Captured Hearts and Stolen Kisses

by Ceci Giltenan et al.

  “Alistair, can ye finish the job from here?”

  “Aye,” the quartermaster nodded. “Just get him back safely, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

  Slowly, he and Iain both made their way over the grassy hill to the field behind The Salty Wench. Every few steps another drop of red would fall upon the ground, leaving a trail back the way they came. When they were in sight of the building, Elspeth came rushing out to see what had happened. “Good heavens! What happened?”

  “Nae of yer concern.”

  Graeme cast Iain a warning glare and told her, “I’m afraid there was an incident, Iain’s cut his hand. It needs to be cleaned, and possibly needs stitches, too.”

  Elspeth nodded. “Let’s get him inside and I’ll take a look.”

  She offered Iain her hand for support and he brushed her off dismissively. Bess must have seen them coming because when they made it to the kitchen she had already cleared a table. Iain scoffed at the attention, but Graeme placed his hands on his crewmate’s shoulders and forced him into the chair.

  He sat down in the booth across from them and watched as she began to clean his wound.

  “Ow!”

  She didn’t even look up from her technique and continued wiping away the blood. “Sorry, I need to see how bad it is before I can start,” Elspeth apologized.

  “Nae one asked fer yer opinion,” Iain snapped. “The only reason I’m here is because Graeme insisted.”

  There was a pause as Elspeth set down the cloth and said, “I take it, ye dinnae like me much.”

  Iain sneered at her. “Nae, I think ye’re nothing but trouble. Ye dinnae belong on our ship, or in Castlebay—ye’re nae a MacNeil.”

  “Iain!”

  Elspeth nodded thoughtfully and picked up her needle and thread to start with Iain’s stitches.

  “It’s fine, Captain, he’s entitled to his opinion,” she told him. “It dinnae matter to me one way or another. Ye’re in a dangerous line of work though, and chances are ye’ll be under my care more than once. From where I sit, that means ye and I will have to trust each other.”

  Iain’s eyes narrowed as he listened to her speak, glancing down as she snipped the thread with a pair of scissors. Graeme sat back in his seat as the exchange took place, grinning with approval.

  She wrapped his hand with a clean piece of cloth and looked Iain directly in the eyes “I ken the captain warned about ending up on the wrong end of my blade, but I am here to say that it would simply never happen. That’s nae the way I am. Nae matter what happens, nae matter what ye say about me, I will never let emotion interfere with my work. While ye’re in my care, trust becomes a higher law. So, go on and treat me however ye think is fair, but when it comes to this,” she said, gesturing to the wound that she’d been treating. “Dinnae ever, ever question my intentions. That goes fer ye, or any other member of our crew. Whether I’m a MacNeil or nae is irrelevant because in that moment, nothing else matters. Do ye understand?”

  Iain swallowed hard and nodded at her finality.

  Meanwhile, Graeme was listening to everything she said and couldn’t help but smile. He had never been more appreciative, or attracted, to a woman in all his life.

  Elspeth MacDougall, ye’re magnificent.

  Iain pulled back his hand and cradled it against his chest while mumbling a “Thank ye.”

  Graeme turned to him and said, “Go back home and rest. I need ye healed up before we sail.”

  The man stood up and bowed at his dismissal, casting one last glance in Elspeth’s direction before heading through the door.

  Graeme waited until he was gone and then cleared his throat, saying, “Ye continue to impress me, Elspeth. How is it that ye come to have such reverence fer the healing arts?”

  She paused from gathering her tools. “My mam died from a sickness shortly after Glen was born. I remember feeling helpless...there was nothing I could do to save her. I never wanted to feel that way again. When Da started getting into fights, there were injuries I could see—it was something I could fix.”

  Graeme nodded in understanding. “That sounds reasonable.”

  “It’s nae that I intended fer this to happen, the job just sort of fell on me. There was nae one else to take care of him or the boys, so I did. I learned how to stitch because they needed it, I learned the rest because it fascinates me. I liked being able to help. I liked being able to do something that would make a lasting difference in their lives.”

