Siren of the Highlands: Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance (Highlanders of Cherrythorn)

by Kenna Kendrick

  His words made her laugh and banished the darkness that had been welling up within her. That was the effect he had on her. He could shine a light down on even the darkest places inside of her. But fragments of her trepidation remained. She still did not like the idea of being a spy inside her brother’s keep.

  “We are doing this for Gillian,” she said as if reminding herself.

  Fin nodded. “Aye. We’re doin’ this for Gillian.”

  Ivy clenched her jaw and tried to quiet the voices in her mind that continued to whisper to her about loyalty to her family. Protecting her family. It was something her father had drilled into them as children - no matter what happens or what they do, always protect the family. The family always comes first.

  But Gillian is family too, is she not? I love her as I would love a sister. And if Castor tried to harm her, it is my duty to see that justice is done upon him.

  “Are ye all right?”

  She looked up at the big Scotsman and smiled warmly. “Yes. I am just trying to reconcile all of this in my own mind,” she said softly. “It is a lot to take in.”

  He nodded. “Aye. I understand. If somebody asked me tae spy on Col, I reckon I’d be feelin’ the same way ye are right now.”

  She nodded. “Yes. It is difficult,” she replied. “But it is the right thing to do. Gillian is a sister to me.”

  Fin pursed his lips and nodded, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he just continued staring down at her, those rich, dark eyes of his filling her with a growing warmth and a flutter in places that made her blush. She tried to banish those thoughts knowing how improper and inappropriate they were.

  “Also, there is the possibility that you will find nothing,” she said, trying to muster some cheer. “It is possible that Castor had nothing to do with the assassination attempts.”

  Fin put on a smile that, to her eyes, looked wooden and false. “Aye. Tis a possibility.”

  Ivy looked up to the sky and watched the clouds overhead as they grew thicker and darker. What was left of the afternoon sunlight was already starting to grow dim, and a chill wind suddenly swept through the abandoned village, carrying with it the whispered promise of rain.

  “We do not have much time left before I must return,” she said. “I do not wish to be caught in the rain.”

  Fin nodded. “Aye. I daenae want ye tae be caught in the rain either,” he said. “But, I hope that two days from now ye’ll meet me here again.”

  Ivy’s face flushed, and she looked down at the ground, her heart thumping wildly inside of her. She knew it would be scandalous if she were caught out here with Fin. She knew her brother would come unhinged and would no doubt seek to punish her harshly for behaving so improperly and in such an unladylike way. He would be incensed by his perception that she tarnished the family name. That she behaved like a common harlot.

  There were a thousand different reasons Ivy knew she should not agree to meet Fin again. And yet, as she looked into his eyes, those reasons all fell away, and all she could see was his face and those dark sultry eyes. Her body longed for his touch, longed to know what he felt like beneath hers. It was improper, but Ivy was drawn to him physically, every bit as strongly as her heart called out for him.

  “I - I would like to see you again,” she asked.

  He nodded. “Aye. I’d like tae spend more time with ye.”

  “I just — I am worried, Castor…”

  She did not finish the sentence, but she could see by the expression on Fin’s face that she didn’t need to. He understood without her spelling it out for him.

  “Tell ye what,” he said. “I’ll be here by midday at the latest. And if ye can come, I’d like tae see ye. But nay pressure. If you cannae get away, I understand.”

  Ivy smiled. He had given her a way out if she chose to take it. Everything inside of her wanted to say yes, but her mind could not quite make the turn just yet. She still worried about being found out by Castor and what he might do.

  “Daenae do anythin’ rash. If ye cannae get away without bein’ found out, I’ll come back tae Elix on me own and we can talk about - what we need to talk about,” he said. “And we can spend some quiet time together since I doubt yer braither will want tae be ‘round me much.”

  Ivy nodded and laughed softly. “No, I do not think spending time with you is at the top of his list of things he would like to do.”

  “Tae be fair, spendin’ time with him’s nae at the top of ma list either.”

