Highland Brides 03 - On Bended Knee (16 page)

He grinned at her. “Point well taken, my love. But I don’t give a bloody damn about Ceannfhionn or William Rufus right now. Come here,” he commanded her.

Meghan cocked her head at him, giving him a coy smile. “I don’t want to now!”

He reached down, tugging the tie to his breeches. “Come here,” he whispered.

Meghan giggled. “Wicked, wicked man,” she returned.

He grinned at her, and crooked his finger, urging her nearer.

Meghan went to him. “I think she would be good for my brother,” she informed her husband.

He nodded, reaching out when she neared enough and pulling her into his lap. Meghan straddled him upon the chair. She curled her arms about his neck.

She cocked her head as something occurred to her and worried her lip as she contemplated it. “She never did eat anything” she told her husband. “She asked for a sack to carry her food home for her da. I find that strange, don’t you think so?”

“Perhaps he is unwell and cannot feed himself?”

“Perhaps,” Meghan agreed. “I know naught of Seana or her da—save what I learned today.”

He put his arms around her. “And what might that be?”

“Well… just that my brother has promised to help her win Broc’s attention… and that she loves Broc…”

“And that her father makes the most god-awful spirits.” Piers kissed one breast, then the other. “We mustn’t forget that.”

Meghan’s brows knit. “He does?”

“Aye… ’twas his spirits that was served at our wedding, my dear… so bloody strong it crossed your eyes after a single dram. I tossed mine away because I was already drunk… on you.” He bit into her breast ever so softly.

Meghan giggled. “You’re a shameless rogue,” she accused him, and smacked him upon the back.

He laughed. “Poor Baldwin never knew what hit him,” he continued, “nor the rest of my men… they were flat on their arses after a few measly tankards. Did you not notice all the poor souls passed out on the ground when we left? They fell into their cups and never stirred again till morn, I hear.”

“Aha, so that was why they were all ill the next day,” Meghan surmised. “Well, serves them all right!”

“Uh-huh,” he agreed.

Meghan sighed as he closed his teeth about one nipple through her gown, teasing it. She held her breath at the sweet sensation it brought her. A shiver coursed down her spine. She never knew what to expect from him. Each night was a journey into the unknown. He touched her body as though it were the finest treasure, and brought her pleasures she had never known existed. He drew her nipple deeper into his mouth, suckling it through the cloth.

Meghan gasped in delight.

He peered up at her, his lips curved into the roguish grin she had come to cherish. “You were saying?”

“Mayhap I shall ask Colin tomorrow,” she relented. “Perchance he knows.”

“Perchance he does,” her husband said, and slid his hand down the length of one leg. His fingers closed about the gown and he drew it up. His smile turned playful instead of wicked just a moment and he tossed the sheer material over her head.

Meghan giggled. She peered down at him through the ivory-colored material, and shuddered when his mouth closed over her breast once more.

“Much better,” he said as he suckled. “Not nearly as dry without the gown… and so… so much more tender,” he murmured.

“Whatever shall I do with you?” she asked him, though she knew very well what he would answer.

“Feed me, of course.”

“Of course.”

“I love you, Meghan,” he whispered against her skin. His breath, hot and delicious, sent shivers down her spine.

“I love you, too,” she whispered back, and meant it with every last piece of her heart. She lifted the veil from her face and fell against him, forcing his head up, kissing his neck. He let his head loll to one side, baring his neck for her, allowing her to do her will.

Meghan sank her teeth into his flesh ever so gently. “Just one more wee thing,” she told him coyly. He slid his hands down to cup her bottom in answer. Meghan smiled, and lazily lapped the salt from his skin.

“And that would be…”

“Well… I think mayhap you should send a few men to help my brothers rebuild that fence…”

“Ummmmmmhhhhhh,” he agreed, and shuddered when she bit him once more. Meghan inhaled the scent of him into her lungs, taking pleasure in his body’s response to her touch.

Cupping her bottom, he lifted her up, standing. He turned and tossed her upon the bed. Meghan laughed softly.

“I will go myself,” he promised her, grinning down at her. “Tomorrow!” And he flung himself over her upon the bed, somehow managing to trap her beneath him without landing atop her. Meghan was overjoyed at his enthusiasm and told him so.

“Shaddap, wife!” he commanded her, though his boyish grin spoiled the mandate. “Show me how grateful you can be.”

Meghan giggled, lifting her legs up to lock about his waist. “No no no no, you greedy, greedy man!” she exclaimed. “’Tis
your
turn to show
me
!”

“Damn but you drive a wicked bargain!” he said and winked. He reached back, unlocking her legs, and guided them down upon the bed. “But I thought ye’d never ask,” he said, and slid down her body while lifting her gown.

Meghan sighed with delight and closed her eyes, anticipating the heady kiss of his mouth. There was no greater pleasure than this… to lie within the arms of the man she loved.

The waning sun cast a golden hue over the horizon, as though God had lit a candle and placed its gilded light within their little corner of the world. Darkness lingered somewhere beyond its bounds, but here in this little province, all shadows were banished.

It was almost surreal.

It was surely perfect.

It was an unusually warm evening, as well. Even the breeze that rifled through Seana’s hair carried a whisper of the sun’s lingering breath. Mingled with the soft sounds of Colin’s sighs at her back, and the gentle current of cooler wind, it confused Seana’s senses, sent tiny shivers down her spine.

Colin’s mare seemed in no hurry at all. The animal took lazy strides that mellowed the mood even further, allowing Seana and Colin the leisure of conversation. And yet, neither of them spoke to breach the silence.

Not for the longest time.

“’Tis a lovely sunset,” Seana said after a time. She lifted her head to the heavens, admiring the view.

“Aye,” Colin agreed.