  The tenor of her voice was laced with passion and Graeme’s mouth edged up into a smile as he listened to her talk.

  “Life can bring things we did nae expect,” he told her simply. “I like to think they shape who we become. Ye made the best of an unfortunate situation and used that opportunity to learn a valuable skill. How many in yer place would be able to say the same?”

  Elspeth blushed. “We all have different gifts, just like ye with yer fencing. It’s nae something ye were born with, it came from years of practice.”

  “I guess I’d never thought of it like that.”

  A moment of silence passed between them and her smile widened. His eyes drifted to the freckle on her lip and he thought…So beautiful. I would like to kiss that mouth. Kiss, and so much more.

  Chapter 15

  Two days later, Elspeth sat in the The Salty Wench with Graeme’s crew, passing around a dark brown bottle of pungent liquor. Their tables were covered with dirty dishes and half empty tankards left over from the evening. Though she did not join their drinking games, the men on Graeme’s crew had warmed to her considerably. She was finally getting along with them, and it felt marvelous to be included.

  On this particular evening, they were talking about their wives and children. Graeme sat on one of the chairs across from them, listening to the conversation and would chime in whenever necessary. His black hair hung down like black curtains on either side of his face when his eyes drifted over to her with a smirk.

  Elspeth watched him lift the tankard to his lips and press them gently against the rim to have a drink. Her mouth ran dry, thinking of what else his lips could do. She thought back to his comment about one day she’d be asking him to kiss her and she felt her cheeks get hot. Elspeth turned away before anyone noticed and cast her eyes toward the table.

  Alistair waved the bottle her direction and said, “Have a drink with us, Ellie. It will raise yer spirits.”

  She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Ellie?”

  The quartermaster nodded. “It’s what we’ve been calling ye when yer nae around.”

  Graeme scoffed and leaned over to say, “Think of it as a compliment. It means the men consider ye one of them.”

  Elspeth smiled, mulling it over in her head and told them, “Ellie...I think I like it.”

  Graeme chuckled, taking another puff from his pipe. “Good, because so do I.”

  “So, what do ye say? Do ye want some?”

  She cleared her throat uncomfortably, looking back at the men all staring at her and set her bowl of stew aside. “I’ve never had anything this strong before,” she admitted. “My da is a bit of a drunk, and I always worried if I started down that path the same curse would come to me.”

  Alistair’s expression fell and he lowered the bottle with a look of understanding. “Sorry, I dinnae ken…”

  Elspeth shrugged. “It’s the truth. ‘Tis why I dinnae like to talk about him. Mam died a couple years ago, and he never recovered.”

  “I ken yer da,” Graeme interrupted. “And believe me when I say, ye’re nothing like him.”

  “Why do ye say that?”

  “Because ye care about the consequences of yer actions. The fact that ye’re worried about it to begin with means ye’re a leg up on him already. Whether ye choose to drink or nae is up to ye, but I dinnae think ye have anything to worry about.”

  Elspeth blushed, reaching out to pick up the bottle from the table. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try,” she laughed. “If I were to ever start drinking, I sup
pose now would be the time.”

  The men cheered as Elspeth lifted the bottle to her lips and the rich, pungent liquid dripped down into her throat. It was sweet, foul, and bitter all at the same time. The fumes of the alcohol assaulted her nostrils and she cringed, nearly spitting out the contents.

  “Blech!” she gasped, holding the bottle at arms-length and gasping for air.

  The men roared with laughter, including Graeme, as she wiped a drop away from her chin. Alistair took the bottle back from her and had a hefty drink himself before setting it on the table. “Nae yer preference?”

  “Ugh, ‘tis disgusting,” she responded bitterly. “How do ye drink that stuff?”

  Graeme chuckled, blowing out a puff of smoke from the pipe in his hand. “It’s an acquired taste, and nae so much about the flavor as the way it makes ye feel afterwards.”

  “Then I say ye can have it fer yerselves. I’ll have none of it.”

  He shrugged. “Suit yerself. That means there’s more fer us.”

