The Chase

by Lynsay Sands

  Her gaze slid over him and she frowned at the sight of his booted feet crossed at the ankles on the bed. "Are ye no goin' to remove yer boots?"

  "I am too tired," Blake said, then popped one eye open, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he said, "You are wearing me out with your demands, wife."

  "Wearin' ye out?" she exclaimed with disbelief. He was just as demanding as she.

  "Aye. Wearing me out," was all Blake said.

  Scowling, Seonaid sat where she was for a minute, then stood and moved around the bed to his side. Pausing there, she set to work on removing his boots.

  "What are you doing?" Blake half sat up in his surprise.

  "As yer so exhausted," she said dryly. "I'm helpin' ye with yer boots. Iliana would have fits did ye ruin her fine linens with 'em."

  Blake hesitated, then flopped back on the bed, leaving her to it. She dragged the first boot off and unintentionally ran her hand over the bottom of his foot, which made him jerk upright on the bed and tug his foot from her hand. When Seonaid glanced up at his face with surprise, he relaxed back on the bed, but she noticed he kept his knee bent and his foot pressed flat to the bed surface, a good distance from her hands.

  Considering this, she set to work on his other boot. This time when she dragged the boot off, she deliberately ran her hand over the bottom of his foot, and again Blake jerked and dragged his foot out of her grasp.

  "Yer ticklish," Seonaid said with disbelief.

  "Nay," Blake denied, but there was such panic in his eyes as he denied it, she knew he was lying.

  "Nay?" she asked, an evil grin claiming her lips.

  "Seonaid," he growled in warning, but she was already climbing onto the bed to reach his feet. He tried to swivel them out of her grasp, but Seonaid was quicker and managed to catch one. She immediately set to tickling the bottom of the foot she held, amazed when Blake began to laugh and struggle wildly. Seonaid held on like the claw of a lobster, locking her arm around his lower leg and holding him by the ankle with that hand, leaving her other one free to torment him. It was like trying to break a wild horse; he was bucking and jerking and thrashing about wildly. When that did not work, Blake had the presence of mind to sit up and grab her arms from behind. It turned into a wrestling match that had them laughing and rolling on the bed until Blake managed to trap her beneath him on her back, her arms over her head.

  Breathless and panting, they grinned at each other; then Blake lowered his mouth to claim hers and they began a wrestling of a different nature.

  "Sherwell!"

  Seonaid blinked her eyes open and sat upright on the bed as the chamber door slammed open. She gaped at her brother with confusion. It was daylight, probably nearly noon, she realized. She and Blake had fallen asleep after their lovemaking and slept the morning away. And something had obviously happened while they slept, something that had her brother looking like thunder as he dragged Little George into the room, shoving the huge man about as if he were a pup.

  "Duncan!" Aeldra rushed into the room on their heels. The petite blonde was flushed and disheveled; she was also angrier than Seonaid had seen her in a long time. "Let George go! Ye have no right!"

  "Close yer mouth, Aeldra," Duncan snapped, shaking away the hand she had placed on his arm. "I have every right. Yer me cousin and me responsibility. Doubly so now that Allistair is gone." Turning back to the bed, he snapped, "God damn me, Sherwell. Wake up!"

  "I am awake," Blake muttered, sitting up to survey Duncan with a frown. "What is going on?"

  "I'll tell ye what's goin' on, I caught yer man on me cousin," Duncan announced grimly, releasing the man, but not before he'd shoved him toward the bed.

  Blake looked nonplussed by this announcement, then glanced from Aeldra to Little George to Seonaid. Aeldra blushed and avoided his gaze and Little George stared at the floor looking rather chagrined. Seonaid was the only one to meet his eyes, but she did so with an expression as bewildered as his own.

  "Duncan--" she began tentatively, only to have him turn his wrath on her.

  "Not a word, Seonaid. This is men's business." His eyes turned back to Blake. "Get dressed and come below. We've some sorting to do."

  Turning on his heel, Duncan stomped from the room, pulling the door closed with a slam.

  The foursome left in the chamber were silent for a moment; then Blake tossed the furs aside and grabbed up his discarded tunic as he said, "You had best tell me what happened."

