The Bride Chooses a Highlander

by Adrienne Basso

  “Good.” Katherine pressed her lips into a thin, flat line. “We shall retire to my chamber to bathe, rest, and eat our meals. Kindly send word when my dowry is ready to be transported. We shall then gladly take our leave of ye.”

  The McKenna stiffened, clearly laboring to control his temper. Katherine glared at him. She intended to make a point and it appeared to have boldly hit the mark.

  “Ye must excuse Katherine’s passionate ramblings, Laird McKenna. My wife is tired and distressed. We shall gladly join ye fer the evening meal, if ye so desire.”

  Katherine turned an astonished gaze upon her husband. He now stood at her side. She had been so unsettled, she hadn’t even realized it.

  “It would please Lady Aileen to have ye both at our table,” the McKenna replied, somewhat mollified.

  “Excellent. Until this evening.”

  Lachlan slid an arm around Katherine’s waist and steered her toward the staircase. She opened her mouth to protest, but his pointed glare silenced her.

  “I know that ye are angry—and hurt—Katherine, but I’ll not be the cause of an estrangement between ye and yer father,” Lachlan insisted. “We will stay here until the breach is mended.”

  “Och, well, unless the McKenna undergoes an epiphany and makes amends, then ye had best be prepared for a long siege,” Katherine retorted.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “We’ve won, Katherine,” Lachlan said as he shut her bedchamber door. “Ye must now be gracious in victory and allow yer father to retain his pride.”

  “If I live beyond a hundred years, I will never completely understand how honor and vengeance can mean so much to a man,” Katherine remarked bitterly.

  “’Tis a somewhat rigid, consuming emotion that often overrides good sense,” Lachlan replied. “Yet I cannae fault yer father’s actions. We are not blameless.”

  A pang of guilt needled Katherine. Her marriage to Lachlan had far greater repercussions than she had ever anticipated, for everyone. Yet even knowing the consequences, she would do the same again.

  Would Lachlan?

  The weariness around his eyes told her he hadn’t slept any more than she had last night. Though she had done all within her power to make his cell comfortable, ’twas no surprise that he was unable to rest easy while in captivity.

  “I am truly sorry fer all the grief that I’ve caused ye,” she said.

  His gaze narrowed. “Like most men, I have regrets over things I’ve done in my life.” His arm slid around her waist. “But marrying ye, isn’t one of them.”

  She stared into his piercing blue eyes and her breath caught in her throat. He regarded her with raw hunger, an all-consuming intensity that made her tingle with need. She might not yet possess his love, but she most certainly aroused his desire.

  Lachlan’s lips claimed hers. A deep, passionate excitement pounded through Katherine’s body, making it swell and tighten. Her lips parted and she felt herself melt against him. The welcome familiarity of his kiss, his caress, soothed her restless spirit as nothing else could.

  His kisses were the most sensuous thing she had ever experienced. She returned them eagerly, feeling the passion flowing between them. Enthralled in his spell, Katherine pressed herself closer, the tension curling through her body. She was tired, hungry, and none too clean, yet all she could think about was getting naked and climbing into bed with her husband.

  She splayed her hands across his chest, stroking the tense muscles of his torso, reveling in his strength.

  “I want ye so badly it hurts,” Lachlan whispered roughly. She could feel his penis, hard and urgent, jutting against her thigh, proof that he spoke the truth.

  “’Tis but a few steps to yon bed,” she muttered, smiling when she heard the rumble of his laughter.

  A series of loud knocks, rapid and persistent, shattered the mood.

  “Lady Katherine, ’tis David. May I enter?”

  “David?” Lachlan asked.

  “The castle steward,” Katherine explained, slumping forward.

  “I’ve brought food and drink,” David called from the other side of the closed door. “And yer lady mother has ordered baths prepared fer ye and Laird MacTavish.”

  Katherine heard Lachlan sigh deeply and felt him press his lips to her forehead. “As much as I would enjoy the delectable sight of ye in the bath, the pink tips of yer nipples lifted high enough through the water to grant me a most pleasing view, I have a far more pressing need. Fer God’s sake, send the man away!”

