by Lynn Tyler
Robbie glared at his brother and cursed his own stupidity as he halted his horse. He jumped off and helped her down, supporting her when her legs buckled. He held her tightly to his body as her legs adjusted, only letting her go when she pulled away from him and disappeared behind a bush.
Will pulled Robbie aside and whispered frantically, “What are you doing? Why are you being so rude to her?”
Robbie ignored the question in favor of asking one himself. “Why are you being so nice to her?”
“Are you telling me I should not be nice to her?” Will asked incredulously.
Robbie struggled to find the words to put to his feelings. “Just the other day you were telling me I should break my marriage contract. Now you are telling me to be nicer to her.”
“Aye, well, I did not know her then. I find I like her now that I know her. She is good for you.”
“Good for me?” Robbie echoed.
“She challenges you.”
Now Robbie was truly confused. “You told me I needed a sweet, biddable lass.”
Will nodded quickly. “I did think that. But I see the way you look at her. I see the spark of life in your eyes every time she challenges you. Robbie, I have not seen that spark for going on thirteen years now. Jamie cannot even remember you ever being happy. She can make you happy.”
Jocelyn arrived again before he could think of a suitable reply. She grinned at Will but cooled considerably when she looked at Robbie. “Shall we continue on, my lord cranky?”
Will hooted with laughter, clearly delighted someone was willing to take on his older brother in his black mood. Even Robbie himself failed to suppress the grin that stretched across his face. “Aye, angel. Let us continue.”
Jocelyn snorted at the endearment but allowed him to help her back into the saddle. “I suspect my father would disagree with the title of angel. Hellion, perhaps, but not angel.”
Robbie felt his bad mood float away as he laughed at her wry tone. “Aye, well, angel did seem more appropriate than nymph.”
“Why would you want to call anyone nymph?” she asked, twisting around to look at him when he boosted himself up behind her.
“Well, one of my fondest memories will be when I came across a beautiful water nymph down by the river just yesterday. It was a very unsatisfying encounter,” he replied, lowering his voice so that only she could hear his words.
She blushed and dropped her eyes to his chest. Sweet Lord, she enchanted him. She was a mix of innocence and seductress. True to form, her shyness didn’t stop her from answering boldly. “I thought it was a very satisfying encounter.”
Robbie just about swallowed his tongue at her coy confession. He cleared his throat and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Well, perhaps a certain nymph can find a way to help me to a satisfactory conclusion when we get home.”
Jocelyn turned around so she faced forward again. She giggled and leaned back into him a little, relaxing into his supporting arms. He rested his chin on her head and thought about their situation. He liked her intelligence and wit. He was intrigued by her skills. He wanted her body, but more than anything else, he wanted her friendship and trust.
* * * *
Jocelyn leaned into her husband, relishing the feel of being supported by strong arms. Somehow she knew she could trust him to keep her safe, that he would never let her fall.
The change in his mood was an almost tangible thing, and she savored each time he leaned down to point out something of interest to her. He pointed out a doe, a sleeping wolf, and a brilliant green plant he said reminded him of her eyes.
She thought back to their time at the river. Of course he had brought her great pleasure, but what had really struck her about the encounter was his playfulness. His later awkwardness made her think he did not let that side of his personality free very often.
Her thigh muscles cramped suddenly, and she stiffened. “What is wrong, imp?” Robbie asked in her ear.
“Cramp,” she gasped, her eyes watering from the pain.
Robbie immediately called his men to a halt and dismounted. He lifted her off the horse and placed her gently on the ground. She vaguely heard some chatter about making camp for the night, but the pain in her leg drowned out everything but the need to ease her seized muscle. “It is from riding too long,” Robbie said, appearing in front of her. She tried to work up a glare, but the concern on his face held her tongue.
“Can you straighten your knee?” he asked softly. She shook her head then let out a long string of curses when he gently but firmly straightened her knee. Apparently he found her colorful language amusing as his shoulders began shaking with poorly disguised laughter. He snorted again when she let out a particularly descriptive curse and walked his fingers along her thigh, probing lightly for the tight muscle. She moaned when he found it, and she gripped handfuls of grass as he worked at the muscles. Sharp flashes of pain were traveling up her leg. Jocelyn gritted her teeth and concentrated on not muttering anything else inappropriate.
“Try and relax,” he encouraged, and suddenly, her muscle loosened. She drooped and took a deep breath. “Better?” he asked.
“Aye,” she breathed. His fingers still massaged her thigh, moving a little closer to the inside and a little more north than before.
She tensed for an entirely different reason. Goose bumps rose on her skin, and her breasts tingled. His touch changed from therapeutic to caressing, and her body responded enthusiastically.
She remembered the feel of his mouth on her breasts, and her nipples hardened immediately. Her core welled with cream, and she silently willed his fingers higher. Another part of her body was now throbbing, and it wasn’t her thigh. His hand slid higher, and his fingers brushed the crease where her leg met her groin. He traced a single fingertip over one of her outer sex lips, and her breath caught.
A groan ripped from his throat, and he yanked his hand out from under her plaid. “Sweet Jesus, you are wet for me.”
