The Highlander’s Witch (11 page)

The few ‘unbelievers’ joined in the next round when she’d been tagged by the first teenager to get to her.

Skye was happy to see the mothers coming to check on their children, showing up with barely concealed worry only to leave with beaming smiles. A few men came by, even a couple of the elders, some spoke quietly with Keir before going about their business.

Skye was having a great time and when the adults came to get their children, they even thanked her and one of the youngest grabbed her about the knees and gave her a hug before running off with her parent.

“What a terrific bunch of kids.” Skye said standing next to Keir as the children left one by one.

She forgot she’d spoken in English and repeated it for Keir, then sighed as she tried to figure out what to do next while the ever-silent Keir waited patiently.

Her growling stomach told her exactly what she needed to do next.

“I can’t believe I’d forgotten to eat!” She exclaimed. “You must be starving too, Keir. Let’s go grab something!”

They headed towards the entrance with Skye’s excitement about the day bubbling over as she babbled on about how much fun it had been. When they turned the corner on the opposite side of the keep, she came to an immediate stop at the sight before her.

Dozens of men were in the fields practicing with swords or hand-to-hand combat, but Aiden was the man to capture Skye’s attention.

He and Collin were bare-chested, leather trousers and boots being the only covering they wore, and the sight fascinated Skye.

Her hunger forgotten, Skye stood there and took in everything.

Wincing in concern as they fought with real weapons, she still couldn’t take her gaze off Aiden’s chest and stomach. Something every twenty-first century man would kill for.

A fine dusting of dark hair covered his chest and tapered to a thin line, disappearing into the waist of his pants. The pure hardness of his body, and the way the sweat glistened, made her mouth water.

Skye chewed her lower lip, biting back a groan at the muscles that rippled when he blocked a blow, feeling her body react in a very primitive way. She squeezed her thighs together when her womb clenched in need.

Several times, she tried to move, to turn away, but it was useless. Even as their practice ended, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. She watched as they pounded each other on the back good-naturedly and still could not turn away.

The moment his eyes met hers, she knew she had made a mistake by staying but it was too late, he was heading towards her.

Eyes widening at his purposeful approach, her nipples hardened and her breathing hitched at his intent gaze, and still she stood waiting.

So fixated was she on his face, she didn’t catch the short wave of his hand as he dismissed Keir.

His first touch ignited Skye’s desire and her hands came up on either side of his head, holding onto his hair, pulling him closer as she opened her mouth to his demands.

She felt wetness between her legs and rubbed herself against him, reveling in the hardness, whimpering into his mouth, needing more as heat pooled low in her belly and spread over her in waves of need, everything else forgotten as he wrapped her in his hard embrace.

She didn’t realize she was moving backwards until she felt herself pressed against a wall.

Aiden had seen Skye earlier when the sound of laughter distracted him from his journey to the practice fields. She had been mediating some kind of argument between two boys, both of which had nodded at the decision before running back into some kind of game in progress. He watched her laughing and cheering on another group of smaller children.

Once again, her laughter kept him in place.

It wasn’t until Collin patted him on the back that he remembered where he was headed. He ignored Collins ribbing in silence, instead concentrating on getting his cock under control, again.

When he saw her standing there watching only him as other men practiced, he forgot everything but how she’d felt in his arms earlier that morning and how she had responded eagerly to his lust.

He ignored whatever Collin was saying and headed for her. Everything else faded away as his cock came to life and his hot gaze focused on the need to have her, possess her.

Drinking in how her curves filled out the gown, the way her gaze widened at his approach, how she licked her lips as her eyes darkened to a mossy green, and a flush blossomed over her skin had him waving Keir away and then he was in front of her, reaching for her as she fell into his embrace.

He pulled her into him, his mouth claiming hers as a hand came up behind her head to cup her neck and pull her impossibly closer, another sweeping over her lower back pressing her against his engorged length as he walked her backwards, cocooning them between two sheds.

She moaned when he pulled away from her, forcing her hands to let go.

“Please, don’t stop.” She begged, rubbing her sensitive breasts against his chest.

“Och, lass, we need to be stoppin or I shall take ye here, an I doona wish to be watched when I take ye.”

He felt the shock course through her as she stiffened in his embrace.

“Oh, my God.” She whispered as her face and neck flushed red with embarrassment.

She pushed away and slipped under his arm before backing up.

“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I . . . I don’t know what came over me.”

Grinning to himself, Aiden watched as Skye looked around before looking relieved no one seemed to have seen what had happened.

“I won’t let it happen again.” She promised just before she ran off.

Aiden watched her go and followed to see her slip into the keep.

“That, lass, is no one promise I intend for ye to keep.”

*     *     *

“Was it a beautiful day?” Anna asked when Skye came up for a visit.

“It was.”

“Nan said that ye took care of the wee’ans an had them playing games no one had ever seen before.”

“They were games I grew up playing. We all had a blast.”

“I doona ken this ‘blast’.”

Skye laughed. “It means we had the best kind of fun.”

Anna sighed. “I have been told it hasna rained. I miss the fresh air an canna believe I will be in here for sech a long time.”

“Maybe you can go out if you are careful.”

She soothed her hands over her belly, a wishful look in her eyes.

“I had terrible pains in me back earlier. The midwife says me time out of bed is even more restricted, as if it wasna bad enough before.” She rolled her eyes.

