"Och. You're right. We'll save the kisses for later when we're celebrating our escape. Stay over here, then." His strong hands on her shoulders, he guided her toward the corner.
She waited, watching as he halted at the door, peered out, then slipped outside.
She hastened toward the door, crouched low and looked out. Where had he gone? She didn't even see him. The two guards paced along the trail. She drew back and flattened her body against the wall. Where on earth was Torrin?
Seconds of silence dragged by in which she barely breathed. A shrill squealing sound echoed from behind the byre. It sounded like an animal, an injured rabbit perhaps.
"Go see what that was," one of Haldane's guards said.
"Sounded like supper." He strode out of sight and behind the byre. A thump sounded and someone cried out.
"What the devil?" The other guard followed him, sword drawn.
Blast. She hoped Torrin grabbed the first guard's sword, so he'd be better armed.
Curses echoed. Swords clanged.
Please protect Torrin, she prayed. Taking her rock, she ventured outside and peered around the corner. The two men were engaged in swordplay. But they didn't seem to notice the first guard on the ground stirring. Saints! She had to do something. Before he could notice her, she crept forward and bashed the rock against his head. He grunted and flopped to the ground.
"Jessie, get back inside," Torrin ordered.
When his opponent glanced at her, Torrin took advantage and sliced his blade across the man's chest. He stumbled back, but then charged toward her. Still low to the ground, she ducked and smashed the rock into his knee.
He cried out and crashed to the ground next to her.
Torrin grabbed her arm and helped her stand. "Move away from him."
She leapt back, and Torrin kicked the unmoving man's sword away.
"Is he dead?" Jessie asked.
"Hopefully. I ran the bastard through when he tried to grab you."
"In truth?" She hadn't seen that.
"Aye." Torrin bent and held his hand before the other man's nose. "He's no longer breathing."
Jessie picked up the discarded sword. "I might need this."
"You ken how to wield a sword?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"'Haps not as well as you, but I've had some training." She noticed a large dark stain on Torrin's shirt sleeve. "You're injured!"
"'Tis naught but a scratch. Come. Let's head toward the castle. Is there another route we could use so as to not run into Haldane and his crew?"
"Aye. I'll show you." She led the way around a rocky outcropping and along a narrow trail. When they neared Dunnakeil, low voices rumbled nearby. She ducked behind a gorse bush and he followed suit. The sounds moved along the more oft used trail leading away from the castle. It also led to the byre.
"Haldane may have left one or two of his men to watch the castle. We'll have to be careful," Torrin whispered.
"Aye."
But they also had to hurry or Haldane would discover them gone and start searching for them.
They both stood at the same time.
Again, she was thankful Torrin was with her for she would've been much more afraid had she been alone. She didn't want to tell him this now however. She didn't wish to distract him. They had to approach the castle with much caution even though they were still not on the main trail. The wind off the sea made it difficult to hear any movement in the bushes.
Closer and closer they drew to the castle, to safety.
"Stay behind me," Torrin whispered and got in front of her.
"Why? Do you sense something?"
"Aye." He crept forward one step at a time. "Watch my back."
She felt honored that he trusted her so much. Holding onto the plaid at his back, she turned her head and took a long careful look behind them. Seeing naught in the dusk, she faced forward again, then her gaze searched along the sides of the trail. Just in front of them, the bushes had near overgrown the trail. The deep gloaming only provided enough light to see indistinct outlines of the dark bushes and gray sky.
A shout sounded behind them. Her heart vaulted into her throat.
"Damnation, they've discovered our escape." Torrin grabbed her hand. "Come, let's run the rest of the way. We can't fight all of them."
Holding hands, they dashed through the bushes, the thorns tearing at their clothing. The bushes behind her shuddered and someone grabbed her left arm. She screamed and struck at the person with the sword in her left hand. Since she wasn't left-handed, her blows were weak.
