Page 41 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
“Did ye see where Lady MacKinnon went this mornin’, Calvin?” Hunter asked without turning away from the window.
“Nay, Me Laird. I will sort it out,” Calvin said quickly before leaving the study.
Hunter, unable to wait for an answer, followed his man-at-arms out of the study to go ask Lily himself.
“Where’s Erica?” he asked his niece moments later.
Lily looked up at him with a smile, her cheeks flushed from playing outside. “She went to the village with Kara,” she answered, her voice as cheerful as ever.
Hunter stiffened, his brow furrowing, instantly recalling the last time they were in a village and an arrow barely missed her. “The village? Alone?”
Lily nodded, seemingly oblivious to his growing concern. “With Kara. She wanted to get a few things, but it’s a secret!” She pressed a finger to her lips with a mischievous smile.
Hunter’s lips twitched with a faint smile at her playfulness, but a flicker of worry still crept into his eyes. “When did she leave?”
Lily seemed to find her uncle’s concern rather entertaining. “Dinnae look so tense, Uncle Hunter—” she started to say, but then her eyes darted over his shoulder.
Calvin.
“She’s been gone for an hour, Me Laird. Our men did follow her?—”
Without another word, Hunter strode toward the stables, aware of Calvin following him. He rode his stallion hard toward the village, his mind racing with thoughts of Erica getting hurt.
The village was bustling as usual, full of traders, villagers, and travelers who often passed through the market square. It didn’t take long for Hunter to spot his wife, though, and his jaw tightened at the sight. He quickly dismounted. Calvin rode to the opposite side of the square and dismounted as well.
Erica was moving through the stalls, delight lighting up her face as she perused the various wares, her maid trailing beside her. The sight of her like this, carefree and smiling, was a stark contrast to how she usually looked around her husband—usually reserved, with a wary look that sometimes turned into irritation.
“Would ye care for bits and bobs for the new Lady MacKinnon, Me Laird?” one of the vendors asked, holding up a long-chained necklace.
The jewel in it caught Hunter’s eye, but he quickly turned his focus back to where Erica was. “Nae today, Smythe. How’s yer wife fairin’?”
“Ach! Molly is well—she’s up at the shop. She’ll be thrilled to hear that ye asked after her. I’ll make sure she kens, Me Laird.”
“Please do. Ta, for now,” Hunter said before he adjusted his riding coat—a sign that he was leaving.
Smythe stepped back reverently, doffing his hat.
Erica’s skirts were easy to spot as Hunter made his way deeper into the market. He hung back, keeping his distance, but he remained close enough to watch her as she moved from stall to stall, her hands grazing items with childlike curiosity.
She laughed at something Kara said, a light, airy sound that carried over the din of the marketplace. Hunter felt a peculiar tightness in his chest as he watched her, his irritation fading as he took in the way she moved, her open and completely unguarded expression.
So, that’s what ye look like when ye’re happy.He was unable to tear his gaze away from her.And I’m the last man to bring it out of ye, am I nae?
He shifted his weight from foot to foot, his hands clenching at his sides as a rush of memories flooded him. The softness of her skin beneath his fingers, her flushed cheeks when he’d touched her, the feel of her pulse quickening under his hand.
“Do ye ken whether he’ll like it?” Hunter overheard her ask, and he realized just how close he had gotten to them in his dreamlike state.
Ach! Ye daft dolt!
He ducked behind a stall and swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.
What could she possibly be buyin’ me?
She had a way of getting under his skin without even trying, of making him ache in a way he hadn’t expected. His gaze dropped to her lips, full and parted slightly as she laughed, and his mind betrayed him with an image of her under him, writhing in his sheets, her breath warm against his skin.
“That’s mighty fine, Me Lady,” he heard Kara say, and he peeked around the stall he was hiding behind. Unable to see past the maid, he leaned back, disappointed.
Hunter forced himself to look away, clenching his jaw.
