“Leave us, Liam, and let the men have a rest. We leave for home within the hour. And say nothing of what you saw here.”
“There will be talk,” Liam cautioned, “though not our warriors.”
Emma was ready to argue with him, and then realized what he meant. Her warriors would worry over her honor. And they would tell her father that she had been found in the cottage alone with Rogan. What then would her father do?
“I will deal with that when and if the time comes,” Rogan assured him. “For now we return home and determine our next move in finding my intended.”
His words cut through her heart like a sharp knife. She was reminded yet again that Rogan would wed Heather. The arrangement had been made and it would be kept. She had to accept it and put Rogan out of her mind for her own good, and for her sanity.
Liam pointed to a cloth sack on the table. “Your father sent garments he thought might be more useful for you.”
She smiled, grateful she would finally have clothes to wear.
“Leave us, Liam. We will join you soon enough,” Rogan said.
Liam looked between the two, his curiosity obvious, but he held his tongue and with a nod took his leave.
“You can join your men,” Emma said. “I will be done shortly.”
“You will need help and do not bother to argue with me.”
He could be a tyrant at times, though he was right. She wanted to check on her wound and hopefully find something among her garments to serve as a better bandage, and she would need help with that. It would also give her time to thank him for what he had done for her.
“I need to look at my wound,” she said, letting the excuse serve as her capitulation.
Rogan grabbed her plaid off the back of the chair. “We will do as we did before, so that you do not have to stand naked before me, not that it is by any means a chore looking at your beautiful body.”
Rogan could not take his words back, nor did he want to. He wanted her to know that he thought her beautiful, especially since no one had ever told her that. He was the first and the first to see her gorgeous body and to kiss her. In a way, he had laid claim to her and if anyone knew what they had shared, they would be considered wed. The startling thought did not disturb him in the least.
Emma stood speechless. This man had not only touched her heart, but had opened it as well. She had locked her feelings away after the incident with Daniel, fearing to ever trust not only a man, but herself as well. Rogan had changed all that. He had barged past her defenses and into her heart, settling there before she could stop him.
He belongs to Heather.
She was grateful for the reminder and diverted her troubling thoughts by going through the sack of clothes. She found what she needed, an old worn skirt that would provide her with bandages. Looking through the garments, she knew that Maura, the woman who tended her father, had been the one who had gotten this bundle together for her. Maura had chosen the clothes Emma favored, and she could not wait to slip into them and feel her old self once again.
Rogan worked the plaid up beneath her nightdress to secure across her breasts, neither of them saying a word. It was better this way to have it done and over. If they had remained here any longer, the consequences would have been dire or would they have served as a solution?
The thought gave him a jolt and got him thinking as he removed the bandage. “It looks good,” he said glad to see it was healing so well and so fast.
Emma glanced at it and smiled. “Yes, it heals well.”
“Still, you should be careful,” he cautioned.
Her tone turned serious. “I intend to be more than careful.”
Rogan grew irritated, sensing that she had just erected a wall between them and he did not like it at all. He lowered his head until their brows almost touched. “And I intend to get what I want.”
“And what is that?” she asked, her breath catching.
“The woman who will be my wife.”
A stabbing pain struck her wound and she gasped and shut her eyes tight against it. She was never so grateful for the pain. It hid the devastating stab of pain to her heart that his words had brought.
“Easy, breathe easy, Emma.”
It took her a moment to realize that she had dropped her brow to rest on his chest and that his hand massaged the back of her neck. He was there for her as he said he would be, and she wondered what she would ever do without him.
“You need more rest and care with that shoulder,” he said calmly, though he felt anything but calm. His heart had slammed into his chest when she had gasped and shut her eyes against the pain. It had to have been bad for her to do that. She had born pain with such courage that to see her surrender to it meant it had to have hurt her tremendously. And he hated to see her suffer. “We should wait a few days before we travel.”
“No,” she was quick to say. The thought of spending a few days here in the presence of Macinnes and MacClennan warriors was not to her liking. It was time for them to return home. “I want to go home.”
“My home,” he reminded.
“For now,” she said and raised her head.
“Slowly,” he cautioned.
She listened, having no desire to give him any more reason to delay their departure.
“Let me wrap your wound, then help you dress,” he said with a look that told her not to bother to argue.
She had no intentions to. She wanted to leave here as soon as possible.
Her skirt went on without a problem, but when it came to her blouse it proved difficult, and it did not take long for Rogan to grow frustrated and rip the plaid away, leaving her naked from the waist up.
“As I have told you before, I have seen you naked and there is no undoing that and believe me I have tried, but your tempting body refuses to relinquish its hold.”
For a sheer moment, Emma thought he would kiss her and she so very much wanted him to. God help her, ever since he had kissed her, she had wanted him to kiss her again and again.
Heather.
