HIGHLANDER: The Highlander’s Surrender Bride (Scottish Alpha Male Pregnancy Romance)

by Tencia Winters

  Kaeden sat in silence for a brief but heavy moment before turning to the doctor. “I need her address.”

  Chapter 3

  Amelia sat in her living room, huddled under the softly knitted blanket her grandmother had made, and tried to stem the flood of tears that hadn’t stopped since she walked through the front door of her home. This should have been one of the happiest days of her life, and yet, it was marred by not only the bizarre events of the afternoon, but also her intense fascination with that man, Kaeden.

  Kaeden. She said his name in her mind again, instantly conjuring his image. Tall, broad chested, his muscles tense and flexing under the sleeves of his white t-shirt, but his hands had been so incredibly gentle as they had held hers. Long legs encased in black denim, and tipped with black leather boots that looked worn in with use and time.

  She shook her head, knowing she was being ridiculous. Underneath the anxiety caused by the scene at Dr. Pearson’s office earlier, she could feel the warmth of happiness and awe at the thought that she was going to have a baby. After all the years of hoping and dreaming, it was finally happening. She hugged the blanket tighter, wishing she could have had the chance to tell her grandmother the good news.

  After her mother’s accident when Amelia was eight, her grandmother had taken her in and raised her. Amelia smoothed a hand over the elaborate multi-color pattern. Bettie had battled cancer for six years before passing away the year before, taking with her the last relative that Amelia knew. Loneliness had reigned in her life, but she had a new focus now. A new little somebody to give all her love.

  The sudden pounding at her front door made her jump, and she set the blanket aside as she went to see who it was, standing on her tip toes to reach the spy hole. Her heart lurched, then started racing in what she told herself was panic. Not desire, certainly. Definitely not that. Get a grip, Amelia. She peeked through the small lens again, drinking in the masculine, if slightly distorted, image of him on her doorstep. Kaeden.

  She took a deep breath, a moment to compose what she hoped was an appropriately steely expression, and grabbed the brass door knob opening it just enough to see him, his arm raised to knock again.

  Kaeden paused as the door slowly opened inward, revealing the same angel that had stormed out of the doc’s office this afternoon. The flash of need was instantaneous, but he quickly banked it as he admitted to himself that the situation required a delicate touch for everyone to come through unscathed. He mentally groaned, scratching ‘touch’ off of the acceptable words list when dealing with this woman that turned him into an inexperienced, hormone-driven cub every time he was around her.

  “What are you doing here?” Her soft voice pulled him back to the matter at hand.

  “I… I am…” He tried. “Can I come in?” He tried to look as non-threatening as possible, which was hard for him. As a lion shifter he was could be more beast than man, but the need to protect her and put her at ease rose up, dominating his baser instincts.

  “Please?” He pleaded, surprised at the word that came so easily to his lips, when any other time he would have made it a demand, confident that it would be met. “Just, give me a chance to explain? To tell you everything?” Inwardly, he cringed, knowing that ‘everything’ was actually a serious understatement, knowing he would have to tell her the truth about his species and their hidden existence. Most humans don’t react well to that sort of news.

  She hesitantly opened the door the rest of the way allowing him an uninterrupted view of every luscious curve. His gaze swept over her taking in her glossy auburn hair, now pulled up into a careless bun that left wisps to tease the nape of her neck. She was still wearing the same prim lace sundress that somehow seemed that much more provocative hugging the curve of her ample breasts, sweeping down over her waist, and flaring at the womanly swell of her hips.

  His gut clenched sharply as he noticed the smudge of tear stained tracks on her flushed checks, knowing and hating the fact that he had helped put them there. He stepped inside as she backed up, allowing him room to get through then closed the door quietly behind him. He took a brief moment to look around her house, noting the cozy decor and sunny yellow paint on the walls making it feel like he had just walked into a ray of sunshine on a summer afternoon.

