The Elusive Highlander

by Ju Ephraime

  “Sarcasm does not become ye, Coira. This is only the first time I have heard ye use my given name. This is a good thing, and as we are soon to wed, it would be a good idea if ye address me as such going forward. I answer to Dair, too.”

  Coira stared at him. Now that she was standing, she didn’t feel so intimidated. She loved these sparring matches with him; they made her feel alive. That was the root cause of her problem. Had he been unattractive, it would have been less taxing on her. Every time she wanted to be annoyed and angry with him, she looked at him and was lost. He was such a fine specimen of manhood. She should keep her eyes on the prize, as difficult as it was proving to be at the moment. She should be thinking of going home, not entertaining the idea of becoming his wife.

  “I’d like you to keep in mind one very important fact: I won’t be marrying you, my lord.”

  He gifted her with a flash of his sexy smile again. “Ye are truly a very stubborn woman. ’Tis not difficult to see why a gorgeous-looking woman, such as yerself, is alone. ’Tis yer inborn stubbornness.”

  She loved it when his accent came out stronger than usual. It told her he was talking to her like he would one of his people. But before she could formulate an answer, Tristan walked into the hall, followed by another man, who had ridden with Alasdair when Tristan had remained behind. She had to ask Alasdair if he was one of the Knights Templar.

  “Mornin', Lassie, how are ye on this fine morning?”

  Coira gave him a quick smile without answering. She wasn’t in the mood for his over-friendly attitude. Yet, he had a way of making you forget your troubles, even if for a moment. She looked again at the other man. She didn’t like him too much. Something about him didn’t sit right with her. He never looked directly at her, and he seemed to be shadowing either Alasdair or Tristan. It was as if he wanted to be part of whatever they were discussing at all times.

  “Dair, some of the men just returned from the village, and word is the villagers are busy planning a certain celebration.”

  Coira was getting annoyed. She knew which celebration the villagers were planning; if they expected to browbeat her into marrying their Laird, they had another think coming.

  “There’ll be no wedding, hence no celebration,” she told the room at large. Alasdair gave her a sharp look that quelled the other rude statement she was about to make.

  “Did I just hear you say there will be a wedding and a celebration?” Tris asked, trying to defuse the situation.

  She couldn’t tell if it was just to aggravate her or because he genuinely wanted to see his people enjoying themselves, even if the threat of war was looming over their heads.

  Coira was fit to be tied. No one seemed to pay her any mind. The fact that she didn’t want to get married apparently didn’t matter one iota. Maybe if she’d been from his century, that attitude would work, but for a woman from the twenty-first century, it was not sitting well with her at all. Her inability to get them to respect her wishes, felt as if she was knocking her head against a brick wall.

  “I repeat again. I’ll not be getting married. I want no part of this celebration.”

  “Celebration may be just what ye need, lass. We Highlanders know how to have a good time,” Tristan replied.

  “I bet you do,” she said before storming out of the room.

  Coira wanted to scream. Why couldn’t they leave her be? All this talk of marriage was giving her a blasted headache. She couldn’t be celebrating and marrying a man she didn’t know when her life was back in the twenty-first century. She couldn’t, no, wouldn’t, accept it. Wait a minute, now. She’d overlooked a very important aspect of this entire thing.

  Maybe, just maybe, this wedding could take place in this century, and if and when she was ever able to return to the twenty-first century, this entire thing wouldn’t exist. It would all have been a dream. Why fight what you couldn’t change? She’d save her battles for something she could win. From now on, she’d surprise them and go along willingly with all the plans they were making for her life. It might just all go up in a puff of smoke, like magic, when she was gone. Let them try following her into the twenty-first century if they dared.

  Having come to that decision, she returned to the great hall, but the men had left. She took a seat by the window, for once feeling a certain level of peace now that she had a firm plan of action in mind. It was the only way she could maintain her sanity.

