The Laird Of Blackloch (Highland Rogue)

by Amy Rose Bennett

  ‘She sounds like a remarkable woman.’

  ‘Aye, she was indeed. Fearless and intelligent, she’d been acting as clan chief and managing the estate in my father’s absence. And selfless to the very last. Before Tay entered the Hall, she ordered the clanswomen and Aileen, who was Blackloch’s housekeeper, to take Isla, who was only twelve years old and in training to be a maid, to hide in the priest hole below the main staircase. And she sent one of the male servants out to the gardens to find Anne and Maggie.’

  ‘I had no idea Aileen had been in your service for such a long time. Or Isla.’

  ‘Dobson too. He and Aileen are married.’

  ‘Oh, I didn’t know that either. But, please go on. I’ve interrupted you.’

  Alex reached for her hand and the sense of foreboding that gripped Sarah made the hair rise on the back of her neck.

  ‘Aileen said that my mother… She ordered Lord Tay to leave but he merely laughed and then Aileen heard her scream and beg for mercy. But he didn’t heed her. He—’ Alex wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. ‘He raped my mother. And when he was done, he ran her through with his sword.’

  ‘Oh, my God.’ A wave of horror washed through Sarah. Her stomach roiled. ‘How could he? That’s… that’s appalling. Abominable.’

  Alex’s mouth twisted. ‘Aye.’

  ‘Oh, Alex. I am so, so sorry.’

  ‘’Tis not your fault, lass. The problem with blood lust is that once it rampages through a man’s veins, it’s hard to stem the flow. I cannot say for sure but I think Tay got a taste for inflicting pain and killing on the battlefield, and once he was given permission by Cumberland to run amuck, he couldn’t stop.’

  Not wanting to hear the rest, but knowing she would not be satisfied until she knew everything, Sarah asked, ‘What else did he do, Alex? If you can bear to tell me. This must be so difficult for you. To talk about this.’

  ‘I can stand it, Sarah. The telling is not as bad as living through it.’

  ‘I do not doubt it.’

  ‘So…’ Alex threw back the rest of his whisky and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A hand that shook. ‘Aileen tells me she hid in the priest hole for well over an hour, perhaps two, covering Isla’s ears whilst she listened to everything that was going on. Tay gave his men carte blanche to do whatever they wanted to with the servants, both men and women. And then she smelled smoke. She thinks it was about that time I stumbled upon the scene.’

  ‘Oh, Alex.’

  ‘Before I even saw Blackloch, I knew something was wrong because I smelled the smoke. Tay had set the castle on fire. The east wing. I dismounted in the woods not far from the edge of the loch and skirted the edge of the trees. My injured leg slowed me down but there wasn’t much I could do about it. As I approached I could hear screams and cries. But worse than that, the sound of men laughing and shouting as if they were making merry. It was the sound of hell.’

  Sarah held her breath, wanting yet dreading to hear the rest.

  ‘I have no idea how many men were there. Too many at any rate. And I was just one man. A wounded man. But the blood lust took hold of me too. I’d lost my musket on the battlefield but I still had my sword and my dirk. I cut my way through as many bastards as I could until I reached the Great Hall. And my mother.’

  Alex closed his eyes. His shoulders heaved with emotion and Sarah watched his furious expression bleed into grief. ‘When I saw her… just lying there on the flagstones with her eyes open but unseeing… the gaping wound in her belly, I couldn’t move, Sarah. And then, like the Devil himself, Tay appeared out of the smoke, heading for the door. Heading towards me. Blackloch’s main wing was also burning by then, and he was coughing, but as soon as he laid eyes on me, despite my putrid state, he knew me. I lunged toward him, but I hadn’t seen the pistol in his hand. And he shot me. In the shoulder. I don’t remember much after that as when I fell, I hit my head on the flagstones and was knocked out cold.’

  Tears misted Sarah’s eyes. How could she have ever fancied herself in love with such an evil man? ‘You’re lucky you weren’t killed,’ she whispered.

  ‘Aileen told me later that she’d recognised my voice—apparently I’d shouted at Tay. After she heard the shot, then nothing else, she waited another five, perhaps ten minutes before emerging from the priest’s hole. Tay and his men had gone so she was able to get Isla out safely, and then she and the clanswomen pulled me out of the Great Hall before it began to burn.’