  She laughed as Fin took her by the hand and led her back to her horse. He put his hands on her waist and stepped closer to her, their gazes locked, the air between them crackling with a sense of anticipation. Perhaps a sense of expectation. Whatever it was, Ivy felt as if her skin was on fire. She licked her lips, which were suddenly dry and swallowed hard.

  His eyes smoldered, and there was a tension in his body that matched her own. A shudder passed through her that made her knees feel weak. If Fin hadn’t been holding onto her, Ivy was not sure she could have stood upright on her own. The space that surrounded them was charged and felt like the air right before a lightning strike. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and sent goosebumps marching across her flesh.

  Ivy’s mind swirled with a hundred different competing thoughts and emotions. She was filled with a longing and desire she’d never felt before, and it made her heart flutter wildly. She knew this was wrong and that she should not yearn for Fin’s touch. For his kiss. For more. Those things should be reserved for her husband. But Ivy could not deny that she wanted those things with Fin. Wanted them with everything in her, the desire so powerful, it nearly took her breath away.

  Slowly, as if drawn by some inexorable force, Fin leaned down, moving closer to her, and Ivy felt her breath quicken as her heart beat harder and faster than it ever had before. She felt as if it would explode inside of her, and she trembled wildly.

  “Wh - what are you doing?” she whispered.

  A gentle smile curled the corners of Fin’s mouth upward, but he said nothing. He leaned closer still, and when he pressed his lips to hers, Ivy felt an explosion of sensation rock her from head to toe. Her lips parted, and Fin’s tongue slid into her mouth, gently caressing hers, and Ivy drew in a sharp breath. But then she leaned into him, twirling her tongue around his as she gripped his forearms tightly.

  Her low murmur was lost in his mouth, and as their kiss deepened, she felt her longing and her desire flare like a bonfire inside of her. A heat she was not accustomed to burned low inside of her, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her most intimate parts.

  Slowly, Fin pulled back, his eyes still locked onto hers. Ivy was left nearly breathless, and for a long moment, completely senseless. Her body felt watery, weak, as if her legs were about to give out beneath her and send her tumbling to the ground. But Fin held her up, a warm smile on his face, and pulled her to him, embracing her tightly and giving her a moment to gather herself.

  Ivy extricated herself and took a step back, never breaking eye contact with him. Her body was consumed with a pleasure that was utterly foreign to her, but one that she relished. The smile on her face stretched from ear to ear, and she reveled in the sensations that still gripped her tightly.

  “Th - that was my first kiss,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  Fin grinned wolfishly and had a mischievous glint in his eye. “Aye. Mine tae.”

  Ivy burst into laughter and playfully slapped him on the chest. “Do not be so cheeky,” she said. “That was most definitely not your first kiss.”

  “Twas me first kiss with ye,” he grinned.

  “Cheeky.”

  “Tis the only way I ken how tae be.”

  He pulled her to him, enveloping her with his massive frame as he embraced her. It seemed to be with some regret that he stepped back and helped her onto her horse. She looked down at him, not wanting the moment to end, to remain there with him in that blissful bubble forever. But thunder rumbled in the dist
ance, bringing them both back to reality.

  “Ye should be gettin’ back,” he said.

  She nodded. “I will see you soon.”

  “In a couple of days, I hope,” he replied.

  She looked at him for a long moment, swaddled in a warm glow. The sunlight slanted down through the boughs above and cast him in a bright golden halo that made him even more handsome - something Ivy did not think possible.

  “I hope so too,” she said. “I truly do.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Fin

  Over the last few weeks, he and Ivy had met in their secret spot in Therline, claiming the razed village as their own. It was their haven. Seemingly the only place in the world they were free to be themselves, to not have to worry about rank or station, where they could just be Fin and Ivy.

  And over that time together, their feelings had grown by leaps and bounds. The infatuation Fin had felt for her had blossomed into something far stronger and far deeper than he had ever anticipated it becoming when they first met. She was a remarkable woman who moved him in ways he was still struggling to understand. Forget trying to explain it.