  "Duncan caught us indulgin' in some houghmagandie," Aeldra said defiantly. "And now he's up in arms."

  "Houghma--" Blake had just bent to pleat his plaid, but paused at the blonde's words to glance to Seonaid, who was gaping at her cousin. "Seonaid?"

  She closed her mouth and glanced at her husband, then cleared her throat and said, "They were ... er ... doing what we were doing," she finished helplessly.

  "Sleeping?" he asked dryly.

  "Nay, the part before the sleepin'," Seonaid said.

  "Ah." Blake turned his attention back to his plaid.

  "I am marrying her," Little George said grimly as Blake finished the pleating and donned the plaid.

  "Is that what you want?" he asked as he stood, fully dressed.

  Little George nodded abruptly.

  "Well, we had best go tell Duncan and smooth things over then," Blake said and led his first out of the room.

  Seonaid stared after them in amazement. Neither man had even bothered to ask Aeldra if she agreed to the marriage. And it apparently hadn't occurred to them to include the women in the discussion about to take place.

  Muttering with exasperation, she tossed the linens aside and slid from the bed to begin dressing. "So?"

  Aeldra glanced at her with a start. "So? What?"

  "How was it?" Seonaid asked, amusement pulling at her lips. It was the right question, Aeldra's tension gave way to a grin.

  "It was wonderful," she said enthusiastically, then added less cheerfully, "until Duncan caught us."

  Seonaid nodded. "And do ye want to marry Little George?"

  Aeldra smiled. "He'd already asked me 'ere we--" She paused and shrugged. "And I had already said aye."

  "Good," Seonaid said with a sigh. At least she wasn't going to have to fight to keep her cousin from a marriage she didn't want. Finished pulling on her tunic and braies, she tugged her hair back, then strode to the door. "Let us go down and be sure Duncan doesna ruin things then."

  A small laugh slipping from her lips, Aeldra followed her out of the room.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "Watch fer Greenweld's men," Duncan said gruffly.

  Seonaid's gaze met Aeldra's and the two women exchanged amused glances as they mounted their horses. Duncan had been spouting warnings and sounding like an old hen all morning.

  "We will," Blake assured him, taking his reins from Little George and mounting as well. "Your father reminded us to do so 'ere leaving."

  "Hmm." Duncan frowned, his gaze sliding over the four of them with displeasure. While he had agreed to the wedding between Little George and Aeldra and had even sent a man out to fetch a priest back to perform it, he was still angry with the couple. Seonaid suspected it was mostly for show. He became more and more like their father every day.

  "Mayhap I should send some men with ye, jest in case," Duncan suggested, but Blake shook his head.

  "I can handle a few of Greenweld's men. We shall be fine. I shall keep Seonaid safe."

  Seonaid glanced at him with surprise at the comment. She doubted very much that her brother was concerned with her well-being. She could take care of herself. Still, it was sweet that he wanted to take care of her. Her glance slid to her brother and she said, "And I shall keep him safe as well."

  Duncan grinned at her words, and at the way Blake rolled his eyes at the claim. "Aye, well, jest keep yer eyes open. And travel as quick as ye can for the first little while. And send a messenger when ye arrive safely. And send one if ye've any trouble too. And look out fer the Camerons as wel
l. Aeldra's of a similar height and shape to Helen, and they may mistake her for the woman and attack in error. They're no too bright. And--"

  "Good-bye, Duncan," Seonaid said with amusement, turning her horse toward the gate.

  Leaving him standing on the keep steps, Seonaid followed Blake when he turned his mount and started across the bailey.

  They rode slowly over the moat and continued slowly as they crossed the clearing. Seonaid knew that Blake was trying to ensure that if the Camerons were nearby, they were given a good look at the small party and would see that Lady Helen was not among them.

  The moment they reached the trees, however, he took the lead and urged his horse into a gallop. Seonaid immediately followed suit and fell in behind him. A glance over her shoulder showed that Aeldra had taken position behind her, while her husband, Little George, took up the rear.

