Page 18 of Never Marry a Highlander

She pushed his chest.“If ye want to leave, ye need to put me down.”

He looked at her, then back at the bed and smiled.“Maybe we have time for one more…”

She wiggled enough that she ended up throwing herself on the floor.“Ouch.”

He stared at her with hunger and possession and grinned.“Get dressed.I will see ye downstairs.Be sure to make it quick because I will be sending men up to collect yer trunks and I have no desire for any mon to see my beautiful, tempting wife bare assed.”

Once he left the room, she jumped up and after a quick wash pulled on the travel outfit she’d planned for the day.As she put on her shoes, a slight knock drew her attention.“Aye.”

Edith entered the room with two men behind her.“They are here for yer baggage.”

Lorena waved in the direction of the trunks.She also had a satchel that she intended to carry with her on her horse with personal items she would need for the trip to Dun Ugadale.

She looked at Edith as the men left.“Have you finished yer packing?”

The girl glowed and her cheeks flushed.“Aye.I already sent mine down and spoke with Agnes about leaving with ye.She was surprised at first, and I believe a tad annoyed about losing my help in the kitchen, but then wished me well.”

“I guess all we need to do is break our fast and then leave.”

“I’ve already eaten, so I will go outside and make sure everything is packed correctly.”She gestured to the satchel on the floor by Lorena’s foot.“Shall I bring that down?”

“Nay.I’m attaching it to the horse.”

Edith hurried away leaving Lorena to brush her hair and fasten it with a ribbon at the back of her neck.She picked up her satchel and looked around the room.The memories of this bedchamber were mostly not good.She’d spent a lot of time crying and even hiding from her brother.

She was stunned to feel tears gather in her eyes.She placed the satchel back on the floor and wandered around the room.She slid her fingers over the bedclothes and walked to the window.When she left to marry Avery she was happy to be away from her brother.Now she viewed her new life with caution.Would things be so very different with this husband?Men were men and her experience so far had been to guard herself against them.

There had not been anything in Craig’s manner since she met him to assume her life would be similar to her other marriage.She smiled remembering the night before.Her husband had been so different from Avery in his lovemaking.Not that she ever considered what Avery did to her as lovemaking, more like violence.

To her surprise, she had actually enjoyed joining with Craig and the feelings she’d never had before.‘Twas almost as if it wasn’t her body.Hopefully, she would repeat the wonderful feeling that had erupted in her.

She took a deep sigh and wiped the tear that made its way down her cheek.

“Is anything amiss?”Craig stood at the doorway to her room, concern on his face.

“Nay.Just saying goodbye.”

He walked up to her and took her in his arms.“Are yer memories so wonderful then, that ye dinna want to leave?”

“Nay.But with ye warning David no’ to beat me, had I stayed things would have been much better here.I would be left alone.”She pulled back, remembering her plan to keep Craig from her heart.“But then, I missed the chance to have that life when ye ordered me to go with ye to yer home.”

He pushed a loose curl behind her ear.“Nay.‘Tis our home now.Ye are a MacKay.”

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.“I am a Gunn.”

“Aye, so proud of the name ye are.”He bent and took the satchel handle.“Time to go, lass.”

Lorena looked at the satchel.“I can carry that.I am no’ a weakling.”

He leaned in closer to her ear and said, “Aye, but I want to save yer strength for other activities.”

The heat rose from her feet right up to her hairline.“Doona speak to me that way.”

He pretended to look confused.“What?I want ye to be strong enough to last on yer horse all day for the three days it will take us to get to Dun Ugadale.”

She wrestled the satchel out of his hand and stormed away as the fool man laughed at her.

Before she left, she had made a point of seeking out Knox.She and the man had gotten along well, but he was absent from the keep so much that she didn’t really know him.He wished her well and kissed her on the cheek.“Mayhap I will see ye at one of the clan competitions.”