  All he knew for certain was that when he was with her, he felt alive in ways he never had before, and when he was not, his life felt a little emptier. He felt a little hollower and more incomplete. Being with Ivy gave his life shine and luster it didn’t normally have. And when he was not with her, he hungered and longed for it.

  “I have not seen or heard anything,” Ivy said, sounding frustrated. “Again.”

  “Tis all right,” he replied. “I’m still holdin’ out hope we’ll crack thae Irishman yet.”

  She cocked her head at him. “Irishman?”

  Fin nodded. “The assassin,” he replied as he poured them both another goblet of wine. “He’s an Irishman.”

  Ivy’s face clouded over, and she pursed her lips as she sat back on the blanket. She turned her face up to the sky, and Fin watched the way the sunlight made her skin glow warmly, and her icy blue eyes glitter like jewels. There was a thoughtful expression on her face, and she seemed to be considering something.

  “What is it?”

  She blew out a breath and turned to him, a smile on her face. “It is nothing.”

  “Are ye sure? Ye look like somethin’s botherin’ ye.”

  She shook her head. “It is nothing.”

  He sighed. “I’m sorry ye’re upset that I’m still lookin’ intae yer braither…”

  “I know. You have a job to do,” she replied softly. “I do not begrudge you that. It is just difficult for me.”

  “Aye. I ken,” he replied gently. “I’m tryin’ tae be as delicate as I can.”

  “And I appreciate that, Fin.”

  She fell silent, but her face clouded over for a moment. He knew there was more to what was happening inside of her. But she was obviously not comfortable sharing yet, so he was not going to push her, trusting that she would tell him when she was ready.

  After refilling their goblets, he put the stopper back into the bottle of wine and sat back, bracing himself on one arm. They sat at the edge of a rushing river having something to eat with the burbling sound of the water filling the woods around them. It blended with the sound of the song of hundreds of birds high up in the boughs, creating a chorus of nature’s beautiful music.

  Ivy turned to him with a smile. “Today has been perfect,” she said. “I cannot recall ever having had such a lovely day before. Thank you for this, Fin.”

  “Tis sad ye’ve never had a day like this before.”

  She gave him a small shrug. “I have never been courted. Castor has not allowed it,” she said. “But I am now glad he has not, for if he had, I would not be enjoying this wonderful day with you.”

  Fin’s smile was wide, and his heart lurched inside of him. She had a way about her that made him feel like an awkward lad. It struck him because he had never been an awkward lad, nor had he ever been shy around women. But something about Ivy made him feel and behave in ways that confounded him.

  He pulled her down into a kiss, and he felt his body reacting to her touch to the feel of her body pressed to his. Fin pulled back and looked her in the eye, the feelings of longing and desire surging through him like never before. Ivy’s breath caught in her throat, and he saw a glint in her eyes he had not seen before. A glint that stirred something deep inside of him.

  Heat and tension gripped his body as his heart lurched inside of him. Ivy’s cheeks were flushed, but her eyes glittered with desire, and that only heightened Fin’s arousal. He felt his loins stirring, and the tightness in Ivy’s body pressed to his sent a host of wicked thoughts scrolling through his mind.

  Fin had never desired a woman the way he desired Ivy. Though his body cried out for hers, it wasn’t just physical for him. He wanted not just her body, but her mind and heart as well. He wanted her in every way he could have her, mind, body, and soul.

  Fin took her goblet and set them both aside, then pulled her to him again, their mouths crashing together, and their tongues swirling together with frenetic energy. Ivy’s soft moans were lost in his mouth, and he laid her down gently, half-laying on top of her. She clung to him, her nails digging into his forearms as their kiss deepened, and the passion flowing between them soared to unknown heights.

  Fin kissed the hollow of her throat, sliding the tip of his tongue along her neck as Ivy pressed her head back into the soft earth that was beneath the blanket they lay on. He ran his fingers through her hair as his tongue dashed against hers. Fin felt himself growing harder, and his length thickening as Ivy inflamed his passion for her.

