MacLean's Passion: A Highland Pride Novel (20 page)

“Oh,” she said breathlessly. “Practice.”

“Aye. Practice.”

“I think practice is a good idea.” She was beginning to get warm, and that heaviness between her legs returned.

“I want ye powerfully bad,” Colin said.

“I can feel that.”

“Kiss me.”

She obeyed because a good wife obeyed her husband, and she had told him she wanted to be a good wife to him. But only in this. She would reserve judgment on the obeying part for other things.

Colin lifted her on top of him and she squeaked, not expecting it, but once she was lying full length over him, she forgot everything else. He was so much larger than she was. And hairy. He had a lot more hair than she did. He was hard all over, covered in honed muscles.

“Ye make an uncomfortable pillow,” she said.

He flexed his hips until his engorged cock was pressing against her. She opened her legs and wriggled over him, making him groan. “Good God, woman, what are ye doing to me?”

She stilled. “Can we do it this way? I thought since ye put me up here that we could.”

He grabbed her hips. “Aye. We can, but it will be over before we even attempt it if ye do no’ stop.”

Colin raised her hips, adjusted her, then surged into her. She gasped as he stretched her tight, filling her fully, his cock heavy inside her. They lay still for a few moments while she adjusted to the fullness.

“Ah, God, lass, but ye feel so good.”

She wiggled again and his body tightened beneath her.

“What are ye doing?”

“Practicing.”

He moaned and she realized that he enjoyed this, so she moved more until he was gasping beneath her. It had never occurred to her that a woman could be completely in control in the bedchamber, but she was learning very quickly, and she was enjoying the learning.

Colin’s fingers dug into the fleshy part of her hips, trying to control her movements, but she was beyond that. The slick slide of cock was almost too much to bear. She arched her back and closed her eyes, letting the warmth and sensations fill her.

But she was quickly coming to the end, and even though she tried to slow down, her body wouldn’t let her. Beneath her, Colin let out a groan and surged up, filling her completely. She felt the warmth of his release flow through her, and that was the catalyst that put her over the edge. She cried out, her muscles clamping down on him as he shot out the last of his seed. She felt as if her release went on and on, never ending and yet not lasting long enough.

She collapsed on top of him, struggling to breathe. Colin wrapped his arms around her and they lay quietly breathing, pressed together.

“How was that for practice?” she finally asked.

“It will do for a first try.”

She playfully slapped him on the shoulder and rolled off him and onto her back. “More practice needed?”

“Oh, definitely. Lots and lots of practice.”

The next morning Colin stumbled down to break his fast before Maggie. He’d left her sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. The confidences and lovemaking of the night before stayed with him through the morning like a warm glow. For the first time, he really thought that they might be able to make a go of this marriage, and even though he didn’t have a real home to bring her to, he felt hope.

While he was feeling good about his marriage and his relationship with Maggie, his head was pounding from the drink the night before. He regretted his bad choices—the drink and leaving Maggie alone most of the night. He was cradling his head between his hands and staring at the unappetizing food in front of him when Maggie walked into the great hall. She was heading toward him when there was a commotion at the front door.

There was clattering of boots on the stone floor and Campbell appeared. Colin wanted to bury his head in his arms. What the hell was Campbell doing here?

Sutherland followed Campbell, his expression grim and his gaze clashing with Colin’s. Immediately, Colin’s stomach twisted, and he stood up as the two made their way toward him. He was surprised when Maggie appeared at his side.

Campbell tipped his head toward Colin. “MacLean,” he said in that lowland accent.

“Campbell.”

Campbell’s gaze swept over Maggie, then came back to Colin with a raised questioning brow. “The lad who escaped Fort Augustus is still with you?”

“The lad turned out to be Maggie Sinclair, of clan Sinclair.”

Campbell turned his full dark gaze on Maggie. He never showed much emotion, so it was with some surprise that Colin found Campbell amused.

“Margaret Sinclair. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He held his hand out, and Maggie shot Colin a confused look as she raised her hand to Campbell’s. He kissed her fingers, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Damn, but Colin had never seen the man smile so much. He had to suppress a growl of irritation. He did not like Campbell, and he especially did not like Campbell kissing his wife’s hand. Flustered, Maggie pulled away.

“It’s Margaret MacLean,” Colin said, immediately wishing he’d kept his damn gob shut.

Campbell raised a brow. “Indeed. My felicitations.”

“Indeed.” Who the hell spoke like that? In the Highlands, one spoke what one thought and didn’t couch it in “indeeds” and other phrases that held no meaning.

“Campbell has come with news,” Sutherland said. He indicated that they should sit down.