  The hours dragged on and the conversation lagged until the men started heading home. There were only a few of them left when Elspeth carried the dishes back to the kitchen and deposited them in the wash bin. When she turned around Graeme was leaning against the door frame with an impish smile. The sight of him caused her heart to flutter and she cursed herself internally.

  Ye’ve got to stop, she scolded. Ye cannae react to him that way.

  “It’s been quite a day,” he stated.

  “Aye.”

  She placed her hand on the railing to go upstairs, but Graeme stepped out in front of her. He blocked Elspeth’s path by bracing his arm on the wall and said, “Are ye upset with me?”

  Elspeth looked up at him surprised. “Nae…”

  “They why are ye afraid to look at me?”

  “What are ye talking about?”

  “Ye’ve been acting strangely the past few days, and now ye will nae even look at me. What did I do that’s wrong?”

  Elspeth’s stomach flipped. “Nothing. Ye dinnae do anything,” she assured him. “I’m just confused.”

  Graeme lowered his arm to let her pass and dropped his gaze toward the floor. “I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  She glanced back toward the dining room and saw the candles had been put out. It was only the two of them remaining, everyone else had gone home for the night. Bess had left them to close the tavern and was already in her bed asleep. Knowing they were alone together both frightened and excited her. Elspeth wet her lips, trying to figure out what to say.

  “I’m nae sure what I want. Staying here in Castlebay is nae at all what I expected. I wanted to hate ye. I really did, I wanted to blame ye fer bringing me here and taking me away from my family. But what ye said the other week was true, its nae yer fault. I wanted a lot of things,” she admitted. “But I cannae hate ye, Graeme, because bringing me to Castlebay may have been the best thing that ever happened to me…and I dinnae ken what that means.”

  When he moved toward her, Elspeth swallowed the lump rising in her throat. Graeme reached out to brush the hair from the side of her face and she felt her heartbeat quicken. He pulled the golden waves to the side of her neck and stood so close Elspeth could feel his breath upon her skin.

  She craned her neck to look at him and Graeme leaned in to whisper, “I told myself that I wouldn’t kiss ye unless ye asked me to, but Christ woman, ye are testing my restraint…”

  He trailed off by placing his lips on the side of her neck and pressing them against her skin. Elspeth gasped, leaning into him with every nerve alight with expectation. One of his hands gently grazed the skin of her collarbone while the other splayed out across her waist to admire her feminine curves.

  “Graeme…”

  When she breathed the word, it came out like a sigh and a rumble came from deep within his chest. “Ye said my name again,” he whispered. “I love hearing that, but I wonder if I could make ye scream it next time.”

  She smiled, looking up at him and saying, “Do ye want to find out?”

  He growled again and breathed out huskily. “Elspeth, I could do such things to ye. Things that would make yer body wild.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and she gathered up her courage to whisper, “I think I would like that.”

  Elspeth felt him smile against her shoulder as he trailed a line of kisses toward her neck. “Then all ye have to do is ask.”

  “I am. I’m asking ye to kiss me.”

  The words had barely left her mouth when Graeme spun her around and pressed Elspeth back against the stairwell. His lips and hands were on her instantly, eagerly granting the request. She gasped as the two of them collided. Elspeth could feel his need rising when she kissed him back, knotting her fingers in his long black hair. As their connection deepened, her lips parted slightly and Graeme’s tongue dipped its way inside.

  No man had ever kissed her thus. No man had ever kissed her.

  When their lips finally broke she was panting heavily. Graeme hung his head to catch his breath and pulled away from Elspeth to press his hand against the wall behind her.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  Graeme shook his head and gave a throaty laugh. “Nae, quite the contrary—ye’re doing everything right. I had to stop before getting carried away with myself. Ye…seem to bring out the worst in me.”

  Elspeth rested her hands against his chest and said, “Is it always like that?”

  “It is if it’s with the right partner.”

