Enraptured by the Highlander

“Precious Adelaine,” he said and his hand framed her neck. “Dinnae be afraid.”

“I’m not,” she said, but the quiver he heard told him she still was.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, hoping it would calm her but had not planned for what his reaction would be when he touched her skin. The feel of her skin against his was like a strike to his gut and he craved more.

His lip strayed to kiss her temple, brush across her cheek and then finally to her lips but kept his mouth an inch away from hers. He felt her breath stutter and stop as one of his large hands cupped her hip while the other moved behind her head. His fingers delved into her hair to slip through her silken tresses and cup her head. Still, he did not kiss her. Instead, he pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly.

Her body trembled in his as he held her close. By god, she fit into him like a puzzle piece missing from the whole. “I told ye, lass, I kent ye’d be perfect in me arms.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” she said with a soft shuddery voice.

Nosing at her fragrant hair he replied, “I dinnae? Sorry, I meant to.”

A pad of his thumb ran across her mouth and she licked her lips. Tilting her head up, he gently covered her mouth with his. The kiss was soft at first as his tongue slipped inside her mouth, exploring, swirling, and teasing. Then it became consuming, demanding, and Caelan felt possessed to take all of her.

His hand slipped from her neck down to her shoulders and middle of her back and he pressed close. This close he could feel her nipples taut against his chest. This was good, wonderfully good in fact, he now knew she felt desire for him.

Slowing the kiss of possession, he drew their intimate connection out until he was just brushing gentle kiss on her lips. Her lovely eyes were wide and her pupils blown. Kissing her on the cheek, he embraced her again. “God, save me lass, yer so tempting.”

Adelaine pulled away just an arm’s length, “I’d ask but I am not as naïve as that.”

He held her, and dropped his voice, “Lass, who was the other woman with ye?”

“Her name is Martha, she is my maid and my best friend,” Adelaine explained. “I know what you’re thinking, and don’t worry, she will not talk about anything.”

&nbs

p; Caelan held his reservations but accepted her explanation. “Lass, I’ve been kenning about this escape plot. How do you ken we’d go through with it?”

“I don’t know yet,” she replied, the cocked her head to the side and looked at him quizzically. “What made you change your mind?”

“The jailer Leicester came in this morn’, gave me some paper and pen to write me confession to the King—”

“You’re not going to do that are you?” Adelaine was alarmed.

“Nay lass, nae even if the Devil himself made me a deal,” Caelan replied. “I was kenning it might be a way to get me people to ken I’m alive and be ready for me escape. I will need help running to Scotland.”

She looked pensive, “That can be done…but…” she spun and looked around. “Even if we did get you out, there are guards all around the keep. Going through the front door would be suicide. There must be another way.”

An idea came to him and he wondered if had merit. “Lass, how old is yer faither’s house?”

Adelaine’s brows knitted in thought, “Nearly a hundred years. It was given to my Grandfather when King Henry VI was re-instated to the monarchy.”

“When he was re-instated, that was during a war where two families fought for the control of the throne of, aye?” Caelan did a quick calculation in his head.

“Yes, between the House of Lancaster, and the House of York,” Adelaine confirmed.

“So, yer grandfaither came to this land. Dae ye ken who owned it before him?” Caelan asked, hoping beyond hope that his suspicion had some worth.

“I believe it was owned by one of the opposing families of King supporters,” Adelaine said. “They were rumored to be fighters. My grandfather kept it as an asset but he did not live here. It was my father who decided to use it. He fixed the keep, the outer houses, and the mansion before marrying my mother.”

“Lass,” he said as hope built in his chest “If what ye said is true and the owners of this house were fighters, I’d bet my last shilling that there is a tunnel under his keep that connects to either yer house with the land beyond. That is how the old warriors kept their lands, lass, with escape routes to get their family to safety. If they were sent to the keep in time of a siege, they would run to outer lands. Even if the tunnel was not dug before the war, I’m sure it was done during.”

Adelaine came closer and her voice dropped, “Are you saying you want to escape?”

“Aye,” Caelan replied nodding. He cupped her face and smiled at her. “Aye lass, yer words make sense, to me shame, I became resigned. Now however, I cannae stay and wait on me death. There is no honor in that.”

She smiled, a bit slyly. “I thought you said you would stay for me.”