The Highlander's Vow (Loch Moigh #4)

by Barbara Longley

  Struan reached for the sliding door. “Take it as I meant it. The thought of letting Sky go without me is torture; the thought of going back through time is torture. I’m beginning to develop a complex, so don’t ask me again what I’m going to do. I won’t know until I’m forced to make a decision.” He slid the door open with a little too much muscle.

  Connor clamped his hand on Struan’s shoulder for an instant. “Fair enough. I’ll not ask you again.”

  Struan entered the kitchen to find Sky helping Lindsay put breakfast on the table. When their gazes met and she smiled, the unmistakable pride shining from her eyes sent his heart soaring. She’d watched him defeat Connor, all right. He straightened his posture and grinned back. “Smells good in here. Are Gene and Michael joining us, or have they already left for the fair?”

  “They left, but don’t worry. I made two batches of French toast.” Lindsay opened the oven door. “I fed them my first attempt at the pecan praline yumminess. Mom and Katherine will be down in a minute. Katherine is showing Mom her medieval clothing and they’re swapping sewing tips.”

  The Morlandshire Renaissance Fair in Pennsylvania had begun, and knowing Sky’s time in his century was limited, Struan had begged his way out of performing that weekend. Luckily, Andrew had stepped up to take his place, claiming he and his wife could use the extra money to take a vacation somewhere warm and sunny over the winter.

  “Lindsay, do you have a printer here I might use?” Connor poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Struan.

  “Sure. It’s in the corner of the family room. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” Connor turned to him. “I’ll print the stories for you right after breakfast.”

  “Good. I’ll take a look at them later.” Struan took a seat and glanced at Sky and Lindsay. “Speaking of later, are you two interested in riding this afternoon after I close up the forge?”

  “I’d love to.” Sky did that shy half-smile thing that never failed to send his pulse racing. She placed a platter of bacon and a bowl of fresh fruit on the table before sitting beside him.

  “I can’t.” Lindsay b3rought the steaming pan of baked French toast and a pitcher of syrup to the table. “One of our cooks is sick, and I’ve been called in to work tonight.”

  “Oh, too bad.” Struan stifled his glee. Lindsay’s absence meant he’d be alone with Sky, and he knew exactly where he wanted to take her. In fact, he’d bring Connor’s stories with them, and they could read through the collection together.

  Today might be the day he’d finally convince her of the futility of attempting such a feat. The longer she stayed, the more determined he became to persuade her to make Gordon Hollow her permanent home. More than anything, he wanted to see where these feelings between them might lead.

  At the peak of the trail leading to the Gordons’ lake, Struan reined in his horse. He waited for Sky to ride up beside him. The section of trail they’d just passed through was too rocky and narrow to ride abreast, but once they reached the crest, the trail widened. Late afternoon sun hit the water, sparkling like gold dust across the surface of the spring-fed caldera below.

  Varying shades of green and a cloudless blue sky framed the idyllic scene below. A hawk, its wings outstretched, called out as it caught a thermal draft and rode the wind. Struan’s soul settled as it always did in this place.

  “’Tis such a lovely view,” Sky said softly. “And so tranquil.”

  “It is. This is one of my favorite places to be when I need to think or just to relax,” he said. Large boulders surrounded the lakeshore, put there by some long-ago volcanic eruption. Struan nudged his mount forward down the well-worn trail to the area Gordons generations past had cleared for their recreational use.

  Since there were no roads to accommodate trucks or cars, he, Gene, and Ethan had built a small split-rail paddock in the shade for the horses. Struan dismounted, handed his reins to Sky and walked to the paddock to slide open the rails of the makeshift gate. Once the horses were inside, he took out the blanket from his backpack and handed it to her. “Find a nice grassy spot to spread this out, and I’ll remove the horses’ bridles so they can graze.”

  She took the blanket from him. “We should have worn our suits for swimming under our clothes. ’Tis a lovely afternoon.”

  “Swimsuits.” He glanced at her just in time to see the glint of amusement in her eyes.