  Graeme leaned in to kiss her once again—but it was softer this time. His lips lingered on hers for a moment before pulling away to look her in the eyes. For what felt like an eternity, neither of them spoke.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked her quietly, tracing his finger against the line of her jaw.

  “I … I was afraid ye wanted more.”

  “I’m always wanting more,” he responded with a smile. “But I’d never take ye against yer will—I prefer my women wanting. My desire fer ye aside, I want ye to ken my bed is always open to ye…even if warmth and comfort is all that ye desire.”

  “Thank ye…”

  Her eyes were fixated on the shape of his mouth when he spoke, and the curve of his lips which had been kissing her so sweetly moments before.

  Graeme nodded. “If ye ever change yer mind and find yerself wanting more…that’s open to ye as well. I would gladly take ye in every way imaginable.”

  His steel gray eyes bore into her and Elspeth felt her cheeks get hot and she nodded. Graeme turned to walk up the stairs and left dumbfounded, wondering what on earth just happened.

  Chapter 16

  Graeme sighed when sunlight woke him, and he rolled over in bed alone. It was a restless night and his dreams were of the gorgeous surgeon sleeping down the hall. There was no denying he felt something for her—stronger than he’d felt for any other lass that had come his way. Women came and went in his own experience, yet Elspeth remained. It baffled him how she was able to confound him so completely in such a short amount of time. Elspeth was definitely not like the other women he had known.

  She kissed me back, he thought.

  That alone was enough to bring a smile to his lips and encourage him to get started on the day. It was the day his men had agreed to sail. They’d been ashore long enough, and it was time for them to go in search of another prize.

  Why did I have to kiss her the night before we were going to leave? There was no time fer us to talk about it. Worse, there was no time fer us to explore it either.

  With a groan, he climbed out of the bed and donned some clothes before glancing out the window. Kisimul castle stood on its island rock in the bay, with the vast blue sea beyond. The sea with its adventure and penchant for getting them in danger was the most exhilarating thing Graeme could imagine. Though Elspeth was a close second.

  He quickly threw a change of clothes into the sack on his bed and then tossed it over his shoulder before heading down the stai
rs. There was no telling how long they’d be gone this time and he wanted to be prepared for anything.

  When he came down into the kitchen with the sack slung over his shoulder, Bess took one look at him and sighed. “Are ye heading out today? I thought ye could at least wait until the week’s end.”

  Graeme nodded, grabbing a piece of bannock from the table. “I’m sorry, Bess. We’ve lingered in Castlebay long enough, it’s time we head out.”

  His aunt sighed, placing one of her hands against her hip. “I’m sorry to see ye go, but it does comfort me to ken that if ye run into trouble there is already a skilled surgeon on board. Elspeth is very fond of ye.”

  Graeme raised an eyebrow at the sentiment and bit into his food while taking a step toward her. “I’m rather fond of her, too.”

  “How fond?” his aunt inquired. “Have ye given any thought to our previous discussion?”

  Graeme rolled his eyes and scoffed. “I’m nae going to have this conversation with ye, Bess. Ye already ken I care about her.”

  His aunt nodded and turned her attention back to cooking. “I’m nae going to pry, but if ye care about her the way I think ye do, it’s imperative ye make those intentions clear. The laird denied Jamie’s request to marry, but that dinnae have to be the case when it comes to ye. Ye should speak with him at once.”

  “That’s a wee bit premature dinnae ye think?”

  Bess fixed him in her gaze and frowned. “Nae. My experience with the laird has taught me to err on the side of caution. I dinnae want to see ye get hurt.”

  Graeme sighed. “I appreciate yer concern sweet aunt. However, Elspeth has a mind of her own. Our agreement was that I return Elspeth to her village when her father’s debt is paid. Even if I wanted her to stay, that’s nae up to me. If things change between us I promise to revisit the issue without haste, but until that happens I would appreciate ye trusting me.”

  Bess nodded. “I like her, Graeme.”

  One edge of his lips turned up into a smile. “I like her, too.”

  She sighed, ripping off a piece of bannock for herself. “If ye’re interested in another lead, I may have something that could be of help.”