath and looked down at the
woman that he cradled in his arms.