by Tin Kuhn
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to touch you there.” She stammers. Her face turned a bright pink color. She is embarrassed.
“I didn’t mind at all.” I admitted. “I’m sorry, too. I touched yer breasts.”
“What?” Her eyes grow even bigger. She quickly stands up and walks over to the water. She splashes her face and holds her head in her hands.
She doesn’t seem mad at me for touching her, but perhaps I did overstep. I come up right behind her as she stands up and I wrap my arms around her holding her. “Forgive me?”
She sighs and nods her head. I stand there holding her. I didn’t know if I’d get another chance like this to hold her in my arms as if she was mine, but I decided I didn’t want to miss the opportunity even if she wasn’t staying here. Sure, I held her while we were riding on my horse and while we were sleeping, but this was different. I held her for a bit. We didn’t say anything, but it just felt right. She slowly relaxed in my arms. It was just us and this beautiful waterfall. Something was tightening in my chest and it felt good.
***
We are back on our way to Laird Alec’s castle again and something is bothering me. I need to figure out why Ara has to return home. Maybe there is someone else she is taking care of or another man she is seeing. If it is another man, she wouldn’t have kissed me back. It can’t be another man, but I can’t rule that out either.
“Ara, why do ye want to return home?” I ask. “Ye could always stay.”
Ara turns around to look at me with a confused expression on her face. She must have thought it a stupid question, but still I wanted to know. “Because I’m not from here. This is not where I’m meant to be. I have to go back.”
“Is there someone else waiting for ye when you return?” I quietly ask hoping she’d say no.
“No, just trust me when I say I have to.”
“Okay.” I say dropping the subject. I still feel like she is keeping something from me.
“Listen, I never dated after Patrick died. I just couldn’t.” She says.
“Why not?” I ask. She remains silent for a few minutes. I thought she was avoiding my question, but then she started speaking.
“Partially it’s because I was scared. I’m still scared. Patrick just dropped at my feet in an instant. He just dropped. It was the hardest thing to watch him die in front of my eyes, to hear him take his last breath. It hurt to see that. I…it…my heart practically died along with him. I felt nothing for a very long time.” She starts crying.
My heart went out to her. I didn’t want to make her sad. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make ye cry.” I turn her chin towards me and wipe away her tears. She leans her head against my chest and I held her tightly.
“You didn’t. It’s just hard not to cry when I think of Patrick. I felt so alone when he died.” She says. “I’m sorry, I...”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. Ye cared deeply for him and he loved ye.” I say. I gently rub up and down her arm. I wanted to comfort her in some way emotionally and physically. I can only hope this was enough. I hope she would let me in to heart as well. I realize I want to be the man to comfort her, take care of her, and everything. I couldn’t picture her with anyone else. Just the thought of another man being with her sent a mixture of emotions in me. I felt angry and sad at the same time.
CHAPTER 8
MALCOLM
T he midday sun shined bright in the blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. The air was crisp and the sunlight made Ara’s hair sparkle. There are several cottages off in the distance and an alehouse I know of. It’s too bad we didn’t arrive here at night. It would have been nice to sleep in a bed instead of on the ground. I wondered if Ara cared that we slept on the ground, but she didn’t complain at all.
“Are we stopping there?” Ara asks.
“Aye, we can take a wee break. They might have a meal we can eat as well.” I reply.
We near the house and notice a couple horses tied up. Through the glass window, I see men eating their meals and drinking ale inside. As soon as we dismounted, Ara went ahead and fed my stallion some carrots. She loves interacting with him. Her kindness is another reason for me to convince her to stay.
I put my arm around her waist and lead her inside. I had this need to be close to her, especially in the presence of other men. There are three men inside eating together. They all looked up at us as soon as we entered. One man licked his lips at the sight of Ara. I narrowed my eyes at him and picked the furthest table away from them.
