This time they both found their pleasure almost at the same moment, Saidh barely beginning to cry out with release before Greer joined in with a bellow that was probably heard all the way back to the castle. They rode out the waves together, clinging to each other like children lost in a storm, and then Greer tumbled backward, taking her with him to lie on his chest in the safety of his arms as they both struggled to regain their breath.
Chapter 11
Saidh smiled and lay still for a moment, enjoying the warmth of Greer's embrace. But restlessness soon moved her to raise her head to peer at him. Finding his eyes closed, she tapped his chin. "Are ye sleeping?"
"I am trying to," he said dryly and blinked open sleepy eyes.
"How can ye sleep after something like that?" she asked with amazement.
Greer arched his eyebrows and countered, "How can ye not?"
Saidh chuckled at his expression and pushed away from him to get to her feet. "I feel most wonderful and wide awake meself."
"While I am spent," he muttered, his gaze warming as it ran over her body.
Saidh grinned at his expression and turned to saunter down to the water's edge, putting an exaggerated sway in her walk as she'd seen a maid or two do to tempt her brothers.
"Oh, lass, yer like to wake the beast do ye keep that up," Greer warned.
"And what beast would that be, m'laird?" Saidh asked, glancing back with a sassy smile. She let her gaze drop to his groin and arched her eyebrows. The man was well set in that department. At least he was if she was to judge by the glimpses she'd had of her brothers over the years. None of them were shy or overly concerned about being seen in all their glory. If she were to believe their bragging, they were all well endowed, a Buchanan trait. From what she could tell though, Greer was easily their equal. Still, she couldn't resist pinching his manly pride and teased, "Surely ye do no' mean that wee thing?"
"Och!" He was on his feet in a trice and rushing toward her.
Laughing, Saidh turned and started into the water. She'd barely taken two steps into the cold liquid when he caught her from behind and swept her up into his arms. Greer didn't stop there, but carried her quickly forward until he stood knee deep in the cold water.
"Take it back," he ordered, holding her out over the water.
"Take what back?" she asked innocently, unconcerned. She'd intended to swim after all.
"Wife," he growled in warning and Saidh's smile changed, softening with wonder.
"I am yer wife now," she said softly and when confusion filled his expression, explained, "We've consummated the marriage. We're truly husband and wife now."
Smiling faintly, he nodded, drawing her against his chest. His voice was a soft growl as he agreed, "Aye. We're man and wife now."
They smiled gently and leaned toward each other to share a kiss. Their lips never met, however. The sound of snapping branches followed by whinnies from their horses made them both glance sharply toward the beasts as the mare and stallion shifted nervously away from the edge of the clearing.
Saidh wasn't surprised when Greer suddenly turned and carried her quickly out of the water. The moment he hit dry land he let her legs drop. Once she was on her feet, he also removed the arm from around her back and then he abandoned her to hurry to his plaid and grab up his sword. Saidh was already doing the same thing herself, snatching up her own sword from where she'd left it. She then moved toward the horses even as he did.
"Do ye see anything?" she asked when he paused at the head of his stallion and peered at a fixed spot in the trees.
"Nay, you?" Greer responded and cast a quick glance her way. At least she suspected it was only supposed to be a quick glance, however his eyes locked on her and stayed, his expression turning from grim concern to flabbergasted dismay. "What the devil are ye doin' woman? Get dressed!"
Saidh rolled her eyes at his distress. She didn't point out that he was naked, or that bandits jumping out at them while she was in the middle of dressing would be worse than being seen naked. Nor did she point out that the dress would only hamper her ability to fight. She did think all those things though and mutter under her breath about them as she strode impatiently to her clothes and snatched them up.
The moment he saw that she was doing as requested, Greer turned his attention back to the woods. Saidh scowled at his back, then stabbed her sword into the ground so that the handle would be easily accessible should an attack happen while she was trying to dress, then she tugged on her chemise.
During the brief seconds that her vision was obscured by the soft cloth sliding over her face, Greer disappeared from the clearing.
