Her Broken Highlander (Highlanders 0f Cadney Book 3)

by Fiona Faris

  “I’ve heard ladies say it can hurt?” Gavin swallowed a curse. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the lass, but he would not lie to her. She should know what she was in for. He didn’t make a habit of congress with maidens, but he was not ignorant of the pain a virgin could feel her first time.

  “Lass, makin’ love will hurt ye, but I promise th’ pain will nay last. I will bring ye back tae pleasure if ye can stand a little pain in th’ beginning.”

  She seemed to look beyond him for a moment, her hands still firm on his torso. Gavin held his breath. He didn’t want to stop, she felt so good, but the choice was hers and hers alone. She caught his gaze and smiled. It was the sweetest smile Gavin had ever seen.

  “I think there is no other man in the whole of the Earth that I would want to share this with. Gavin, please make love to me.”

  Her gentle consent broke the last of his resolve, and he positioned his shaft at the sweet entrance to her sex. He rubbed against her, washing himself in her wetness. She was so small and divine. He knew he was large, and the fit would be tight. He kept control as he entered her. She winced, and his heart clenched. He felt her body stretch around him, accepting his intrusion, adjusting to his length. Slowly he exited and entered her again, a little bit further the second time and Amelia let out a small moan. He knew he was causing her pain, but she felt too good for him to stop.

  “Stay with me lass, it’ll get better.”

  “It already has, more Gavin, I need more.” That was not what he expected to hear, and the words sent him over the edge. He slid into her to the hilt and groaned as she moved beneath him. Heat from the friction of their joining becoming more fervent. He knew he was close to bliss and he moved with a touch more speed, and surprise turned to ecstasy as she met him stroke for stroke. Amelia’s body clenched around him, and he felt her release coming upon her for the second time, sending him to the edge of his own crisis. He let out a deep growling moan, and the world exploded around him in pleasure.

  He collapsed, pulling Amelia into his arms. Their bodies spent, having forged an alliance between them, one that would not be easily broken. Never broken, Amelia is mine.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “That was simply marvelous,” Amelia crooned, tucking her head into the crook of Gavin’s shoulder. Her body was covered with a slick sheen of sweat that cooled in the chill of the night air. “Is it always like that?”

  She felt Gavin smile into her hair. “Nay, lass, never like that. That was somethin’ special.”

  “I never knew it could be like that. How did it feel for you?” She shocked herself with her forward question, but she truly wanted to know if Gavin experienced pleasure as intensely as she had. Was it the same for men? He gave a light chuckle.

  “I couldnae explain it if I tried, lass. All I can say is what just happened between ye, and I was somethin’ I only ever thought I would feel with a bonny wife.” He placed a playful kiss on her forehead. “And I’ll tell ye, I canna wait tae do it again.” He took her hand and placed it on his already stiffening member. She couldn’t believe he was still so solid. A warm blush crept up her cheeks as she pulled back and kissed him lightly on the jaw.

  “In England, ladies are taught not to expect pleasure or love from marriage. We are wed to better our families. We are chattel. Our futures left to the whims of our fathers. Long ago, I gave up any notion of a love match.”

  “Is that what yer father did tae ye, lass? Used ye as chattel?” Gavin’s arms tightened around her. She let him hold her close. It felt good to be in a strong man’s embrace. She thought about his question. Had the sickness not come? What would her fate have been?

  “It would’ve happened.”

  “Aye, Lucas had told me a bit of it. How he gambled yer sister away in a game of cards.”

  “Yes, well, not his finest parenting to be sure. That was the moment I suspected he never really loved us. Not as a father should love his daughters, at any rate. When Ella disappeared, father was livid. He barged into our rooms. He’d never come into our rooms before. He was in a fit. I’d seen him angry, before of course, but after Ella left, it had gotten so much worse. Ella didn’t marry the Commander, father was incensed, I paid the price.”

