The Highland Commander

by Amy Jarecki

  When she didn’t, he stepped into the water. The sting made him hiss like a kettle blowing steam.

  “Are you—?” Maddie spun around, then clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes horror-struck. “Sorry.”

  The corner of Aiden’s mouth turned up, and he glanced downward. Now she bloody turns around. And rather than running to his arms, she looked at him as if he were a sea monster.

  “No.” He held up his palm and lowered himself into the tub. “The water stings, is all.” The only problem with a tub this size? His damned knees were up around his chin. He swirled some water against his cut, clenching his teeth so he wouldn’t hiss again.

  “Can I examine your wound?”

  As it was below the surface, he couldn’t see it himself. Grunting, he raised his leg out of the water and rested his foot on the edge of the tub. “It’ll be set to rights in a day or two.”

  Now Maddie gasped. “Gracious, it looks sore.”

  “I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t.”

  “Does it hurt to walk?”

  “A bit, but we’re not doing much walking.”

  “No.” She looked at his eyes again. This time her gaze didn’t harbor as much hurt. In fact, she met him with the gaze he remembered from long ago, though a tad older and wiser. “Are you planning to use that soap?” she asked.

  He reached for the cake he’d placed atop the drying cloth on the floor beside the bath and held it up to her. His gut tightened when she frowned. Then she took it with a pursing of her lips—almost as if she were trying not to smile.

  “Shall I wash your hair?” she asked in a sultry tone that made his heart melt.

  “Thank you.” He leaned forward and let her massage in the suds. Aiden loved the clean fragrance of soap, especially this bar, scented with wildflowers. Closing his eyes, he succumbed to Magdalen’s magical touch as her fingers eased away his burden. Moving behind him, she ran the soap down his back in a swirling pattern while her fingers plied muscles he hadn’t even realized ached. When she hit a knot, he leaned into her touch and moaned. “I am in heaven, m’lady.”

  She leaned so near, he could feel her warm breath upon his neck. “’Tis the least I can do for my knight in shining armor.” Och, there was the sultry voice he adored.

  He chuckled. “Is that all it takes to get you to take note of me—pull you from the prison coach, fight off a crew of hostile sailors, take a musket shot to the leg?”

  Her hands stilled. “My word, when you put it like that, I realize how incredibly insensitive I’ve been.”

  “Nay, m’lady. It is I who have been insensitive.” He glanced over his shoulder. Her ruby lips parted with her blue-eyed stare. God’s bones, if he weren’t wedged into the tub with one leg hanging over the side, he’d kiss her.

  She rubbed the soap down his arm, his skin tingling all the way to the tips of his fingers. “What was your childhood like?” she asked, as if needing to change the subject from one that might hurt a bit too much.

  “Being the son of a noble, I never wanted for anything. My da was a marquis when I was born. He received a dukedom when I was eighteen.” Aiden grinned, thinking back. “I was given ample education—so much so, I tested out of most courses at university.”

  “Impressive.”

  He sighed. “It wasn’t all work. John and I did everything in our power to ensure we had the governess flummoxed most days.”

  Maddie laughed, her voice smooth as silk, rolling with the feminine chuckle Aiden loved. He cupped her face with his palm. “In all my childhood, I do not remember ever seeing a face as bonny as yours, Lady Magdalen Keith.”

  Blushing, she handed him the soap. “And I cannot recall ever being flirted with so unabashedly.”

  He swirled the cake over his belly. “You think I’m flirting?”

  “Perhaps you’re so adept at it, you do not even recognize when you are.”

  “Nay.” He scrubbed the soap around his loins, wishing it were she who was doing so. His voice grew deeper. “I was but merely telling the truth.”

  Maddie inhaled sharply, her tongue slipping to the corner of her mouth while she watched his eyes.

  Would she kiss him again? God, he hoped she would. Hoped she’d forget what a daft blighter he’d been at Whitehall. Hoped she wanted him in the way he wanted her. Devil be damned, if they weren’t in this predicament, he’d propose right here and now.