  He followed her through an open archway into the kitchen, this time a softer blue but still just as happy as the rest of her house that he had seen. He briefly wondered what her bedroom would look like before banishing the thought. He had to stay focused. She turned the heat on a lady bug shaped kettle filled with water on the stove top and grabbed two mugs from an overhead cabinet before turning back to him and leaning a hip against the edge of the granite counter top.

  The grey of her eyes deepened from a soft dove grey to a richer shade of charcoal as she looked at him from across the room, but he felt it like a punch to the chest. Or a caress. Either way, he needed to break the tense silence before he did something stupid, like go over there, wrap his arms around her incredible body, and kiss her until neither of them could walk straight. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

  “We didn’t exactly start off on the right foot.” He uncrossed his arms, stepped the few feet forward to close the distance between them, and held out one tan hand, palm forward.

  “I’m Kaeden Everett.” He couldn't help the gravel that had entered his voice as he was standing so close that her clean, lemony perfume enveloped him until his head was filled with the scent of her. He braced against her touch, anticipating the smooth slide of her skin against his. Nothing could have prepared him for the spark that shot from the tips of his fingers in a tingling wave as she tentatively placed her delicate hand in his. Her eyes widened impossibly, making him feel like he could drown if she let him. She gave one quick shake, then dragged her hand away, holding it behind her back as if burned.

  “Um, Amelia…I’m, I am Amelia. Price…Amelia Price, that’s my name.” Oh my god, get a fricken grip! Amelia berated herself, feeling her cheeks heat as she slammed her lips shut, forcibly cutting off her rambling. She took a deep breath, and started again.

  “Listen, I gave a lot of thought to what happened at Dr. Pearson’s office today, and I realized you are as much a victim of this misunderstanding as I am, but I can’t just give you…”

  “No, wait. Just let me explain, before you say anything…Let me try at least?” He took her brief nod as assent to continue. “Yes, I had a contract with Dr. Pearson to help me look for a surrogate for my child. Obviously, there was a mistake made at the clinic. I have very…specific criteria the carrier would have to meet. Only a…very special person with the exact physical and chemical elements could carry my baby, or even get pregnant with my sperm.” Her face bloomed an even brighter pink, and he found himself momentarily distracted by the sudden flush of her pale skin.

  “You see, I’ve been trying for years to find someone who was a match for my…er, me.” He stumbled over his words, trying to find a way to explain that wouldn’t completely freak her out. “To even find you was incredibly rare, you are an incredibly rare person,” He continued to speak, ignoring her head shake of disagreement, “I am so lucky to have found you, and regardless of the…the less than ideal circumstances, I want the chance to get to know you, and for you to know me. I want to be a part of this child’s life,” he knew he had taken it too far as Amelia wrapped both arms around her torso and unconsciously leaned away from him even though her back was still pressed against the counter.

  “But let’s just focus on the getting to know each other part.” Why did that sound so dirty to him? He could easily picture all the different ways he would like to know her. Again, he found himself battling his libido.

  “Wait, why would you even need someone so specific anyways? I mean, it sounds like you’ve been searching for years without finding someone suitable, so what’s the deal?” Her face suddenly dropped in an expression of dread, “do you have a disease or something? Did you pass it on to my baby?”
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br />   “No! Just, calm down,” He could already see the panicked thoughts flying wildly through her head. “I am perfectly healthy, don’t worry. Dr. Pearson would never go forward with something like this if it put the baby or the mother at risk, and neither would I.” He braced himself against what he knew was coming. The last, and only person he had told the truth about himself had thrown an entire set of dishes at him before threatening to call the cops if she ever saw him again.

  “I am not diseased, but I am..Different.” Amelia just cocked a brow as she waited for him to continue. God, there really was no easy way to say it. He squared his shoulders, and looked deep into her sweet grey eyes.

  “I am a were-lion.”

  Chapter 4

  Amelia stared dumbly, sure she had mis-heard.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I’m a were-lion. Half human, half lion.”

  “Oh my god, you’re nuts.” she felt frozen as she tried to take in what he was saying. “I think you need to leave.”