To Colin’s surprise, Maggie sat with them. He wanted to tell her that her presence wasn’t necessary; women weren’t ordinarily present while the men met like this. But Maggie wasn’t ordinary, and Colin didn’t know how to tell her to leave without embarrassing her. The other two men didn’t seem to mind, and suddenly, Colin was so nervous that he was glad of her presence. She truly did have his back at all times, and he discovered that there wasn’t anyone he wanted there more.

“I heard you were on the run after leaving Sinclair,” Campbell said without preamble.

“Colin had a…confrontation with Hugh Fraser. Fraser recognized him and sent the bastard redcoats after him,” Maggie said before Colin had a chance to respond.

Campbell turned emotionless eyes to her, appearing not at all surprised at her cursing or the fact that she had spoken up for her husband. Rather than being mortified that his wife had jumped to his defense, Colin bit back a grin. Maggie looked so indignant on his behalf that it humored him.

“He can stay here as long as he likes,” Sutherland said. “There are choices.”

Sutherland’s sharp gaze found Colin’s. Aye, he had choices. He could walk the
Staran
, the secret gateway that Sutherland had created to spirit the most wanted Highlanders out of Scotland before they were executed by the English. Colin could be whisked away to Canada, never to see Scotland again, never to see his friends, never to take leadership of his clan. He would be safe, but he would be living half a life. Also, he had Maggie to look after, so his choices were much more narrow. Was staying and fighting the best decision when he had a wife to protect?

“There’s more,” Campbell said.

“What more could there be?” Colin asked sardonically.

“The English have taken over the MacLean holding.”

Colin felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. His blood ran cold with fury. “What did ye say?”

“The English have taken over the MacLean holding.” Campbell shrugged as if it were nothing to him. Which it probably was. But it was everything to Colin. It was his home. It was his legacy, and it was his burden.

And it did
not
belong to the bloody English.

Campbell’s steady gaze gave Colin an uneasy feeling that the blows were to keep coming. “Tell me,” he said.

“Abbott is the one holding your home.”

“What do ye mean I’m no’ going?” Maggie demanded.

“Sutherland will protect ye.”

“Sutherland?” Her voice was beginning to rise. “Sutherland’s no’ even going to be here. He’ll be with ye.”

Colin turned his attention back to sharpening his sword. “Ye’ll be safer at Castle Dornach.”

“I want to be with ye.” She hated that her voice quivered, and she gritted her teeth against the thickness in her throat.

“When all is safe, I’ll send for ye.”

“That’s—”

“Enough, wife. Ye’ve spent the whole of our marriage doing as ye wish. In this ye will do as I say.”

“The whole of our marriage? Ye mean all five days of it?”

“Aye.” He eyed down the length of his sword, then blew on the razor-sharp edge.

“Ye mean the five days in which I ran from the English with ye because they were after
ye
?”

She’d hit a nerve. She could tell because his jaw muscle worked. She waited for him to change his mind, to tell her he wanted no one but her guarding his back. He just calmly sharpened his sword as if an irate wife weren’t standing before him.

She turned on her heel and walked out, more hurt than angry. After hearing that his enemy had invaded his home, Maggie had prepared for anger, rage, even, but Colin had said not a word. He had to be angry and hurt, but he was calmly preparing to travel to his home and…do what? Storm the gates? Pound on the door and demand that everyone leave? She didn’t know because he’d not said, and she feared he was in such a cold rage that he wasn’t thinking clearly.

The fact that he didn’t want her with him hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Stay here, indeed. Like some simpering wife wringing her hands and waiting for her braw husband to return to her victorious?

She didn’t think so.

She ran into Eleanor on the way outside and wanted to groan in frustration. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Eleanor but more that she didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, when she had to figure out how to convince her husband not to leave her behind.

Eleanor fell into step beside her. “I find the garden to be most amenable when I need to think.”

“I do no’ want to think. I want to fight alongside my husband.”

Despite her words, Maggie found herself directed toward the garden. It was a different garden than what she was expecting. A few of the Scottish lords had long ago refurbished their homes from fortresses to English-type manors. While Sutherland had kept the fortress-like appearance of Castle Dornach, there was no doubt the garden was Lady Sutherland’s domain. It was a work in progress, as the Lady Sutherland hadn’t been the Lady Sutherland all that long, but Maggie could tell that the garden was to be in the English style, with wide graveled paths. There was already a tall fountain and a few blooming flowers. It was beautiful and, yes, it was relaxing.

“He wants me to stay here,” she blurted out.

“You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like. It would be nice to have a friend to talk to.”

“No offense, my lady—”

“Please call me Eleanor.”