Checking the woods, no doubt, she thought with irritation as she snatched up the dress next. She didn't bother doing up stays or even troubling to tug it into place. The moment it was on and had dropped over her hips, she snatched up her sword again and strode after her husband.
When Greer stepped out of the woods as Saidh reached the horses, she paused to run a soothing hand down her still nervous mare's nose as she peered at him in question. "Anything?"
"Nay. It may ha'e been a stag or some other beastie," he said with a sigh and ran a hand around his neck as if to soothe tensed muscles.
"Ye do no' sound like ye think that's the case," she said solemnly and he grimaced.
"Me stallion's no' a nervous beast. He only reacts as he did to a threat. A simple stag or doe would no' make him dance away from the woods."
"Hmmm," Saidh murmured and peered at her mare. Her horse was well trained and not prone to nerves either. In fact, if Saidh were to judge by her behavior, she'd have said the mare had reacted as if a human had been approaching rather than an animal. Glancing back to Greer, she suggested, "It could ha'e been one o' me brothers. Or even a couple or more. They all like to swim. They may ha'e come in search o' the loch, saw that we were here and what we were about and headed away without interrupting."
Greer snorted at the suggestion. "I suspect yer brothers are no' the type to discreetly slip away. In fact, I'd venture to say they would ha'e taken pleasure in interrupting us."
Saidh grinned at the words and nodded. "Aye. They would," she agreed with amusement and then shrugged. "Then mayhap it was one o' yer men. I ken Bowie likes to swim here."
"Aye, he does, but I left him to watch o'er the men in practice," Greer said. "He is no' the only one who likes to swim here though." Giving up on his neck, he headed for his plaid, adding, "That being the case, I suppose it was foolish to behave so out here. We should return to the keep."
"Aye," Saidh agreed and quickly unhitched her mare from the tree both horses were fastened to and mounted. "I'll race ye."
"What? Wait!" Greer bellowed when she started to turn her mount toward the woods. When she paused and glanced to him in question, he pointed out, "I still ha'e to pleat and don me plaid."
; "I ken," Saidh grinned widely. "That means I might actually beat ye back."
Greer shouted at Saidh to wait for him, but she didn't obey. It seemed she hadn't taken that part of her vows seriously. That or she hadn't heard him over her own laughter, he thought with irritation as he quickly laid out his plaid and began to pleat it. The woman was . . . well, she was magnificent, he acknowledged, some of his anger slipping away and a smile caressing the corners of his mouth as he quickly made clumsy pleats in his plaid. Damn, she had passion aplenty, a hell of a temper and more courage than most of the men he'd walked into battle with over the years. Few of them would have had the balls to take on the seven Buchanan brothers at once, or to face off against him with swords even in a friendly battle. The woman seemed to have no fear and she didn't half enjoy life, she did so fully.
Greer had never met a woman like Saidh before. She took his breath away . . . and he couldn't believe he'd been lucky enough not only to find her, but to win her.
Shaking his head, he acknowledged that his life had certainly taken an unexpected turn. If someone had suggested to him even weeks ago that he'd be a wealthy laird with his own castle and a woman like Saidh to wife, he would have laughed himself silly. This was not something he'd even allowed himself to dream of as a mercenary defending other lairds' lands. Yet here he was, a man who had it all.
For some reason that thought tugged a thread of fear inside Greer. He had so much . . . and so much to lose. Leaving the plaid only half pleated, he threw himself down on it and quickly tugged it into place. The large pin he used to secure it wasn't even fully fastened before he was on his feet. He finished that task as he strode to his horse.
Once on the beast's back, Greer sent him out of the clearing at a run. That thread of fear was becoming a whole skein and it suddenly seemed urgent to him to catch up to Saidh as quickly as he could.
Greer was in such a rush he nearly trampled her. It was his mount that saved the day, slowing despite his urging and coming to an abrupt halt almost before Greer saw the mare next to the body on the path. In fact, he was lucky he didn't sail off the beast's back and break his neck tumbling arse over heels. He managed to keep his seat, however, and instead threw himself from the mount to rush to Saidh's side and see what was about.