Heart Of A Highland Warrior

by Anita Clenney

  “Lots of people have tattoos. We do.”

  “But ours mean something,” Tavis said. “They’re not human marks. You said yours are on your back?”

  “Most female warriors get them there.”

  “Can I see them?”

  Anna looked at him and then sighed. She turned and pulled up the bottom of her shirt. In the dungeon, he hadn’t seen her back. When he’d checked her for injures, he’d done it with her clothes on, not that they had covered much. He’d seen her thighs and glimpsed the juncture he’d been forced to breech, but he’d never seen her back. Her skin was beautiful, her spine was beautiful, and if her skin drew him, her battle marks took his breath. They were low on her back, just above her trousers—jeans—circles and twining lines rising from a point above her hips, opening below her waist. He couldn’t help but touch the marks. She jumped, but didn’t yell at him, so he didn’t stop. His fingers tingled, as did his own battle marks, as if they were talking to hers. He traced the line to her waist and down again to the point. His finger continued along the line of skin just above her jeans and then around the side and to the front. She shivered, and he moved the other arm around so that he was encircling her waist. “I can’t help it,” he whispered, and pulled her gently against him.

  She didn’t answer, but she also didn’t move. Her hands had been holding up her shirt. She dropped them, and he felt her hands reaching back for his hips. She pushed back against him, and he kissed her shoulder. His hands slid lower, over her stomach and to her thighs. A soft sound rolled from her throat, and he turned her in his arms. As if they’d done it many times before, her hands circled his waist, and his cradled her to him. He lowered his head, stopping just a breath from her mouth. “I’m going to kiss you. Is that all right?”

  She nodded. “You smell like pizza, but I don’t mind.”

  He let his lips brush hers, then opened his mouth to taste her better. His hand wound in her hair, holding her close.

  “I like pizza,” she said, pulling his bottom lip between hers.

  “Me too.”

  They were moving toward the bed when they heard the door to the next room shut. Anna pulled away. Her eyes were shimmering with passion, her lips moist. “They’ve left.”

  Damn. “They’ll probably be gone for a while,” he said, kissing her neck.

  She moaned and pushed him away. “We have to go.”

  One minute. All he needed was one minute inside her. Probably not even that. Just a little more stroking with her hips and he’d be finished. She would need more. Especially after what had happened before. Lots of tenderness and time. They stared at each other. “Should I apologize?”

  “No.”

  “Then I won’t.”

  They rearranged their clothing and slipped from the room. The door was locked. “I’ll pick it,” Anna said. “Ronan taught me a lot of things.”

  “I suspected as much.”

  She looked over her shoulder. “You don’t mean what I think you mean.”

  “I might. Did he?”

  “Did he what?”

  “You know.”

  Her blush was telling. “Once. We were both…troubled.”

  Tavis was shocked at the anger he felt. If Ronan had been there, he would have hit him. He knew it was unreasonable, and it made him feel bad. He liked Ronan. He was family, probably a descendent. Even if he was a womanizer. What right did he have to say anything? It was Anna’s life. Tavis hadn’t been here. He’d been sleeping in a time vault.

  “Are you finished daydreaming?” Anna asked, frowning.

  “Sorry,” Tavis said.

  “I’ve almost got it. There.” Anna turned the knob, and the door opened. “Be quiet. Mrs. Edwards is nosy. If she hears anything, she’ll be up here in a second.”

  They tiptoed in, closed the door, and Anna turned on the light. The bed was unmade, covers trailing the floor. Luggage was open on the floor. But this was the room.

  Tavis walked around the room. “This is it,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I remember Angus bringing me here.”

  Anna’s mouth tightened.

  “I wish he had lived,” Tavis said. “He saved me. Ian left a letter for Faelan telling him about my time vault, but he hadn’t found it. He didn’t know about the letter until I told him. If Angus hadn’t found me, I could have been locked in there forever.”

  “And we had no idea you were there. We thought Angus had summoned a time vault for a demon.” Anna touched Tavis’s arm. “I’m glad Angus found you.”