  “Give me chance to prove it, ok? Then you’ll have to believe me.” The side of his mouth kicked up in a half grin. How did being clinically insane not lessen how incredibly handsome he was, or have any affect on her reaction to him. He’s crazy, she told herself. So stop drooling.

  “Just watch…and try to keep an open mind.” His golden eyes peered deeply into hers, trying to judge how she would react, but he could only show her the truth and hope for the best. He took a few steps back until he was standing in the middle of the kitchen, and then stopped looking at her bashfully. “Actually, I should go into the other room to transform. I wouldn’t want to rip my clothes.” Amelia’s brain stalled at the image that statement conjured, but in her mind it was her who was doing the ripping. She cleared her through hoarsely, hoping her blush wasn’t giving her away.

  “Sure, the bathroom is just down that hall on the left. Go do…whatever it is that you need to do.” She said dubiously, gesturing with her hand in the right direction. What did she expect, that he was going to pop out of her pink tiled bathroom in a lion suit or something?

  She waited, bemused at the entire situation and hoping that she hadn't made a terrible mistake by letting a crazy person in her home. Even though she couldn’t really bring herself to regret it. She would have risked a lot to get a second look at him. Or third. Or fourth. Really, it wasn't fair. He was so incredibly gorgeous, and she was…she looked down at her figure. She used to hate it when her grandmother called her ‘big boned’ when she was younger, but eventually she grew into her curves and learned to appreciate the beauty of her body even if it didn’t match the stick skinny fashion model ideal she saw in every magazine. Amelia had a true hourglass frame that made it hard to find clothes that fit, which had led to her eventually finding and falling in love with vintage clothes. They just seemed to fit her better, and she especially loved that they were unique, not factory made or generic.

  Amelia heard the door creak open, snapping her out of her musings, and she glanced up barely holding back a terrified shriek at the sight of a giant gold and tawny lion padding calmly into her kitchen.

  “Oh my god!” She grasped the edge of the counter at her back to keep herself from bolting as adrenaline spiked like a drug through her veins, demanding she flee. She inhaled deeply, trying to slow her wildly racing pulse. Mentally, she knew this must be Kaeden, as impossible as it seemed, but her body was still kicking into overdrive at the sight of the massive beast that had taken a seat on its back paws not three feet away from her. He looked terribly out of place in her robin’s egg blue kitchen with racks of copper pots and a sweet smelling lavender plant in the middle of her small table.

  Amelia cocked her head, trying to see him, to see Kaeden behind the fur, and the teeth. The really big teeth.

  “It’s really you. You’re a…Were-cat?” A grumbling whine echoed out of his mouth, conveying his annoyance at the diminutive title. It made her giggle, and a little of her initial panic drained away as a sense of awe rose in its place. He really was incredible. “Can I…can I touch you?” A different growl, almost like a purr, made her think it was more than okay, and he stood and slowly sauntered closer until she could feel the surprisingly soft fur of his mane under her fingertips.

  “This is amazing. More than amazing, really. Who are you? I mean, are you human or a different species entirely? Do you have the same physiology as a human when you are in your, what do you call it, man shape?” She rambled off the questions, a million more filling her head and demanding to be answered. He rolled his eyes, and his long pink tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth in an expression she could only call humorous. He nudged her hand one final time before turning around and pacing back to the bathroom.

  A few minutes later he came back out, and Amelia was still frozen in the same spot she had been in throughout the entire surreal ordeal.

  “Hey, are you okay?” He was suddenly standing so close, it was hard for her to draw a full breath, like he was using up all of her oxygen.

  “I’m…I don’t know.” Amelia stared back at him, unable to tear her gaze away from his. She flicked her tongue across her suddenly dry lips, and his eyes followed like a hawk, narrowing as they focused on her mouth. She really did lose all the breath in her lungs as he drew even closer, yet still not touching her. The look on his face left no doubt what he was thinking, and all the reasons she shouldn’t let him fled in the wake of the waves of desire that were rolling over her, dragging her under. She could feel her arousal pool between her thighs, and she watched him watching her, the gold in his eyes catching the last of the day’s light and turning molten.