“No offense, Eleanor, but I want to fight alongside my husband for our home.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“He refuses to listen.”

“Did you tell him that exactly?”

“Yes. No.” Maggie threw her hands up in frustration. “I do no’ know how I worded it. It does no’ matter, because he will no’ listen.”

“Maybe so, but you need to tell him just what you told me.” Eleanor stopped, forcing Maggie to stop as well. “Men are fickle creatures, Maggie. Sometimes you have to word things in the right way for them to stop and listen.”

Maggie huffed out an exasperated breath. “This is all very confusing. I do no’ know how to be a wife. I did no’
want
to be a wife—” She put a hand to her mouth, horrified. “That’s no’ true,” she said quickly. “I mean, it
is
true that I did no’ want to be a wife when we were wed, but I’m finding that it’s no’ so bad. It’s just…”

“Sometimes we are forced into situations not to our liking, but that doesn’t mean they have to remain not to our liking.”

Maggie dropped her hand and watched the glittering water splash down into the fountain. “He did no’ want to wed me, either. We were forced into it by my brother. He said Colin had compromised me and caused me to lose the only man who was interested in marrying me. But Hugh Fraser was a bastard sheep shagger…” She shot Eleanor an embarrassed smile. “Excuse me, my lady.”

Eleanor merely laughed and waved her hand in the air. “No need to watch your language around me, Maggie. And its Eleanor. Please remember that. We are friends, are we not?”

Maggie wrinkled her brow. She’d never really had a woman friend except Innis, briefly.

Eleanor took her arm and directed her toward the bench opposite the fountain. “So you and Colin were forced into your marriage.”

“Aye.”

“And Colin doesn’t want to be wed to you as much as you don’t want to be wed to him.”

“Aye, at first. I liked him well enough, though.” Maggie stopped to think about that. “I liked him a lot, actually. But to be wed to him? I did no’ want to be wed to anyone.”

“There was some feeling between the two of you before you were wed?”

“No. Well. Maybe. I liked his kisses.” She dipped her head so Eleanor couldn’t see her heated face.

“Kisses are nice, are they not?”

What an odd conversation this was. She’d never talked to anyone about kissing before.

“I was wed to an English soldier before I married Brice,” Eleanor said.

Maggie glanced up at her in surprise, not able to picture this Englishwoman, who seemed more Scottish, married to a damn redcoat.

“He was a fine gentleman, perfect in every way, according to my father. Handpicked just for me. But there was no…spark. He was nice enough and polite enough and he treated me well and we suited well enough, I suppose.”

“Ye did no’ love him?”

“Not at first. I didn’t even like him all that much because I didn’t know him well. But I learned to like him, and eventually, we loved each other.” Eleanor turned to Maggie. “You and Colin have a better start than Charles and I ever had. Yes, you were forced into a marriage, but I think there were feelings present before that. Definitely on your part and probably on Colin’s part. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

Maggie paused, considering. “And how does he look at me?”

“With…longing. And confusion.”

Maggie snorted.

“He’s confused,” Eleanor said. “But once he figures it all out in his head, I think he will realize that you two are suited very well.”

“That’s all well and good, but he still won’ let me help him fight for his home.”

Eleanor patted Maggie’s knee. “I have to admit that I think he is right in this.” She held up her hand when Maggie was about to protest. “However, I understand why you want to go with him, and I understand that it is a matter of pride to you just as much as it’s a matter of pride to him.” Eleanor smiled mischievously. “I wish I could be a mouse in the room to see the row that is about to happen.”

Later that afternoon Maggie was still thinking of Eleanor’s words when she met with Colin, Sutherland, and Campbell in the great hall.

Maggie’s first instinct was to initiate the row that Eleanor spoke of, to go on the offensive and attack with the element of surprise. But she was beginning to think that might not be the right approach. Funny, that. Maggie Sinclair—correction, Maggie
MacLean
—thinking that arguing wasn’t the way to solve a problem.

She’d also thought a lot about their discussion concerning his smuggling business. She knew that he thought she would be scandalized and even maybe turn away from him. Some women, probably most women, would be, but Maggie wasn’t. She found that she respected him more. He did what he needed to do, and she had to admit that if she could have, and if Evan would have let her, she would have happily been involved in a subversive business such as that.

Damn it, she wanted to help Colin.

The men were bent over a crudely drawn picture of the MacLean holding, their fists planted on a table as they studied the picture.

“Storming the holding won’t get you anywhere,” Campbell said. “You need stealth.”

