by Jenna Stone
“We need to talk,” she said honestly, now getting to the root of the matter. “Stay,” she said simply, hazel eyes imploring him not to walk out on her.
Rowan let out a heavy sigh, and settled himself gingerly down so that he was sitting on the bed.
“I canna continue tae do this, Anna,” he said, raking his hand through his hair and looking up at her. “I’m mad with the wanting of ye, it felt like a dagger had been driven straight through my heart this morning when I found that ye were gone,” Rowan admitted, spilling out his emotions.
“I left because I wanted to stay,” Anna said, heart wrenching because she knew that Rowan had been hurt by her actions.
“Do ye realize that that makes exactly no sense? If ye want tae stay then why the hell don’t ye just stay?”
Rowan strode across the room in two strides and silenced Anna’s explanation with his lips, astonishing them both. His arms were demanding as they caressed her back, her arms and her neck as if assuring himself that she had not further injuries; that she was safe.
Anna parted her lips in response to his kiss, and savored the shivers that ran down her spine as his tongue slid inside her mouth, staking claim. Her body thrummed in response to Rowan’s hot, wet mouth, and his fingers burned trails of gooseflesh on her skin.
Rowan was so aroused by the intensity of Anna’s response to his kiss that he felt as though he might combust, her skin was so soft beneath his rough fingertips, and her sweet feminine scent drove him wild with desire. Memories of how she had allowed him to make love to her with his fingers last night caused him to go hard, and his erection strained against the fabric of his pants.
Oh, how he wanted her. Not just for one night, Rowan wanted her forever.
Anna felt light headed from the passion that Rowan had evoked within her, and she kissed him softly on the lips, and then pulled away only slightly.
“Stay,” she whispered as she un-tucked his shirt and ran her fingers slowly up inside of it, savoring the feeling of the warm, taut skin that covered his abdominal muscles. “If you want to stay, then why the hell don’t you just stay?”
***
Rowan snuck quietly into the barn, well before the first light of morning.
“Did ye get lost?” Malcolm asked from underneath his blanket at the back of the stall, resentment heavy in his tone.
“Mind yer own business,” Rowan grumbled as he tenderly lowered himself down into the hay, wincing from the pain of moving his ribs.
Quinn sat up in the dark, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “Ye must stop this, Rowan,” he said firmly, seeking to finish the argument that they had started in the forest the morning before.
“And just how am I supposed tae do that, Quinn?” Rowan asked eyes open staring into the dark of the barn.
“I’ve seen the way that ye look at her brother, ye canna hide it. Hell, I’ve seen the way that she looks at ye back,” Quinn said, voice steady in the darkness.
Malcolm grumbled from beneath his blanket.
Quinn continued, refusing to drop the issue. “Nay good can come of this, Rowan. Ye need tae let her go, distance yerself from her. She’s promised tae be marrit.”
“Do ye think that I don’t ken that, Quinn? I ken what I should do, it’s just that I canna force myself tae do it!”
“We’ve got Malcolm tae think of, and every day that ye dally here with the lass is one day that we should be runnin’ for our lives. What if we’re found out, Rowan? What if we’re captured and indentured as we were meant tae be when we were shackled tae that damn ship?”
Silence fell between them in the dark.
“Have ye taken her maidenhead?” Quinn said, gritting his teeth together, expecting the worst.
“Jesus, Quinn! Do ye think that I have no morals?”
“I doona ken what tae think, Rowan. I’ve seen ye rollin’ around beneath the blankets with her in the woods, heard ye groanin’ and her whimpering and…”
“I’ll admit that I havena been completely proper with the lass, but I’d never stoop sae low as tae dishonor her,” Rowan said adamantly, angry that his brother was butting in to his personal issues.
“I hope she’s worth it… I…” Quinn trailed off, searching for the right words.
“Was Mairi worth it?” Rowan flung the words angrily at his brother.
Quinn stood up silently, muscles tense, and punched to heavy wooden wall of the barn with an explosive blow. He let out an inhuman roar and pummeled the wall again before stalking angrily into the darkness.