  ‘Blackloch still stands though. How was it saved?’

  ‘Heaven must have taken pity, as rain began to pour down, extinguishing most of the blaze so some of the castle was spared. The west wing and some sections of the main keep. And after I had established myself as Alexander Price, I was able to purchase the forfeited estate. Over the past five years, I’ve had the castle rebuilt.’

  ‘I cannot imagine how you’ve accomplished so much in the face of such tragedy and terrible loss, Alex.’

  ‘I will not lie, lass. It hasn’t been easy.’

  ‘At the risk of upsetting you further, may I ask what became of your sister… and Maggie?’

  With an abruptness that startled her, Alex stood strode over to the drinks cabinet to pour himself another measure of whisky.

  ‘I’m sorry. I ask too much of you.’

  ‘No. It’s all right.’ Alex returned to his seat. ‘You have a right to know all this too. I hesitate because of the pain you must feel, Sarah. It cannot be easy hearing the man you were to wed is capable of such horrific things.’

  ‘It isn’t. But I think it’s important that I know the truth. No matter how terrible.’

  ‘Yes.’ A crease appeared between Alex’s brows and his grey eyes glistened. ‘My poor little sister, my bonnie Anne, she’d been run through too. Dobson—he’d been conducting business in the village of Kinloch, about ten miles away, when everything happened—he found her in the rose garden later on. Alone.’

  Sarah could hardly make her lips move. ‘And Maggie?’

  Alex’s throat worked in an audible swallow. ‘Tay’s men had dragged her into a copse of trees and had used her. I don’t know how many or if Tay participated in her brutalisation, but when they were done with her, someone slit her throat.’

  ‘Oh, dear God.’ Bile rose in Sarah’s throat; horror and grief and anger coursed through her veins. Made her heart pound so hard, she could hear the beat of it in her ears. How could I not have known… Could I not have seen Malcolm for who he truly is?

  A monster in truth.

  The Devil himself.

  Those hands that had touched her, had committed acts too foul and unjust to think of. Those lips that had whispered sweet words of wooing, lips that had kissed her, had issued depraved orders, commanding men to defile and murder innocents.

  She reached out and clasped Alex’s hand. ‘Words cannot express what I feel right now,’ she whispered in a voice choked with tears. ‘No wonder you hate him so. I hate him too.’

  Alex cupped her cheek and gently brushed her tears away with his thumb. ‘I know I could have come to you at Linden Hall months ago to tell you all this, instead of kidnapping you to hurt Tay. But I didn’t know if you would believe me. Not only that, because I’m a wanted man, I couldn’t risk sharing my past with you, not until I knew you’d understand what was at stake.’

  Sarah covered his hand with hers. ‘You can trust me, Alex. I won’t betray your secrets.’

  His gaze grew dark. Troubled. And he withdrew his hand. ‘You have every right to condemn me, Sarah. I’ve been consumed with dark, bloody anger for so long, I’m afraid I’ve become that which I despise.’

  ‘No.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘You are not like Malcolm. Don’t you dare think it. Not for a minute.’

  Anguish flashed in Alex’s eyes. ‘But in the process of exacting my pound of flesh, I’ve hurt you.’

  ‘I will heal. And I completely understand your need to avenge those you loved. I forgive you, Alexander MacIvor. With all
my heart, I forgive you.’

  Alex’s wide mouth curved into a soft smile. ‘God knows, I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but thank you.’

  Sarah’s pulse began to race. Perhaps it was the effect of Alex’s smile. Perhaps it was because his firm leg was pressed against hers and they were both barely dressed. Perhaps it was because his warm gaze made her feel cherished. Whatever the reason, she couldn’t deny what was in her heart any longer. ‘You said earlier that once I’d heard the truth, you’d set me free and I could choose what would happen next.’

  ‘Yes, I did.’ Alex focused his attention on her mouth before his gaze returned to meet hers. ‘And what is that, Sarah Lambert? What do you choose?’

  The flare of heat in his eyes gave Sarah courage. His invitation was clear. Raising her hand, she brushed her fingertips along Alex’s strong jaw before leaning closer. Her mouth hovered a breath away from his. ‘I choose this,’ she whispered. ‘I choose you.’ And then she kissed him.