  Seonaid smiled to herself at the thought. It seemed odd to think of Aeldra being married to the great man who was Blake's first. He was such a giant, and Aeldra so petite, they made an odd pair when they walked about. Seonaid would not even contemplate the bedding part of their marriage. The very idea was almost too much to consider.

  The first day of travel passed uneventfully. They were all alert, attending to the fact that even if the Camerons did not mistake Aeldra for Helen, they might try to capture them to try and learn where Helen was. The Camerons might even use one of them to trade for the Englishwoman. But nothing of the sort occurred, and neither were they accosted by the men Greenweld had sent after Blake. If either group were out there, they were keeping their distance for now.

  Still, it might not have hurt that Blake set a grueling pace the first day, one that would put as much distance as possible between them and Dunbar and the trouble that might lurk in the area. It was late night when they stopped to make camp.

  The spot Blake chose was nowhere near water this night, but it mattered little to Seonaid. Her concerns about traveling in the company of others proved not to be a concern in the end. She was far too weary by the time they had finished making camp, eating, and visiting the bushes to tend personal needs to even consider indulging in houghmagandie. She would not even have had the energy to bother with bathing had they camped near water. Seonaid barely had the strength to curl up next to her husband to sleep, and was only vaguely aware of the feel of his chest against her back and his arm around her as she drifted off to sleep on the cold hard ground.

  They took it much easier the second day. Now that they were a distance away from Dunbar, Blake set a more leisurely pace, and it was only late afternoon when he decided they should stop. Seonaid suspected it was the beauty of the spot they chanced upon that made the decision. It was another clearing on the edge of a river, but this one offered a picturesque waterfall, which was a lovely diversion.

  Seonaid and Blake set up camp this night while Little George and Aeldra visited the river to wash away the day's dust. They were finished and waiting by the time the other couple returned. Telling them they wouldn't be too long, Blake caught Seonaid's hand and tugged her to her feet, then led her into the woods.

  Eager to wash away two days' worth of dust, Seonaid reclaimed her hand the moment they were safely within the trees and began to strip as they made their way along the path to the riverside. She finished undoing her braies as she stepped into the small clearing at the water's edge. Letting them drop, she stepped out of them, then bent to scoop them up and set all her clothes in a pile near a large boulder, which she used to lean against as she quickly removed her boots. Dropping those, she left Blake still working on his clothes and waded into the water. It was chilly at first, but Seonaid dove under and swam a distance out in an effort to allow her body to adjust.

  She came up near the waterfall and stood to walk under it, noting that the water reached only to her waist here. Not that it really mattered with all the water pounding down on her from overhead. Smiling, she closed her eyes and tipped her head back under the spray, then tipped her head forward and simply stood like that for several minutes, enjoying the hammering of the water against the tense muscles of her shoulders and back.

  Something brushing against her hip startled her, and Seonaid blinked her eyes open, relaxing when she spied the hand Blake was slipping around her back as he joined her under the cascade. He didn't say a word, but merely pulled her firmly against him with one hand, using the other to catch her at the base of her skull and pull her forward for a kiss. Though it had only been two days since he'd touched her, it felt like forever, and she went into his embrace willingly, sighing into his mouth when he claimed hers.

  At first he just kissed her, exploring her mouth as if it were the first time; then his hands began to move over her body, following the trail the water was taking and smoothing across her shoulder then down her chest to capture one breast. Seonaid clutched at his neck when he suddenly broke the kiss and tipped her back to claim her nipple between his lips. She sighed and moaned and arched into his hardness, rubbing against him eagerly as he suckled.

  When he started to back her up, Seonaid wasn't prepared and stumbled, nearly losing her footing, but Blake held her up and continued moving her backward until they were out of the waterfall and pressed up against the rock it curtained. It was like being cocooned in a storm, the water thundering around them, leaving a fine mist to make everything look soft and almost ethereal.

  Seonaid ran her hands over her husband's chest, enjoying his strength and hardness, then let one hand drop to catch his erection as he bent to kiss her again. His own hands were not dormant, but moved over her body, caressing and teasing before seeking the heat at the center of her. Seonaid moaned into his mouth, her legs spreading farther apart to encourage him as he caressed her.