Chapter Nine
Anna had found her warrior’s weak spot. His nipples were ticklish, and Anna deviously slid her hand under his shirt and up his taut chest. She sat cradled in his lap on the horse, and when she brushed her fingertip faintly across his nipple Rowan squirmed in surprise and nearly unseated both of them from the horse.
“Doona provoke me woman,” he whispered haughtily against her ear so that his brothers wouldn’t hear. “Ye ken full well that I’ll get ye back ten fold tonight when I’ve got ye alone.”
Anna felt Rowan’s muscles tense beneath her, and she knew immediately that something was wrong as he jerked the horse to a stop. Her blood iced in her veins, spreading the feeling of fear when she saw why Rowan had stopped.
Turning a sharp corner in the well traveled road, they had nearly run right into the soldiers. It was too late to flee, there were too many of them to outrun. Rowan increased the pressure of his protective grip around Anna’s waist and reined the horse to a stop.
Quinn glanced over at Rowan, nodding ever so slightly at his brother, his eyes darting first at Malcolm, then at Anna. Quinn and Rowan had made a pact that if a situation like the one that they had just walked into arose, they would work together to save Malcolm and Anna.
They had planned to sacrifice themselves in whatever means necessary to give their younger brother a chance at survival, hoping that he could safely deliver Anna to her Uncle.
Rowan nodded in agreement, feeling the weight of his dagger against his side, knowing that his meager weapon would do little to defend him against twenty soldiers, each one armed to the teeth. He knew that he would not be able to defeat them with only his dagger, but he hoped to at least fight them off long enough, create a big enough distraction so that Anna and Malcolm could slip away into the dense forest.
He was confident that he had trained Malcolm well. His brother knew how to disappear into the forest, to hide and forage for food. Malcolm would be capable of seeing to Anna’s welfare, but he would need a diversion to slip away with her.
The leader of the men rode forward, or at least the Murray brothers suspected that he was their leader, being that his coat was bedecked with more medals and finery that the other soldier’s uniforms. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and a squared jaw. His skin was tanned from much time spent outside, and he had his blonde hair slicked back into a thin queue at the back of his skull. He reined his horse to a stop in front of them, and looked quizzically at Rowan and Anna.
“Anna?” He asked cautiously, blue eyes scanning her face. “Anna Stanton?”
“Yes?” Anna responded nervously, her voice shaky.
How does this man know my name?
The soldier hopped down from his horse and shouted over his shoulder to his comrades, “It’s her…we’ve found her!” He straightened his jacket, still holding the reins of his horse in his right hand, and then took a step forward. “Jonathan Arbor, mam, at your service,” he said, introducing himself and lowering into a formal bow.
Anna felt her mouth drop open in shock, and she had to make a conscious effort to close it. Her stomach clenched, and for a split second, she thought that she might be sick. She noticed that Rowan’s legs tense beneath her own, and that his grip was now so tight about her waist that she had trouble breathing. She could feel Rowan’s thundering heartbeat against her back.
Jonathan stared at her impatiently, his blue eyes studying her beneath scrunched together brows. He stood up
to his full height, and brushed a strand of his blonde hair back behind his ear. “Don’t you know who I am, Anna?” he asked, studying her. “We’re to be married.”
Anna swallowed hard, the shock of Jonathan’s introduction taking hold. “Yes…I know who you are,” she stammered, unsure of what to do next.
“I’ll take her now, hand her down,” he said, now addressing Rowan as he walked briskly over towards them. “We owe you and your companions a debt of gratitude for keeping her safe, you’ll be handsomely rewarded,” Jonathan smiled, motioning for Anna to get down from Rowan’s horse. “C’mon, Anna…I’ll help you down,” he said, extending his gloved hand up towards her.
Fingers shaking, Anna obediently took his hand, and allowed him to help her down. Rowan held onto her waist for just a second too long, and her eyes met his as Jonathan pulled her down from the horse. Rowan’s eyes were stormy with possessiveness and rage, and she knew that he was using every ounce of his self control as he let her go. She could still feel Rowan’s touch against her skin.
