Highlander's Rebellious Love

by Donna Fletcher

  “I will for now, but sooner or later...”

  He let his words trail off and they resonated in her head like a bell that forever tolled. She felt a coward and that was not like her. But she realized how easily she had lost control to him at the stream and loss of control left one vulnerable and she could not allow herself to do that, at least not now.

  “What disturbs you?” he whispered, his warm breath tickling the tip of her ear. “And do not bother to tell me nothing, since I can feel the disquiet in you.”

  “Too many thoughts, always too many thoughts,” she said with a sigh. “There are times I wish that just for a moment, a sheer moment, my thoughts would drift away.”

  “I suppose it is a warrior’s lot,” he said his hand slipping over hers to take hold.

  Was she growing accustomed to him constantly reaching out and touching her with an innocent intimacy? She had to admit that she did not mind at all when he held her hand. It might be a simple gesture, but it was a pleasant one. Strangely enough, it somehow made her feel connected to him, as if they belonged to each other.

  She sighed again, her thoughts having been so busy she had not realized that his thumb had begun to massage the palm of her hand. His finger dug deep in her flesh and she realized why she continued to sigh—it felt so very good.

  She tucked her head back into the crook of his arm and let her eyes drift closed, not that she could keep them open. The warmth of his body wrapped around her like a loving hug and she cuddled into it, enjoying the comfort.

  His thumb turned slow and easy on her palm and she shivered at the faint touch while soft ripples washed over her. Never had she felt so at peace. One last sigh drifted from her lips as she fell asleep.

  Hunter nestled closer around her when he felt sleep claim her body, though sleep avoided him. He had made love to more women than he could remember and though he had enjoyed some more than others, he had found pleasure with them all, just as he assumed he would with his wife. But there was something different about Patience and they had yet to make love, something he was extremely eager to do, though not until she was ready.

  A smile tickled his lips. He did hope she would be ready soon.

  She stirred in his arms and he whispered, “Easy, mo chridhe, I have you; you are safe.”

  His reassuring words worked, for she settled quietly in his arms and he realized he felt an overpowering need to protect her and keep her safe. Not that she needed him to since she was a powerful warrior in her own right, yet the need to see her safe overwhelmed him. And the thought that anyone would hurt her angered him beyond belief.

  She was his wife and he would let no harm befall her. He would keep her safe and still her thoughts so that she could have a moment’s peace and he would make love to her and bring her endless pleasure.

  As Hunter fell asleep a strange thought came to him... he was falling in love with his wife.

  Chapter Seventeen

  They kept a good pace when they started out the next morning, though Patience’s eagerness to return home had waned. While it was imperative that she get Hunter and his mother safely home, it was also important that she see if she could make contact with the Dark Dragon and find out about her sister. Or if that proved impossible, she would at least want to attempt to find out the location of the dragon’s lair.

  “Deep in thought again?” Hunter asked, riding up alongside her.

  “There is much for me to consider.”

  “Why not take a respite from your troubling thoughts and think on more pleasant things?” he suggested.

  She thought she knew what he would suggest that she think about, so his remark that followed caught her off guard.

  “You will make a good mother to our children. You will teach them how to defend themselves whether lad or lassie. And once you grow accustomed to returning my constant hugs or holding hands you will give more freely of both, yourself.”

  “Warriors do not hug,” she said, as if needing to defend herself.

  “But women do.”

  Her head snapped to the side and she sent him a scathing look. “Does my being a warrior threaten you so much that you must remind yourself that I am a woman?”

  “It is not me who needs reminding that you are a woman.”

  She grinned. “I see the problem. I am the only woman who has not fallen so eagerly into your bed.”

  He returned her grin. “I suppose my pride is wounded some, though it is more so that I want to know the whole of my wife, not just part of her.”

  “I keep nothing from you. You see clearly who I am.”

  “I see what you let everyone see. I want to see what you have not shown others. I want to see the woman who hides within you.”

  “You talk nonsense,” she said, though wondered over his words. The only ones who truly knew her were her sisters. There were no secrets between them, even if some things had been left unspoken. They shared a special bond and always would.

  “Think what you will, but one day I will coax her out of you and, I daresay, she may never return inside again.”

  “And what of you?” Patience asked. “What is it that lurks inside of you that you have yet to show me?” She was surprised to see his smile fade for a moment and it made her wonder if there was a side of him she had yet to see.

  “I can be grumpy,” he said with a laugh.

  Her brow arched. “Somehow I do not see you as grumpy.”

  “We have many years ahead to learn about each other.” He reached over to rest his hand on hers for a moment. “And I look forward to every one of them.”

  Patience laughed. “You may think differently after spending a few years or maybe months, possibly weeks with me.”

  Hunter shook his head, his smile remaining strong. “You are an intriguing woman. I will never grow tired of being with you. And when you finally let loose of that passion you so strongly try to deny, I believe you will ravish me every chance you get.”

