Highlander’s Wicked Temptation: A Steamy Scottish Historical Romance Novel

by Maddie MacKenna

  “But ye’re bleedin’,” Hugh said moving to her. “How did that happen to ye?”

  “She stumbled in the night,” Jude said as he walked over to Hugh and placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “The land is rough and riddled with nooks. One can easily trip. But I think it’s time we pack up.”

  Why is he lying for me? Surely, he must have a reason. Or is he trying to spare me from his company’s wrath?

  Cleopatra stole a glance at Jude and she instantly found her answer in his tender gaze. As if she could read his mind, she understood why he would never bring up such a thing again. Honor. She had shown bravery to venture away despite it being a feeble attempt. And he wasn’t about to admit that he almost lost her to the elements.

  “Faither,” Hugh started to whine as Cleopatra glanced to Jude a moment before dropping her eyes. Relief washed through her. The last thing she wanted was to rehash last night’s events.

  “Come, Hugh, we need to keep goin’. The castle is still far away and it’s best we get there sooner rather than later,” Jude said as Cleopatra slipped her shoes back on and tossed her skirt to her ankles. She straightened her shoulders and smiled.

  “Come now,” she said. “Your father is right. If it is time to go, we need to head out. Hugh, will you help me clean the cave a bit and get things ready?”

  Hugh’s face scrunched as he tilted his head. Pausing a moment, Cleopatra watched as Hugh debated on what he wanted to do before his face lit up.

  “Aye, I’ll help,” he said, glancing up to see if his father approved. Jude gave a sharp nod, and the boy took off toward the cave.

  “Ye’re good with him,” Jude said.

  “Perhaps,” Cleopatra said, looking to the ground.

  “How’s yer leg?” he asked arching an eyebrow as his eyes scanned the hem of her skirt.

  “It is fine,” she said despite the throbbing pain running up her leg. She kept her eyes on him as her heart quickened to find he too was watching her. Heat flooded her face as she tucked the loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  Jude reached out for her and the moment his fingers grazed her skin, she felt a spark shoot through her finger to her toes. Her heart quickened at his gentle touch as a pang of regret balled in her stomach.

  “Cleo,” Hugh called out to her. Jude dropped his hand instantly and straightened his shoulders back as he turned his attention to Hugh. “Look, there. What is that?”

  Smiling, Cleopatra walked over to Hugh and leaned down as the boy pointed out the birds flying overhead.

  “Those are magpies,” Cleopatra said.

  “How do ye ken so much?” Hugh asked looking at her in awe.

  “Well,” Cleopatra started as she shifted her attention to Jude as he walked by them. “Books offer a lot of information. You’ll be surprised at what you can learn from them.”

  Hugh dropped his head as the smile faded from his face. “I daenae ken how to read.”

  “Perhaps the Laird will allow me to teach you,” Cleopatra said glancing to Jude. “After all, it would make you a better leader in the long run.”

  Hugh looked up at her, eyes wide. The smile was back on his face and he beamed with hope. He rushed from her side as she rose and kept her eyes on Jude and Hugh. The bond between Jude and Hugh was more than what Cleopatra had with her father. It was as clear as day that they both adored each other. It made Cleopatra feel left out. A part of her soul ached for such a relationship.

  I should not have said that. How cruel would it be if Jude denies his son the pleasures of reading? Would I go behind Jude’s back and teach the boy?

  Cleopatra’s heart sank as she realized that Jude may indeed tell his son he can’t learn to read. Pressing her lips into a tight line, she waited for the swift answer. The shrill of laughter filled her ears and she whipped her head up.

  “Aye,” Jude said catching Cleopatra’s attention. Hugh rushed back over and jumped up as he tugged on Cleopatra’s skirt.

  “He said aye, ye can teach me,” Hugh said. Cleopatra nodded as she pushed aside her loneliness.

  “When we get back to your father’s castle, I will begin your lessons,” Cleopatra said as she took Hugh by the hand. “For now, though, we must do as your father has requested and pack up.”

  Hugh tagged alongside Cleopatra, helping her put out the fire as the men around them kept a keen eye on them. In the corner of her eye, she noticed the horses begin being rounded up. Once the fire was extinguished, Cleopatra heard Jude call for her. She felt her muscles tighten as he moved to her.

  “Ye’re with me,” he said.

  There was a part of her that was thrilled with the idea of riding with Jude again, but it warred with the fact that he was the one stealing her away. As she struggled with her conflicting emotions, she walked with Jude to the horse.

  “Up ye go,” he said. Her heart fluttered as Jude curled his fingers around her small waist and helped her into the saddle. Glancing over her shoulder, she stole one last glimpse of the unfamiliar terrain. It was a lovely place with its greenery and twisted trees, but her heart sank to her stomach knowing she was well beyond her father’s lands.

  Will I ever see the cottage again? Will fate ever bring me back home?