  He slid his hands up her body, and Ivy moaned as he cupped her breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze. He circled her stiff nipples with his thumb and felt her entire body stiffen beneath him. He pulled back and slid his hand off her body, looking down at her, unsure if she wanted him to continue. But she grabbed his hand and put it back onto her breast, then pulled him back down into a kiss that was steadily growing more intense. She gripped his hair and pulled it hard, sending a shudder through his body.

  Fingers quick and nimble, he unlaced her bodice, and with his heart fluttering in his chest, he opened the front of her dress, sliding his tongue from the hollow of her neck down to her cleavage. And the moment his tongue touched her nipple, Ivy let out a long, shuddering groan as her body tightened. Fin raised his head and locked eyes with her.

  “Is this all right?” he asked softly.

  A choked gasp burst from her throat, and she hesitated, but then quickly nodded, a light of near desperate need in her eyes. Fin was sure the same light was reflected in his own gaze. He pushed her dress all the way open, exposing her body to him for the first time, and Ivy let out a gasp, instinctively moving her hands to cover her own nakedness from him.

  Fin gently removed her hands and looked at her body, feeling himself grow impossibly hard, the need and desire inside consuming him like a wildfire. She shuddered as he planted gentle kisses upon her flesh, small moans passing her lips with each one.

  Fin slid down, and she raised her hips, letting him slide her dress down and off her body completely. Her cheeks flared with color, and she could not meet his eyes as his gaze roamed her entire body, taking in every inch of flesh from head to foot. Her smooth, alabaster skin glowed in the sunlight, her hair, the color of a raven’s wing was a contrast that accentuated it. The curves and swells of her body were intoxicating, and to Fin, she was a goddess made flesh. The living embodiment of beauty.

  “Ye are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said softly.

  Ivy covered her face with her hands, her face a shade of red more vivid than anything he’d ever seen. And yet, it somehow made her even more beautiful in his eyes. Fin reached out and gently pulled her hands away from her face, then pressed a kiss to her mouth.

  He pulled back and, with a lustful smile, slid down her body, relishing the feel of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips. He nestled himself between
her thighs, and she looked down at him with eyes that were so wide, he thought they might pop out of her head. Her lips trembled, and he felt her body growing tense beneath him. With a wicked grin on his face, Fin dipped his head down and ran the tip of his tongue along her wet, swollen folds.

  Ivy threw her head back and cried out, her thighs immediately clamping around his head. As he lapped at her warm, molten core, she squeezed him tighter. But he remained undaunted and pressed his face forward, slipping his tongue deeper inside of her, licking and sucking on her swollen bud, and Ivy let out a high, keening wail that echoed around the forest.

  She reached down and grabbed his hair, yanking it hard as she ground herself against his face. Her breath was quick and her face tight, caught in the waves of ecstasy. He plunged his tongue deeper into her, relishing the scent and the taste of her upon his lips. Ivy’s body grew taut, and her grip on his hair tightened as he lapped at her hungrily.

  The cry that came from her mouth was primal as her climax came crashing down over her. Ivy thrashed and writhed beneath him as she reached the apex of pleasure. Her thighs still clamped tight around his head, and her hand pulling at his hair, Ivy groaned loudly and lustily, her entire body trembling wildly.

  Eventually, the trembling lessened, and her muscles relaxed. She loosened her grip on him, and Fin got to his knees, looking down at her with a wide, wicked smile on his face. He licked his lips, savoring her juices. Ivy lay there, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, puddled on the blanket beneath them with an awestruck look on her face. She did not move or speak for several long moments.

  “Are ye all right?” he chuckled.

  Ivy swallowed hard and nodded. “Y - yes. I think,” she stammered. “That was - unexpected.”

  Fin smiled gently, realizing that had been her first time laying with a man. He did not know why it surprised him, but it did. Laying with a woman had never been much of a mystery to him, and he had never really given much thought to the idea that it might be to others. He had learned to give himself release when he was young and just thought it was natural for others to explore their bodies.