  “Did ye blame yer sister? Were ye angry that she left ye tae deal with the man on yer own?”

  “Never, not at all. I was proud of my brave sister. I wanted to be just like her. I was glad, especially as more and more stories of how horrible the Commander was started to come to light. No, I was never angry with Ella. But always at my father. He owed the man a great debt. He screamed and yelled that one of his daughters would pay that debt. Of course, I refused, and he struck me, hard. I fell over.”

  “He struck ye?” Gavin’s voice was thick with rage.

  “More than once, but that night was the worst. I vowed to myself I would never allow a man to dictate my future, especially not my father. Had he not fallen ill, and the Commander survived, I’ve no doubt he would’ve tried to force me to fulfill the obligation. He was prone to fits of rage, and when I was younger, Ella and our maid, Gwen, kept the worst of it from me. Now that I realize how bad it must have been for them, I am truly in their debt.”

  “If the man wasnae already dead lass, I’d ride tae England and run him through myself.” Amelia appreciated Gavin’s anger, but her father was dead. Four years gone, and now they were on this dangerous quest because of his selfish deathbed confession. She leaned into Gavin. He was good and honorable.

  “I’m afraid you’d have to get in line behind your brother, my sister, and possibly the entirety of the MacGille clan.” He was a fierce warrior, and an honorable, devoted man. Amelia could not believe her luck that after so many years, and so much that had separated them, they had found each other again. “When I saw ye that first time in Perth, ye didnae have yer maid, what happened to yer Gwen.”

  “When father became ill, she was the only one who would see to his care,” Amelia took. Deep breath, she didn’t like to think of sweet Gwen. If only the woman had heeded warnings, not only of Amelia but the family physician, maybe she would have met a happier fate. She pushed down the tears that once again threatened. “She fell ill not long after father and succumbed as well. ’Twas a sad day indeed.”

  “Aye, lass. ’Tis never easy tae lose those that we love.” She knew he was thinking of his own father, and probably countless others, lost in the battles between their two countries. She reached up and rather finger along his jaw.

  “Do you know what I first thought of you that day in Perth when you risked everything for me?” She asked, overcome with emotion.

  “Nay.”

  “I thought you were the largest, bravest man I’d ever seen. My heart broke when I watched the guards take you away. I think I knew it even then.”

  “What did ye ken lass? Tell me.” He pulled her hand away from his jawline and placed a light kiss on the pad of her finger.

  “I knew that there was something binding us together. Fate, destiny, I don’t know what to call it, but we are connected you and me.” Gavin leaned down and took her mouth with her own. She leaned into the kiss and the weighted emotion that laid therein.

  “Aye, lass. Ye are mine, and I am yers.”

  She wrapped her arms around him then and allowed herself to fade into a quiet slumber. How easy it was to share secrets in the dark. But with Gavin, she knew the light of day would not change what she was feeling. She knew as long as she had Gavin, and he had her, there would be no one who could separate them.

  * * *

  Morning came quickly, and Amelia felt the anticipation build as it seemed the most difficult part of their journey was coming to a close. The rocks were shining in the early morning sunlight, and the waves crashed against the shoreline below. Northern birds, with colorful beaks and sleek black feathers, fought each other on the rock outcroppings for the smallest scraps of fish, and Amelia could suddenly see the draw of the barren, dangerous lands.

  It’s g
ot a sort of quiet, natural beauty, she thought.

  She was still sore from their night previous, but she wouldn’t complain. She raised a finger to her kiss-swollen lips and smiled. Maybe it was left over from her lovemaking with Gavin the night before, but for the first time since she had escaped the dungeon at Cabduh, Amelia felt hopeful.

  Gavin rode a few feet ahead of her, the path was well worn but steep. There wasn’t enough room for them to ride side by side. Amelia found she didn’t mind, as, from her vantage point, she had an excellent view of his muscular frame. He was a man made to be astride a horse. He commanded his beast with only the slightest movements and commands. Amelia wished she were as skilled as he.