“Aye,” she whispered. Shivers raced up and down her spine, and she felt like weeping when he stopped. “When will we be at the keep?”
Robbie’s eyes heated, and he shifted onto his knees. He leaned forward until his lips hovered just a scant distance from hers. “We will arrive just before nooning if we get an early enough start.”
His warm breath flowed over her lips. She remembered how soft his lips had felt against hers. She leaned even closer until the distance between their lips was less than a hair’s width. “Can we not ride through the night?”
He smiled and tilted his head so that their lips were barely brushing. “I have already given the order to stop for the night.”
Jocelyn sighed in disappointment and reached up to stroke back his hair. He moaned low in his throat and placed his lips fully against hers. She kissed him back enthusiastically and whimpered when he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips.
She opened her mouth, and he slipped his tongue inside, withdrawing and thrusting with an incredible rhythm. Jocelyn mimicked his actions and was rewarded with a groan. Her fingers tightened in his hair, and she tugged at him, desperate to get him closer. She practically sang with joy when Robbie’s palm covered her breast and squeezed gently before he pinched her nipple lightly between his thumb and finger.
“Harder,” she whispered against his mouth.
Obligingly, he gripped her nipple tighter, pulling on it softly, making her insides squirm with pleasure. He rolled the hard nub between his fingers almost roughly, drawing a whimper from her when the small pinch of pain did nothing save emphasize the pleasure. He ripped his mouth away from hers, breathing heavily. Her own breath was coming out in short, quick pants. “We must stop,” he murmured, regret causing a shadow in his eyes.
Jocelyn wanted to stomp her feet like a child. She did not want to stop in the least. Her whole body ached with want for the same release he had given her just the other day. “Why?” she whined plaintively.
“I want you too much,” Robbie said, pickin
g up her hand and kissing her knuckles. “And I refuse to take you here.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “But you nearly had me by the river,” she countered hotly.
“Aye, my little imp. But my men were not milling about. Besides, it was not proper,” he said.
Jocelyn thrust out her lower lip, well aware she was pouting but unable to help herself. Her body was throbbing with need, and it seemed she would have to wait at least another night before those needs got met. Besides, she had never been proper before, and she couldn’t see why it was important to start now. “Why are you calling me imp? I thought I was a nymph,” she said grumpily.
Robbie leaned forward and nibbled on her lower lip before he answered. “It rolls off my tongue better than nymph. Besides, I think you are more mischievous than a nymph. Imp suits you better.”
He kissed her deeply again, letting his tongue slip into her mouth once more. “Oh, do not do that,” she breathed after he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nipping it softly before releasing it. “I will not be able to wait if you keep that up.”
Robbie’s breath caught in his throat at her statement, and he shuffled a short distance away from her. She pouted a little at the loss of his warmth against her front. A loud bark of laughter caught her attention, and she turned around to find the men had already set up a fire and were serving whatever they could scrounge up for their evening meal. “My lady?” Robbie asked, offering his hand.
She grinned at him, pleased he obviously felt the same urgency as she did, and placed her palm into his. “My laird,” she said, allowing him to help her to her feet.
They strolled over to the fire and sat down next to it. She accepted an oatcake and a handful of berries someone had obviously found.
Robbie looked at his own meager portion with disgust and sighed. “The fare will be better at home,” he said apologetically.
Jocelyn smiled at him and patted his arm. “It is all right, my laird,” she said. “Not everyone can hunt as well as me.”
The men snickered into their oatcakes at Jocelyn’s obvious challenge. Jocelyn giggled at Robbie’s playful frown. “I am, of course, referring to my new brothers-in-law,” she clarified, managing to keep a straight face in light of Jamie’s and Will’s expressions.
She savored the delighted expression on Robbie’s face at her swift remark and popped a berry into his open mouth. “We cannot have you expire from hunger, now can we?” Robbie’s eyes twinkled as he chewed the berry.
Later, while Robbie was off attending to some personal needs, Will sat down next to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “Are you ready for your new home?” he asked curiously.
She took a quick breath in, having forgotten her destination because of all the fun she was having with these men. “I suppose,” she answered.
Will smiled at her encouragingly. “It will not be so hard,” he said, patting her arm. “Robbie has everything taken care of. All you will have to do is concentrate on birthing those bairns of his.”
Her disappointment returned at Will’s words. Of course Robbie would expect her to drop all of her interests to birth and raise his children. That was why he had agreed to marry her in the first place. Not that she minded children. In fact, she wanted one or two of her own some day. But she didn’t want to become nothing more than a broodmare.
“Are you ready for bed?” Robbie asked quietly as he spread out the blanket they had been using to cover the ground.
She nodded and said a subdued good night to the rest of the men. She lay awake for a long time, staring up at the stars. “Are you all right?” Robbie whispered in her ear, smoothing her hair back.
“Aye,” she whispered back. “Just anxious about arriving at your keep.”
Robbie rubbed her arm soothingly. “You do not have to worry about anything. Everything has been running smoothly there for years now.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. That was what she was worried about.