Torrin leapt around her and struck out at the man. She was immediately released. She couldn't see what Torrin was doing in the dimness, but his opponent yelled out and fell into the bushes.
"Come, let's hurry." Taking his hand again, she ran as fast as she could. She tripped over her skirts and started falling, but Torrin caught her and lifted her into his arms. "Hold on around my neck, and I can still use my sword."
She did as he asked, unable to believe his strength, but he was a warrior through and through. They approached the curtain wall, then ran along it toward the portcullis and guard house.
Bushes shook behind them and she saw a few glimpses of pale-colored shirts. "They're getting closer. Hurry," she said.
Torrin increased his speed.
"Guards!" she yelled. "'Tis me, Jessie. Open the gate."
Upon reaching the portcullis, they did not find it open, but several guards lingered outside along with Iain and his men.
"What the devil is happening?" Iain asked.
"Haldane and his band of outlaws are on our heels," Torrin said. "Get Lady Jessie inside!"
Just then the gates opened and Torrin pushed her through. She refused to let go, trying to drag him in after her, but he tore away from her. "Go inside the castle! They have arrows."
"Nay! Torrin!" she yelled, clutching her hands onto the closing bars, but he was off with Iain and the guards, charging to confront Haldane and his men.
She ran up the turnpike stairs into the guard house to gain a better vantage point. The guard stationed there eyed her sword.
"What is happening out there?" she asked him.
The clang of blades answered her question. By torchlight, the men fought. Two men fell and she couldn't tell who they were in such dim and wavering light.
Please protect Torrin. Against her will, she had grown to care deeply for him over the past couple of days.
A shout resounded and several men ran away—Haldane's men. The MacKays gave chase but moments later, they returned. Where was Torrin? Her eyes searched the dimness. She ran down the steps of the guard tower and into the barmkin. She met the men at the portcullis as it was opened. Torrin walked beside Erskine and Iain. Her eyes searched Torrin for injuries but found none, other than the one he'd sustained earlier on his arm. She stood still, forcing herself not to run to him. She didn't want him to know how much she cared.
"They fled like a pack of rabbits," Torrin told her.
"Was anyone injured?"
"We killed two of them—men none of us knew," Erskine said. "All the MacKays, MacLeods and Stewarts are well."
She released a sigh of relief, and they all proceeded up the steps and into the great hall. She stopped and faced Torrin. "You need to have the healer look at that cut on your arm."
"Very well, but it has stopped bleeding and is naught to worry over." His lips quirked into a slight smile.
"Still, I wouldn't want you to catch a fever because of it."
"I like that you're worried about me," Torrin murmured.
"Jessie, what happened?" Aiden rushed toward them, a guard on either side of him.
She sent him a dry smile. "Our wee brother has returned to wreck more havoc on us all."
"Haldane's back? Saints! I tried to come out and help but they wouldn't allow it." He motioned to his two guards. "Erskine told them to keep me inside."
"'Tis for the best. You don't want to go anywhere near Haldane. He'd k
ill either of us in a heartbeat. He wants Dunnakeil and the chiefdom at any cost. He was going to use me to force the guards to open the portcullis."
Aiden's brow furrowed. "I can't believe Haldane has turned against his own family like this," he said in a saddened tone.
"I'm very disappointed in him, to say the least. He's become the most malicious outlaw you could imagine, and he seems to enjoy it. I've never seen him smile so much." She knew the situation had to be hard for Aiden to accept. He and Haldane had always been the closest of the four siblings, being full brothers and near the same age. He had to be concerned about Haldane and what would happen to him if the MacKay guards ever caught him.
"I wish Dirk was here," Aiden said, looking more anxious by the minute.
"As do I. But he isn't, so we must hold Dunnakeil until his return." She wouldn't tell Aiden that Dirk had been injured on his travels. She didn't want him to worry even more.
"We held supper since we didn't ken where you were," Aiden said. "The men were getting ready to go out and search when you showed up. Where were you when he captured you both?"