  Jude slipped behind her and kept his arms around her as he dug his heels into the side of the horse. With a jolt, the horse began trotting as the other men followed closely. Cleopatra’s body tensed as she felt Jude’s body consuming her.

  As they began the trek through the desolate and barren land, the mountain grew closer with each passing hour. With each mile they took, she knew she was one step further away from her home.

  “Why are you doing this?” Cleopatra asked as the day drew on. “You don’t need me. And whatever ransom you think you’ll get from my father, you won’t.”

  “Ye really think yer faither is that cruel?” Jude asked. His voice was deep, and it sent shockwaves through her as his breath tickled her neck when he spoke.

  “I know he is,” Cleopatra said. “He won’t give in to your demands. Besides, you have your son. Isn’t that enough? What are you proving by stealing me away?”

  The only thing Cleopatra heard was Jude’s heaving breathing in her ear. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. In the back of her mind, she knew her life was in his hands now.

  “Are you going to kill me? Is that what you’re planning to do with me?”

  “Ye think I’m that heartless?” Jude asked.

  Cleopatra found it odd how Jude’s tone seemed to cut through her. She did not know him or what he was capable of, but she wasn’t pleased knowing her fate was not in her hands.

  “We rest here,” Jude said in a booming voice that startled her as his voice bounced off the canyon walls. Jude pulled back on the reins and slipped off the saddle. Instantly Cleopatra felt the chill in the air on her back and shivered. “Off,” Jude said reaching up for her. “The horses need to rest too.”

  Carefully, Cleopatra slipped down slowly, testing the ground before releasing her grip on the saddle. The last thing she wanted was to stumble into Jude once again.

  Exhausted and with her backside aching, Cleopatra hobbled to the nearest boulder and leaned against it. She had been sitting for so long, her legs and back had lost all feeling.

  “Are ye all right?” Jude asked as he walked over to her. She nodded without saying a word, knowing her voice would give away the pain she was feeling. Regaining her strength, she glanced up to Jude.

  “How much further?” she asked, trying not to let her voice crack or sound as if she was complaining.

  “We have at least two more days.”

  “Through the mountains?” Cleopatra glanced to the narrow path before them. Her heart sank into her stomach as she noticed the boulders that she would have to climb over. Pity filled her as she glanced to the horses, knowing they would have a more difficult time squeezing through the narrow passage than she would.

  Jude laughed as he shook his head. “Nay, we�
�ll be through the worse of this in an hour. Keep up. I will nae be carryin’ ye.”

  Feeling her heart sink even further, Jude extended his hand out to her. Begrudgingly she took it and rose to her feet. Although she wasn’t sure she’d be able to make the journey, she wasn’t about to give up. After all, she was determined to make it home on her own, at least for the time being.

  “Keep movin’,” Jude said as the men rose from their resting places alongside the trail and began making the trek over the boulders. Jude stayed behind with her and flashed a smile as if to encourage her to go just one more step and then another. “I’ll go first,” Jude said as he maneuvered through the two boulders blocking the path.

  Cleopatra watched and tried to remember where he placed his foot so she could do the same. As she sucked in her belly to squeeze between the rocks, she felt Jude’s warm hand on hers for support. He guided her through the worst parts and with each treacherous area they passed, the more Cleopatra found the ice melting around her heart.

  Perhaps he is not the brute I suspected him to be. After all, he’s shown me nothing but kindness these past few days. He could have left me to the wild dogs. And Jude certainly didn’t have to help me through the passes.

  Cleopatra glanced at Jude. In the depths of his gaze, she noticed something about the way he cared for her. It was a gentle touch, a guiding hand, a lingering gaze in her direction that sent her heart fluttering.

  To Cleopatra’s surprise, they reached the other side of the mountain. Her eyes widened as she noticed the wild and new land spread out before her. Green fields lingered under the blanket of fog and clouds. The trees were not as twisted and warped as they had been before, but rose up out of the ground with their branches stretching towards the sky. A river snaked through the green fields and she knew at once, she was no longer in her father’s realm.

  “Do ye see that in the distance? That speck on the hill over there?” Jude asked as he leaned closer to her.

  Cleopatra’s eyes narrowed as she cupped her hand to her brow. Lingering on the horizon she spied a castle rising up out of the clouds. It was like a fairy tale castle she had once read in a book back home.

  “That’s your home?” she asked without turning to Jude.

  “Aye,” he said. “And it could be yers as well, if ye so wished.” Cleopatra pulled her eyes off the majestic scenery to look at Jude, but he had slipped away from her and was heading down the path to meet up with his men and Hugh.

  Cleopatra hobbled down the flat and widening path. Conflicting emotions raced through her as she met up with the others. Uncertain of what Jude meant, she broke away from the group and kept going toward the castle.

  “Where are ye goin’ lass?” Ronan asked as he reached out his arm to stop her from passing him. Dazed, she looked at him.

  “To the castle,” she answered.

  “Nae today, we’re pitchin’ camp here,” he said. “The men will be bringin’ the horses through the pass soon enough. We’ll wait for them before we start off again.”