Chapter 7
Robbie shifted in the saddle and winced when his horse stepped over a fallen tree branch and his achingly sensitive cock came into brief contact with her soft ass. He couldn’t wait until he got her home and into his bed. He was going out of his mind for the desire she ignited in him. She was not the most physically beautiful woman he had ever seen, though she was comely enough, but there was a spark of life in her he itched to tap into.
Jocelyn was short, but her curves were well proportioned. Her breasts were perfect for her height, neither too small nor too large. Her belly was softly rounded and invited the gentle kisses he longed to string along her torso. Her hips were wide enough to comfortably bear children but not so wide as to overwhelm her. Her thighs curved pleasingly, with enough flesh for a man to hold onto while he buried his head between her legs.
Oh, God, his cock hardened even more at the idea of tonguing her. What would she taste like? Would she spill lots of honey against his mouth or would he feel it rushing around his cock when he took her instead?
Every second he went without bedding her was a second longer in Hell. Luckily they were not far from the keep. It had come into view some time ago, and he could now clearly hear his men along the wall giving the order to open the gate.
They rode through the gates to an enthusiastic welcome, although Robbie knew the welcome was more for his brothers than for himself.
He dismounted and helped Jocelyn down from the horse before handing the reins over to a stable boy. “Give him extra today, lad,” Robbie told the boy.
He took Jocelyn by the arm and led her into the keep, looking around the great hall with pride. The servants glowed with health and bustled around busily. The walls were freshly whitewashed, and there were new rushes on the floor. A tempting aroma floated in from the kitchens. In short, everything was perfect. Jocelyn would not have to worry about a thing until he managed to plant a bairn in her belly.
He guided her through the hall, surprised when she gently extricated her arm from his hand. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
She shot him a wry look. “Aye, husband,” she said. “I can, however, walk on my own.”
Confusion wound through him. Of course he knew she could walk on her own. Escorting her was just the proper thing to do, not that anything they had done in the past could be considered proper. Besides, he wanted, needed, to touch her. He watched as she walked ahead of him, taking in the hall. “Your home is very well kept, my laird,” she said softly.
“Thank you,” he said proudly. “It is just the way my mother always kept it. You will never have to lift a finger.”
She nodded and pursed her lips. “And your healer?” she asked.
“Ah,” he said. “Aye. Our healer died last winter. We have been taking care of our own wounds and illnesses ourselves ever since. It has not been the best of situations, but it is the best we can do. Do not worry about it, imp. We will find someone in time.”
“It is a good thing I arrived then,” she answered. “I am quite a skilled healer. I will tend to your wounded and ill.”
He shook his head, bewildered at the idea she would want to do something like that. “It is not necessary that you worry yourself over it, lass.”
When she didn’t acknowledge his last comment, he looked at her with concern. She looked tired and worn, and she was probably hungry. “Would you like something to eat before you rest?” he asked gently.
She sighed and turned to face him. “I would bathe before I do anything,” she said with a sharp edge to her voice.
He looked down at himself and, realizing he was filthy, decided to order baths for the both of them. Once again taking her arm, he led her to the stairs. “While the hall is large, there are only four chambers above. One for us, one for each of my brothers, and a nursery next to our chamber. There is a tub in our chamber.”
Jocelyn’s expression turned cold, and once again, she jerked her arm from his hold. “You seem very concerned about bairns, my laird,” she said softly.
&
nbsp; “Well, of course,” he said reasonably. “Why else would I marry? While we are not wealthy, we have no need for any coin. The MacDonald Clan is one of our staunchest allies, so we do not need protection. I cannot, however, bear and birth my own children.”
“Ah,” she said, her eyes glittering like icicles. “So, the only value I have to you is my ability to bear and birth your children?”
He quickly realized the error of his words and sought a way to mend his mistake. “No. You are very pretty, and no doubt your skills will be needed in running the keep,” he answered, hoping he had smoothed over his blunder.
“So you married me because I can have your babes, I am pretty, and I can help you run your keep?” she asked, her voice getting even colder.
Robbie was saved from answering by an army of women coming up the stairs carrying steaming buckets of water for her bath. He opened the door and stepped aside so they could fill the tub. He waited until the women departed and turned to his wife. “I will assist you in your bath,” he said huskily, pulling her against him and beginning to undo the laces of her borrowed tunic.
She stepped back from him, all but pushing him away. “I do not need assistance. Why do you not go and see to your horse?”
Robbie’s heart sank at her frosty dismissal. It was his first wife all over again. Jocelyn was finally figuring out she would be waking up to a man she hadn’t wanted to be tied to, and she was already finding excuses to send him away.
Nodding slowly, Robbie made his way to the door, turning once, only to see her gown hitting the floor and her shapely leg lift over the edge of the tub. Her heart-shaped ass flexed as she eased herself into the hot water and sighed with bliss. She leaned her head back against the edge and stretched her arms out over the sides. The action pushed her breasts to the surface of the water, and her nipples hardened in the cool air.
Swallowing around the sudden lump of lust that had ridden in his throat for days, he backed to the door, his eyes glued to her beautiful breasts.