“But the wager,” Laurel whispered. While they’d settled the disagreement they’d had the morning Laurel overhead the ladies talking in the Great Hall, Brodie hadn’t explained how the rumors came about.
“When I arrived in Stirling,” Brodie began. His chest tightening as he prepared to tell Laurel why he’d initially sought her out. He prayed she didn’t gather her clothes and run from the chamber by the time he was through. “I didna come straight here. I wanted a hot meal and a few drams of whisky before finding ma bed.” Brodie nudged his chin in the bed’s direction.
Laurel listened and watched, noticing that Brodie had grown uncomfortable. She fought back tears that threatened merely from her anxiousness.
“I found yer brother and Donnan at the Crosspool Tavern. I’d already had more than a little whisky as I rode. When Oliphant and MacDougall began talking aboot ye, I was curious. I was nae even close to sober at that point and jested that I liked a challenge. When Oliphant suggested a wager, Monty refused. I confess I considered it for a moment,” Brodie looked at Laurel shamefully. She nodded and offered him a tight smile. “I said I liked a challenge, and I was curious aboot ye. I hadnae even met ye, but ye intrigued me. It was happenstance that I stumbled upon ye in town the next day. If ye hadn’t rattled off all those curses in Gaelic, I wouldnae have kenned it was ye.”
“But ye did because I am the Shrew of Stirling,” Laurel said bitterly.
“I did because ye are quick-witted and have a way with words. Yer tart comments come sooner and faster than others can manage. Ye’ve moved onto the next idea before they’ve understood yer first one. Ye fascinated me as we walked together. But yer lack of guards deeply concerned me. Laurel, ye may have been oblivious, or mayhap ye purposely ignore them, but men watched ye. They didna ken who ye were under that ugly veil. But they kenned they liked what they saw of yer figure. It scared me that ye—or any woman—would so brazenly tempt fate.”
“I told ye why I did it,” Laurel whispered.
“I ken, and I dinna fault ye for what ye thought ye should do. But ye scare me with yer disregard for yer own safety.” Brodie’s shoulders slumped as he took a deep breath. “I ken ye dinna think anyone would care if harm befell ye, but I would. I would care to ma core. I dinna want to lose ye when I’ve just found ye.”
There was sadness in Laurel’s eyes as she nodded. He’d spoken aloud what she’d believed for years, what she’d had proven true too many times. But she no longer wanted to take reckless risks. She didn’t want to torment Brodie by making him scared to trust her or for her safety. And she didn’t want to lose the tenderness she received from him.
“I dinna want to lose ye either, Brodie.” Laurel kissed him softly before nuzzling closer to him. They laid together for a long moment before Brody eased himself away and went to the washstand. He filled the basin and dipped a linen square into it, preparing to take it to Laurel. He returned and kneeled beside her. Despite her deep flush, he eased her hands away and tended to her. His brow twitched when he noticed Laurel’s chemise folded beneath her. He hadn’t noticed it before. Closing her eyes against her embarrassment, she pulled it from beneath her and held it up.
The streak of red on the white linen explained what Laurel was too uncomfortable to admit. Brodie realized she’d had the forethought to know it wouldn’t have shown up on his deep blue and green hunting plaid. They would have had no proof that they’d consummated their handfast or that she’d been a virgin. He assumed she’d retrieved it while he built the fire. He kissed her forehead before taking the damp cloth back to the washstand. Laurel rolled onto her belly and watched the flames dance in the hearth. Brodie slipped beneath the plaid beside her, his arm across her back. His dormant cock stirred as soon as it touched her silky skin. He feared Laurel was too exhausted or too sore for more, but he craved the feeling of sliding into her. He nudged her right leg up, giving him room to place his thigh between hers. Laurel’s breath hitched as she shifted to brush her slit against his leg.
Brodie felt Laurel’s breathing change, her arousal obvious. He massaged the tense muscles of her back, ringing a moan of pleasure and pain from her. She reached back and clasped his thigh as she clamped her thighs around his. Careful not to crush her, Brodie shifted his body over hers, pressing against her back. Brodie groaned when Laurel instinctively raised her hips.