  She couldn’t tell how long she’d been sitting there when she heard her name being called, and it was Alasdair. “Would ye like to accompany me to the village?”

  “Yes,” she said, jumping up with enthusiasm. At least she’d have something to take her mind off herself. After all, she found his company very stimulating. They went out into the stable, where he had his horse saddled and a docile mare saddled for her. She hadn’t been on the back of a horse since her arrival there almost two weeks ago.

  “Is the village far from here?”

  “Nay. ’Tis a couple of miles on horseback.”

  Coira couldn’t help thinking it felt as if they were on a date, just the two of them. She thought it a good idea to tell him she’d come to the decision to accept his offer of marriage. She was tired of fighting.

  “I’ll marry you, Dair, in two days. You can go ahead with your plans. I’ve decided to accept my fate.”

  “Dae nae think about it like a death sentence, Coira. I will be a good husband to ye. I will take care of ye. ’Tis good ye decided to stop fighting the inevitable. The Bruce will be here for our wedding.”

  “I thought you wanted to be married before he got here.”

  “The Bruce wanted to be part of the wedding, so I waited for him.”

  “Why?”

  The marriage of the Laird is always a cause for celebration. It will be a grand affair and we haven’t had one in years. Also, it will be our last celebration before we go to war.”

  “You mean there had not been a marriage since your dad?”

  “No, lass. I am next in line, and I have to do my part to extend the line so the Campbell name can live on.”

  “How are you going to do that? Use me as a broodmare?”

  “What is a ‘broodmare’?”

  “A broodmare is a woman whose only purpose in life is to provide her husband with as many children as possible, just like a horse.”

  “That ye will not be. I intend to have ye happy and fulfilled until ye have no choice but to give me a couple sons to carry my name, although that wid nae be the purpose of our joining. It will be the result of my loving ye so thoroughly.”

  “Right,” she said, as just thinking about what he was describing had her body all heated. She had given herself permission to accept what she couldn’t change, and if that involved having him make love to her, then so be it. Coira intended to enjoy every minute of it, knowing it might be short-lived.

  ****

  They arrived at the village to find the villagers had come out in force to see their Laird and his future bride. There was much handshaking, bowing, and cheering everywhere they went. It made her feel not only accepted but very special too.

  They spent a couple of hours and returned to the castle, making it back in time for a late lunch. Coira was surprised at the change that came over her the minute she had made up her mind to accept what the fates had in store for her. She began looking at the staff differently and thinking of the castle as her home and not as her prison.

  That night at dinner, she felt much more relaxed. If that was possible, she enjoyed her dinner and had seconds. The ride to the village had given her an appetite. Even Tristan commented on the change in her demeanor. Coira was too happy to allow his comment to ruffle her.

  She ate her dessert leisurely, savoring every mouthful as she allowed her eyes to linger as Alasdair’s powerful hand moved back and forth from his dish to his mouth as he, too, savored his dessert. The way he wrapped his tongue around the spoon had her longing to feel his mouth on her doing to her the things his tongue was
doing to his spoon, licking and sucking down the cream. Whew, she was having a sex-induced fever. She needed a cold shower.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Alasdair was having a difficult time sitting across from Coira as she ate her dessert. He was rampantly aroused. He was thankful he was wearing his plaid and not hose; otherwise, he would be in physical pain because, even under his plaid, his cock was straining. He tried in vain to tamp down his desire for her, telling himself she wasn’t ready, but the need remained, pulsing through him like something alive, waiting only for the opportunity to strike.

  As he saw her push her chair back to rise, he immediately stood up and, moving to her side, took her hand. Placing it in the crook of his arm, he fell into step with her. He had to match his longer strides to hers to limit the effort for her to keep up with him.

  Arriving at her chamber door, he didn’t give her the usual chaste kiss at the door. This time he followed her in. “Let me undo yer buttons,” he offered. He was expecting her to give him one of her waspish answers and was surprised when she turned without a word and presented him with her back. His rampant cock pumped in anticipation, almost having him spilling his seed.