I order two meals: haggis, soup, some meat, and cheese. The server brings out our soup and cheeses right away. She pours us both water. When the haggis and meat arrives, Ara looks at the haggis like it was something she’d never seen before. She examines it and takes a small bite. Her face looks like she ate something disgusting.
“Do ye like it?” I ask trying to suppress my laugh.
“It’s an interesting taste.” She replies.
I burst out laughing. She is so adorable. “Ye don’t have to eat it.”
“Of course, I’ll eat it, but what is it?” She asks taking a bigger bite and washing it down with water quickly.
“Haggis is a sheep’s lungs, heart, and liver mixed with other meat and spices.” I explain.
“I’ve never eaten sheep or those body parts before.” Her eyes widen. “By the way, thank you for everything. The food, the clothes, everything.” She took another spoonful of haggis, but grimaced as she swallowed it.
I laughed lightly at her. I am genuinely touched by her words. I can tell that she means it, too. I don’t remember Lady Paisley ever thanking me for anything. Ara is the complete opposite of her. She’s so endearing.
“Yer welcome.” I smile.
“Um..is there a bathroom?” Ara asks.
“The lavvy should be over there.” I point to the back of the house.
Ara left to use the lavvy and I finish up her haggis. I could tell she didn’t really want to eat it. I gave her the extra meat from my plate. One of the scruffy looking men walked up to our table and sat down across from me.
“Can I help ye?” I ask squinting my eyes at him.
“Mind sharing yer whore?” He asks blatantly leaning on my table.
“Shut yer gob! She is not a whore.” I gritted my anger simmering inside of me. I hated that he called Ara a whore. Who the hell did he think he is?
He cackled loudly. “Ye can share yer wench.”
I wanted to slam his head against the table. I could smell the alcohol off his breath and knew he is obviously drunk. I balled my fist and towered over him, but then I noticed his friends were no longer at their table. I glanced out the window and saw their horses were still outside. I heard a commotion coming from the back. Oh no. I headed towards the commotion, but the man tried to hold me back. I swung at his face and knocked him out. It felt damn good to hit him.
I rush to the back and my heart almost stopped. I only saw red. Fury flows through my veins. At the end of the hall, one of the men is holding Ara down and covering her mouth. The other is on top of her ripping her dress wide open. I lunge for the man on top of her and slam his head against the wall. I turn back and see Ara kicking the other man’s face. He falls backwards and she rolls over trying to cover up her chest. The man looks up at me with terror on his face. I walk over to him, but before I could lay a hand on him, Ara hits him in the head with a jug. He slumps over and I rush over to Ara.
We wrap our arms around each other tightly. Ara is trembling in my arms. I feel her bare breast pressed against me. I take a deep breathe. My mind goes back to the image of her bare breasts and my body wants to take her. Now is not the time to have dirty thoughts about her or even try to touch her inappropriately. She was almost raped. I gently rubbed her back to try to soothe her.
“Are ye all right?” I ask. She nods her head.
I need to go outside to get her other dress, but I didn’t want to leave her alone again. The men are knocked out, so I didn’t see the harm. I
knew I’d return before any of them woke up.
“I’ll return with yer clothes.” I tell her. She nods and holds her arms across her chest.
I rush outside and retrieve her blue dress. My anger refuses to dissipate. I am angry at myself for not paying closer attention to Ara and our surroundings. It was the second time I didn’t pay attention. My mind is constantly clouded with thoughts of Ara. I return to her and hand her the blue dress, mentally thanking myself for buying her two dresses.
“Hey.” Ara says grabbing my forearm. “I’m fine.”
“I should have gone with ye.” I say shaking my head. I open a nearby door and check inside. It’s a small room with a bed. “Ye can change in here while I watch.”
“Wait. What?” Ara’s face looks alarmed.
“I mean stand watch.” I say closing the door to give her some privacy. A hint of a smile creeps up on my face and I suppress my laugh. Even in the most unpleasant situations, Ara can somehow put me at ease. She’s handling the situation much better than I anticipated or perhaps it hasn’t hit her yet. I stand outside the door and wait. I wouldn’t mind watching her get dressed at all, seeing her naked body. I’ve already touched her breasts and now got a glimpse of them, the image forever burned into my mind. I want to make her mine.