"I'd simply taken a walk to Sango Bay." Remembering how she'd been naked with Torrin at the time, she hoped the dim lighting in the great hall hid the heat she felt flushing into her face.
"And Chief MacLeod was with you?"
She glanced aside at Torrin. He had stepped a few feet away to talk to Erskine.
"Aye, he'd followed me. Said he was protecting me in the event MacBain returns."
Aiden gave a sly grin as if he knew Torrin's true motive. "I'm glad he was there."
"So am I. Without him, I couldn't have escaped Haldane."
"Now that he has rescued you… twice, mayhap you will consent to marry him, hmm, sister?"
Chapter Nine
Later that night, Jessie soaked in a large wooden tub filled with hot water and lavender soap. 'Twas heavenly and luxurious. All her muscles ached from where she'd been marched across the moor, then tied up. The skin of her wrists was still red and raw from the bindings.
Thank the saints she and Torrin had escaped Haldane and his cronies. If they hadn't, she or Torrin, or maybe both of them, could've been dead by now. How could her own brother have turned into the most nefarious outlaw in the Highlands?
A knock sounded at her door. Probably the maid.
She lifted her head. "I'm not finished yet. Come back later," she called, wanting to soak some of the soreness out and rest a while.
The door latch lifted and someone stuck their head in. Torrin! A shock went through her system. What the devil was he doing coming to her bedchamber? Everyone in the castle would find out they'd had a tryst. She grabbed the smock lying by the tub and drew it over her nude body.
He quickly slipped inside and closed the door, then barred it before she could utter a sound.
"I didn't say you could come in." Her tone was not as biting as she'd hoped.
He leaned leisurely against the door and gave her a lazy, seductive smile. "I didn't ask."
Her pulse thumped in her throat. "You must go."
"Why?"
"Just because we… doesn't mean…" she faltered, unsure about saying such brazen words to him.
"What? I'm not sure I follow." He sauntered forward, removing the brooch holding his plaid in place at his chest.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Undressing." He unclasped his belt. It dropped along with his plaid.
Unable to believe he was getting naked in her bedchamber, she realized her mouth was gaping and snapped it shut. What if someone had seen him enter her chamber? He slid the linen shirt over his head and tossed it, leaving him bare.
She swallowed hard, her eyes tracing over his long, muscular body, the likes of which she'd never imagined and certainly never seen before today.
His lengthy shaft was growing erect. The memory of their joining earlier that day overcame her and she could scarce breathe.
"I love the way you look in that tub," he said, kneeling on the floor beside her. His dark green eyes in the candlelight mesmerized her. "I've already bathed, but I wouldn't mind doing so again." Leaning forward, he slid his hand along her cheek and captured her lips. His tongue teased her lips apart and slipped into her mouth. She opened, shocked to realize she wanted to devour him. He tasted of peaty whisky and his own unique essence, which further rendered her senseless.
He moaned and she became aware of her hands fisting in his thick hair. Surprised at her brazen response to him, she immediately released him.
He pulled back, raising a brow. "'Tis a big tub. Mind if I join you?" Without waiting for her to answer, he stood and stepped into the tub. Pulling her legs out of the way, she caught a glimpse of muscular thighs, his erect shaft and his rippled abdomen as he sat opposite her. Oh heavens. Just a glance at him set her body on fire.
He sank into the water and sat back. "Ahh. Feels good, aye?"
She had never imagined bathing with a man before, but she supposed 'twas not much different from swimming naked in the sea with a man. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy it just as much. How shocking she was. If the maids learned of this, they'd be gossiping. But she couldn't run him off; her lust-filled body wouldn't allow her to. Damn him for bewitching her.
Reclining, he watched her with half-closed eyes. "Jessie?"
She nodded.
"What are you thinking?"
"How much I hate you."
He snorted. "Liar." He studied her intently. "You like me. You liked what we did today on that beach. And I sure as hell did."
Heat rushed over her, scalding her more completely than hot water ever could.