  But that would be too irresponsible—even for him.

  “Are you sure you do not want to climb in?” he asked, making a splash above his lap. “The water’s still warm.”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t. Besides, there isn’t room.”

  Pursing his lips, he nodded. Mayhap a proposal was what she needed to overcome her reluctance. He could be such an arse. She’d asked him about his childhood, and he’d droned on about how normal it had been. Maddie had told him her childhood had been spent in isolation. She’d told him she didn’t want to end up like the women in her hospital, or to bear a bastard.

  Aye, he knew all these things about the lass, and they made him want her all the more.

  A long pause passed between them while they stared at each other. She bit her bottom lip. White teeth slowly scraped over rosy-pink flesh.

  Did she have the slightest inkling how seductive she looked?

  She stood and wrung her hands. “Shall I turn my back whilst you dry off?”

  “Uh… aye.”

  Aiden wasn’t at all convinced he wanted to move, but she was right, he couldn’t stay in the cramped tub much longer.

  Once she turned, he stepped out and dried himself. The only problem was that his clothes were draped over the chair in front of Maddie.

  He attempted to tie the cloth around his hips, but the damned thing fell short by a good ten inches. “Would you mind handing me my shirt?”

  “Oh… certainly.” As she reached out, she swept his entire stack of clothes to the floor. “Goodness, I am so clumsy.”

  Aiden lunged forward to snatch his shirt in tandem with Maddie. “I’ve—”

  “—got it,” they said together.

  She faced him, grasping one side of the linen while he had ahold of the other. “Sorry.” Heaven help him, the firelight flickered in her eyes.

  “I want ye, lass,” he whispered hoarsely.

  She licked her lips, her gaze dropping down to where he clutched the cloth in front of his loins.

  “I want you, too,” she whispered almost inaudibly.

  But that was the only thing Aiden needed to hear. Dropping the cloth and the shirt, he swept her in his arms and smothered those delectable pink lips with one claiming kiss. She met him swirl for swirl as he ground himself against her. His need gripped him like a steel vise. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I laid eyes on you,” he growled into her hair.

  She kneaded magical fingers up and down his back. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”

  “Aye, you should, and when we escape this mess, I will make you my wife, so help me God.”

  “Yes,” she gasped.

  In the blink of an eye, he had her gown unlaced and shoved it from her shoulders.

  Deftly he hiked up her chemise and petticoats, moved his hands to her waist, and lifted her up. “Wrap your legs around me.”

  Maddie did as he asked.

  His knees nearly gave out when her slick core rubbed up and down his cock.

  “Do not get me with child,” she said in his ear.

  “If such a miracle should occur, we shall have to visit a priest with haste, my love.” He clenched his teeth against his urge to shove her against the wall and take her right there. For Christ’s sake, the bed was but three paces away.

  Those had to be the three longest paces of his life. Her breathy sounds of desire roared in his ear. With every step, he could feel her skin growing hotter, her urges growing hotter just like his.

  He set her on the bed as gently as he could, then he climbed on top of her. “I cannot wait.”

>   “Nor can I.”

  Kneeling between her legs, he coaxed her hand lower. “Guide me inside so that I’ll not hurt you.”

  His eyes rolled back when Maddie encircled him and squeezed with just the right amount of pressure. Then she chuckled and their gazes met, heated and on the verge of madness.

  Moist heat encircled the tip of his cock, slick, wet, and hot as fire.

  No words were necessary after her nod, and he slipped inside—but just a fraction.

  Her breath caught.

  Aiden squeezed his bum cheeks taut. He stared into her eyes and panted, waiting for her to give him a sign.

  With a sigh she gave another nod.

  Ever so slowly he slid through the length of her until he met a pillow-soft wall. With a sultry moan, Maddie rocked her hips. Hot woman milked him, surrounded him like a glove. Moving her grip to his buttocks, she showed him what she wanted. Rocking, swirling. In and out.