  And Tavis thought that was one of the nicest things she’d ever said. “As am I.”

  “OK, do you remember putting the Book of Battles here?”

  Tavis walked around the room and opened a door. “I remember this,” he said, looking at the tub.

  “You think you hid it in here?”

  “I don’t bloody know.” He checked under the basin and in the closet. “What are you doing?” Anna had lifted the cover off the back of the fancy toilet.

  “Sometimes people hide things in here.”

  “The Book of Battles?”

  “It would be just like Angus to hide it there.” She smiled sadly. “He loved mysteries and secret clues.”

  “You loved him?”

  “I did, but not like that. He was my best friend. I always figured he was the closest thing I would have to a soul mate.” Her gaze met Tavis’s and moved away. “It’s not in here,” she said, replacing the cover on the toilet. “Let’s go back into the bedroom.”

  They searched under the bed, the shelves, the walls. Anna was bent over looking on the closet floor when there was a tap on the door. They both stopped moving.

  “Mrs. Canton, are you in there?”

  Anna put a finger to her lips. They hardly breathed until Mrs. Edwards’s footsteps walked away. “We’ve got to hurry.”

  “She’s coming back.” The footsteps moved closer to the door, and they heard a key inserted in the lock.

  “It’s them,” Anna whispered. “Hide.”

  Where? Tavis was about the biggest thing in the room.

  Anna pointed to the bed. It was a high bed, with a lot of space underneath. She scrambled toward the bed and slid underneath. Tavis joined her, hoping his feet weren’t sticking out the bottom. He heard the door swing open and footsteps.

  “Thank you for dinner,” the woman said.

  “It was my pleasure, but I’ve got indigestion.”

  He wasn’t the only one. Tavis’s stomach was knotting. He slowly turned his head and looked at Anna. She slipped her hand into his. His stomach rumbled softly.

  “You need some Pepto, hon?”

  “What?”

  “I heard your stomach rumbling. I have Pepto in my purse if you need it.”

  “Wasn’t mine. Lord, but I’m tired.”

  “All that walking and eating,” she said. “Let’s turn in early. I brought that new book you wanted.”

  Tavis and Anna lay quietly as the couple readied for bed. Bloody hell. This was a mess. His back was starting to ache. His wounds had mostly healed, but one or two were still sore. And his right heel was going numb. “I say we just slide out from under the bed and excuse ourselves,” he whispered to Anna when the woman started opening and closing drawers.

  She shook her head. “We have to find the book,” she whispered back.

  The couple finally retired, and Tavis’s eyes crossed as he waited to see if the bedsprings would hit him in the face. It was close.

  The woman giggled. “What are you doing?”

  “We’re at a bed-and-breakfast. I say we get our money’s worth.”

  “I thought you were tired.”

  “Just a little quickie.” The bed squeaked, and Tavis heard clothing being removed. Anna’s hand clenched on his, and her eyes rounded as nightclothes and
underthings fell to the floor. Tavis was sweating, imagining getting caught. Imagining it being him and Anna in the bed. His cock was hard, and his stomach burned with indigestion. Damned time vault.

  The woman giggled again.

  To hell with this. Tavis motioned for Anna to follow him, and he slowly slid out from under the bed. The room was dark, and the lovers were so preoccupied, Tavis figured they might have a chance to get out. They’d have to come back, but by God he wasn’t going to lie under the bed and listen to them while he was ready to burst. He bumped his head once, but the occupants of the bed didn’t notice. He stayed on the floor until Anna was beside him, and then they crawled to the door. Tavis opened it and slipped out. Anna followed, and they quietly closed the door before hurrying back to their room.

  “Can you believe that?”

  Anna grabbed Tavis and kissed him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  HIS SURPRISED “WHAT?” was drowned between them. He kissed her until his lips were numb. Anna leaned back and started to unbuckle his belt. “What are you doing?”

  “What I’ve wanted to do since I saw you,” she said.