  Patience laughed harder this time. “Do not count on it.” Though, she did wonder if his words would prove true. His touches, kisses, and even his thoughtfulness stirred passion in her. And the incident at the stream had made her realize just how pleasing intimacy with him could be.

  She turned away from her husband for a moment not wanting him to see the heated passion that no doubt was reflected in her eyes. It faded quickly enough when she caught sight of Edward’s quick approach.

  “We are being followed,” Edward said as he drew his horse up alongside hers. “They wear no paint on their faces and they do not hide themselves well.”

  “Then it would seem likely that they want us to know they follow us,” Patience said and hoped it was the ghost warriors with a response to the message she had sent to the Dark Dragon.

  “Should we approach them?” Edward asked.

  Patience shook her head. “No, we will wait for one of the ghost warriors to make contact, though keep close watch on them.”

  Once Edward rode off, Hunter turned to his wife. “You assume it is the Dark Dragon. How do you know it is not Greer’s men following us, waiting until we leave the Dark Dragon’s land before attacking?”

  “Greer wants the Dark Dragon as an ally. With the failed attempt on your life and the ghost warriors attacking his warriors, he will do nothing until we are no longer on the Dark Dragon’s land. Besides, he is a foolish leader. He lets his anger rule.”

  Her clear perception of situations continued to amaze him and concerned him. Would she eventually see that he was not that different from his brothers that anger lurked in him as well?

  “Now that I think about it, I recall my da never allowing me to accompany him the rare few times he met with your father. He would tell me that he would take me another time, but another time never came.”

  “Then he must have warned you before coming here about the lot of us.”

  “He did,” she said with a nod, recalling the conversation with her da.

  “And what did he have to say abou
t me?”

  She laughed softly, tilting her head slightly as if she was about to shake it while the sun reflected off her face, leaving him stunned and slightly aroused by her beauty. He had been with many women but not a one compared to her. And at that moment he felt something sneak into his heart and squeeze it. Could he truly be falling in love with his wife? That was the second time the thought had come unbidden to him and he doubted it would be the last.

  “He told me that I would not need to worry about you.” She laughed again. “He was wrong about that, though he was right that you kept yourself entertained with the lassies.”

  “Not any longer,” Hunter said. “You are the only lassie in my life now and forever.”

  How was it that he could reach out and touch her simply with words? He sent her whole body tingling and heart thumping much too rapidly. And now was not the time or place to be distracted.

  She recalled what else her da had told her and curiosity had her saying, “My da also mentioned that your father did not speak very highly of you and that you had come to blows with him a few times.”

  “Sadly, that is true. My father was mean-tempered, stubborn beyond reason and though the truth could stare him right in the face, he ignored it and did as he pleased. However, he could not ignore me, for I was as stubborn as he. And so we disagreed and a few times our discussions ended in brawls.”

  “That you let him win of course.”

  “How did you know?”

  She shrugged. “I did the same. My da would sometimes challenge me on the practice field. I always thought he did it for amusement, never truly believing I could ever best him. Then one day as we fought I realized he had made a deadly error and that with one swing of my sword I could take him down. And I saw that he had realized the same. It was not even a thought, I reacted, shifting and leaving myself vulnerable to his sword. He praised my efforts, but it was the last time he ever challenged me on the practice field.”

  “No man wants to be bested by his daughter.”

  “Though I did not need to be told that, Emma and Heather made sure to remind me.”

  “My brothers encouraged me to speak my mind to my da. They enjoyed watching me take a beating.”

  “Surely, they must have taken a few themselves,” Patience said.

  “Rab took a good hit now and then, but was wise enough to avoid any confrontation with our father. Greer, on the other hand, welcomed a brawl with our da, knowing the day would come when he could best him. But as you remarked, Greer lets his anger rule and because of that he was never able to best our father, which is something I believe he regrets to this day.”

  “And do you have regrets when it comes to your da?”

  Hunter nodded as he stared off in the distance. “I do. I regret not being there when he needed me.”

  Patience said no more about it. She saw how much the question had disturbed him and she did not wish to see him reminded of sorrowful memories. And so she asked with a smile, “What will you teach our children?”

  His grin returned and Patience almost gasped. He was a handsome one, but when he grinned, it turned him wickedly handsome. Or was it now that she knew how wicked he could be that she was seeing him differently?

  “Since you will teach our sons to be great warriors, I will teach them how to attract and please the lassies.”

  “And our daughters?”

  “I will keep them locked away until we can find suitable husbands for them,” he said with a laugh that faded as he looked to his wife. “I will pray they are like their mum, brave and wise warriors, who will bow to no man, yet love with all the passion they possess.”

  She felt a catch in her chest. “Aye, our daughters will have what we never had, a chance at... finding love.”

  Hunter leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love plays tricks on our poor souls, showing up in unlikely places between unlikely people and once it settles in, there is no denying it. Be careful, mo chridhe, it may have already played a trick on us.”