After a few minutes, the door opens and Ara steps out. Her dark hair is down brushing on top of her shoulders. She is awe-inspiring in deep blue. She is such a pretty lass. She could wear anything and I would still desire her.
“Let’s get out of here.” She says taking my hand.
CHAPTER 9
ARAMINA
W e set up camp by a beautiful lake. The scenery is amazing like a photo you would see in a magazine or a screensaver. The picturesque vibrant green rolling hills and the reflective serene lake are stunning. It appears to be so peaceful. I couldn’t believe just how beautiful Scotland is. Almost everywhere we rode, I was in awe of its natural beauty. I almost want to stay here, but since I’ve been here, I’ve been assaulted and attacked. It makes me want to return home as soon as possible.
I’ve never had to fight so much for my life before. Those two men almost had me. I should have been more alert stepping out of the bathroom, but they took me by surprise and pulled me back to the end of the hallway. I was so scared when they ripped open my dress, but Malcolm seemed to make it a habit of appearing just in the nick of time. I owe him so much already.
I keep my eyes on Malcolm as he starts the fire. I check our water pouch and it is almost empty, but we still had a full whiskey pouch. I shake my head and lay back looking up at the starry night. I still can’t believe the situation I am in, but it is real. The worst part is that I really like Malcolm, but I am trying my hardest not to and he’s making it so easy to fall for him. He is slowly making his way into my heart. Remembering the way he held me in his arms by the waterfall, I had butterflies fluttering in my stomach. It felt too good to be in his arms, almost natural.
He did inappropriately touch me this morning and I should be completely upset with him. If it was anyone else, I would have told them off, but in all honesty, I liked it. I liked his hands on me. In my defense I thought I was having a naughty dream, then to find out, it wasn’t a dream. I couldn’t believe that I was touching Malcolm’s cock, I was so embarrassed. He felt huge and hard. I’ve never touched a man like that before and I kind of liked it.
Malcolm laid down beside me on his elbow. I can tell he is looking at me, but I try not to look at him. Thank goodness for the beautiful shining stars. Then he had to go and touch my face. His finger sent a tiny spark throughout my body and down to my core. How does he keep doing that? I felt that same spark when he kissed me the night before. That kiss made me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling. It was the best kiss of my life and I wanted more, but I stopped myself. My mind knew we could never work, but my desire for him kept growing. It was getting harder and harder to suppress.
“I want to know more.” Malcolm says softly.
“I’m sorry?” I ask looking at him confused.
“About ye.” He replies.
“Oh. There’s not much more to say, I’m pretty boring.” I say looking back up at the twinkling stars. During my time with him, I try not to mention too much about myself. I’m afraid I’ll slip up and reveal that I’m not from this time. I have already slipped up when I mentioned the bucket list.
“I find ye interesting.” Malcolm says huskily.
My, oh my his voice. I bet women would drop their panties just from the sound of his voice and here I am trying to fight off my desire for him. It’s like he’s casually seducing me with his voice alone. I just closed my eyes and tried to breathe. I needed to get my mind off how sexy he sounds.
“Why didn’t you consummate your wedding to Lady Paisley?” I ask opening my eyes. “You could have.”
He looked surprised by my question. He grabbed the whiskey pouch and took a drink. “I guess, I always ken that she didn’t care for me. I didn’t have to rush away to battle, but she insisted. I was…”
“Disappointed?” I ask feeling his sadness.
“Aye.” He says laying completely on his back. “I didn’t want to force myself on her just because we married either. I could have, but I wanted her to want me. I courted her ye ken before we got married. Gave her flowers and things.”
I wonder why Lady Paisley didn’t fall for him. He seemed so charming. Maybe there was something she knew about him she didn’t like, but I can’t even think of anything. From the moment we’d met, he’s been nothing but kind. He’s protected me, a complete stranger, clothed me, fed me. What was Lady Paisley’s problem?