  As her lips touched Alex’s, he growled deep in his throat and captured her face with his hands. Tilting her head, he angled his mouth over hers, claiming her. His hot, hungry tongue tasted her lips and she opened for him, inviting him to delve inside with a beckoning flicker of her own tongue.

  With a groan, he entered her completely and the flavour of whisky filled her mouth, intoxicating her, scattering all thought. Nothing existed except the silken slide of Alex’s lips and the velvet, swirling caress of his tongue. Desire heated her blood, made her bold, and she slipped her hands inside Alex’s robe, seeking the sleek, hard flesh beneath. Her fingers splayed over his heavy pectoral muscles and she felt his nipples pebble beneath her palms. A maddening pulse, low in her belly, had her shifting uneasily in her seat.

  Perhaps sensing her need, Alex slid her onto his lap and she felt the evidence of his own arousal; his silk robe had fallen open and the press of his thick member against her thigh couldn’t be concealed by his linen smallclothes. Curious, she boldly slid her hand downwards to cup the hot, hard length of him, and he sucked in a breath, breaking the kiss. ‘You are not at all shy, my sweet,’ he murmured thickly.

  She bit her lip, suddenly uncertain that she’d gone too far. That she’d shocked Alex. ‘Does that bother you?’

  His smile was pure lust. ‘Not at all. I love how fearless you are. How wild. I have another secret to confess.’ He pressed his lips to her ear. ‘You are driving me wild too.’

  Alex pushed the blue velvet robe off her shoulders then buried his face in her neck, his mouth nuzzling and nipping, his rough stubble grazing her flesh. Hot shivers danced over Sarah’s skin as his tongue traced along the line of her collarbone. When his lips fastened around one of her nipples and he suckled her through the cambric of his nightshirt, molten pleasure blasted through her.

  Breathless with want, barely able to speak, she tugged on the silky black tresses of his unbound hair. ‘Alex.’

  He mistook her desperate plea for more as uncertainty, as he immediately raised his head. ‘How far do you want to take this, Sarah?’ he said, his voice low and rough. His eyes, a dark burning grey, searched hers. ‘We can stop at any time.’

  ‘No. I don’t want to stop.’ She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Her bravado was faltering. ‘I want…’ Dare she admit what she truly wanted? How she really felt? What if he didn’t believe her? What if he thought her feelings weren’t genuine? They’d been at this point before. And he’d rejected her. She didn’t think she could bear it if he did so again. Not when her heart pounded for him. Not when her body ached for him.

  Alex seemed to recognise the reason for her hesitation. ‘I’ve made you doubt me.’ He stroked the hair back from her face. ‘And I’m to blame.’ He tilted her chin up, trapping her gaze. ‘Would it help if I told you I’m mad for you? And I think I have been since the moment I first saw you at Kenmuir House. But what I feel now, it’s more than lust. And being the blind fool that I am, I didn’t realise it until I almost lost you today. I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you, Sarah. And even though it’s unlikely that you could possibly feel the same—’

  Sarah pressed a finger to his lips. Tears filled her eyes and joy flooded her heart. ‘But I do. I love you too.’

  Alex’s voice was a shocked whisper. ‘Truly?’

  Sarah smiled through her tears. ‘Yes. Truly.’

  ‘Say you’ll be mine, Sarah Lambert.’

  ‘Alexander MacIvor, I’m yours.’

  With a triumphant growl, Alex lifted her and crossed the room to the bed. After laying her on the pillows, he swiftly shed his robe and undergarments and stood before her in all his naked glory.

  Sarah’s gaze travelled over him, noting the pucker of angry red scars on his left shoulder and on his right thigh. But they did nothing to mar his rampant male beauty. He was lean and well muscled and her fingers itched to explore every inch of his hard flesh—including his impressively erect member. Rising proudly from a tangled nest of black hair, she supposed she should have found the sight of his fearsome cockstand intimidating. But she didn’t. If anything, the heavy ache to have him between her thighs, filling her, intensified.

  She reached out a hand. ‘Come to bed,’ she whispered but Alex shook his head.

  ‘Not until you are naked too, my sweet.’

  A strange nervous thrill skittered through Sarah as she rose to her knees and shrugged off Alex’s robe. She’d never been naked in front of a man before, but whilst the maidenly part of her quailed, the reckless, wanton part of her wanted to do this. As she grasped the hem of the nightshirt, and lifted it to her waist, she could have sworn Alex held his breath. And then she closed her eyes and wrenched it off.

