True Love Brides 02 - The Highlander’s Curse (12 page)

“You seemed to be alarmed.” Annelise bit her lip, trying to find a way to explain what she meant without comparing him to an animal. Garrett was watching her mouth, as if fascinated by her lips, and the intensity of his gaze made Annelise blush in memory of their kiss. Did he also yearn for another?

“My family raises horses,” she continued and was surprised to hear her own breathlessness. “When first a foal is taken into the village, it may respond much the same way. It is not accustomed to the sound and smells of a village, the noise or the activity. It can become confused or frightened.”

Garrett smiled. “Do you compare me to a horse?” His tone was teasing, but still Annelise flushed more red.

“Nay, but it seemed to me that it might be similar after a man has lived for a long time in the forest. Even a small place like Seton Manor might be overwhelming.”

His eyes glinted as he watched her. “You thought me overwhelmed?”

“By something. I merely attempt to guess by what.”

“And you think Seton Manor small?”

“Very small.” Annelise laughed. “It would fit in the bailey of Kinfairlie.”

Though she had thought he might share her amusement, he looked more grim and determined. Annelise crouched down beside him. “Where did you live before the forest?”

“In a small abode.”

“With goats.”

Garrett nodded once and continued with his task.

“Alone?”

He shook his head. Was he wed? Did he have family? Annelise wanted very much to know but he remained silent. “Will you tell me what troubled you earlier?”

His sidelong glance was quick and hot, sufficiently piercing to make her heart skip a beat. “I dare not, my lady, for I would not place you in peril.”

“Not even that I might understand you better?”

He smiled. “But you do. Already you have guessed that I prefer the company of animals and the solitude of the forest to men and their villages.”

“Will you tell me why?”

His lips tightened. “Because animals do not lie. They do not pretend that anything other than the truth is so. These goats were full and their udders sore. They needed to be milked. When I came to milk them, they were uncertain, because they did not know me, but as soon as I began my task, they understood. The exchange is simple.”

“But not all exchanges are so. A wolf is deceptive.”

Garrett shook his head. “Nay, my lady. A wolf is what he is. He is a predator. He hunts, then kills in order to survive. I may take issue with what he kills and where, but he is what he is. He does not pretend otherwise.”

“I never thought of it that way.”

“In contrast to a wolf, a man who is predatory will never be satisfied with what he has claimed for his own; he will always lust for more.” Garrett fixed her with a steady look. “There is no wickedness in animals, which is why I prefer their company to that of men.”

Annelise did not know what to say to that. She stared into Garrett’s eyes, half certain he was telling her something of himself and of his past, but not certain how to ask for the fullness of the tale.

He smiled slightly. “I will not tell you of my curse, sweet Annelise, even if you do ask. The hearing has too high a price.”

If his words were meant to dissuade her curiosity, they had exactly the opposite effect. There was much of interest in a man who acted with such bravery and honor, yet called himself cursed. Annelise was sure he had endured some great injustice and wanted only to make it come right. “May I try to guess it?”

“Of course.”

“Does my presence diminish it?” She placed a fingertip on his arm and he caught his breath.

“Aye,” he whispered.

She ran her fingertips over his arm, watching how he swallowed as she touched him. His skin was warm and even this light caress sent a thrill through her. His gaze locked with hers, his intensity making her heart pound and her mouth go dry. She helped him.

She wished to help him even more.

Annelise’s gaze dropped to his mouth. She leaned closer, thinking only of the power of his kiss. Garrett inhaled sharply but did not move, simply waiting for her to kiss him. Annelise could not believe her own boldness, yet she had no desire to stop. She leaned against his arm, parted her lips…

The cry of the goat girl made her draw back in surprise.

“Do you mean to steal the milk?” Bess shouted in dismay, her raised voice making the goats scurry to the far side of the pen.

Annelise straightened with annoyance. Was it necessary that everyone believe ill of Garrett? “You should thank him for aiding in your task,” she said with an asperity uncommon to her.

Garrett spared her a glance, winked, then stood up to carry the pail to the girl. “The lady speaks aright. I merely began your labor for you. Take this to the kitchen for the cook.”

Bess hesitated, her gaze flying between Garrett and Annelise. “But you are the man who had a fit at the gates…”

“The very same,” Garrett said firmly and offered the pail.

“Take it,” Annelise commanded with a tone that astonished even herself. “I will bring the rest to the kitchen when the milking is done. Cook probably has need of you to prepare for the meal this night. It seems that we have guests for whom no honor is sufficient.”

The girl gaped at them for a moment, then seized the bucket and bowed so low that she nearly spilled its contents. “Yes, my lady,” she said, then hastened to the kitchen.

“They will all know of your deed in moments,” Annelise said, still fighting her annoyance.

“Worse, they will know you are alone with me.” Garrett flashed her a smile that made Annelise’s heart leap. She glanced at his arm again, reassured to see how her touch had aided him.

“I do not care. I choose to be here.” Annelise felt her lips tighten. “I am forbidden to leave the enclosure of Seton Manor. I am compelled to sit beside that man and expected to entertain him. When I manage to evade that responsibility, I shall be where I like within Seton Manor.” She met Garrett’s gaze. “I would much rather have a kiss.”

He seemed to find her amusing, but there was admiration in his eyes as well. “Have you ever milked a goat, my lady?”

Annelise shook her head, disappointed that he had not acted on her suggestion.

“Then, come here and learn. It is a useful skill for any soul to have, regardless of station or rank.” He offered his hand to her and she liked how his eyes twinkled. “You will have to abandon your vexation, though, for no doe likes to be milked in anger.”