"Aye. 'Twas a tryst," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean 'tis going to happen again."
He lifted a brow, looking suddenly serious, determined and a wee bit intimidating. "Come over here." Grasping her hand, he tugged at her.
"Nay! You cannot simply order me about. Maybe you're used to doing that with your other women, but I'm not them." She resisted, trying to pull her wet hand from his, but he held her in place.
"Stop arguing," he said softly. "I have no other women. Do you want the maids or guards to start pounding on the door, wondering what the ruckus is?"
"Nay." She dropped silent and still, her gaze darting to the door briefly.
"Well, then, behave yourself." He gave her a light, playful slap on the arse.
She ended up on her knees between his legs, a very enticing position, with her hands on his broad shoulders.
"I mean to have you, Jessie MacKay," he murmured, his breath teasing her lips and his hands caressing her derriere. "And not just once or twice."
She pushed against his shoulders. "Until you tire of me."
"I'll never tire of you." His words were spoken with quiet conviction.
She wished it could be true. "You cannot know that."
"I know my own mind. And I know you. 'Tis clear to me that you want the same thing."
Dropping her gaze from his, she remained silent, many emotions conflicting inside her. Of a certainty, she enjoyed lying with him, but a woman could not base her most important decisions on such things. She wanted to take a chance on him, but what if, after she trusted him, after she loved him, he put her aside for another woman? She could not bear it. She was strong, but not that strong.
"Do you not?" he asked, sliding his hands up her sides, leaving hot chills along the way.
"Naught is clear to me," she whispered, stifling a shiver.
"Allow me to show you something very clear." He kissed her and she felt as if her insides were melting like hot pastry filling. And his kisses were just as sweet and sinful.
She fell against him, her breasts flattening against his hard chest. He lifted her, placing her knees on either side of his hips. Her most sensitive parts pressed up against his hard shaft. She gasped and his moan vibrated her chest.
What kind of wicked magic was this? She could not believe the lust that immobilized her when he touched her lik
e this. Her secret feminine parts ached to have him.
His hand and forearm beneath her derriere, he rose from the tub. When he turned, her head spun. He strode across the floor and lowered her to the bed. Her hands were tangled in his hair.
"I ken what you need, m'lady," he whispered.
Him. He was the most decadent treat she could imagine. He kissed down her throat to her chest. His beard stubble prickled over her breasts before he took her nipple between his lips and suckled. Sharp need lanced through her. She arched her back, offering herself shamelessly.
After lavishing both her breasts with sensual torture, he kissed down her stomach and flicked his tongue into her navel. His hot hands framed her hips and he scraped his teeth over her hip bone.
"I want to devour you, lass."
The passion in his tone sent feverish quivers through her.
He brushed his lips over her mound and her hands fisted in his hair. Nay, he couldn't do that. Could he?
He pushed her legs apart and then her nether lips. His hot tongue stroked over her. What on earth? She didn't know or care, but she loved it. She heard herself cry out, then bit her lip to keep quiet. No one could know what sinful delights she was indulging in with Torrin. His tongue and his fingers worked magic. Unintentionally, she thrust her hips toward him, yearning for more. Craving his shaft. His moan vibrated her flesh. He slid a finger into her, then two, stroking in and out while his tongue swirled around an especially sensitive spot.
Saints! That most astounding sensation was coming over her again. Her lungs refused to draw in more breath. The tingles circled through her and then exploded. Every muscle in her body clenched onto the pleasure, trying to hold onto it. She felt as if she vaulted toward the moon.
Seconds later she came back to herself, gasping for breath. How could he make her feel such volatile and blissful sensations? Things she'd never imagined and certainly never experienced before him.
"Torrin, you devil," she breathed.
"Aye." He chuckled, rising onto his knees. "Are you ready for more?"
"I'm not certain," she teased. "I think you've worn me out."
"Hmm. I wonder." He stroked the tip of his shaft over her most sensitive flesh.
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