to heaven on Earth that I shall find.”
“Do we dare?”
“The Lamonts will not find us here. I noticed Monty and Donnan already found the healing supplies and the barrel of oats for the horses. If the horses remain quiet, and none of us are too loud, we remain safe. Can you keep from screaming my name this time?”
Laurel gasped and playfully slapped Brodie’s chest. “You shall have to test me to see.” She squeaked when Brodie’s hands slid along her bare legs before he lifted her off her feet. She snatched the front of his plaid and drew it up before wrapping her legs around Brodie’s waist.
“I ken there will be nay finesse.”
“I don’t need it. Just you. Now.” Laurel’s forehead fell against Brodie’s shoulder as he thrust into her. His cheek rested against her shoulder, and neither moved as the sensation of joining was their first wave of bliss. Soon desire took control as they moved together. Laurel pressed Brodie’s mouth to hers as she tipped over the precipice. He swallowed her silent scream before kissing along her jaw and throat, while his fingers bit into her backside. He wouldn’t have lasted any longer, even if they’d had true privacy and no unrelenting threat. His release crashed over him as he grunted with two more thrusts. He felt depleted as the euphoria waned, but despite the wave of fatigue, he wasn’t ready to release Laurel. He turned them so his back was to the wall and eased them to the ground. Laurel sat straddling his hips. She rested her head against the hard planes of his chest as his cheek rested on her crown.
“I could fall asleep as we are,” Brodie whispered.
“So could I,” Laurel admitted. Her eyes drooped closed, but a male throat clearing made her groan. “I don’t want to get up.”
“I know, mo ghràidh.” My dear. “Neither do I. But it would be better if we waited together.”
Laurel knew Brodie was right. If the enemy found their hiding place, which she supposed they could, the men needed to be prepared and alert. Clasping her hand, they stepped out of the shadows in time to see Monty and Donnan release theirs. Neither man looked in their direction, looking decidedly uneasy and regretful. Laurel lifted her skirts above her ankles and dashed to Monty. She threw herself into her brother’s outstretched arms, while she waved in Donnan’s direction. The men embraced her, and Brodie noticed how tiny she looked between the two towering Highlanders. She may have been tall, but she looked delicate in contrast. He noticed the care the men took as they returned her embrace, careful not to crush her. He witnessed the familial bond he shared with Dominic, and it gladdened him to see it between Laurel and Monty at last. They’d been at odds too many times over the past month.
“Thank you,” Laurel whispered. “You led your men into battle, and it wasn’t your fight.”
“You will always be my wee sister. Any danger you face is my fight,” Monty rasped. “Laurel, I haven’t been the brother you deserved for years. I’ve taken the easy way-out time after time, but I will always protect you. Always. And not just because you’re my sister. Because I care deeply for you.”
“I love you, too,” Laurel said, putting into words what her brother was too embarrassed to say in front of the other two men. “I’ve been a harridan for years, unidentifiable as the sister you once knew. I couldn’t unleash my anger at Father to him, so you became the scapegoat. You look so much like him; at times, it was almost possible to forget you are not him. We’ve made many mistakes over the years, and we’ve both been cruel. I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”
“I’m sorry too, Laurel. I don’t want you to think you’re no longer a Ross. I want you to know that maybe not today, but one day, you will receive the warmest of welcomes at Balnagown. Our story shall change as of today.”
Laurel nodded and looked at Donnan. “Thank you for protecting me. I can’t imagine the grief I would feel if I lost Brodie, and we have only been together a short time. I don’t know that my brother would survive losing you. You have been a friend for as long as I can remember. There were times at court when I was certain you were my only friend. Thank you for loving me and my brother.”
“Laurel,” Donnan smiled. “You