Annelise took a deep breath and exhaled, summoning her usual calm mood. Perhaps this would be her fate; to live simply with Garrett and milk goats.

It sounded most inviting.

She put her hand in his, liking how his fingers closed protectively over hers. His skin was warm, and his grip was firm. At Garrett’s gesture, Annelise sat on the stool he had abandoned. He guided another doe to her and her attempts to hold the goat steady made them both laugh. Finally, the doe stood before Annelise and Garrett crouched behind her.

“Now this is temptation indeed,” he murmured, his breath fanning her skin. Annelise smiled. She could feel his thighs against her own and the heat of his chest against her back. She felt his arms around hers and his breath in her hair.

“Indeed,” she agreed quietly. Annelise closed her eyes, thrilling at the sensation. She did not care who found her thus. She did not care who saw.

Indeed, she wished there had not been so much clothing between them, for she yearned to feel the warmth of his skin against her own. The very idea was so bold as to make her blush, but still Annelise did not move.

And when Garrett touched his lips to the side of her neck, any vestige of resistance she had to him melted to naught.

She was his for the taking, and she did not care if he knew it.

*

Annelise smelled like a summer field.

Garrett crouched down behind her as she sat on the stool he had occupied. He put his arms around her and guided her hands to two of the goat’s teats. Her fingers were small and delicate, her skin so soft that he should have been reminded of the difference in their situation.

Instead, he was enchanted. Her throat was so close to his rough cheek, her scent so enticing that he could not resist placing one chaste kiss beneath her ear. She shivered and sighed, then leaned back against him.

Inviting more.

She was a nobleman’s daughter, the sister of a laird and the ward of another.

He remembered Murdoch’s warning, but could not deny the lady’s allure. Indeed, he remembered her request more clearly than any warning. A kiss. Her hair was like silk against his cheek, her sweet feminine scent arousing him as no other woman had ever done. She had seen his curse at work, and yet she still desired him.

He put the bucket between her feet, then eased up the hem of her kirtle.

“You will see my legs,” she whispered. She sounded scandalized, but she did not stop him.

“There is no other way, unless you would soak your garments.”

Annelise flicked him a mischievous glance, then pulled her kirtle up to bare her knees. Her legs were fine and shapely, fair and strong. Garrett could not help but look, then found her watching him. She smiled when their gazes met, her playful expression sending desire through his body. Her gaze dropped to his mouth for a moment, then she parted her own lips.

“I have remembered your kiss often,” she said, her own boldness making her cheeks turn pink.

“As have I remembered yours,” Garrett whispered. “The recollection has kept me warm on many a night.” He bent then and brushed his lips across hers, swallowing her sweet gasp. It was intoxicating to share even the smallest touch, though he was tempted to take more and more. “Perhaps we should share another as a reward for a task completed.”

Annelise’s eyes danced. “Perhaps we should share another to commence the task.”

Garrett could not resist her when her eyes sparkled so, although he knew he should.

Annelise, though, had other ideas. She abandoned the goat and spun on the stool, her knee colliding with Garrett’s arousal and making him catch his breath. Before he could recover and pull away, she had twined her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his.

The moment her lips touched his, he was lost. The tranquility of her thoughts cascaded over him like a spring rain, or a balm to a wound he had forgotten he endured. Annelise slid her fingers into his hair to pull him closer, her silent demand enflaming him. She arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest, almost certainly unaware of the temptation she offered, then opened her mouth to him.

Garrett was utterly overwhelmed. He caught Annelise closer and slanted his mouth over hers, deepening their kiss. Her sound of satisfaction left him hungry for more, and he could smell her arousal. He slipped his tongue between her teeth, loving the way she shivered and pressed closer to him. She was utterly pliant and trusting, so welcoming that he could have taken her in that moment. He caught her face in his hand and held her near, kissing her with increasing demand. To his delight, she responded in kind, learning from his every gesture, mimicking him and demanding more passion in response.

He could imagine her in his arms, in his bed, beneath him every night and astride him, too. He wanted to take her in sunlight and moonlight, in darkness and in daylight, from every possible angle and in every possible way. He wanted to hear her gasp with her release and swallow any cry of delight. He wanted to fill her and honor her and to do so for every day and night of his life.

She gave so much and gave it willingly—Garrett was tempted to feast upon her all the day and night long. He ran his hand over her slender curves, cupping her breast in one hand and swallowing her moan of pleasure. Her nipple was already taut and he fingered it through the cloth, teasing it to a peak as she whispered his name. He looked down at her and smiled at the flush in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. She considered him and swallowed, then reached up to kiss him again.

“What an unusual way to milk a goat,” Murdoch said, his tone wry.

Garrett spun to his feet, urging the lady behind him. The laird himself stood at the side of the enclosure, leaning upon the fence. Although his posture made him appear to be at ease, Garrett was not fooled. Murdoch’s eyes were snapping with anger. This man would see him punished for taking more than was his due.

He was aware of Annelise’s agitation, even as she straightened her kirtle and stood up behind him. His heart pounded as she slid her small hand into his, and Garrett knew from the scowl that claimed his brow that Murdoch had noted the gesture as well.

“Fine behavior from a guest.” The laird folded his arms across his chest and glared at them.

“I do not intend any dishonor to the lady. I would ask for her hand in mine.” Garrett heard Annelise’s quick intake of breath and felt her squeeze his fingers slightly.

“And I would decline,” Murdoch said flatly.

“Murdoch!” Annelise cried, but the laird ignored her.

“Have you a holding?” Murdoch asked Garrett.

“Nay.” He would not claim what might come to be his own, not until he held the seal himself.