  Well hell. He pulled his shirt off while she fiddled with his zipper. “Careful, I almost re-circumcised myself this morning.” But she was better with zippers. Her shirt was like his, so he pulled it over her head while she pushed his borrowed trousers and underwear down. He stopped to kick off his boots, and she removed the rest of her clothing.

  “Bloody hell,” he said when she was naked. “You’re perfect.”

  She was looking at him, also naked now, her eyes burning a trail from his chest to his thighs. “So are you.” She ran her fingertips over his battle marks, and he felt a tingle all the way through to his back. This wasn’t just desire. It was something beyond. Flames licked at his body and mind like he’d fallen headfirst into a campfire. Her fingers moved lower, down his stomach. His muscles twitched in response, right along with another part which was standing at attention. She let one finger move down the line of hair that led to his groin. His eyes followed the movement. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. She stopped. He looked down at her, but she was focused on the neediest part of him. She dropped to her knees. Oh God.

  When he could think clearly, he gently moved her away. “I’m not going to be any good to you if you keep that up.” He lifted her and stepped closer, putting one leg between hers, running his hands over her arse. What an arse it was. He nuzzled her neck and urged her back toward the bed. “Lie down. It’s my turn.”

  She sucked in a hard breath, and he proceeded to give her as much pleasure as she’d given him. But he was stronger, or he wanted to believe he was, so when she pulled at his hair and whispered that he needed to move now, he didn’t. She twisted and moaned, and before she had opened her eyes, he moved up her body and nudged the crest of her legs. “Are you ready for me now?” He didn’t want to go the last step without her permission.

  She grabbed his arse and threw her legs around his thighs in one move. “Now!”

  “All right,” he grunted, and slid into her, trying to go slow.

  She bit his shoulder. “Come on.”

  “Bollocks.” He was burning and tingling all over. He drove into her, again and again, until he couldn’t hold back anymore. He let go, and every muscle, every bone, every hair on his body felt like it came apart. When it was over, they lay close together, trying to catch their breath.

  Anna buried her face in his shoulder. “I think I’ve made a mistake.”

  Tavis’s heart gave a dull thud. “What?”

  “About sex. After what happened to my mother, I’ve looked at sex as a weapon.”

  “Only for the depraved.” Like that fat guard. “It’s supposed to be like this. A thing of beauty.”

  “It was that,” she said, running her fingers over his stomach. “And more.”

  Tavis’s heart felt nigh to bursting. He held her closer, stroking her hip. “I remember where it is.”

  She smiled. “I know you know where it is.”

  “Not that. The book. I think I know where Angus hid it. I saw him near the bookcase.”

  “We’ve got to get back in there,” Anna said.

  “Aye.”

  “We’ll do it while they’re asleep.” Anna looked at her watch. “It’s eleven. We’ll wait two hours.” And maybe they could repeat what they’d just done.

  They didn’t need two hours. It was apparent when that the couple was sleeping. They both snored. “This is in our favor,” Anna said. “We could break down the door, and they would never hear us.”

  “We don’t need to do that. There’s a ledge outside our window that leads to theirs. The glass was opened a few inches when we were there.”

  “I didn’t notice,” Anna said. “Someone might see us. Our window faces the street.”

  “It’s dark.” He pulled back the curtain. “I’ll climb out and go through and get the book.”

  “We’ll climb out and go through and get the book.”

  “You’re stubborn.”

  Anna shrugged. “I’m not planning on changing.”

  “Let’s get this book,” he said.

  They climbed onto the ledge. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. They didn’t count on Mrs. Edwards being outside. “What’s she doing at this bloody hour?” Tavis whispered, pressing his back to the wall. Anna was right beside him.

  “She’s doing something to that light fixture. Good grief,” Anna said. “She’s replacing a bulb. Hurry.”