His breath upon her shoulder sent a quiver through her.

“Are ye cold, lass?”

Seana shook her head. She wasn’t in truth, only far too aware of the man at her back. He put his arms about her, tentatively at first. Seana’s heart leapt a bit at his touch.

“What if I am?” he asked her then. “Would ye deny me warmth, lass?”

His voice was so soft and silky that Seana swallowed, unable to speak, even to tease him. She turned to look at him, and his blue eyes glimmered at her. Seana averted her gaze, staring ahead. When she didn’t protest, he tightened his hold upon her and leaned his chin upon her shoulder.

“Ye can see now that I do not bite,” he said jovially.

He was referring to her hesitation to ride with him upon his mare, despite the lateness of the hour. Meghan had talked her into it, telling her that her brother wouldn’t bite… Seana wasn’t at all certain he didn’t.

“Aye well… we shall see, now, won’t we? Mayhap you’re just biding your time,” she told him, in an attempt to keep the conversation light.

“And mayhap you would even like it?” he teased back, and lowered his lips to her shoulder. He opened his mouth ever so slightly, preparing to bite, she thought, to sink his teeth into her.

Seana shuddered and ducked away from the tantalizing touch of his teeth.

“Och, Colin! Dinna even try it,” she warned him.

“Why not?” he asked, and his tone was far too waggish for Seana to take offense. He sounded like a mischievous little boy, and it managed to disarm her, when she thought he could not.

Was that how he wooed his women? she wondered—made them feel so at ease in his presence that they were not aware of the danger to their hearts?

Well, she was not interested in being one of Colin’s conquests, though she no longer felt any anger toward him.

Today, she had spent far too long beside his sister, listening to tales of Colin’s childhood. She understood now why Colin had been so repulsed by her, even if he didn’t understand himself.

Meghan had told her of Colin’s relationship with his da—how their da had demanded perfection from Colin and Leith, never relenting in his expectations. Meghan had not known her da so well, and neither had Gavin, but Colin, far more than even Leith, had been his da’s golden son. From the instant, Colin had been weaned from his ma’s breast, his da had carried him at his side, and Colin had been subject to his da’s every waking deed and thought.

Their father, it seemed, had been obsessed with beauty and perfection to such a degree that it had affected each of his children, as well as his wife. And in the end, it had killed him. Meghan claimed her da had died battling her mother’s assumed lover but that it had been his own jealousy that had made him believe such a thing of her. Her mother had been innocent.

Seana heard the tale a bit differently.

Seana had heard that Colin’s da had been cuckolding MacLean’s brother, and that MacLean’s brother had turned about and tried to repay him in kind—the vanity of men—but that Meghan’s mother had been much too in love with her wayward husband even to note another man’s attentions. The poor woman had done no more than smile at MacLean’s brother, and for that she had blamed herself the rest of her life.

In reality, Meghan’s da had been a bastard who had not been content enough with his own beautiful wife. He had cuckolded every man in these highlands and broken more hearts than his son could begin to know. He had valued only perfection and had rejected anything less. He had left his son’s and daughter with a bitter legacy that had affected each of them in their own way.

Seana had a gift for seeing things as they were. It amazed her da, but there was little wonder about it. It came simply from listening to people’s words and comparing it to what she saw in their hearts.

As Seana saw it, Meghan was afraid of her own beauty—she was bright enough to know it would not last, and so her greatest fear was to be cast aside. From what Meghan said, in response to their father, Gavin and Leith both seemed to impose perfection upon themselves, both in their own ways—Leith through his duty and Gavin through his God.

And Colin…

Seana contemplated that a time.

Colin… imposed perfection upon others… perhaps fearing the lack of it in himself. He was, in truth, his father’s son, but he saw clearly enough to know what that meant and to know the evil in it, and the pain it inflicted upon others. Seana thought, perhaps, that he saw himself as a blasphemy against perfection… perhaps he surrounded himself with beauty as a manner of denial.

In sum, Meghan’s father had had a reputation that surpassed even that of his son.

Colin hadn’t had a bloody chance.

Like father like son.

Seana could no longer hate him for that.

In fact, the day had been a pleasure, and Colin had been a friend to her in ways that no man or woman ever had before.

Not even Broc.

She was beginning, even, to see the truth of what had attracted her to the behemoth blond.

It had been Broc who had come after her that terrible day, and had set her down upon a stone and wiped away her tears. To a young girl with scarce a friend in the world, and no one but her da to keep her company and show her kindness, Broc’s simple act had endeared him to her.

Seana had thought she loved him.

By the same token… to one who felt herself ugly and maimed, Colin’s childish cruelty had imprinted itself upon her heart.

She had thought she hated him.

Now everything was confused.

She no longer hated Colin, but neither did she dare to love him.

And yet, neither did she love Broc.

She
could
love Broc, but it wasn’t love until it was shared by two. After seeing Meghan and her new husband together, Seana understood what love was.

That wasn’t what she felt for Broc.

Or was it?

So what did she feel for Broc?

She thought about it a long while, summoned her feelings into her heart to feel them at their fullest degree.

Gratitude.

She felt much gratitude to Broc. Through the years, he had been the only man who had really ever smiled at her and spoken to her as though she were worth anything at all. He hadn’t turned his head in disgust of her whenever he’d spied her—even when she’d been a skinny, ugly child with a limp walk.

What else did she feel for him?

She tried to think of his lips… tried hard but they were blurred by the lips of the man at her back.

She tried to conjure his face but Colin’s twinkling blue eyes stared back at her.

What color were Broc’s eyes?

Och, but she did not even recall!

Seana frowned.

She didn’t dare explore her feelings for Colin—didn’t want to! Somehow, she felt it wouldn’t lead to any good at all.