  “That’s exactly what I said,” she teased with another sexy smile.

  A surge of heat hit him, and blood rushed to his groin. Oh, how he longed to get her naked, take that next step toward deepening their relationship. “Ever heard of skinny-dipping?”

  “Nay. What does it mean?”

  “It means we don’t need swimsuits. We can swim naked.”

  Color rose to her cheeks, and she blinked a few times before turning and walking away without a word. He’d give his best suit of armor to hear what was going through her mind right now. Chuckling under his breath, he took off his gelding’s bridle, then moved to do the same for Sky’s mount.

  Struan closed the gate and slung his backpack over a shoulder before heading for the stubborn woman to plead his case yet again. His breath caught at the sight of her. She leaned back on the blanket with her legs outstretched. Her skin was dappled with sunlight, and a smile lit her pretty face.

  He sat beside her, and she turned to glance at him through her lashes. His beleaguered heart tripped and tumbled, and need played havoc with his senses. If he kept Connor’s reports to himself, perhaps things between him and Sky would progress, and this would be the day that they made love for the first time.

  The lake was secluded and surrounded by a thick forest of evergreens. The air smelled clean and sweet, piney. Making love with Sky here would create a memory to savor for the rest of their lives—for his life anyway.

  On the other hand, if he presented her with yet more evidence supporting his belief that she was meant to stay in this century, they’d end up arguing. Struan shifted, trying to relieve the growing discomfort in his lap. What to do? What to do? Keep my mouth shut, or press her to see things my way and ruin a perfect afternoon?

  He had to do the right thing, of course, and making her his when they weren’t on the same page about the future definitely reeked of selfishness—especially if she somehow managed to make it home. She’d been raised in an era when a woman’s virtue was all she owned. Taking her virginity would ruin her, and he couldn’t bear the thought of causing her that kind of hurt.

  Damn his chivalrous hide. He swallowed the regret and turned to her. “I brought along some of the research Connor printed off for me. I thought we could go through a few of the stories, see what we can learn.”

  Her brow rose, and she peered at him over her shoulder. “Doing so willna change my mind.”

  “I figured as much, but it might help you to prepare.”

  Sighing, she sat up. “All right. Let us see what the McGladreys have uncovered.”

  He sighed too, but for an altogether different reason. Sometimes, doing the right thing sucked. He pulled the papers out of his backpack, along with a couple bottles of water. He handed her a bottle and half the pile of Connor’s research. For the next half hour, they both read, trading sheets back and forth until they’d read them all.

  “You know what I’m noticing?” Struan bumped his shoulder against Sky’s. “More often than not, decades pass between reported incidents where people disappear or appear. In this case”—he waved the paper he held—“nearly a century passed.”

  “Aye, but ’tis no’ like anyone in these accounts went looking for open corridors through time.” Sky waved her sheet of paper in response. “These are but records of folk who accidentally stumbled through time. They did so unawares, whilst I am purposefully seeking a way back. ’Tis a different matter altogether.”

  “Sure, sure,” he said, doing his best to appear as if he were seriously considering her argument. “Still, you might get to the spot in Scotland, and nothing
will happen. How long are you willing to wait?”

  “Struan . . .” Her mouth tightened.

  “All right, look.” He took the stories from her hand and set the entire stack aside. “I admit it. I’m not going to stop trying to talk you into staying.” The need to protect her had gone far beyond “want,” and had slid into “imperative” some time ago, but he kept that to himself. “It’s not safe to return, and above all, I want you to remain safe.”

  The moment the words were out, he made a decision. He would travel with her to Scotland, stay by her side and be there to support her when the inevitable letdown occurred. Reading through the tales of disappearances and reappearances only reinforced his beliefs. Despite what Connor thought, the odds were in his favor, not theirs. Portals didn’t simply open or close because mortals wished them to. They’d go, wait and watch, and most likely nothing would happen. Then he’d bring Sky home to Gordon Hollow to stay.

