Page 55 of Highlander’s Haunted Past

“What do I do if I see yer brothers in the field?”

For all of the nonsense that Hugh had been spouting over the past few days, his point about Kenna’s brothers had stayed with Rob. After they had taken control of Strathbogie, while the rest of the men were rifling through piles and piles of messages in the Earl’s office, Rob had wandered around, lifting the helms of dead men just to see if any of the unfortunate souls were Kenna’s brothers. Thankfully none were, but he wasn’t so sure that that luck would last.

Kenna did not reply; instead, she reached out and stroked the nose of his horse in a gentle rhythm.

“Ye hadn’t thought about it?”

“Not really.”

“Oh.”

The horse shifted as if even it could feel the deep sense of awkwardness that had befallen the conversation. Rob wanted her big, beautiful eyes on him. He wanted to stare into them, to enjoy her for the short time that he might have left with her, but she was too busy looking at her feet, skimming her toes against the thin layer of straw and dried muck that littered the floor.

“I shouldn’t have asked,” Rob finally said.

He slipped from his horse’s stall and over into the next. It was empty but still stocked with clean hay.

“No.” She sighed, following him. “Ye shouldn’t have. But the fact remains that ye did. If those two are foolish enough to enter the field, then ye will just have to do what ye must. ‘Tis the nature of these things, I suppose.”

Rob was reminded of their wedding night, of the proud Highland girl who was beaten down by the weight of knowing that her wishes were not always her reality. He wanted to kiss her, to promise her that her life would not always be like this, but that would have been a false promise. He would go to the ends of the earth to try and keep her safe, body and soul, but there was no way for him to protect her from it all.

“I ken that it would be something I have to do, but would ye forgive me fer it?”

“Of course, I would.”

Rob didn’t really believe her, and he told her as much.

“Look at me, Rob Fraser,” she said, suddenly fierce. “If ye see them in the field, if they are a threat to ye or yer men, then ye have to cut them down.”

“But they are yer brothers, ye—”

“No, Rob, there is no but. Aye, they are my brothers. Aye, I would mourn their loss, despite everything that has happened and everything they have done to me. But I am not a Gordon anymore; I am a Fraser. I am the wife of the next chief of the clan. ‘Tis no longer my responsibility to try and protect them, not if they are posing a threat to ye or the men of our clan. If ye cut them down, if ye cut anyone down, and ye ken that ‘twas because they were putting yer lives in danger, then ye will not need my forgiveness. Rob, I am yer wife and—”

Rob grabbed her and pulled her to him, sinking his lips into hers before she could say another word. Her lips parted, and he plunged his tongue inside of her mouth, her own rising to meet him in welcome. It was madness, being with this woman. Hearing her call herself his wife, hearing her call herself a Fraser, why did it get him so thrilled?

He sank his fingers into her hips and took a step forward, then another, guiding her back until she was pressed up against the wall of the stall.

He pulled his lips from hers and began to leave a trail of kisses down her neck while his hands moved to explore the places beneath her skirt. She moaned softly at his touches, her hands running along his sides and then up into his hair.

“God, how I want ye.” He groaned before moving his lips back up to hers.

“Then have me.” She sighed between kisses, her hips arching out to find his, pressing herself against the swelling beneath his kilt.

He wouldn’t wait for a second invitation. He crouched and hooked his hands beneath her thighs, lifting her slightly up. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her shoulders back into the wall for support while Rob reached down to pull away the fabric separating them.

They kissed again, their tongues swirling, as Rob sheathed himself inside of her.

God, ‘tis sinful how good she feels around me.

“Rob…” she moaned as he started to move, tilting her head back in pleasure.

Hearing her say his name like that was like a shot straight to his core. His thrusts became faster, pounding into her again and again, refusing to relent as her moans cheered him on. Her hands slipped suddenly to his face, and she pressed her lips to his.

Her body was starting to tremble, the heat of her intensifying around him. She broke their kiss as her moans became cries, urgent and unrelenting.

He felt the end coming, a slow build that was begging for release, but no, not yet. He would wait for her; it couldn’t be long now.

Her hands left his face and went to his shoulders, squeezing him so tightly that he knew her nails would leave a mark on his skin, marking him as her own.