“For the rest of your pregnancy?” Skye asked.

“Tis for the best.” The girl said even a forlorn look stole over her features.

“Anna—”

She held up a hand. “Och, it disna matter. Besides, what I want to be talkin about is why yer face is still flushed an yer eyes be all shiny.”

“What?” Skye’s hands went to her cheeks.

Anna nodded sagely. “Tis from more than playin with the children I be sure.”

Before Skye’s scattered mind could come up with something, Collin entered laughing.

“Och,
mo
ghaol
, leave the poor lass alone.”

“But why, husband? If I am to be stuck here, I must find amusement somewhere an Skye amuses so easily this afternoon.” Anna grinned at Skye playfully. “See how her face grows even more red?”

“Tsk, tsk, Anna. Have ye no shame?”

“Nay. None.”

“Well then, I be sorry to be the one to tell ye this.”

“Doona spoil me fun, Collin.”

Collin kissed his wife’s forehead and smiled softly. “Then I wilna tell ye that Riona be here.”

“What? That be two whole days early.” She pouted to Collin’s back as he walked out.

“Is this a bad thing?” Skye asked as she watched Anna’s face crunch up.

“Bad be no the word for it. Riona be . . .” She searched for the word. “I doona ken the English word for
galla
.”

Skye looked shocked when she heard the term ‘bitch’ come from Anna and then she laughed.

“Well, she is.” Anna pouted, trying to remain serious and then she too laughed.

“I consider myself warned.” Skye assured her.

“She be devious to be sure.” Anna glanced at the open doorway then leaned forward to whisper. “I ken she be lookin at marriage to Aiden, an no simple hand-fasting will do.”

That sobered Skye up. “Marriage?”

“Aye.”

“And what does Aiden think about that?” Skye probed Anna.

“Who kens the thinkin of me brother’s mind? She be a bonnie lass,” Anna shrugged. “An would make an advantageous marriage, but no a very happy one.”

Skye didn’t understand why this conversation caused her stomach to twist in knots. It was only a simple kiss. Okay, not so simple and it was damn good, her womb still clenched in need when thinking about it and she could feel the flush rising up from her breasts as she remembered the way he had taken her into his arms.

Or had she leapt into them first?

She mentally shook herself away from those thoughts and concentrated on what Anna was saying.

“Her brother, Finley, is just as braw as can be, except for me Collin that is.” She winked at Skye. “I had me eye on him at one time, til I saw him beat his horse. He tried to sweet talk me after but I lost me interest, ye ken?”

“Absolutely.”

Anna snuggled down into her pillow. “The
galla
will be makin her way up here to pretend concern but I will act as if I be asleep.”

Skye stood and smiled. “I understand. I will see you tomorrow.”

She turned to leave and ran into a petite young woman just as she got to the door.

“
Gabhaibh
mo
leisgeul
.” The girl apologized, and then noticed that Skye wasn’t someone she knew and frowned. “
Cò
thusa
?”

“My name is Skye.”

“Ye be the English girl I heard of.”

“That would be me.”

“Ye canna even speak proper Gaelic.” The girl sneered, looking her up and down as if she were a bad piece of meat.

“Riona, Skye is a very good friend of mine.”

They both turned, Skye surprised that Anna decided not to fake sleep, Riona surprised someone had witnessed her distain.

Having no way to explain her behavior, Riona chose to ignore the incident and brushed by Skye, her eyes wide and innocent.

“Och, Anna, I heard ye were up here an thought I would come to visit.”

Anna looked beseechingly at Skye as Riona made herself comfortable, so Skye returned to the room after giving Keir a shrug.

“Oh, doona let me keep ye, girl.” She waved Skye off. “Ye were headed out an I be sure Anna an I can get along fine on our own.”

Anna’s face turned down and Skye could see her sink in misery, causing Skye to chuckle. She waved at them as she headed back out.

“Enjoy your visit.”

They turned the corner and Skye caved into a real laugh, she turned her head over her shoulder towards Keir.

“Poor Anna.”

“Ye have no idea.”

Skye almost missed her step down, she was so shocked to hear him speak, but Keir caught hold of her arm and steadied her.

She smiled up to him. “Anna gave me a clue.”

“She was bein nice.”

That caused Skye to laugh even harder.

*     *     *

“I want ye to find out everthin about that English girl.” Riona whispered to her brother before they headed down for the evening meal.

“I have already found that she was captured at the boarder an thought to be an English spy.” Finley said as he sat watching his sister brush her hair.

“Why is she no in the doogun?”

“I doona ken the why of it since she couldna answer many of the questions asked of her by the council.”

Riona seemed lost in thought.

“Have ye seen her?”

“Aye.”

“I hear she is a truly bonny lass.”

That angered Riona. “She be fat, an tall like a lad. Very unbecomin in a woman.”

“Sounds to me as if ye be jealous.”

She waved the topic off. “What I want to ken is why be she here an why she has the run of the grounds with only a guard who trails her yet disna restrict her access.”

“Ye be vexed about her a bit much, no?”

She threw the brush down as she stood and turned on her brother, eyes flashing with anger.

“Tis wise to be knowledgeable about what one disna fully ken.” She leaned in closer and whispered fiercely. “We do not need anything to ruin our plans
this
time.”