“Her loss.” I say glancing at him. He looked at me and gave me a small smile.
“Why didn’t ye want to be with Patrick?” He asks genuinely curious. He offered me the whiskey pouch and I took a drink. It was so strong it burned down my throat.
“What are you talking about? I married him.” I say.
“Only because he was a dying man.” He says.
I let out a sigh and took another drink of whiskey. “I guess I just never saw him the way he saw me. I never wanted him that way. You know the way you wanted Lady Paisley to want you. I never even got jealous when he dated other girls. I was happy for him until he got sick and his girlfriend broke it off. I was furious with her. I couldn’t believe she left him in his time of need. His last few months of life. It broke his heart and so, well, you know the rest.”
“Aye. Why do ye like looking up at the stars?” He asks taking another drink of whiskey.
“You’re full of questions tonight, aren’t you?” I ask and he nodded. “When I look up at the stars, I think of Patrick. He loved stargazing. It takes away from the loneliness of losing him like he’s still with me.” I grab the pouch from Malcolm and drink some more whiskey. I’m not normally a drinker, but it just feels nice to let loose. The burn of the whiskey doesn’t feel like much anymore. I’m actually kind of enjoying the alcohol, but at the same time feeling buzzed.
We continued talking about other topics even my parents and I never talked about them to anyone. We even talked about what would be on his bucket list, which was quite similar to Patrick’s, to have a wife and kids. We even started laughing together at the stories Malcolm was telling me about his friends. I was enjoying this chat of ours.
Then I had to look into his eyes, his gorgeous blue eyes. His eyes burned so intensely like he wanted to take me right then and there, but I thought it was just the alcohol talking. Before I could look away, his lips suddenly brushed against mine and I found myself kissing him back. This time it wasn’t gentle and soft like the first time. It was full of passion and hunger. I felt electricity flow through my body and our hands explored each other’s bodies gliding up and down. I felt an ache in between my thighs. His palm was squeezing my breast while his other hand squeezed my butt. I let out a moan. His touch felt extraordinary. Every inch of my body was on fire and I wanted more than just a kiss. I wanted him, all
of him. Then my brain somehow kicked in and I quickly stopped kissing him. I immediately got up and walked toward the lake.
“Where are ye going?” He asks.
“I need air.” I say.
“There’s plenty right here.” He says patting the blanket.
“I mean water.” I say walking towards the water. I didn’t dare look back at him. I was hoping he wouldn’t follow me. What am I thinking kissing him back again, but oh did his lips feel oh so good. He definitely knows how to kiss and I bet he’s kissed plenty, not that that should bother me, but it kind of does. Oh no, I’m falling for him. I can’t. This is the second time that we kissed and it went a little further than the first. Next thing you know I’ll be giving him my virginity. That can’t happen. None of this should be happening.
I kneeled down by the water and splashed my face. “Wake up. Wake up. I cannot kiss him again.” I tell myself. I wiped my face off and opened my eyes. I saw something move from the corner of my eye.
“Ahh!!!” I shriek. A creepy Viking man came out from behind a rock with a dagger. His sooty black hair matched his dark black eyes. He had a malicious smile on his face. I knew Malcolm would come to my rescue, but I never heard him. I looked back for Malcolm and there were four other Vikings surrounding him. Shit. I worried about him more than myself.
The Viking near me wrapped his arm around my waist and led me back over to Malcolm. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest. Malcolm tried to reach out to me, but the Viking pulled me further away from him. They started talking in a language I didn’t understand, but Malcolm knew it. He responded to them, but the men growled back at him. They dragged us both away.
CHAPTER 10
ARAMINA
A short distance from where we set up our camp was an even bigger Viking campsite. There were numerous tents and countless Vikings talking by their huge bonfire. The faces of these Vikings scared me. They had plenty of tattoos all over their half naked bodies and some on their faces. They all looked like savages.