  Merciful heavens, all the dreams he’d had of making love to her paled in comparison to this moment. This one joining of souls took his heart and made it soar. This single moment made all the nights apart and the endless yearning worthwhile. Finally he’d claimed her for his own, and by God, he would make it forever.

  She arched her back, and her moans came swiftly. Aiden matched her frenzy with a deep guttural moan as he drove his cock into her again and again, the tight rippling of her inner walls taking him beyond the point of ecstasy. Maddie’s fingers sank deeper as her gasps came in short bursts. While she focused on his eyes, a gasp caught in the back of her throat.

  Her fervor, her unbridled passion sent him over the edge of pure madness. Throwing back his head, Aiden roared with his release.

  As he kissed her, he swore he would never again hurt this woman. He wanted to hold her in his embrace and protect Lady Magdalen Keith forever.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  If someone had told Maddie she was floating on air, she would have believed it. She sighed, as the remnants of sleep still made her dazed and she was a wee bit drunk on love. Not ready to open her eyes, she curled into the soft feather mattress. Last night had been an eve to write stories about, to sing odes about, and to compose passionate harp music for. She’d resisted Aiden with every fiber of her being, but when he uttered the words I will make you my wife, her entire outlook changed.

  How could she have been so daft? The man—the marquis—had risked his reputation, his life to come to her aid when no one else saw fit to raise a finger to help her. For pity’s sake, no one in the queen’s antechamber had said a word about how absurd it would be to even think of accusing her of sabotaging the chandelier. Where had it broken and how had it fallen? Surely these questions could be answered with an examination. Who had lowered the chandelier in the first place? How long had it been down before Maddie arrived?

  But all these questions faded into oblivion when compared to the past day and a half of being on the run. She and Aiden had been thrust together in a race for their lives. The oddest part? For some insane reason, the terror of having been arrested and the fear of being pursued now felt worth enduring. She would run to the ends of the earth with Aiden. As long as he was by her side, she could do anything. By the grace of God, she would remain faithful to him for the rest of her days.

  Had she finally found her place? Had she finally found love in a man with whom she could raise her own family? A family she’d been deprived of as a child?

  Oh Lord in heaven, how much she did love Aiden Murray. It mattered not that he was a marquis who would one day become a duke. She almost wished he were still Aiden Murray, commander and second son. Life would be simpler if she were married to a sailor. But then, sailors were never home, and Maddie couldn’t imagine spending months on end without the big Highlander in her bed.

  For the love of humanity, when they’d shared passion in the Atholl apartments a year and a half ago, she’d thought him the brawest man she’d ever laid eyes upon. Little did she know that Aiden had some growing yet to do. Perhaps not in height, but in the time he’d spent away at sea, he’d become a full-fledged man. His chest had grown larger and even more muscled. His arms were thicker, too. Everything about him was powerful and every bit Highland male.

  Mm, mm, what a man.

  If all men were thusly appointed with banded muscle and rippling flesh, not a woman would ever entertain the notion of leaving her bedchamber. Though she was not a small wisp of a lass, he could lift her with one arm. He could fight off three attackers at once—even with a nasty gash in his leg.

  And he said he would make her his wife.

  Happiness swelled in her breast.

  Maddie slid her palm over the bed linens and opened her eyes. The man of her dreams no longer slept beside her. She rose up on her elbow. “Aiden, my love?”

  When he didn’t answer, she sat up straight, clutching the bedclothes under her chin.

  Across the chamber a plate of cheese and bread sat beside a wooden cup. She slid into her chemise, tied her petticoats around her waist, then tied her stays loosely in front. If they would be riding all day, she didn’t need a cinched waist making her woozy. After securing her hair in a plait, she pattered to the table. Maddie hoped Aiden wouldn’t be away for long.

  After she ate, she used the needle and thread to mend the tear in the shoulder of her gown. When that was done, she paced in front of the hearth for a time before taking a seat and pouring a second cup of cider.

  Maddie nearly spilled the drink down the front of her chemise when the door opened. Aiden grinned as he stepped inside. “You found the food.”