  He rode off, leaving Patience speechless. She had to shake her head, he so confused her. Was he actually suggesting that love brought them together and they had yet to realize it? Impossible. Or was it?

  She groaned. She had no time for love right now. Hunter and she had wed out of necessity and that was all there was to it. Or was it?

  “Damn,” she mumbled. She did not need more questions haunting her. There was too much at stake. Too much that needed to be seen to. Far too much time since her sister had been abducted. Heather had to come first. Love would simply have to wait.

  ~~~

  Patience sent men to hunt so that when they settled camp, food could be set to cook as soon as the campfires were lit. And it was with relief that they finally stopped for the night, having traveled at a good pace throughout the day.

  Rabbits were set on spits over campfire flames and blankets were spread in anticipation of a sound night’s sleep. Sentries walked the perimeter and Beast made his round passed each one, as if giving his approval.

  Una and Ewan sat beside each other before one of the campfires as usual. They never seemed to leave each other’s side, except of course when Ewan disappeared into the woods. Beast usually settled by them or by Hunter. Tonight the animal seemed content to stretch out by Una.

  Patience did not need to concern herself with preparing a pallet for bed. Hunter saw to it each time. And that was where she took herself off to after speaking with Edward in regards to the night’s watch. Her warriors had covered her watch last night, but not tonight. Tonight she would take her turn.

  She stretched her arms up, her hands reaching out as if she was trying to touch the sky, then she rolled her shoulders back a couple of times before dropping down to the blanket. She would rest until the food was ready, and then sleep until she took the last watch before morning.

  “Let me take your watch for you,” Hunter said, lowering himself down beside her.

  She smiled, pleased that he asked and not ordered. “I appreciate the offer, but this is my duty.”

  He leaned closer to her. “And your duty to your husband?”

  She did not know what made her do it, or perhaps it was that his lips looked so inviting, but whatever it was, she kissed him, though hesitantly and briefly too her regret.

  His hand cupped her jaw, holding it firm. “Do you temper your kiss for fear of what the consequences could bring?”

  She gazed into his blue eyes and realized just how intoxicating they could be. They were as brilliant as a beautiful summer sky, shifting in hues of blue that mesmerized. She shook her head, not wanting to succumb to their power.

  “If not that, then what?”

  She looked at him oddly, her brow scrunching, not understanding what he asked, but then at the moment she found her mind too fuzzy to focus.

  His hand moved slowly off her jaw to stroke her neck. “Your lovely eyes speak for you.” He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her with a strength that had her responding instinctively.

  Her eagerness fired his loins and he would be in trouble soon enough if he did not ease the kiss to an end, but she was too tasty and too hungry, as was he. His tongue delved into her mouth and she zealously met his thrusts with her own. And of course the image of him thrusting deep inside her flared in his mind and turned him rock-hard.

  He told himself to end the kiss and move a safe distance away from her, but he was beginning to realize that there was no safe distance from his wife. She was forever in his thoughts, haunting him like no woman had ever done. So without thought to consequences, his hands went to her waist and he lifted and shifted her onto his lap right over his bulging manhood.

  She drew her head back with a gasp and stared at him with wide eyes.

  He waited for a scolding or staunch objection from her, but it never came. Instead, she wiggled her bottom against his aching manhood and the urge to climax hit him so hard that he barely had time to control it. Never. Never had he come that close to l
osing control.

  He hurried her off his lap and stood, not trusting himself to cart her off into the woods and make love to her. He pointed a finger at her. “Be aware, wife, that you are making it nearly impossible for me to keep my word.” He turned and rushed off, the utter innocent look on her face, making him want her all the more.

  Patience stared after him stunned, though not by his remark, but by her disappointment that he had left her. Her body raged with a need for him that had her wanting to go after him and demand he make love to her.

  “You will not,” she ordered sternly to herself.

  She actually had to fight the feeling, it was so strong.

  “The time will come, but not now,” she reminded herself in a soft whisper.

  Though her words were true enough, they did not help calm her need. She wanted him now and her body refused to relinquish its ache. She dropped down on the blanket, turning on her side. She forced herself to think of something else and was relieved when thoughts of Heather entered her mind. Soon, she was thinking of various ways that could prove helpful in locating her sister and what could be done once she did. The busy thoughts tired her even more and before she realized it she was sound asleep.

  Hunter found her curled on her side and he placed a blanket over her and left her undisturbed. He had thought to wake her so that she could eat, but she needed rest. He would see that she got food in the morning before they started out for the day’s journey.

  He did not trust himself to join her, so instead he took himself off to eat with her warriors and to take her watch.

  ~~~

  Patience did not know what startled her awake. The camp was quiet, nothing seemed to stir. Then she heard it... her sister Heather’s voice, calling out to her. She sounded frightened and desperate, and Patience’s stomach clenched. In her fear, Heather was reaching out to her. Her sisters had always had a strong bound. When Emma was young and they thought her lost, Heather had heard her in her thoughts and they soon found Emma foraging in the woods.