  Gavin had said once they took the ridge, they would be on MacLeod lands, and Amelia was nervous. What if the Laird did not know of the child, the boy that her father and Lady Cabduh and spoken of? What if he was a cruel man, or insane like Cabduh? There were so many things that could go wrong with arriving unannounced at a highland clan’s keep. All the struggle and strife was starting to seem like a mistake. Perhaps they should turn back while they still could. The horses must have felt her ill ease. During the climb up the steep hillside, Amelia felt her gelding giving trouble. He seemed distracted, and no amount of soothing could ease the beast. Amelia fought hard to keep the animal from straying, but something was bothering the horse.

  “Gavin?” she called out ahead of her.

  “Aye, lass,” he answered, shouting back without turning. There was a slight breeze, and his voice sounded closer than he actually was.

  “I think something is amiss with the horse, mayhap we should stop?”

  He turned and looked at her then, slowing his own horse down. “Lass, doona panic. Whatever ye do, try and calm the horse.”

  “Gavin, what is it? What is wrong with the horse?” And then turning to her animal, she cooed, “Woah, there, woah darling.” Amelia did not like the look on Gavin’s face, not at all. She pulled on the reins to give her mount the cue to slow. But the horse became more agitated.

  “I doona want ye tae be scared lass, just stay calm. It seems somehow a striking snake has found its way between us on th’ path.”

  A striking snake? Amelia searched her mind. There was only one snake in the whole of England and Scotland that would be dangerous enough to strike fear into a horse or a man. She looked around, and sure enough, lying in front of her in the middle of the path, poised to strike, was the tell-tale black and yellow markings, and triangular shaped head of the venomous adder.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Hold fast and tight on the reins, lass!” Gavin shouted, as he desperately looked for a section of path thick enough to turn his horse around, or at least tie his beast up. His heart was in his throat as he watched Amelia’s gelding buck and stir.

  “Och, stay put, ye beastie.” He couldn’t wait any longer, nor could he risk straying too far from where Amelia was stuck. He dropped the reins of his animal and leapt off his horse.

  Of all the bloody things that they could’ve come across this close to the MacLeod keep, it had tae be a bloody snake. Gavin hated snakes, especially the particular snake that was scaring the hell out of Amelia’s horse. His time in the gaol several creatures and insects made their way into the dark, of the cells, but it was the adders looking for water or the heat of the men that were the worst. If a prisoner ran afoul of one of the slithering reptiles, the anguish of their cries would haunt the entire prison.

  A snake bite would be a nasty thing to deal with, indeed, but what would be worse would be if the horse was spooked. Aside from the path being too narrow, the fall from the side of the hill was steep. If Amelia’s horse spooked and she was bucked, she would go right over the side. At best, she would be at risk of breaking a limb. At worst — he wouldn’t allow himself to think about the worst. It was a long way down. He had to get to the snake, remove it from the path and calm the horse before a disaster struck.

  Dammit, why now? Everything the night before had been perfect. He would have preferred their first time together be in a bed, but there was a connection between him and the lass that became solid with their lovemaking. He would not lose her now.

  He searched the rocks for a stick, or branch, anything that he could use to redirect the snake without encountering the animal’s fangs. It would do no use for him to get bitten.

  “Gavin, please hurry, the horse is getting worse,” she cried. He heard the real fear in her voice. Amelia was brave in all things. She had left the only home she’d ever known to seek out her family. He had seen her face down English prison guards, escape a highland dungeon, and help take down a crew of unsavory highwaymen. But now, faced with an uncertain horse, he knew she was truly afraid.

  “Aye, lass. It will only take me a moment tae take care of the slithering beast. Hold tight an’ keep tryin’ tae control the animal. Veer him tae the right, away from the edge if ye can.” He used his voice and tone to convey a calmness he didn’t feel.