  “Thank you.” She glanced at the parcels in his hands. “You’ve been gone for a time.”

  “Aye. I dispatched the missive to your father.”

  “Do you think it is safe?”

  “I took precautions. Signed it ‘Commander Murray of the Royal Mary.’ I’m guessing the redcoats in these parts will be looking for a marquis.”

  Maddie took a careful sip. “Good thinking.”

  “I purchased another horse—one a bit more robust than the gelding.” He set the parcels on the table.

  “Oh?” She pretended to frown. “I rather liked riding double with you.”

  “Me as well, but the old fella will last a lot longer with one rider, and the lighter of the pair of us at that. We can ride faster if we run into trouble.”

  “Do you think we will?”

  “One never kens. I’d reckon news has reached Edinburgh by now. If I were Captain Child, I would have dispatched missives from Alnwick with every vessel sailing north.”

  “Blast.”

  He untied a parcel and held up a large woolen plaid. “I reckoned we would look a wee bit suspicious wearing cloaks, so I opted for your blanket idea—an arisaid for you, and I’ll tie an additional plaid to my saddle.” He nodded to her gown. “You’d best dress.”

  She stood. “What’s in the other parcel?”

  “Oatcakes, bully beef, and a water skin.”

  She grinned, stepping into the heavy damask and sliding her arms into the sleeves. “You thought of everything.”

  He moved behind her and took up the laces. “If we stick to the byways we can skirt around Edinburgh. Once we slip past Stirling, we’ll be out of danger.”

  “How far is it from Stirling to your lands?”

  “Sixty miles or so.”

  “Sixty? Why, that’s a two days’ ride, is it not?”

  “Aye, but Stirling is the gateway to the Highlands. Once we’re past her walls, it will be easier to stay hidden.”

  Riding over unfamiliar roads, Aiden would have felt a fair bit more comfortable traveling by sea. He didn’t know the Lowlands well. Even his father preferred to take a transport from the port in Leith before riding horses to London to attend court. Aiden’s heart lightened a bit when they passed a signpost reading “Edinburgh Castle 48 Miles.” If all went well, they might be able to traverse the distance in a day.

  Maddie slowed her mount. “I tho
ught you said we’re not riding through Edinburgh.”

  “We’re not. When Craigmillar Castle comes into view we’ll turn west—give the burgh a wide berth, then skirt around the Firth of Forth. We can cross just north of Stirling.”

  “I’m glad you have it all planned, because I hardly ken north from south.” She tapped her heels and trotted alongside him. “Aside from my stay in London, I’ve never been more than fifty miles from Stonehaven.”

  “Mayhap I should take you across the Channel to the Continent after this is over. There is ever so much to see beyond our island.”

  She patted her gelding’s neck. “Take me into the midst of a war?”

  “I doubt we will be at war forever.”

  “Well, no, thank you. I want to go home and stay put.”

  Honestly, building a life in the Highlands had its appeal. They’d live in Blair Castle, and have the protection of the Atholl men. As long as the crown didn’t meddle in his affairs, all would be splendid.

  Five or so miles northwest of Coldstream, Aiden stopped looking over his shoulder. No one had followed. He’d even looked back when they crested a hill. Aside from a farmer with a wagonload of hay, there was no one on the road this morning. And the road was adequate—two wheel tracks all the way, as if it was used frequently, and the milepost was a testament to that as well.

  As long as they didn’t encounter a battalion of dragoons, they should be fine. Even if they did, Aiden doubted there’d be trouble. News of Maddie’s escape and his involvement might have reached Edinburgh. He thought it unlikely that soldiers scouting this far south would have yet received word—though not impossible.

  When they crested the next hill, a gust of wind hit them hard, making Maddie’s arisaid billow. She pulled it closed and peered up at the sky. “It looks like rain.”

  The first setback.

  Indeed, low-hanging gray clouds sailed on a path straight for them. “Aye, this time of year we can expect rain near every day.”

  Maddie shook with chattering teeth. “Should we look for shelter?”