Highlander's Beautiful Liar A Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance Historical Novel - Adamina Young Page 0,54

And relishing it. He’d come to enjoy his nights with her just so he could hold her while she slept. In his arms, she was warm and supple.

And safe.

“All right, but you need to eat too.” She held up a piece of cold chicken which he nibbled from her fingers and greedily licked her skin. Her smile lit up her whole face.

Cora was so beautiful. The men in England who’d looked at her and not seen her for the treasure that she was were idiots. Then again, she was a handful.

His handful.

The recent changes in her were unexpected. She’d fought him every step, even after their marriage, but now she suddenly wanted to try and make it work. Make them work.

He wanted this to work too, not just for his position in the clan, but because of her. Because she was his family now.

Curving his hand around her thigh, he kissed her neck. Already, his erection was hardening again. “I think one of us may have to go to the kitchens after all.”

“Why is that?”

Spinning her around so that she straddled him with her back pressed against his chest. Without saying a word, he reached between her naked legs and felt her wetness.

“Oh,” she breathed. “Yes. I think that might be a good idea.”

They didn’t drift off to sleep until close to dawn.

“Ye look awful,” Jamie snickered the next morning as they rode along the border.

Alec might have looked a bit rough with little sleep, but he was feeling just fine. “Any luck on tracing the owners of the arrows or finding evidence of Cora’s attacker?”

“Or yers?” Stephen pointed out. “Ye are the more likely target since Cora wields no power. Take ye out, and Innes can have the clan.”

It was true that Alec made an easier target. He was out more, and even though he was with his guards, he was more open to an attack from Innes. He had more warriors, resources, and allies. Cora rarely left the keep.

“I doona want myself dead either,” Alec pointed out.

“The arrows had no markings or paints on them. Also, thankful, no poisons, and we found nothing in the woods,” Jamie said as his face fell. “We need to rethink yer protection.”

“We are stretched too thin as it is. Reports from the outlying villages?” Even as he relieved the border guards, they looked drawn and wary. He needed more guards if he wanted to keep his clan safe. He needed to find those that had fled Seth’s nightmare reign and hope that they had not pledged fealty to another.

“There were no disturbances, however, a few men did report a young boy racing through the lands last night. He had a letter with him, but he would not say who it was from. Only who it was for.”

“And?” Alec asked.

“‘Twas for Mary, the serving girl.”

“Must be her brother. Cora had said that she would get in touch with her about him returning, but that was sooner than I expected. Much sooner. Perhaps her brother has been in touch with her all this time. I will find out where he is. Anything else?”

Jamie and Stephen shook their heads. “All right. Connor and Grace will be here this afternoon. About Grace...”

“Doona worry,” Stephen chuckled. “We wilnae let her charm her way into mischief. We know how she is.”

A hellion is what she was. Grace could charm just about anyone with a pretty smile and a few words, and that made her impossible to handle. If there was trouble to be had, Grace could find it, and because she was the sister of a powerful ally of the King, it made her a target as well.

Alec gave the new border regiment their orders and rotated the guards patrolling the outer villages. When he got the message that his brother and sister had arrived, he was a couple of hours’ ride back to the keep.

He wasn’t worried. Cora seemed to know how to be a good host even if she preferred to be the servant. However, when he got back to the keep, she was nowhere to be found.

Connor and Grace, however, had been greeted and were escorted to their chambers. “Alec!” Grace squealed and threw herself at him. Her long dark hair was flying behind her as he caught her and whirled her around. “I have missed ye! Connor is terrible to live with now that ye are gone.”

“Tell him how ye really feel,” Connor grumbled with a grin. Alec released his sister and clapped his