"I'd already planned to speak to my brother upon arriving," he started, and then turned to her. "A man is supposed to propose marriage, not the other way around, Claire. I was prepared to do so once I spoke to Ian and Da."
Claire sniffed. "I don't care what either of them say. I've made up my mind."
"Have you?" Lachlan's lips curved. "God save me if I ever make you cross with me."
"I would never harm you," she admitted. "Are you nervous?"
Grim eyes looked to her. "Aye. I betrayed my brother. I was wrong to take you. But I will do what is right, maintain our agreement with your clan."
Air left her. He planned to marry her out of honor. Did he consider her a duty and a burden? Would her presence constantly remind him of betraying his brother?
"What's wrong, Claire?" He must have perceived her apprehension.
"Nothing," she stuttered. "I should return to my chamber."
Lachlan took her mouth once again, but this time she only felt self-reproach.
Chapter Seven
Pounding at the door broke through his slumber and instantly with sword in hand, Lachlan jumped from the bed when someone entered.
Rowan rushed in and looked from one corner of the room to the other. The large man paced to the small privy and looked in. "Is she here?"
"Who?" He blinked to clear his vision. "Who are you looking for?"
"The lass, Claire, she's gone."
"Impossible, she was in good spirits last time I...saw her."
"The lass has vanished, Lachlan," Rowan threw his pants at him. "One of the horses as well."
Dressing and mounting was a blur, Lachlan raced along with two of the guards in the direction the stable hand told them Claire had gone. She'd headed back the direction they'd come.
He went over their conversation the night before over and again and could not come up with what had brought her to leave. Unless it was her plan all along. To seduce him and allow for his guard to lower.
His gut clenched. Had he been so wrong about her that she'd used him the entire time and he'd been too full of desire to see it?
"Over here?" One of the guards steered his horse through the trees. A scrap of clothing hung from a low tree branch. It was Claire's, the same dress she wore the day before.
Now moving at a slower pace, the men rode side by side to cover more ground and once again Lachlan recounted their night before. Each time his mind went to the beautiful vision of her bare beauty, he firmly steered it back to what they'd spoken of.
She'd alluded to marrying, demanded it actually. He'd agreed. He must, of course. After all, it was his duty... Oh. No. What he'd said after. He'd told her she was the cause of his betrayal. Claire had all but run from the room after that.
"I am a Fool!" he yelled and Rowan looked to him, his brows bunched.
"Aye, you are." The man agreed continuing forward.
"Shut up," he snapped.
They found her in a clearing, slumped over with face in her hands, the horse grazing not too far from her. Rowan and the other man pulled back and allowed Lachlan privacy to go to her.
He dismounted and neared, expecting to hear sobs or at least a sniffle. Instead, narrowed dry eyes met his and she huffed and got to her feet. "What do you want, McDougall?" Beneath the façade of anger, he saw a hint of hurt and sadness.
He approached her with care. Although not careful enough, because her boot connected with his leg and he almost fell to the ground in pain. Jumping about on one leg while grabbing at the aching shin, he somehow managed not to glare at her. "Claire, we must go. You are fully aware of the dangers of traipsing about alone."
"I am not going anywhere with you." She looked toward the horse, but did not move.
"I want to marry you," he began and the beautiful green eyes became slits. "Not because I find it a duty or out of honor. Although I assure you both of those have merit," he quickly added.
"Because it would be suitable punishment for betraying your brother then?" Her words were soft, very unlike her. She paced back and forth, her hand fisted at her sides.
"Nay. Because I cannot stand the idea of living without you." That apparently stunned her silent because her mouth formed a perfect 'O' and she froze.
Lachlan approached her and took her right hand then lowered onto one knee. "It would be an ultimate honor to be your husband, Lady Claire, to continue in our exploration of what we've only begun." Her lips curved. "Would you come with me to my home and to my bed as my wife?"
"Your bed will not be all our marriage will be about, you know," Claire declared and rolled her eyes. "But I will marry you, Lachlan McDougall." Lachlan landed on his back, the feisty lass over him, her mouth on his.
The party arrived at the McDougall keep at dusk, the setting sun colored the sky in fiery colors and Lachlan's stomach once again jerked. He looked to Claire and met her bold gaze and at once found he calmed.
They made their way into the courtyard and were greeted by not just Ian and their half-brother Aiden, but a diminutive woman who stood close to Ian's side.
The men exchanged greetings while both Claire and the woman, who he now recognized as Ailios Connery, eyed each other with caution.
Ian then looked from him to Claire who he pulled protectively to his side. "Lady Claire, how fare you?"
"I am well," Claire told him while still eyeing the other woman.
"We must speak," both he and Ian uttered at once.
The brothers understood at the same time that both were in love with the women beside them.
"This is Ailios Connery." Ian placed a protective arm over the woman's shoulders. "Come inside to the study, brother, we must speak."
By Claire's expression, understanding dawned as well. She looked up at Ian and Lachlan took her hand in his as they followed the couple to their father's study."
A month later.
The enticing sight of Claire's full breasts bouncing with each shift of her hips while she straddled him mesmerized Lachlan. The combination of her parted lips and 'oh gods' as she rode him to her release, urged Lachlan to do so as well.
Lachlan lifted his hips in time with her lowering, meeting Claire pound for pound. The combination of her wet heat and her fingers circling his nipples finally drove him to lose control and he arched up spilling, her cries of completion filling him with warmth.
Claire cupped his face and looked down at him.
He frowned at her close regard. "Why do you look at me like that?"
"You're smiling more. It's nice to see you doing so."
"Aye, it's time to move on, Claire. Da's death has been hard on Ian and me, but thankfully we've both married woman we love. Your presence in my life has helped me through it.
Our father gifted us with the understanding of a loving marriage and both Ian and I will do our best to follow his footsteps."
Claire's hands tightened on his face and she peered down at him, her eyebrows raised. "Did you just say you loved me?"
"I've said it before."
"No, you have not." She slapped at his shoulder and frowned. When she attempted to lift off of him, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled her onto her back.
His hips surged forward, once again sliding deeply. "I love you, Claire McDougall." He moved out and once again pushed back in. "I love you, wife."
"Oh!" Claire moaned. "I need you to repeat it over and over until I believe it, because I have loved you since the day I first saw you in the stables."
And so he did.
The End.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hildie McQueen is my pseudonym. Writing is my dream come true. There is nothing I love more than bringing my characters and stories to life and sharing them with you. I live in a small town in Georgia with my husband and three unruly Chihuahuas.
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Highlander's Claim Page 6