  She just had time to catch her breath before his lips were on hers, demanding, aggressive. Not a typical first kiss, there were no tentative forays or teasing pecks. He plundered her mouth, pressing his tongue against her lips and she opened, intuitively leaning towards him, asking for more. His leg slid between hers, the denim rough against the overly sensitive skin of her inner thighs. She moved forward unabashedly, overcome by the passion welling from deep within her body unlike anything she had felt before.

  Granted, she hadn’t had many lovers, but she had never felt the keen edge of hunger and desire that was clawing at her body, making her feel wild and wanton. His leg eased hers further apart, the hem of her dress riding up on her pale thigh, and his big callused hand followed. Slowly, he inched the lacy material higher and higher until her revealed the edge of her satin panties. His mouth still dominated hers, his other hand caught in her auburn hair tilting her head to allow better access. She felt delirious. Like a bubble just waiting to burst.

  Her focus was captured by his hand, so hot it felt like a brand as his long fingers inched under the satin material, separating it from her skin, and following it down until they reached her center, his knuckles just barely brushing her warmth. It made her breath catch as she felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting, desperately wanting him to touch her. His fingers brushed over her folds teasingly, making her press her hips deeper into him trying to get closer to his hand.

  With his lips still against hers, he thrust two fingers deep inside her, his mouth taking in her gasp at the feeling of being deliciously filled. Like his kiss, his fingers moved without hesitation, like he already knew her body, exactly what she needed. Amelia arched deeper onto his fingers as they moved rhythmically inside her, building the tension in her as she leaned her head back, eyes closed. Kaeden moved his lips down until they reached that spot right below her ear, his teeth sending more tingling waves that added to storm that was building inside her.

  He increased his pace, his fingers working magic in her body, the thumb of his other hand dipping below the top edge of her panties to land on her clit. Once, twice, Amelia exploded as the pressure built to a pounding crescendo. Her muscles tensed as she let out a husky groan, glad for the support of the counter and Kaeden’s body as she went boneless as he wrung the last ripple of pleasure from her. He reluctan
tly removed his hand, righting her underwear and pulling her dress back down with a look of resigned displeasure at covering her back up.

  “Wow.” Amelia said breathlessly, then blushed at how ridiculous it sounded to her still ringing ears. “I mean…I guess I just…”

  “Hush.” Kaeden pressed his lips, now softly, almost reverently, against her kiss- swollen ones. “Thank you.” His voice was deep and hoarse, a hint of a growl held within.

  “I should be the one thanking you!” Amelia was surprised at how comfortable she was with him, not the least bit embarrassed by her completely out of character response. Overwhelmed and a little confused, maybe, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world for him to touch her. She glanced down at his obvious arousal. Her voice became even huskier, “I could do something that you could really thank me for.”

  She started to reach for the worn silver buckle of his belt, but he backed away.

  “If you start that, I…” He shook his head, making his long, jet black hair swing in front of his face, momentarily blocking her view of his gorgeous eyes, and the expression of intense desire that had turned them to golden flame at her offer. His arm swept up, smoothing the hair back as he had looked at her, for the first time uncertain.

  “How about tomorrow, I’ll take you to get coffee?” He was already backing towards the door, “Let’s meet at Lutticia’s on Madison, you know the place?” She nodded slowly that she did, and was opening her mouth to speak just as he reached the door knob. “Gotta go, I…I’ll see you tomorrow! At eleven!” And with that he was outside, closing the door before she had a chance to respond.

  Chapter 5

  Kaeden was at the cute, local coffee shop before Amelia. It was one of his favorites, and funny enough the co-owner, Roxanne, was a Shifter as well, although she was a part of a family of bear shifters that ran the coffee shop, and a bar a few blocks away as well. They had met years ago, and she always treated him like a little brother, even though she was four years younger than his twenty nine. He had been sitting for just a few minutes when he looked up and saw Amelia walking towards him. The world seemed to tilt as he watched her, her body so much smaller, so much softer than his.