  When he caught one leg under her thigh and lifted it to his hip, Seonaid was more than ready and lifted the other of her own accord to wrap around him. She shuddered, pressing back into the rock as he entered her, her eyes closing and a moan sliding from her lips. Seonaid loved it when he was inside her. His kisses and caresses were exciting, and when he put his mouth to her womanhood he could drive her over the moon, but she liked it best when he was inside, their bodies merged and rubbing together with every stroke.

  Seonaid clutched the muscles of his shoulders and nipped at his ear as he made love to her. Blake immediately turned his head to kiss her and continued to do so until the very end, when he tore his mouth away and they both cried out as they found relief.

  *

  "Little George says we are in England now."

  "Aye. Blake said we crossed the border shortly after noon," Seonaid agreed. It was the third evening of their journey, and again they had traveled at a more relaxed pace. Blake didn't seem to be in any hurry to reach Sherwell, and Seonaid didn't mind one wit. She was enjoying the trip.

  Now they had stopped for the night along a river, and the men had offered to make camp while the women tended to their personal needs. Seonaid had been rather disappointed at the arrangement--she would have liked a chance to be alone with Blake again as they had been the night before. She'd not soon forget their sojourn at the waterfall.

  Both women were quick about their ablutions and eager to return to the men. They reached the clearing just as Blake and Little George stepped out of the trees from another direction. Despite how quick Seonaid thought she and Aeldra had been, the men had apparently managed to tend to the horses and gather wood for a fire, then find a spot farther along the curving river and clean up in the same amount of time.

  "I was thinking a rabbit might taste good over the fire," Little George announced as Seonaid and Aeldra joined the men.

  "Sounds good," Blake said, setting his boots by a fallen log and bending to start work at lighting the fire he and Little George had built.

  Little George grunted, then glanced at Aeldra. "Care to help me hunt one up?"

  Grinning, Aeldra caught his hand in hers and rambled into the woods with her husband. Seonaid watched them go, once again marveling at th
e odd couple they made, then settled to sit on the log Blake had set his boots next to. Her gaze wandered from the boots to her husband as he worked, and she smiled slightly. Obviously he had not put them back on after his dip in the river. Her gaze dropped to his defenseless feet and her expression turned from a smile to an evil grin. She did so love tickling her husband. It always amazed her that the man who was proving to be so strong and commanding as a mate could become an almost paralyzed mass of helpless flesh when she tackled his feet. Did his enemies know this weakness, the man would have been dead long ago.

  "There." Blake finished fiddling with the fire, brushed his hands together, and moved to sit beside Seonaid.

  They sat in a companionable silence for a bit; then Blake mentioned that they were not that far from his friend Amaury's home, Eberhardt. Seonaid had heard the name before. In the week since their marriage, Blake had spoken of the man often during their quiet times. It was obvious he was a good friend to her husband, almost as close as a brother.

  Of the many amusing tales Blake had told her about Amaury, her favorite was the one of how Amaury had been ordered by his king to marry Emmalene Eberhardt. Thinking her an ugly old hag whose husband had killed himself rather than bed her, Amaury had been less than eager to make the match. The man had dragged his feet about arriving to marry her only to find she was a beautiful, capable little blonde who could shoot an arrow better than most of the soldiers who fought under them.

  Blake had spoken with admiration and affection about both his friend and the man's new wife, and Seonaid always enjoyed the tales he shared about them. She found that if she listened carefully, she learned as much about her husband as about the people he spoke of, so she encouraged his talking. As she did now.

  But as fascinating as his story was, she again found her gaze sliding to Blake's bare feet, and eventually she found herself contemplating how best to tickle them without giving away her intention. She couldn't reach them from where she was sitting, but if she shifted to grab at them, her husband would be smart enough to suspect what she was about and whip them out of the way. She had gone after his feet every night at Dunbar after discovering his weakness. In fact, it had become something of a game. Seonaid would go after his feet and the tickling would turn into a wrestling match that ended with their making love. It was a game she rather enjoyed, and one she was sure Blake enjoyed as well, or he wouldn't leave his bare feet out to tempt her so often.