“Ye’ll be sore if ye arenae already,” Brodie whispered beside Laurel’s ear.
“Didna ye promise me an entire night?” Laurel countered.
“That doesnae mean every five minutes,” Brodie chuckled.
“Nae up to the task,” Laurel taunted, humor in her voice. Brodie pressed his hardened length along the crevice between the halves of her backside.
“Ye ken nae only am I up to the task, but I shall relish every moment.” Brodie kissed her shoulder before growing serious once more. “It’s ye who I fear willna relish it. I dinna want to harm ye.”
Laurel twisted to look back over her shoulder, seeing the concern in Brodie's expression. “Then will ye at least hold me like this?”
“I’m too heavy. It willna be comfortable,” Brodie worried.
“Please. I promise to tell ye if it’s uncomfortable. But I like it,” Laurel shrugged. “I dinna ken why. I just feel vera protected with the floor beneath me, and ye at ma back. It’s as though naught can reach me without having to go through ye first. It’s like ye’re an enormous mathan. And I ken ye wouldnae let aught happen to me.”
“I wouldnae,” Brodie kissed her shoulder once more, settling over her. But temptation proved too powerful. They shifted restlessly against one another until they disregarded caution, and Brodie slipped inside Laurel. Neither moved, just enjoying the sensations that came with the new position until their need dominated their actions. Long, slow thrusts grew into a maelstrom of pounding surges when Brodie drew Laurel onto her hands and knees. She arched her back, pressing her hips to meet his, naturally seeking a position and rhythm that enthralled them both. Brodie reached around Laurel, circling her button until he sensed she was closer. He increased the pressure until she shuddered, then pinched the tiny sack of nerves. Laurel cried out as Brodie roared, “Laurie!” He sounded like the bear she’d called him earlier.
They collapsed together, a tangle of sweaty limbs, falling asleep for a few hours before waking to couple again. And so went their night of brief hours of respite before hours of all-consuming passion. They ignored the sun that rose outside Brodie’s window, the sounds of men passing outside the door, and even their hunger for food—more interested in their hunger for one another. But they couldn’t ignore the door slamming into the wall.
Eighteen
Brody leapt to his feet in one fluid motion, despite his nakedness. He snatched his sword, which always laid within reach, while Laurel scrambled to cover herself. She watched in horror as the king’s men swarmed the chamber, followed by Monty, Donnan, and King Robert himself. She heard voices in the passageway and could envision the scene as people rushed to discover what was happening in Laird Campbell’s chamber.
“I see you couldn’t wait a sennight,” King Robert mused.
“I see you’ve corrupted my sister,” Monty bellowed as he pushed forward. He spared a glance at a mortified Laurel, who Brodie attempted to shield as she reached for his discarded leine and struggled into it while showing no more skin. She couldn’t don her own chemise, which had the proof of her maidenhood on it. That would be too much to bear, and she suspected she would soon be compelled to hand it over to King Robert.
“I spent the night with my wife,” Brodie snapped. “Out. Every single one of you until my wife is dressed.”
“You think to command me,” King Robert’s voice chilled Laurel, despite the nervous perspiration at her brow.
“Yes,” Brodie said, sword still in hand. “My wife has a right to make herself decent without a horde of men staring at her. That includes you, Your Majesty.”
“I wouldn’t make a habit of this,” King R
obert warned.
“As long as no one makes a habit of intruding upon my wife’s privacy,” Brodie countered. Laurel was growing fearful for Brodie’s life, but she wouldn’t dare contradict him. Instead, she sat wide eyed and trembling.
“I am not going anywhere until you explain why you claim she’s your wife,” Monty snarled before turning a wagging finger at Laurel. “Don’t you dare tell me you handfasted. You claim not to be a Highlander anymore.”
“I will always be one, Montgomery. I just blessedly am no longer a Ross,” Laurel quipped. “Have an ounce of Highland honor and get out.”
“You heard Lady Campbell’s wishes. Out,” Brodie barked. King Robert sighed and turned to the door, the others following him.
“Five minutes, then I return,” the Bruce insisted.