  The snake was clearly as agitated as the horse. Its gold body and black diamond designs moving and swirling as its head darted from left to right, warning the horse to stay back. Gavin finally able to locate a long enough branch, approached the snake from behind.

  It reared its head back and switched its posture, somehow knowing Gavin was trying to capture it.

  “Come now, snake, I’m nay yer enemy, but ye need tae get gone.” He used the stick like a sword, stabbing it at the snake. With each stab another hiss and strike from the animal. He looked up at Amelia’s horse to see if the snake’s switching attention helped calm the gelding. No luck. The beast bucked again, and Amelia let out a scream. There was no time to move slowly.

  Gavin swallowed his own fear and lunged at the snake, grasping it by the tail and swinging it over the edge of the cliff. Once the snake was released and gone, he rushed to Amelia’s side.

  “Jump down, lass, I’ll catch ye. There’s no other way to get the horse tae calm down.” She looked at him with wide, unfocused eyes. It was as if she hadn’t heard him speak at all. He had seen the look before in the eyes of otherwise brilliant warriors when they were confronted with the possibility of their own deaths. The fear had fully taken over her mind. He wouldn’t allow her to wallow. He tried to grab the reins of the animal, but it edged further away from the safety of the hard rocks toward the edge of the path, and the cliffside.

  “AMELIA!” He shouted. “I need ye tae listen lass, JUMP!” She shook her head. “Why nay, lass?”

  “My foot, Gavin,” she said softly. “My foot is stuck under the saddle.” Holy Jesus!

  He needed to think. The horse would not settle down, no matter how they cooed and shushed. The day was growing warm, and a storm could come through at any time, making the remaining passage difficult to traverse. He had to get her off the horse and fast.

  “Which foot lass?” He asked as he reached for his dirk. “I’ll have tae cut ye free.”

  “It’s my left foot,” she answered. The foot on the cliff side of the path. Gavin took in the path around them. With the horse in distress, and her foot caught on the dangerous side, he would have to act quick and light on his feet. He slid around behind the horse.

  “Keep tryin’ tae calm th’ beastie, lass. I’ll have ye cut free in nay time.” He placed the knife between his teeth so both of his hands would be free. The horse did not like that Gavin moved out of its eyesight and reared up. Gavin set what he hoped was a reassuring hand on the animal’s backside as he careful worked on moving around the rocks. He looked down to his left, it was a mistake. There were no trees, no bushes, nothing that would break or stop a fall if he slipped, or worse Amelia was thrown. The cliffside was steeper than he first realized. He had to get her loose and soon.

  As he came upon the side of the horse, he saw the problem. A single bootstrap had somehow found its way underneath the horse’s saddle, knotting itself and getting stuck. He took the knife from his mouth and looked up at Amelia.

  “La
ss, I’m gonna cut ye free. Good news, I think we can save th’ boot.”

  “What’s the bad news?” He couldn’t help but smile, she had somehow gathered her wits back. He saw a small flicker of her fire return. He knew his partner was back, and she would be able to follow any instruction he gave her.

  “Well, it’s gonna be a wee bit complicated. I’ll cut ye free, then swing yer legs away from me, and I’ll slide under the horse as ye jump that way,” he pointed to the safe side of the trail. “As I slide under the horse, I should be able tae catch ye.”

  “That’s madness, and what if you fall or don’t make it to catch me?” The horse reared up again, and Gavin almost lost his footing. He grabbed onto the horse’s saddle and steadied himself.

  “Lass, ye have tae trust me. We have to get ye down NOW!” He quickly sliced the bootstrap, and as soon as Amelia turned her leg and swung around, he did as he said and slid under the horse. The animal let out a loud whiny before losing its footing and falling as the large animal tried to keep its grip on the rocks just as Amelia flew through the air into Gavin. He caught her just in time, the horse let out a painful wail and fell over the side of the cliff.