  Needing a moment to gather herself, Katherine cleared her throat. She stepped out of Lachlan’s arms and crossed the chamber. Opening the door ever so slightly, she schooled her features into a calm expression and peered through the crack.

  “We have no need of anything at the moment,” she said breathlessly. “Thank ye, David.”

  “But Lady Katherine,” the servant sputtered, looking indignant over her refusal.

  Katherine shut the door. Firmly. Then barred it for good measure before turning to face her husband.

  Lachlan had wisely used the time she was dispatching the steward to remove his clothing. He was now stretched out on her bed—naked—his arms raised and propped behind his head, his eyes half-lidded and provocative.

  The sight disarmed her. Katherine felt her entire body dampen as desire spread between her legs. Pulling and tugging at her clothing, she freed herself of their constraints.

  She lay down on the bed beside him. Close enough to feel the warmth of his body, yet not touching. She expected him to grab her and roll her onto her back the moment she settled at his side, but instead he remained still. Was he waiting for her to take the lead?

  The very thought delighted her and she decided to take full advantage of the opportunity. With a sultry smile, Katherine slowly ran her hand from Lachlan’s chest to his hip.

  “Ye are the most beautiful man that I have ever seen, ever touched,” she whispered in his ear.

  He tilted his head toward her. “I should hope that I am the only man that ye have ever seen and touched so intimately, Katherine.”

  She laughed. “Jealous, Lachlan?”

  He held her gaze. “Absolutely.”

  “Good.”

  Katherine wiggled close. She dipped her head and blew on his nipple, then her lips followed, blazing a hot, tantalizing trail down the flat plane of his belly. She could hear his breath hitch as his hips thrust upward, feel the tremors in his thighs. He slipped his hand around her neck, encouraging her explorations as she moved lower.

  She willingly obliged him, dipping her tongue into his navel, then lifted her head so she could see his expression while she dragged her hand caressingly up and down the inside of his thigh. His breathing grew sharper as Katherine moved her fingertips in slow, tantalizing circles, drawing ever nearer to her prize.

  When she cupped his balls, he startled. Then she curled her fingers over his shaft, rolling her thumb over the thick head. His eyes closed and his jaw tightened. Empowered and emboldened, Katherine dipped her chin and licked him from base to tip in one long, wet stroke, then took his hot, hard penis into her mouth.

  Lachlan cried out and nearly leapt from the bed. His hands fisted in her hair. Katherine grabbed his buttocks to pull him closer. She licked and sucked with total abandon, relishing the taste and hardness of him. His chest was rising and falling in deep, shallow breaths and knowing the pleasure she was giving him made her feel closer, more connected to him.

  The surge of power she felt being in control was intoxicating. Every sensation was heightened, every movement more sensual and exciting than the last. She felt bold and wicked as she touched him with her mouth, lips, and tongue.

  A warm feeling ran through her and she continued to tease and arouse him until her body cried out with the insatiable need to connect with his.

  She lifted herself, threw one leg over his hips, and straddled him. With a roar, Lachlan thrust upward at the same moment Katherine plunged down. Their bodies met and joined in
a rising tide of desire that quickly pulled them both under.

  She felt a pure, primal thrill at the way her womanhood gripped his penis so fiercely. She started slowly with a steady pace, pulling herself in and out in a sensuous rhythm that soon grew frantic.

  Lachlan held her hips as she moved up and down, his sharp cries of release coming much faster than Katherine expected. She could feel her inner muscles clenching as his body shuddered and his seed spilled deep inside her.

  Her body tightened and pulsed. Katherine arched her back and rocked against him, creating the friction she needed to push her own release. She moaned as her body moved of its own accord, gritting her teeth to prolong the pleasure that swirled and grew.

  “Come fer me, lass.”

  The sound of his voice, so deep and intimate, broke her and she shattered, like glass fracturing into a thousand pieces.

  She collapsed on top of him. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she blinked. The intensity of her feelings rattled her. Her heart was so full. Lachlan completed her in a way that no other man could. She knew, with certainty, that she could not live without him.

  “Katherine.”

