To Marry a Scottish Laird (Highland Brides 2)

For instance, last night was the first time in her life that she'd slept in a bed rather than on a pallet on the floor, or the cold damp earth . . . and it had been heavenly. It was also the first time she'd slept in an actual bedchamber. Not a corner of the hut where there was room for her pallet, but a room that had actually been created for just the purpose of sleeping and nothing else. It was the first time she'd woken in the middle of the night to find anyone, especially a handsome, virile, naked man like Cam, picking her up out of bed and carrying her to a mound of furs on the floor where a picnic of wine, cheese and bread had waited. And it was definitely the first time she'd had a man injure himself for her honor.

Her gaze slid to the bloodstained bedsheet hanging over the upper hall railing. Cam had cut his hand and dripped the blood on the sheet as "proof of her innocence" last night after they'd finished the food and wine Kenna had fetched for them earlier. He'd then made love to her on the furs before the dying fire. Later he'd carried her to bed and made love to her again there.

It seemed to her they'd spent the better part of the night seeking pleasure, so when there had been a knock at their door in the morning, she'd merely moaned and tried to burrow back into the linens and furs. Cam had scooped her out of bed so that her aunt and uncle and the MacKay priest could collect the bloodstained sheet. Joan had been so exhausted, she'd fallen right back to sleep the moment they left and Cam set her back in bed between the upper linen and furs.

She'd woken up some time later to find him gone and the bed cold where he should have been. Joan had got up, dressed and come below to find only Lady Annabel at the trestle table waiting for her. She'd asked where Cam was and her aunt had explained he was down at the stables, saddling his mount. She'd then told her that he had decided they should leave today. Joan's heart had seemed to drop right out of her chest at this news. She'd thought she had time, both to get to know her new aunt and uncle and their children, and to learn at least a couple necessary lessons on how ladies behaved, before leaving.

She didn't though. They were leaving for Sinclair today . . . and she would meet Cam's family. The thought was a daunting one. The only thing keeping her from all-out panic in that moment was that her aunt and cousins would be with her. She hoped.

Chapter 10

"HOW FAR ARE WE FROM SINCLAIR NOW?"

Cam sighed at that question from Kenna. She had asked it at least twenty times since they'd set out from MacKay that morning. She had also chattered nonstop the entire way. The girl was driving him mad.

And how the devil had he ended up saddled with the MacKay women and a retinue of soldiers for this journey anyway? It was supposed to be just him and Joan on his horse. He'd planned a leisurely ride home, exchanging kisses with his new bride, mayhap sliding his hands inside her gown to enjoy her bounty. Perhaps even easing one up under her skirt to make her moan and whimper in his lap as they rode. He'd found that thought oddly arousing, though he'd never before had any desire to try such a thing on a horse. It was more likely to see them bounced off the beast's back than anything if he got Joan too excited and she began to writhe as she usually did when he touched her like that.

It hadn't mattered in the end though, because when Cam had gone to saddle his mount, Ross MacKay had come out to present him with the first of many gifts, a horse for Joan. She would not need to ride with him. Cam had quickly adjusted his fantasy to suggesting they stop in a pretty little valley he knew that was on their way home. He would feed her the food and drink that Lady Annabel had promised she'd have her cook prepare, and then he would ravish his lady wife in the woods. Perhaps he'd even ravish her twice before continuing on with their journey, he'd thought, marveling at the fact that after two weeks of repeated sexual escapades, he still couldn't get enough of the woman. If anything, he wanted her more and more.

That last fantasy had been scotched when he and Ross had returned to the keep to find out that Lady Annabel and her daughters intended to join him and Joan for the journey. They wanted to get to know Joan, they claimed, and were quite firm about it, but when Ross had begun to protest over their leaving, Lady Annabel had pulled him aside and whispered feverishly and at length about something that had eventually made the MacKay reluctantly give in. Cam had no idea what argument she'd used to sway her husband, but he'd caught the word promise several times and each time he'd seen the MacKay frown and slump a little more until he'd nodded in agreement.

Ross had then called Cam over and asked politely if his wife and daughters might accompany them home so that they could visit with Joan and get to know her. He would send men to guard them for the journey, and would collect them himself whenever Cam wished.

What could he say? Of course he'd agreed, and then he'd resigned himself to a half day's ride with the women chattering away, completely oblivious to the fact that they'd ruined his hopes for seducing his bride. He'd consoled himself with the reassurance that they would reach Sinclair just shortly after the nooning and then he could leave the MacKay women to visit with his mother while he dragged Joan away to show her a waterfall not far from the keep where he would then seduce her.