Her sister’s name so strong in her mind was like a slap in the face, and Emma took a step away from Rogan. “We need to be done with this and be on our way.”
Done with this. This was far from done between them, but they did need to be on their way before he did something very foolish.
He helped her into her blouse, tied the ties above her breasts, and then helped her on with her boots. After that she placed her garments in the sack, while he gathered their other items. When all was ready, he draped her cloak over her shoulders.
His fingers brushed her chin as he tied the strings and sent a soft stirring through her. Now was the time to thank him for all he had done and yet she could not find the words. She felt as if she was saying goodbye to him, and she had not expected such sorrow to grip her heart. It was as if life itself was being squeezed out of her and nothing—nothing—would ever be the same again.
Rogan saw the sorrow in her eyes and felt it in his heart, and he could not stop himself. He leaned down and kissed her, and not a soft kiss.
Emma’s one arm went around his neck and one of his arms wound around her waist, and they drifted together, fitting to each other perfectly as their kiss deepened.
It was as if he was breathing life back into her, making her feel whole, making her feel more than she had ever felt. Time seemed to stop, though their kiss went on. Her body awakened, her flesh turned sensitive, and her desire soared. And she knew then and there that this was not lust—it was love.
God help her. She had fallen in love with her sister’s intended.
She reluctantly eased away from Rogan, turning as she did and going to the door. There were no words to say, nothing that could be done. She opened the door and without looking back at him, walked out.
Chapter Fifteen
Rogan rode his horse behind Emma’s warriors, making certain to keep her in view. The scene in the cottage continued to play vividly in his mind. When she had ended their kiss and t
urned to leave, he had ached to reach out and grab her and never let her go. He had felt as if part of him was being torn away, the pain had been so great, but he had stopped himself… for now at least. He had made a mistake—a serious one—and he needed to rectify it. He had to set things right and part of that was finding Heather.
He had been annoyed when he had followed her out and had seen that her warriors had surrounded her, as if shielding her from him. A big barrel-chested warrior with long red hair heavily streaked with gray had stood beside her, his head bent speaking with her. When her eyes had caught his, the big warrior’s glance had followed as well. The look he had given Rogan had been meant to warn. Rogan had responded with a threatening look of his own. It had been Emma who had stepped in front of the man, her back to Rogan, and ended the standoff.
Rogan did not like that someone else now looked after Emma. She was his responsibility. Her father had decreed it when he had ordered her to obey him, and her warriors would soon find out that it was a decree Rogan intended to be obeyed by all.
Liam rode up beside him and kept his voice low. “I speak to you now as a friend. What went on between you and Emma?”
“It is no concern of yours,” Rogan snapped.
“It is not a question I ask, but what her warriors are asking.”
“Then let them ask me,” Rogan said.
“The big one—James—will no doubt do that. From what I have learned he has been friends with her father since they were lads, like you and me.”
Rogan turned to Liam. “If he asks, I will be truthful with him.”
“I never doubted you would be.”
“You are a true friend, Liam,” Rogan said with a smile. “Now tell me what else you have learned from the Macinnes men and of this message from Patience.”
“She was quick to get a message to her father,”—Liam shook his head—“though I wonder why it went to him and not you. And I believe there is more to it than we have been told. Send more men where? There had to have been more to the message.”
“I had the same thought and before we go rushing off blindly, we are going to return home and sort this whole thing out. After all that has happened, I have reached the conclusion that it is likely the Dark Dragon has taken Heather. Why, I have no idea, but I intend to find out.”
“And get her back?” Liam asked.
“If I can.”
Liam raised a curious brow. “What do you mean?”
“There is more to Heather’s abduction than we see. And I cannot help but wonder if more powerful people are involved with it than we know. If that should prove true, nothing I do will get her back.”
“Have you shared these thoughts with Emma?”
“Yes, except for the possibility that there may be no chance in seeing Heather returned. It is something that Emma would never accept. She and Patience will fight to the death to see her sister safe and that is something I would like to find out… that Heather is at least safe.”
“How do we do that?” Liam asked.
“Find a way of getting in touch with the Dark Dragon.”
Liam shook his head. “That will not prove an easy task.”
“But a necessary one, for I fear Emma will take it upon herself to be caught by the Dark Dragon to see if it is true that he has abducted Heather.”
“She is a brave one, coming to your defense with no regard to her own safety,” Liam said.
“Braver than I ever thought possible, she is an exceptional woman.”
“It is a good wife she will make some lucky man.”
“A man of my choosing,” Rogan said adamantly.
Liam’s brow went up. “Her father—”
“Will agree,” Rogan finished with such a sharp tone that Liam knew meant no more was to be said about it.
“What about our warriors who disappeared?” Liam asked.
“The attacks thus far have not proved deadly. I have a feeling they will show up either with minor injuries or unharmed.”
“If not?”
“Another question that will be presented to the Dark Dragon,” Rogan said.