Jonathan stood next to Anna, openly appraising her. “It looks like you’ve had a rough journey,” he chuckled, taking in Anna’s dirty, torn dress and her disheveled hair. “We’ll get you home and cleaned up in no time,” he remarked, embarrassed that his bride looked like a common pauper.
He let go of Anna’s hand, and she stood next to him, stunned and unable to find the right words. She dared not look up at Rowan, already fighting back tears that were eager to fall.
Jonathan dug in the inside pocket of his coat and produced a heavy purse. He tossed it handily to Rowan, who caught it reflexively. “For your trouble,” he said, nodding at Rowan. “Thank you for delivering her safely.”
“Aye,” said Rowan numbly, the purse heavy in his palm. He didn’t want the money. He wanted Anna.
Taking Anna’s hand in his, Jonathan started to pull her towards his horse. She stumbled, frozen in place, causing him to look at her harshly. “Shall we?” he asked insistently, tugging her towards the horse again.
“Wait!” Anna said. “I need to tell them goodbye, they’ve been so kind to me…”she trailed off shaking free from Jonathan’s grip and walking purposefully back towards the Murray brothers.
“As you wish,” Jonathan said, swinging impatiently up into the saddle of his horse. “Don’t take long; we need to get back to the inn before dark.”
Anna was unsure if her knees would carry her; they were shaking beneath her and threatened to give out. Her pulse was hammering in her ears, making it difficult to think rationally. She walked over to Malcolm and Quinn first. Malcolm was already off the horse, and was followed by Quinn, who still held the reins in his left hand.
Malcolm rushed towards Anna, and captured her in a bear hug, crushing her towards his chest. She distinctly heard Jonathan’s grunt of disapproval, and responded by hugging the boy tighter. She pulled away from him, holding him at arms length, and held his face between her palms. There were tears welling in his eyes, and he fought hard to hold them back.
“It’s going to be fine, Malcolm. I’m fine,” she said, seeking to reassure him. “You listen to your brothers now,” she said, smiling, and reached up to brush a strand of hair behind Malcolm’s ear. “I’m so proud of you; you’re growing into such a strong young man. You’ll make some lucky girl very happy someday,” Anna said, smiling.
“I’ll miss you, Anna,” he whispered, sniffling and working hard to fight back tears.
“I’ll miss you too,” Anna said honestly, as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on Malcolm’s cheek. She hugged him tightly and then let him go, turning to Quinn.
Anna knew that Quinn was not a hugger, but she wrapped her arms around him anyway, catching him off guard. He awkwardly fitted his arms around her and rested his chin on her head.
Anna leaned up and whispered into his ear, “Take care of him, Quinn. He needs you.”
Quinn knew that Anna was not talking about Malcolm.
She drew slowly away from him, smiled slightly, and then kissed him on the cheek. Anna straightened her spine and prayed silently for strength. She was about to do the hardest thing that she had ever done. She had to say goodbye to Rowan.
Rowan slid numbly down from his horse, holding the reins in his left hand. His eyebrows were knit together, and a look of resentment was heavy on his face.
Anna walked up to him, standing less than a foot away from him, and waited for him to look down at her. He swallowed hard, collecting himself and settled his gaze on hers.
Anna bit her lip in an effort to keep the tears that she held back from flowing.
“Doona cry, sweetheart,” Rowan whispered so that only she could hear. “It will only make this harder,” he said, reaching up to brush the first of her tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb. It took every ounce of restraint that Rowan had to hold onto his control. He fought every urge to grab Anna, toss her on the back of his horse, and to try to make a run for it. He knew that they would never make it, they were vastly out numbered.
Anna’s chin quivered as he touched her, and she leaned ever so slightly into his touch, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of his skin against hers. She swallowed hard, fighting to regain her composure. She knew that if she hugged Rowan, if she held him in her arms right now that Jonathon would have to pry her away kicking and screaming. She didn’t dare touch him because she knew that she would not have the will power to force herself to let him go.