Brodie gave a jerky nod as the chamber emptied. He spun around, dropping his sword as he went to Laurel. He helped her to her feet and engulfed her in his embrace. He grew concerned when her trembling didn’t stop. She didn’t feel chilled, but she clung to him, her fingertips digging into his shoulder blades.
“What scares you most, thistle?” Brody stroked her back as she lessened her grip on him.
“I may like you being mo mathan when you hold me, but roaring at the king is likely to land you in the dungeon, or worse, dead.” Laurel’s arms tightened as she spoke aloud the consuming fear that wouldn’t release her.
“Wheest. The Bruce needs me and the Campbells too much to do more than scold me. I suspect he will levy a hefty bride price.” Brodie smirked, “Payable to the crown. And then he will suggest we depart with haste. The entire Campbell clan has been loyal to the king from the beginning. Each sept has sent men to fight alongside him, and I lead the largest one. Now that he is on the throne, he relies on us to help keep him there. I think I made it clear who I will defend.”
“Aye, and it’ll likely get you accused and found guilty of treason,” Laurel shuddered.
“Dinna fash. Let’s dress, and then we will deal with the outside world.”
“We don’t need him barging in again.”
“I promise you he wouldn’t dare.”
Laurel gave him a halfhearted nod as she let go and searched for her stockings. While she slipped into her gown, Brody folded his plaid and retrieved a fresh leine from a satchel. When he stepped behind Laurel to help her with her laces, he kissed the bare skin on her shoulders and the base of her neck, brushing the back of his fingers along her spine. “I won’t be able to think of aught but kenning you are bare beneath this gown. If you must wear something, I wish it could be my leine. You looked quite fetching in it, wife.”
Laurel shivered as Brodie’s warm breath caressed her skin as he spoke. She felt goosebumps on her arms and legs, and her breasts ached for his touch. Brodie mentioning that she wore nothing below her gown made her more aware of the sensual feeling of the fabric and the memory of Brodie’s touch. It was a drug, and she was already an addict. Brodie cupped her breasts as she leaned back against him, her eyes drifting closed as she sighed. He kneaded the flesh as he kissed the silky skin behind her ear.
“We will resolve this, then we will return here.” Brodie’s declaration was seductive, his tone pure honey.
“I’ll race you,” Laurel murmured.
“Only if you will ride me.” Brodie nipped her earlobe.
“I shall need many lessons to become an expert rider.” Laurel turned in his arms and licked her lips. Brodie guided her backward until her legs brushed the back of the bed. She was ready to fall back upon it and bring Brodie with her when someone pounded on the door. They sighed wistfully as Laurel smoothed her hand over her hair. It was tangled, and there was little she could do with it, but she attempted to make it presentable. Brodie quickly finished her laces.
“Enter,” Brodie called as he wrapped his arm around Laurel’s waist but angled himself as a shield should he perceive a threat. Laurel sagged against him for a moment, and he kissed the top of her head. But as the door opened, she straightened and raised her chin imperiously. Brodie glanced down and noticed she stood with the haughtiness that surely contributed to her title. He was proud of his wife.
“You can let go of the lass,” King Robert said. “No one is taking her from you.”
“No.”
“Campbell, let go of Lady Laurel,” King Robert ordered. Brodie narrowed his eyes but released Laurel, only to entwine their fingers together.
“Lady Campbell,” Brodie corrected.
“That’s to be determined,” Robert snapped.
“There is naught to determine, Your Majesty. As least not now. Mayhap ten hours ago,” Laurel stated as she released Brodie’s hand. She moved swiftly to the spot where the pillows and her folded chemise still laid. She picked up the undergown and shook it out. “You can see from the creases that this has been folded and crushed beneath our weight.” Laurel didn’t flinch as she confessed that they’d coupled before the fireplace. “You can also see it’s dried. Neither of us could have done this before you returned. It happened well before you barged in. Your Majesty,” Laurel added the honorific as an afterthought. She walked back to Brodie’s side but thrust her chemise at King Robert, even shaking it when he didn’t immediately accept.
“Campbell and Ross guards witnessed the handfast,” Brodie said.
“Aye. When no one could find Lady Lau—Lady Campbell—” King Robert glared at Brodie. “—Montgomery thought she might have gone for an early morning ride. The Ross guards said she was last seen with you. Her husband.”