  “Hmmm.” Keeping her eyes closed, she shifted to his side and gently rubbed her finger across his sweat-covered chest.

  “I love ye.” His words were a strained whisper. Plain, simple, direct—so like the man himself.

  Katherine’s eyes flew open. Her heart leapt as her throat closed with emotion. It felt as though she had waited a lifetime to hear those words.

  “Truly?”

  “With all my heart.”

  Swallowing hard, she felt a fresh trickle of tears slide down her cheeks. “’Tis glorious to hear ye say it.”

  “I waited too long to tell ye,” he replied roughly. “But ’tis true. Ye’ve the ability to touch my heart and it brings me such joy at times I feel as though I could burst.”

  “Aye.” Sniffling, Katherine snuggled closer. “I love ye, too, Lachlan MacTavish. Now and always.”

  Lachlan rose up on his elbow to look at her. His gaze was tender yet possessive, and it thrilled her. Relief, joy, and wonder rushed through her.

  “’Tis an odd thing, these feelings of love,” he admitted. “I’ve waited my whole life fer something that I never knew I was missing. And now that I’ve discovered it, I’ll never let it—let ye—go.”

  “Ye are the faceless man that I’ve always dreamed of finding,” Katherine replied. “Someone unique and special to hold within my heart. Someone who will love me as fiercely and completely as I love him.”

  “Aye, lass, we are a well-matched pair.”

  “A perfect pair,” she insisted, her mouth twisting in a wry smile.

  His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. A surge of unmatched pleasure filled her and she savored the sensation of being held in his arms. The man she loved. The man who loved her. With a contented smile, Katherine closed her eyes and fell into a blissful slumber.

  * * *

  All was quiet when Lachlan entered the stables the following morning. As was his custom, he had risen before dawn, his body rested and sated, his mind in turmoil.

  Yesterday had been most unusual, a day like no other he could recall. He and Katherine had stayed in her bedchamber, bathing together, eating, making love, sleeping, and then loving again.

  They had talked, too. About their current predicament, their hopes for the future, and their determination to preserve and defend their newly discovered love, allowing nothing to come between them.

  It had taken some persuasion, but Lachlan had eventually succeeded in convincing his stubborn wife to sit at her father’s table for the evening meal. Once she had agreed, Katherine had taken extra care with her appearance, fussing over every detail, and the results had been astonishing.

  Lachlan had always thought his wife was a beautiful woman, but seeing her garbed in her finery had stolen the breath from his lungs. The low, round neckline of the deep green gown that she had chosen was embroidered on the bodice, sleeves, and hem with a Scottish thistle design of golden thread.

  When she moved and caught the candlelight just so, the garment shimmered and sparkled, surrounding her in an ethereal glow. The luscious fabric clung to her upper torso, then fell smoothly from her waist, making her appear taller. The matching green slippers she wore on her dainty feet were barely visible when she walked—nay, glided—into a room.

  A maid had been summoned to arrange her hair atop her head in an elegant twist. A gossamer veil of white silk held in place by a bejeweled gold circlet was added, completing her elegant transformation.

  At the first sight of her, Lachlan had been struck dumb. Bathed in wealth and dignity, she looked every inch a royal princess.

  “I am only doing this because ye have asked me,” she had stated, holding out her hand to him.

  The gems in the rings on her fingers winked at him. He had held himself awkwardly for a moment, feeling unworthy of claiming such an elegant, angelic female as his own. But then she had pulled her lower lip between her teeth—a sure sign of nerves and uncertainty. The vulnerable gesture had jarred him from his trance. She needed him, depended upon him.

  He would not fail her.

  A hush had fallen over the great hall when they had entered. She had started trembling and Lachlan had pressed his hand to Katherine’s waist, offering comfort and support. Her parents were already at the table and Lachlan had intentionally moved his chair closer to Katherine’s once they were seated on the dais.

  Conversation had initially been stilted and awkward, but it appeared that both Katherine and her father were making an effort not to deliberately provoke each other. Lady Aileen, Graham, and Lachlan had all worked hard to ensure the discussions remained light-hearted and cordial and they had managed to survive the evening without a single disagreement between Katherine and her father.