Standing on her tippy toes, she slowly reached up until her lips hovered just above the skin of Rowan’ right ear. She shuddered as she breathed in his masculine scent, fighting to retain her composure.
“I love you, Rowan Murray,” she whispered, the emotion of her admission causing her voice to shake.
Rowan swiftly drew in a shaky breath, and fought to keep himself composed. He hadn’t known that it was possible until now, but he actually felt his heart break in half as Anna whispered those words.
Chapter Ten
“Tonight you’ll wear the blue satin. I had it made to compliment my coat,” Jonathan said matter-of-factly. “And wear your hair up again, I like it better that way,” he added before closing her chamber door.
Anna donned an olive green gown, which she felt complimented her hazel eyes beautifully. She brushed her blonde hair until it crackled, and plaited both sides next to her forehead, bringing them together in the back of her head and securing them above the flowing masses of her blonde waves.
I like my hair down.
Being Lieutenant Arbor’s fiancé was not at all what Anna had anticipated. She hated it with every fiber of her being. Jonathan was particular about everything, and he seemed to believe that because he had paid to bail Stanton Place out of financial ruin, that in turn, he also owned Miss Anna Stanton. He told Anna what to wear, whom to speak to, what she could and could not do, and he even tried to tell her what she should think.
Anna had survived the past two weeks at Jonathan’s country estate by keeping her chin up and her head held high. She had hoped that with time, she would come to like Jonathan, maybe even love him. He made this difficult by treating her like a possession, and not a person.
The invitations to the huge wedding that he had planned had already been sent out. With less than a week until the ceremony, the feeling of dread that had been growing inside Anna was now impossible for her to ignore.
Anna wanted to get married, and she knew that it was part of the duty that she needed to fulfill in order to restore the Stanton family name and keep her Mother out of the poor house. Yes, Anna wanted to get married, but not to Jonathan Arbor.
***
Anna was startled into wakefulness by a faint clinking against the glass of her window. Curiosity piqued, she threw back the down comforter and stepped onto the rug, padding across the wooden floor to the window. She looked out into the night, and her heart nearly exploded with joy.
Rowan stood in the darkness, throwing pebbles up at Anna’s window. His breath ca
ught in his throat when he saw her come to the window. He wanted to scale the walls of the house, break through the second story window and steal her away into the night. Her long blonde hair was unbound, and she held up one finger, signaling to him that she was coming down. Rowan’s heart hammered in his chest, he had hoped only to see her, and had not dared to dream for more. Seeing her again flooded him with emotions, both blissful and torturous at the same time.
The back door of the estate creaked open, and Anna crept into the dark night. She walked as quietly as possible, fearful that the crunching sound that her feet made on the gravel would wake someone in the house. When she saw Rowan, she broke out into a run, throwing herself into his waiting arms.
“Oh, your ribs!” she whispered. “Sorry,” she said, lightening the grip of her embrace.
Rowan’s arms remained steady about her, hugging her to him as he pressed her head down against his chest.
“Shh…” he said, feeling the wetness of her tears stain his shirt. “I’m here now, Anna,” he said softly, stroking her back, breathing in her scent and savoring the feel of her in his arms. “C’mon!” he said, “we canna stay here out in the open.” He released her from his arms and grabbed her hand as they rushed into the cover of the forest.
Safely shrouded in the dense growth of the forest, Rowan stopped abruptly and turned to Anna, raising his hand to caress the curve of her jaw. He looked down at her as if he didn’t believe that she was real, as if he couldn’t believe that he was touching her soft skin again. His eyes were full of questions, and as he slowly captured Anna’s chin between his fingers, forcing her to look up at him, she answered his first question with a subtle nod.
Yes, I still want you to kiss me.
Rowan’s lips were on hers in an instant, hungry and demanding. He kissed her with passion that he was unable to restrain, slanting his mouth over hers, claiming her again and again.