Since the men had all but ignored her, Maggie had time to study Campbell, who was still a mystery to her. Colin was convinced the man was a traitor. Sutherland wasn’t sure. Maggie was in Sutherland’s camp. Campbell had freed them from the English prison. He’d brought the news of Colin’s home. And Maggie had heard that he’d helped Eleanor face her tormentor and been key in having him arrested. Those weren’t the actions of a traitor.

“There’s a hidden passageway here.” Colin ran his finger to the northwest corner. “And one here. We can enter at either of these points.”

“If the English have no’ found the passageways,” Sutherland said.

Maggie noticed that Campbell spoke very little. He was more apt to observe and listen, and when he did speak, even Colin listened.

“By boat?” Sutherland asked.

“The waves would slam any watercraft against the rocks and kill anyone who attempted it. ’Tis the reason the structure was built there.”

The men fell silent, each deep in thought.

“Go through the front entrance,” Maggie said.

Three pairs of eyes looked at her in disbelief.

“The front entrance?” Colin asked. “And be killed right away?”

“No’ if ye do it right.”

Campbell leaned back and considered her. “What are you thinking?”

“Walk right in under their noses. Would serve the bastards right.”

“How do ye propose to do that?” Colin asked.

She shrugged. “Ye said ye were a smuggler.”

Colin appeared uneasy and Maggie realized she’d made an error.

Campbell waved a lazy hand in the air. “I’m aware” was all he said. “Please continue.”

She glanced at Colin, who nodded at her to proceed.

“I’m assuming the operation is still in existence?” she asked.

“I’m nearly positive Duff has kept it running in my absence.”

Maggie thought for a moment. “Do ye have some of yer contraband put away for, say, a rainy day?”

“Aye.”

“French wine?”

“Aye.”

“Fine French wine?”

Colin looked offended. “I smuggle only fine French wine.”

She screwed her lips to the side, then nodded at Campbell. “Would ye be willing to walk into the MacLean holding as a friend to the English?”

Campbell raised a surprised brow.

“Ye want to use an English sympathizer to walk into
my
home and befriend the bloody English soldiers sleeping in
my
beds and eating
my
food?” Colin asked incredulously.

“Oh, please,” Maggie said. “If ye truly thought Campbell was an English sympathizer, ye would not have him here listening to yer plans.”

“He’s right,” Campbell said. “You shouldn’t trust me.”

“That’s shite,” Sutherland said.

“It’s not shite,” Campbell said. “You’ve all heard the rumors. They’re not completely false.”

“Ye helped my Eleanor,” Sutherland said.

“Lady Sutherland was unjustly imprisoned. I found the entire scenario repulsive. Besides, we made a bargain, and you still owe me payment.”

“Ye helped Maggie and me escape,” Colin said.

“As a favor to Sutherland.”

It was as if they were trying to convince themselves that their suspicions of Campbell were wrong.

“If ye’re an enemy of the MacLeans and the Sutherlands, then ye best get out now,” Maggie said softly.

“Maggie—” Colin warned.

“She’s right,” Campbell said. “I should go.”

Campbell’s boots rang loudly as he walked out of the hall and through the front door. Even the servants were arrested by the scene.

“Well, then,” Sutherland said into the sudden silence.

“I knew we could no’ trust him,” Colin said. “Bloody hell, but he knows what our plans are.”

“I do no’ think it matters,” Maggie said, still looking at the door that Campbell had walked through. Iain Campbell was up to something. He was playing a deep game that Maggie instinctively knew she wanted no part of. She had a feeling that he’d left not only to protect them but to protect himself as well. Was it because he didn’t want to have to tell the English what the MacLeans and Sutherlands were up to?

She turned back to the men, who appeared stunned. “We can still do it,” she said. “We can take the MacLean holding and lands back without Campbell’s help.”

“Ye’re damn right we can,” Colin said.

Maggie’s plan was simple: Offer the illegal wine to the English interlopers. The
doctored
wine. “Once they’ve had their fill, we can enter through the secret passageways. Hell, we can enter through the front gates if we want.”

“We?” Colin raised a brow.

Maggie stared back impassively. She wasn’t going to argue now. There was time for that later.

“And how do ye propose we offer them all of my fine French wine?” Colin asked, apparently willing to put aside that argument for the moment.

“I haven’t figured that part out yet. I was hoping Campbell would do it for us. It would be easy for him to get in.” She had a feeling that Campbell had guessed her plan and that was one of the reasons he’d walked away. It was one thing to help them plan; it was another to be such a large part of that plan. She was certain Campbell was playing his own games and was unwilling to compromise them.

“We canno’ knock on the front gates and offer them wine. We’d be arrested at best and killed at worst,” Colin said.

They all looked at one another, at a loss as to how to breach the security of Colin’s home.