  He unfastened her bodice and pushed the fabric off her shoulders. “Would ye let me undress ye?” he asked. She did not answer, so he took that as acquiescence.

  Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he pulled her between his thighs and pushed the dress down past her waist. It pooled at her feet, and she was left wearing only her undergarment and stockings. He removed the undergarment, and now she was wearing only a skimpy piece of fabric that revealed more than it concealed.

  Alasdair lifted her out of the clothes, which remained on the floor, and turned her round to face him. Their eyes met on the same level as the sexual tension between them increased. Slowly, he drew her into his arms, giving her the opportunity to stop him before he touched his lips to hers.

  Against her mouth he murmured, “I want to see ye walking around naked. Will ye walk around for me?” And then, he kissed her hungrily. “I have imagined ye like this too many times to keep count. The reality is even better than my imagination.”

  * * * *

  Coira was about to refuse him when she quickly changed her mind, thinking, why not? She wanted to experience it all; this was her opportunity. The thought of showing herself naked to him excited her too. She nodded her agreement and moved away from him. Holding her head high, she walked with a touch of elegance and the pride of a queen away from him toward the fireplace. She paused midway and looked back at him over her right shoulder.

  She knew the effect she had on him. The evidence was in the tent visible in his kilt.

  As he rose to come after her, she stopped him.

  “You have to be naked too.” She watched his pupils dilate with desire as he glanced at her.

  “My thought exactly,” he said as he quickly divested himself of every stitch of clothing and cocked his finger at her.

  She walked back toward him, her breasts bouncing with each step. To her shocked surprise, he sprawled out on her bed, his formidable-looking cock jutting upward. Had she stopped to think about it, it would have given her pause, but she was too far-gone to stop now.

  She kept her eyes on him as he lay on the bed. He was a sight to behold, massive everywhere. He looked just as he had in her dream. He was, indeed, beautifully and wonderfully made… all male, muscles bulging everywhere, especially between his massive thighs. The fiercest one was jutting out of a patch of red hairs, which were just as bright as those on his head. She couldn’t help thinking, the closer she got to the bed, What a warrior. The power radiating from him was almost tangible. She was having great difficulty walking sedately when all she wanted to do was fall on him like a sex-starved fool and have her way with him.

  “Satisfy yer curiosity,” he told her. “Explore me. Indulge yer impulses,” he invited, knowing it would rid her of the last bit of reservation.

  When she finally came within touching distance of the bed, he moved and was on her like the warrior he was. He brought her butt smack up against his stiff cock, which had her swallowing hard.

  * * * *

  She was such a temptation that Alasdair thought it would be over before it began. The feel of her firm buttock against him was better than he’d imagined it would be. He took her with him to the bed. She quickly turned and reached out her fingers to trace along his lips. He opened his mouth and took her finger into the heat of his mouth. She brushed her hand down his throat and along his collarbone as if she couldn’t get enough touching him.

  He lay with his hands beneath his head and watched while she examined every inch of his body. She touched his flat nipples and bit her bottom lip as they shriveled into hard little nobs. Growing more daring, she flicked them with her tongue, tasting then sucking first one and then the other. As she sucked, she felt a pulsation between her legs as a gush of dampness wet her thighs. She glanced up at him and caught him looking at her. His eyes, a bright sparkling blue, told her he was aware of her needs.

  * * * *

  She moved her exploration lower, to the part of him that had so fascinated her. Her fingers trailed down his belly and paused for a moment at his navel before moving lower. She ran a tentative fingertip along the length of his shaft, rubbing the drop of clear liquid that was hanging there into his flesh. She looked directly into his eyes as she put her finger into her mouth to get a taste of him.