  They crept along the wall slowly. They had reached the window when the light came on. Mrs. Edwards looked at it, her expression pleased. Just then the man let out a snore that rattled the window. Mrs. Edwards looked up, and Tavis was certain they would be spotted. He started thinking of possible excuses why they were standing on the ledge outside another guest’s window when an owl swooped past Mrs. Edwards’s head. She let out a screech, and the owl flew away. Mrs. Edwards ran inside.

  “I don’t believe it,” Anna said. “Saved by an owl.”

  “That was strange.” But he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. They moved along the ledge to the next window. It was still open a crack, and the man was still snoring.

  “How do they sleep through that?” Anna asked.

  “Be thankful they snore. Or else we’d have to knock them out and take the book.”

  They lifted the window and crept inside. There was enough light from the newly replaced lightbulb outside that they didn’t need a flashlight—a good thing since he didn’t have one. Then Anna pulled out her phone, tapped it, and a light sprang forth.

  She kept it low as he searched the bookshelf. He’d seen Angus on the side near the wall. He quietly pulled books out, stopping when the man and woman ceased snoring, and resuming when they did. He found the satchel hidden behind several books and gently removed it.

  “Is that it?” Anna asked.

  Tavis eased the satchel open and looked inside. The Book of Battles was there.

  “This is it?” Sean asked as everyone leaned closer, trying to get a look. Anna had peeked inside, but she and Tavis had both been hesitant to touch it.

  “Aye. It’s the one I found in the castle,” Tavis said.

  “How do we know which one is real?” Duncan asked. “What if this one is the fake?”

  “We’ll protect both,” Sean said. “But I’ll study the books and see if I can figure it out. But the fact remains, the book is safe. The Book of Battles has been returned to us.”

  “Let’s hope another one doesn’t turn up,” Brodie said.

  “God forbid,” Ronan said.

  “Do we tell the Council we found it?” Tavis asked. “I hadn’t intended to mention it.” He glanced at Anna. “I shouldn’t have until we know for sure if the Council is trustworthy.”

  “I think we’ll keep it quiet for
now,” Sean said. “Only those in this room will know.” He looked at each of them—Anna, Tavis, Duncan, Brodie, Faelan, Bree, Cody, Shay, Ronan, Declan, Niall, and Shane. “We need to do some more investigating. And I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

  Tavis touched his chest. “Me?”

  “Faelan told me about Ian’s letter, about your son. If not for you, Duncan and I, and several others, wouldn’t even exist.”

  “You have a son? Had a son?” Anna asked.

  “I just found out,” Tavis said.

  “You had a son and didn’t know it?” Not only had he lost his family—father, mother, brothers, sister—but he’d lost a wife and child. “I didn’t know you were married.”

  “I wasn’t.” Tavis shifted uncomfortably. “His mother was a lass I knew. A nice lass,” he said defensively. He cleared his throat. “She loved me. I didn’t know she was with child. When she died, Ian and his wife raised him.”

  Anna’s head was spinning with the revelation. Tavis with a son. A lover.

  “As I said, I owe you my thanks, and my existence,” Sean said. “Duncan and I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”

  “Can I call you grandfather?” Duncan asked, smiling. Something he didn’t do often enough.

  Tavis just smiled and shook his head.

  Sean handed the satchel back to Tavis. “I didn’t touch your journal.”

  “My journal?” Tavis frowned.

  “There’s a journal or a ledger inside. I didn’t open it. I thought it belonged to you.”

  Tavis reached inside and took out a thin notebook. “Angus had this with him. He must have put it here.”

  “I saw him with a notebook when he was at the bed-and-breakfast,” Bree said.

  “Angus’s notebook.” Anna’s throat tightened. “I’ve been looking for it.”

  “Anna should have it,” Sean said.

  Anna took the book and opened it. Angus’s scrawled handwriting was easy to recognize. Oh, Angus.

  “Does he say anything about what happened here?” Bree asked.

  Angus had lived for mysteries when he was alive, and now his death had left the biggest one of all. Anna knew Bree still felt bad that she hadn’t warned Angus. She had sensed danger around him but thought he was a demon, not realizing he was a warrior working undercover.