  “Life would be so much easier if you just gave in, Sky. What we have together is good, isn’t it? If you stay, I believe things between us will only get better.” She opened her mouth to respond, and before she could argue, he drew her close and kissed her. She was so very sweet and soft in his arms, his heart melted. Stretching out on the blanket, he brought her down on top of him.

  “Struan . . .” She pushed herself away and sat up. “I must return. We’ve been over this a hundred times, and you canna distract me to your way of thinking with kisses.”

  A shame, that, because kissing her was his favorite distraction strategy thus far. “I can be every bit as obstinate, princess. I won’t stop trying to convince you, because your future is at stake. So many things can go wrong. What about us? Don’t we owe it to each other to see this thing through?”

  “I . . . we,” she stammered.

  He folded his arms under his head and frowned up at her. “I? We?”

  She stared out over the water. “Let’s no’ argue. ’Tis too fine a day.”

  “OK.” He reached out and ran his hand down her bare arm. “What do you wish to do this fine afternoon? Skinny-dip?”

  Her gaze darted to him and quickly returned to the lake. “I’ve something else in mind.” She slid her hand into the back pocket of her shorts and drew something out. Taking his hand in hers, she placed whatever it was on his palm and closed his fingers over it. Struan sat up, opened his hand and stared at the small foil packet. His jaw dropped. “Do you have any idea what this is?”

  “Aye, ’tis a condom.” She studied the foil packet in her hands. “Lindsay explained what they are and how to use them.”

  His mind scattered in a dozen directions at once, the excitement, consternation and confusion making him dizzy. She wanted to have sex with him. Just as he wrapped his mind around that possibility, he wondered how she’d gotten her hands on a condom.

  “You . . .” His voice came out an octave higher than usual. He cleared his throat. “You talked to my sister about having sex with me?” Blood that had been surging south suddenly changed direction and crept up to heat his face. “Wait. Lindsay has condoms? I didn’t even know she was dating anyone. Who’s she sleeping with? Not Brian, surely.”

  Sky giggled. “I found the box of condoms in the cabinet of the bathroom she and I share, and I asked her what they were. I did no’ ask her about her personal life, nor did I share my intentions with her.”

  “And then you stole one?” His brow rose nearly to his hairline.

  “Nay.” Sky slid her hand into her back pocket again, a wicked glint in her eyes. She dropped two more condoms onto his lap. “I stole three.”

  “Woman . . .” Struan flopped back onto the blanket and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Augh, what were you thinking? If we do . . . this, you’ll be ruined.”

  “I am thinking that once I return home, I will never wed. I refuse to be handed off again in barter for an alliance or political gain.” Her voice hitched. “I dinna wish to go through life without ever having experienced—”

  “Sky, this will change everything between us. If we make love, you’re mine and I’m yours. I’m not a one-night-stand kind of guy.” He gestured between them. “This means something to me. You mean something to me.”

  She nodded, and her chin quivered. “As you mean something to me. I’ll never give my heart or my body to another.”

  Wait. Did that mean that she’d already given him her heart? Pressure banded his chest, and damn if his eyes didn’t sting. He drew her down to lie beside him and wrapped her up in his arms. Her arms came around him, and the two of them stayed motionless and silent for several moments. He made a last-ditch effort to think, even though thinking was the last thing he wanted to do. Taking in the flowery scent of the shampoo she used, mixed with her own unique essence, her warmth and curves plastered against him, he struggled for control. For both their sakes, someone had to be rational.

  “I want you,” she whispered. “Don’t you want me?”

  He choked out a strangled laugh. “Do I want you?” He tilted his head down to peer into her hazel eyes. “No matter how oft I drink you in, you are a thirst within me that will never be quenched. That’s how badly I want you,” he croaked.

  “Well then,” she said, rising to support herself on her elbows. “Make love to me.”

  With that, her lips met his, and rational thought deserted him. He wanted to meld into her, fusing their bodies and souls. He gave up the struggle for control and held her against his heart. She’d offered him a free pass to paradise—who was he to refuse?