  Coira heard him groan, so she became emboldened, feather stroking his granite thigh lightly as her fingers inched higher. She moved to the inside, where his flesh was more sensitive. As she kept playing with him there, he arched his body off the bed. Coira slipped her hand over his large scrotum and cupped him. She squeezed gently to get a feel for his balls, and heard him groan again. She opened her mouth and took first one then both together into her mouth. A growl erupted from his throat as he flew upright in the bed, and grabbing her hand, he brought her up over him.

  * * * *

  Alasdair realized she was arousing him to the point where he would lose control, so he decided he must shift the focus. He captured her hand in his and brought it to her face. Then, starting at her cheekbone, he traced her own fingers along the same path they had taken on his body. Brushing over her lips and along her throat, he moved her fingertips down the curve of her breast to her sensitive nipple. When it became as hard as a pebble, he took it into his mouth and sucked, doing to her just what she had done to him.

  She gasped and arched her back, offering him the other breast. He took it into his hot, hungry mouth too. Alasdair could tell she wanted more, but he had other ideas. He drew her fingers down her belly and slipped them between her legs. He placed her finger on her pussy, and applying slight pressure, he pushed her finger into her wetness. He then took her finger into his mouth so he, too, could have a taste of her.

  At last he took possession of her mouth. His kisses were deep and rough as his desire for her got out of control. His hands kept her head in place as he ravished her mouth. His mouth left a trail of heat in its wake, seeking all the vulnerable spots on her body... behind her ears, at the base of her throat, her navel, and the cute dimples at the junction where her thighs meet her pelvis. Coira’s scent filled his nostrils, making them flare with desire, and his insistent hands pushed her down on the bed as he slid a pillow beneath her bottom. Heat leaped between them, arousing a smoldering need that cried out to be quenched.

  Coira writhed shamelessly as she clawed at his shoulders. “Please.”

  “Mmm, ye please me very much, lass. Are ye ready for this?”

  “Yes.”

  As he gazed down at her, he was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. Her skin was as smooth as ivory, her beautiful face surrounded by her luxurious hair. In his eyes, she was absolute perfection. He reached between her legs and, with thumb and forefinger, separated the delicate folds, spreading her wetness over the hard nub of her clitoris; then he paused and looked into her eyes.

&n
bsp; “Wrap yer legs around my waist.”

  She looked at him and did what he asked. Slowly, firmly, he rubbed the swollen head of his penis against her opening folds, making her sleek and wet. Then he thrust down into her scalding sheath and felt her hymen tear at the same moment he heard her cry out. He held absolutely still. “Are ye all right, Coira?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hold on.” He rolled gently until she was straddling him. This was the position he’d always imagined her in, his fierce little leannan.

  “When ye are on top, ye can take as little or as much of me as ye wish,” he told her by way of explanation. “Allow yer body to adjust to me, and when ye are ready, ride me, as softly as ye want or as hard as ye need. Do what brings ye pleasure. I’m yers. Do with me as ye please.”

  * * * *

  Coira nodded, too turned on to speak coherently. She knew she was ready for this mating. It would probably change her life forever. For her, there was no turning back. She was going in full force. She gazed into his eyes, the lids heavy with passion. She was suddenly aware of the enormous contrast between them. His big, powerful body, all muscle and raw male virility, reminded her of a wild beast of prey.

  She began to move tentatively at first, her sheath closing sleekly around him. Soon the hot, sliding friction began to build in a tantalizing rhythm, taking her higher and higher until she was in a frenzy of need. Coira threw back her head, her body undulating over him as she cried out at the sensations she felt when he cupped her breasts and applied pressure to her nipples.

  She felt him thrust upward twice, and then he held still again. All she could do was fall upon him as she bit his neck to stop from screaming. His hands stroked her bottom cheeks possessively as her body kept pulsing around his cock.

  They lay entwined without moving or speaking for a long time. Coira knew she was changed forever. She felt different somehow. She couldn’t believe losing her virginity could change her so completely. Had she known, she’d have done it sooner. She had to believe it was all Alasdair and had very little to do with her. He was still as hard as a rock. He’d not sought his own release.