While he'd waited for the women to finish their packing, Cam had sat at the trestle tables, nursing a tankard of ale and thinking of all the things he wanted to do to Joan by the waterfall.

However, he'd eventually come to realize they were taking an inordinate amount of time about their packing. He'd understood why when the servants began to carry the chests down from above stairs. It had looked like they were moving in rather than visiting, until Lady Annabel had explained that some of the chests held wedding gifts for him and Joan. Linens and such, she'd said, smiling happily.

"I am sure 'tisn't much farther now," Joan said soothingly, making Cam realize he hadn't answered Kenna's question.

"She's right, 'tis just over this hill," Cam said now, his gaze dropping to the woman settled on his horse before him. Joan couldn't ride, of course. Something that hadn't occurred to him. Or to the MacKay, obviously. So he'd had to take her up on his horse before him after all. He hadn't minded in the least, until the first time she'd shifted before him, her little behind rubbing against his groin through their clothes. He knew she wasn't doing it on purpose, but the woman was killing him. Every time she moved, she rubbed against him, waking the beast under his plaid and making him harden, and it seemed to him that every time the beast under his plaid finally began to deflate, she'd shift once more, stirring him all over again.

"There it is," Lady Annabel said cheerfully, drawing Cam's attention away from his wife's behind and his aching erection, to the fact that they'd crested the hill and were now looking down on Sinclair Castle.

"Is it no' beautiful, Joan?" Kenna asked excitedly. "I ha'e ever thought it the prettiest castle."

Cam grimaced at the description. Only a female would call Sinclair beautiful and pretty. It was a damned masterpiece of fortification with an outer wall that was fifteen feet thick, was twenty-five feet high and had a wide dry moat before it filled with sharpened wooden posts to discourage getting too close. Inside that was the outer courtyard, separated from the castle itself by another moat, this one filled with water. Then came the gatehouse and towers to protect the first inner courtyard, and then the keep. There was a second inner courtyard behind the keep, of course.

Sinclair was large and a well-designed castle, but not a beautiful one to him.

"Aye, 'tis beautiful," Joan agreed in a dismayed whisper.

Cam glanced down curiously, wondering why she seemed to sound upset. Unfortunately, all he could see was the top of her head, so he couldn't be sure he hadn't misheard her.

" 'Tis big though, don't you think?" she added weakly.

Nope, he hadn't misheard. There was definitely dismay in her voice.

"Aye, big and beautiful," Kenna agreed as they rode down the side of the hill.

"Is something amiss?" Cam murmured by her ear.

Joan immediately straightened before him and shook her head. "Nay.

Of course not. Sinclair is lovely."

He winced at the description, but let the subject go for now and concentrated on negotiating the trail down the hillside.

Cam wasn't surprised when half a dozen warriors appeared on horseback, on the bridge at the outer wall. He had expected as much. Their party was big enough they would have been easily seen as they crested the hill. Well before that, probably, he thought as he glanced over his shoulder to the wagons and soldiers behind them. The riders would be sent out to see if they were friend or foe.

The riders waited until they started across the sixty foot area where the trees had been cleared away in front of the outer wall before starting forward. Cam continued forward, unconcerned. Not slowing until the two parties reached each other.

"Brother." His younger brother, Douglas, greeted him solemnly as he reined in before him. "Ye finally decided to wander home . . . and ye brought guests," he added, eyes narrowing on Joan where she sat in Cam's lap. Curiosity flickered briefly across his expression and then his attention turned to the other members of the party. His eyebrows rose and respect filled his face when his gaze landed on Lady Annabel. Giving a half bow in the saddle, Douglas murmured, "Lady MacKay."

"Good afternoon, Douglas," she greeted him with a smile.

"Is Laird MacKay here as well?" he asked, his gaze shifting over the soldiers accompanying them.

"Nay. He could not make it right away, but he will come to collect us in a week's time," Annabel answered.

"A week?" Douglas asked with surprise, his narrowed eyes shifting to Cam with what he suspected was displeasure lurking in their depths.

"They are my invited guests," he said simply, and not wholly honestly. He hadn't exactly invited his in-laws to come home with him, though he supposed he should have thought to do so. After all, they had just been introduced to Joan and would no doubt want to get acquainted with her. And she probably would want that too. He should have thought of it and arranged it himself. He also should have thought to ask MacKay to send a messenger ahead to warn his family that he would arrive soon and was bringing company with him so that rooms could be prepared. But with everything that had happened, Cam hadn't even considered it.