  When she ventured a glance at Alex again, this time she felt nothing but a deep thrill of satisfaction. His eyes, heavy-lidded and dark with lust, raked over her, devouring her. Such a heady sensation to feel so desired. And treasured.

  Before she could utter a word, Alex pushed her onto the bed and slid over her, hovering on his forearms, the thick cords of muscles in his arms tense and bulging. The furnace like heat of his body set her own skin aflame. The hard heavy length of his manhood pressing against her lower belly sent her need spiralling.

  ‘I want to touch you.’ Her hands grasped his biceps and wrapped around the bunched muscles. Her fingertips travelled over the hard planes of his chest, exploring the light whorls of dark hair. His tight bronze nipples. She ventured lower, tracing along the line of a rib. The ridges of muscle along his abdomen.

  Alex watched her the whole time she played, an indulgent yet hungry wolf. Until her fingers curled around the rigid yet velvet smooth shaft of his cockstand… then a sharp hiss escaped him. ‘Careful, lass. If you keep touching me like that, you’ll make me come off too soon.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’

  He hushed her with a searing kiss. ‘It’s all right. I just want to pleasure you first before seeking my release.’

  ‘Pleasure me? That sounds positively wonderful and wicked at the same time.’

  His mouth kicked into a sinful smile as his hand found one of her breasts. ‘Aye. It is. Just you wait and see.’

  Alex lowered his head and flicked his tongue over her nipple, and she gasped, arching into him. His mouth curved into a smile before he swirled his tongue around and around the tight peak then gently surrounded it with his lips, suckling delicately. All the while, he plucked and rolled her other nipple with his fingers. Delicious tremors shot through her, all the way to her most secret place. The place that now throbbed with sharp arousal and was slick with desire.

  Brimming with restless energy, she parted her legs beneath Alex and instinctively tilted her hips so that her sex brushed against his shaft. A low growl vibrated in Alex’s throat and he transferred his mouth to her other breast. His wicked ministrations were maddening and it wasn’t long before Sarah was writhing beneath him. ‘Please,’ she whispered, as she scraped her nails down Alex’s strong back. She didn’t know what she w
anted exactly but she was sure Alex could give her what she craved.

  He kissed her mouth again and rolled alongside her. At the same time, his hand skimmed down her belly and ruffled the curls hiding her mound before slipping between her thighs. ‘Is this want you want, Sarah?’ he whispered as one of his long fingers caressed the damp seam of her sex. ‘Do you want me to touch you here?’

  ‘Yes.’ She parted her legs and pushed against his questing finger. ‘Yes please.’ Desperation made her bold.

  ‘Your wish is my command, sweetheart.’ Alex slid his finger between her wet folds and pressed against something—a small nub—that made her gasp with pleasure.

  ‘Oh,’ she whispered.

  ‘Oh indeed.’ Alex lay on his side, his weight on one elbow, watching her face. His finger teased the same exquisitely sensitive spot, circling, stroking, mercilessly flicking, fanning the flames of her desire. Closing her eyes, she clutched at Alex’s shoulder and rocked against his hand, panting, craving, wanting something wonderful that just lay out of reach.

  Alex’s mouth covered hers and as he kissed her, everything inside her pulled tight… and then a bright burst of pulsating pleasure swept through her, carrying her away on a glorious wave to a place of blissful satisfaction.

  When she opened her eyes, Alex was smiling down at her, his grey eyes soft and warm. ‘So, was it both wonderful and wicked?’

  Sarah smiled back. ‘Yes. You know it was.’

  ‘Good.’ Alex moved over her. Taking his weight on his forearms, he settled himself between her parted thighs. ‘Let’s see if we can find pleasure, together.’

  ***

  Sarah brushed the tousled hair back from his brow. ‘I would love that,’ she whispered.

  A surge of tenderness flooded Alex’s heart. Even though his cock pulsated with need, and he would like nothing more than to bury himself to the balls in Sarah’s liquid heat, he wanted to make sure her first time was enjoyable. ‘I’m afraid this will hurt at first, lass,’ he warned as he used one hand to position himself between her drenched folds.