  Though far from ideal, it was a beginning. A beginning that Lachlan sincerely hoped would not suffer a setback today when he asked the McKenna for permission to see his brother Robbie. ’Twas hardly a conversation that Lachlan was keen to have, knowing a reminder of his brother’s crimes against the clan would only serve to confirm the McKenna’s already low opinion of his daughter’s husband.

  Ah, well, after that, there was naught to do but rise, Lachlan reasoned.

  Fortunately, Katherine’s opinion of him was far different. She loved him! ’Twas humbling knowing that she had given her heart to him, disbelieving, too, that such fortune had found him. He had never thought of himself as a particularly lucky fellow.

  Until now.

  Lachlan smiled, remembering the intensity of their coupling yesterday, last night—and this morning. He had turned to Katherine in the predawn hours, before the sun prepared to rise, and she had welcomed him openly, eagerly. Their joining had been slower and less frenzied, but no less intense.

  He had never before experienced the like. Much more than physical pleasure and contentment, there was a poignancy, a feeling of pure and utter completeness that touched the deepest part of him when he was with Katherine. It baffled him. Aye, and even scared him a bit.

  Yet he wouldn’t change it for the world.

  Lachlan was lost in these thoughts when a rustling sound at the entrance to the stable captured his attention. Instinctively, he drew his blade, swiveling to face the intruder. In all likelihood it was only a stable lad coming to feed the horses, but Lachlan’s warrior instincts bade him to remain cautious and prepared in every circumstance.

  Two children, hand in hand, carefully crept into the stables. He recognized the pair as Lady Joan’s bairns. He had heard their names, yet couldn’t recall them. Lily? Colin? Nay, that didn’t sound right.

  He searched his memory. Lileas, that was it. And the lad was Callum.

  Lachlan looked over their shoulders for a nursemaid, yet saw none. Though he knew little of young children, it seemed odd that they were allowed to roam unsupervised at this early hour of the m
orning.

  He stepped from the shadows and they froze, staring at him wide-eyed.

  “Who are ye?” Lileas challenged, her eyes fixed on the knife in his hand.

  Lachlan sheathed his blade and closed the gap between them in a few long strides. “I’m Lachlan MacTavish.”

  The lass tilted her head and narrowed her expression. “MacTavish? Och, now I know ye. Ye arrived the other day. Ye’re the dishonorable, cowardly, faithless cur who stole my aunt Katherine.”

  “Cur,” Callum repeated.

  Lachlan grinned. Apparently, the lass had a talent for overhearing conversations and recalling them with biting accuracy.

  “’Twas actually my brother who stole her,” Lachlan replied casually. “I’m the one who brought her home.”

  “Grandfather doesn’t like ye,” Lileas said solemnly. “I heard him talking about ye to Uncle Graham, Mother, and Grandmother. He was shouting and stomping his feet. Then he started banging his fist on the table.”

  Lachlan bit back a smile. “It sounds as though he was angry.”

  “Aye. He kept shouting, but Mother covered my ears with her hands, so I dinnae hear the rest. Then she started yelling at Grandfather. Grandmother yelled at him, too.” The lass sighed dramatically.

  “Very loud,” Callum echoed, placing his hands over his ears.

  “It sounds most unpleasant,” Lachlan said sympathetically.

  Lileas shrugged. “We McKennas like to shout. A lot. Well, except fer Papa. When he’s mad his voice gets quiet and controlled and that’s when ye know that yer in big, big trouble. Be extra careful when that happens.”

  “I thank ye fer the warning.” Lachlan smiled. She was certainly a font of information. He shifted his gaze to the lad, who was sucking his thumb. “Shouldn’t the two of ye be in yer beds, asleep, instead of in the stables alone?”

  Lileas’s face contorted in guilt, then suddenly her expression brightened and she favored him with a smile that was hard to resist. “We aren’t alone—ye’re here with us!”

  “Purely by accident.” He gave them a thoughtful sideways glance. “Though I suppose ’tis all right, now that I’m yer uncle by marriage.”