  He took over, dominating her and deepening the kiss until they had to separate in order to take off their shirts. Desperate to feel her silky skin next to his, he brought her back into his arms, and discovered his erotic imaginings had not done her justice. Her bare skin against his sent him reeling. He unfastened her bra and drew it off. He rolled with her, so that he was now on top of her.

  Struan raised himself to stare at the vision beneath him. She was the embodiment of perfection. Her generous breasts were crowned in dusky rose, and her beautiful eyes were hazed with desire. Color bloomed in her cheeks under his perusal. He leaned in and ran his tongue over one of her glorious nipples, and it hardened immediately. Sky gasped, and the sound went straight to his already throbbing member. “So lovely,” he whispered, before taking the hardened bud between his teeth.

  Sky’s hips rose to press against him, inciting him further. “Sky, I want to look at you—all of you. May I?”

  “Only if I might look at you as well,” she whispered.

  “Done. I’ll even go first.” Struan rolled to his back and stripped out of his clothes in record time. Sky’s nervous giggle, her tentative touch running over his chest and lower, sent waves of desire pulsing through him. He drew a long, steadying breath. He needed to take things slow, be gentle. Her first time would hurt, and he wanted to bring her pleasure. Capturing her wandering hand, he pressed a kiss against her fingertips. “Now you.”

  Sky sat up and took off her shoes, her lower lip tucked between her lips, and an expression of consternation suffused her features. “I’ve never . . . this is no’ as easy as I imagined. I’m embarrassed.” That last part came out in a barely audible whisper.

  “Don’t be. You’ve no reason to be embarrassed.” He ran a knuckle down her cheek. “You are a vision, princess. In my eyes you are beyond compare.”

  “Think you?” Her gaze met his for a fleeting moment before she turned away again.

  The vulnerability he’d glimpsed and the telltale quiver in her voice brought his rational self front and center. He reached for her, brought her to his lap and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “We don’t have to do this today, love. Mayhap you’re not as ready for the next step as you might think, aye?” He undid the tie holding her braid and plied his fingers to the task of unraveling her lustrous hair.

  “But I . . . I want to. ’Tis shyness—no’ a change of heart that stays my hand.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I made up my mind weeks ago t
hat I would seduce you.”

  He laughed. “Did you?”

  She nodded, and again her fleeting glance caused a wrench in his chest. “How did you intend to go about seducing me, my sweet?”

  “Well . . . I hadn’t gotten that far in my thinking.” Color flooded her cheeks, and she bit her lower lip again. “You see, I rather counted on your cooperation to . . . to move things along.”

  “Ah, I see. How can it be construed as seduction if you meant for me to do all the work?”

  “That hadn’t occurred to me.”

  “Hmm, I’ve half a mind to thwart your plans. However, since I am such a generous man, I’ve an idea.”

  “Aye? And what might that be?” Her chin rose, and her natural assertiveness was once again firmly in place.

  “I will lie here on this blanket, naked as the day I was born, and you have my permission to do with me as you will.”

  She shot him a wry grin. “How very generous you are.”

  “Don’t forget chivalrous.”

  Laughing, Sky pushed him down. “Chivalrous indeed. I accept your terms, for they please me.” She moved to sit by his side, her gaze roaming over him in a slow, hot glide. “I love the way your muscles sculpt your chest. You are without compare as well, the most comely man I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”

  “Have you seen scads of men naked?” He cocked a brow in question.

  “Nay, other than my brothers when they were wee lads, you are the first.”

  Was it too much to wish he’d be her only? Her hands traced his pectorals, circling his nipples. She ran her fingertips downward, her touch feathery and light. Struan held his breath, and the muscles beneath his skin rippled at her touch. “Lord have mercy, you will be the death of me.”

  “Nay, I vow I willna.”

  Continuing her exploration, she ran her hand over him from balls to head, and he couldn’t prevent himself from thrusting his hips against her palm. He groaned and shut his eyes. Sweet torture.