Laurel seethed as she looked at her brother. “You knew before you entered that we handfasted. You led the king here with a contingent of men to humiliate me, to punish me. You could have come by yourself. You could have knocked and been admitted. Bully for you. You solved the great mystery of where I went. You also ran to tattle like a wean.” Laurel stepped back to be behind Brodie’s shoulder. “Do not think for a moment that I fear you, Montgomery. I’m making sure you are out of reach, lest I claw your eyes out and spit in their sockets.”
“She’s your wife now.” Monty pointed at Brodie. “You said you would tame her.”
“I’ve discovered I prefer my wife as a hellion. Makes me confident my clan won’t fall to ruin when I must ride out.”
“She has your bollocks in her fist. She’d likely drag you into battle by them,” Monty sneered.
“If it means she’s touching them,” Brodie grinned and winked.
“Enough,” King Robert barked. “You did not have my permission to handfast, Laird Campbell.”
“Neither did you deny me the right to. Whether we handfasted or merely consummated the betrothal, we are married.”
“The church wasn’t done reading the banns,” Robert pointed out.
“I can name several couples who weren’t made to wait for them to be read even once,” Laurel mused. “Something aboot you having the right to decide without Rome.” Laurel threw down a dangerous gambit. Pope Clement V excommunicated King Robert early in the monarch’s fight for the throne. They remained at odds, but Robert used it as an excuse to allow more than one lady-in-waiting to marry with haste. Laurel banked on the reminder being enough to goad the king into relenting.
“Lady Campbell.” King Robert gazed at Laurel, something akin to respect in his tone and his gaze. “You are a formidable woman. I praise the saints that the Campbells are ever loyal. I would not want to run afoul of you.” Neither Laurel nor Brodie missed the subtle reminder that the Campbells served the king and not the other way around.
“We depart for Kilchurn in two days,” Brodie announced, wrapping his arm around Laurel’s waist once more. “We will be sure to say our farewells.”
“What aboot the bride price?”
“Montgomery, inform your father that the bride price was paid the moment he withheld an appropriate dowry,” King Robert snapped. “What he saves is his payment.”
“But—”
“Ross, pipe down and don’t sound like the
wean your sister accused you of being.” King Robert didn’t wait for a response before he turned to the door. “You’re leaving, too.”
Monty cast a withering glare at the couple, but he was forced to follow the king’s order. King Robert, Monty, and two royal guards left Brodie’s chamber. The couple stared at the closed door for a long moment before they fell into one another’s arms.
“That went far better than I expected,” Laurel confessed. “I regret speaking out of turn, Brodie. I should have remained quiet. You should have been the only one to speak.”
“And miss you calling Monty a bairn?” Brodie shook his head with a grin.
“A wean. Bairns don’t have tantrums,” Laurel corrected.
“Laurel, I’m proud that you stood up for us. It means you want our marriage—will defend our marriage—just like I do. You’re intelligent and beautiful, a formidable combination. Men may underestimate you because of your beauty, but once they realize your intelligence, just like the king said, they will not want to run afoul of you. That’s why I’m proud of you.”
“No one has ever told me they’re proud of me. Not when I lived among my clan, and certainly never here. Granted, the latter was for good reason.”
“You may not be what every mon envisions as the perfect bride, but I am grateful for that. It means I am the lucky mon to call you wife. You are the perfect wife for me.” Brodie pulled the laces loose from Laurel’s gown. He stood back as she inched the fabric down her arms, then her ribs and hips until it pooled on the floor. He knew she’d purposely gone tantalizingly slow. But seeing her bare form in front of him left him with no patience. He tore his clothes off before lifting Laurel and carrying her to the bed. He laid her down, and she hurried to pull back the covers. They’d explored one another throughout the night, discovering sensitive and erotic places on each other’s bodies. The bunch and pull of Brodie’s muscular frame fascinated Laurel, who was previously unaware of the extent to which their bodies differed. Brodie reveled in Laurel’s responsiveness to his touch, and how her hands roamed over his body.
A Hellion at the Highland Court: A Rags to Riches Highlander Romance (The Highland Ladies Book 9) Page 15