“You do not take your eyes off Emma,” Liam said with a grin.
Liam was much too perceptive at times, but then they were longtime friends and he knew Rogan all too well. “The fever, her wound, this has not been easy for her, and she would topple from her horse before she would complain.”
“A female version of you,” Liam said with a chuckle.
His remark had Rogan turning his head and sending him a threatening stare.
“I have seen that look all too often for it to have any effect on me,” Liam said still chuckling. “But then I suppose the laird of a clan needs to be stubborn at times.”
“Determined,” Rogan corrected.
“Whatever way you put it, stubborn is stubborn,” Liam said.
“Tell me more of the Macinnes warriors,” Rogan said once again letting Liam know the matter was at an end.
Rogan kept an eye on Emma the whole time he and Liam talked. James, the big-chested warrior had taken his leave of Emma and was riding among his warriors, having a few words with each, and then moving on to the next. Rogan wondered over his action, though it caused him no concern. He had positioned his men so that they could easily surround the Macinnes warriors and easily disarm them if such a situation arose. But he doubted that Emma’s father had given permission for them to battle MacClennan warriors. The big warrior’s concern was probably more for Emma and seeing her protected—from him.
If that was the case, then James should be keeping a better eye on Emma. Rogan could tell by the slump of her body and the way her head sagged now and again that she was fighting to keep herself astride the horse. It was one thing lying in bed and allowing her wound to heal and another to ride a horse for hours on end and not expect to suffer the consequences.
Not a one of the warriors paid Emma heed, but then they had no need of her. They assumed her safe because they surrounded her, but paid no mind that she had yet to recover from her injury.
It was when Emma tilted precariously to the side and caught herself, straightening sharply, her shoulders drawing in from the pain that he urged his horse into a firm gallop, cutting through the Macinnes warriors surrounding her and scooping her off her horse and into his arms to set her across in front of him.
Her warriors descended on him, but his warriors blocked them before they could get near him. It gave him time to situate her comfortably against his chest and in his arms.
“Take your hands off her,” James bellowed as he forced his way through the many warriors, though Rogan’s men would not let him pass through to Rogan.
“She is in pain and exhausted, and you and your warriors would have realized that if you had paid her an ounce of attention. Since her father ordered her to obey me, I can only assume that you were instructed to do the same. From this point on, you follow my orders and as for Emma, she is my concern, not yours.”
James’ cheeks puffed red, his nostrils flared, and he looked about to spew fire from his mouth.
“I would mind my words,” Rogan warned, “and obey what orders your laird commanded.”
It took James a few moments to contain his anger and say, “Emma is good with this?”
That he defied Rogan and his own laird and was more concerned with how Emma felt had him respecting the man, though it did not stop him from responding with authority. “Good or not, the decision is mine.”
Emma raised her head with some difficulty. “I am fine riding with Rogan MacClennan. If I was not,”—she gave a light laugh—“neither of us would be astride this horse now.”
James let loose with a mighty laugh and the other Macinnes warriors joined in.
The lethal look that surfaced on Rogan’s face had his own men backing away from him and when the Macinnes warriors saw that, their laughter died abruptly and deep silence reigned.
Rogan’s warriors circled him and Emma as they continued on. Rogan did not fail to
notice the many stares from the Macinnes warriors when Emma settled comfortably in his arms, as if she had done so many times before.
“You will be riding with me from now on,” Rogan said.
“I would argue with you, but there would be no point.”
“Good,” he said with a smile. “You are learning obedience.”
She chuckled. “Actually, I am being sensible. I tire much too easily while riding. At least in your arms, I can rest comfortably.”
“I knew the journey would be too much for you. We should have waited and given you more time to heal,” he said annoyed that he had not listened to his own misgivings.
“No, it is imperative we return home. Patience could have sent more messages and we need to learn more about the Dark Dragon while we gather our men.”
“Rescuing Heather is not going to be as easy as I first thought,” Rogan said, wanting to prepare Emma for delays and, no doubt, disappointments.
“Aye, I will agree with you on that, though I am encouraged that Patience was able to send a message. It means she still follows Heather’s trail, though the message seems incomplete.”
“I thought the same myself,” Rogan agreed. “She supplies no further information that might help in our search. Does she expect her warrior to lead others to her?”
“That troubles me as well, and when I told James I wished to speak with the warrior who delivered the message, he told me that he was not with them. That he had remained behind.”
“That makes no sense. We need to speak with him and find out what happened and in what direction we must go.”
“I voiced the same concern myself and James informed me that the warrior required rest after his strenuous journey and would arrive at the MacClennan keep with the second group of warriors my father was sending,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I know there has to be more to my sister’s message than what we were told, though I cannot understand why my father would keep it from me. Unless he thought it would upset me, but even so he would have confided in you, and James has made no effort to speak with you.”
“The man does not like me,” Rogan said.
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