  “But—” Cleopatra started as she glanced over her shoulder to find Hugh and Jude huddled together.

  “The sun sets quickly in these parts,” Ronan said as he turned his attention to sharpening his sword. “Rest easy, we’re almost there. Ye might want to fetch some firewood. It’ll be cold tonight with the winds comin’ down off the mountain.”

  Cleopatra glanced around the area. There were hardly any dry branches on the ground or any trees that she could access, so she needed to walk away to find some. As she carved a path through the fields gathering what she could, she glanced up to the sky.

  The clouds parted and she caught her breath. The soft hues of night drifted through the speckled clouds. It looked as if heaven opened up just for her. She spun around as diamonds sparkled above her head, each being called out one by one.

  “Lovely, are they nae?”

  Cleopatra jumped as she noticed Jude standing behind her with his hands cupped in front of him. He moved toward her. Not like the stalking he had done before when he snatched her from her home, but a steady pace that showed her no ill will or malice.

  “Yes, they are,” she answered.

  “I just wanted to thank ye for offerin’ to teach me son,” Jude said lowering his head. “That will be grand of ye.”

  “Of course, every ruler should have some education. It is the only way to be prosperous.”

  “Aye,” Jude said, tilting his head in thought.

  Cleopatra studied Jude as he stopped beside her. There was a sadness in his eyes that she couldn’t understand. For a moment she wondered if she should pull him from his thoughts, but the silence offered her comfort she wasn’t willing to give up just yet.

  “Do ye ken much about the stars?” Jude asked. Cleopatra shook her head.

  “No. Those books were reserved in my father’s study. It was very rare for me to get my hands on them. In fact, most of my father’s books were off limits.”

  “Would ye like to?” he asked shifting his gaze to her.

  The silver moonlight drifted through the clouds and as it hit Jude’s face, Cleopatra found herself stunned by what she saw. The mask Jude had worn seemed to have lifted and underneath, she saw a handsome man, stern and fierce, but kindhearted and gentle. The wrinkles on his brow vanished before her eyes as he moved closer to her.

  “When the boy goes to bed, I’ll show ye,” Jude said with a hint of a smile that sent Cleopatra’s heart racing.

  6

  The crackling fire warmed Jude’s face as he sat beside Hugh. Over the popping of the wood, he listened to his men spinning tales through the night. Glancing to Cleo, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. Her blonde hair drifted with the wind as it kicked up around them, but it was her dark eyes that drew him to her. They were fearless in the wilds of the night.

  “Cleo,” Hugh’s small voice rose up over the laughter of the men. “Do you know of any stories?”

  Cleo looked around at each of them. Jude could see the shock in her eyes, but she quickly reined it back proving to him once again how in control she was. She was nothing like the Earl had claimed. She was far from being weak and helpless, she had fire that burned deep within her that seemed to spark brighter with each passing day.

  “Aye,” Jude said clearing his throat. “Surely, ye must have some tale to spin. After all, ye have read many books, have ye nae?”

  “Well, yes,” Cleo said twisting her fingers together. “I have read many books.”

  “Then out with it, lass,” Ronan said, scooting closer to the fire as he kept his eyes locked on Cleo’s face. She pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes a moment.

  Jude watched as she rolled her head and shoulders as if to relax or pull forth a tale from the depths of her mind.

  When her eyes opened, they looked ebony, all color had faded from them. A wicked grin stretched across her lips. Her eyes narrowed as she paused to stare each of them in the eye.

  “Tell me, Hugh, have you ever stopped by a river or pond where there are rocks stacked high to the sky in the middle?”

  Jude glanced to Hugh as the boy shook his head slowly. It was clear, by the soothing tone of her voice, she had already pulled Hugh into the story, for the boy inched closer to Jude involuntarily as a wicked grin tugged at the corners of Cleo’s lips.

  “On the distant shores of Loch Garve, a weary traveler must keep their wits about them at all times. For there is a tale of a beautiful girl, with flowing golden hair that once traveled those parts unafraid. She would walk along those distant shores each day picking the wild flowers that grew on the banks. And each night, she would return to her home only to long to be out there once again.

  “One day, as she was out plucking the flowers for her mother, she spotted a magnificent stallion racing along the bank. It was like no other horse she had seen before. Its mane flowed like the clouds and when it raced by her, she thought she could hear thunder clapping as each hoof fell to the ground. She was mystified
by the stallion and its mightiness. It was as if she was lured to it by an unseen force, begging for her to approach it. In the back of the girl’s mind, she recalled her mother’s warning to never approach such a creature on the loch.

  “Glancing over her shoulder, the girl spied the village not far from where she was at. In her mind the poor girl believed the horse to belong to one of the villagers. Thinking that the horse was merely heading back to the village, she approached the stallion. As she stepped closer, her foot slipped into the nook of a rock and she crashed to the ground. Pain shot up through her leg and she let out a scream, but the steed did not cower at the sound she made, he stepped closer to her as if to offer her help.