Page 54 of Healing the Highland Sinner
Rosalind walked into the compound yard and frowned when she spied Ellair saddling his horse. She walked over and stood behind him. As if sensing her presence, he turned around and offered her a warm smile. Immediately, unbidden images of the passion they’d shared flashed through her mind.
Her insides turned to water and the heat that bloomed between her thighs grew intense, her skin suddenly slicked by her passion. She wanted more, so much more. But it was something she could not afford to let herself think about or feel at the moment. She ruthlessly quashed the images and faced him, trying to maintain her self-control.
“And where dae ye think ye’re goin’ then?” she asked.
“I’ve got a little business in town I need tae handle.”
She smirked. “Ye work fer me. What kind of business dae ye have?”
“Personal business,” he said with a grin.
Rosalind’s frown deepened. Ciar had told her about his late-night trysts with some woman in town and though she tried not to be, she couldn’t control the jealousy that flowed through her veins. She knew that despite their night of passion together, she had no claim to Ellair. He was not hers to command. She had no right to order him about or tell him to not see one of the tarts in town if he so desired. But part of her wanted to.
“And who is she, then?” Rosalind couldn’t stop herself from asking.
He shrugged. “Nobody important. Just somebody who feeds me information.”
She cocked her head. “And what are ye gatherin’ information about?”
“This and that,” he replied. “If I’m tae be watchin’ yer back as ye hired me tae dae, I need tae ken what’s goin’ on in and around Thurso, eh?”
She nodded. It all seemed reasonable enough. But there was something in his eyes, a glimmer of—something—that made her question what he was saying. She didn’t think he would lie to her outright. But she got the feeling there was something he wasn’ttelling her. And she didn’t like being kept in the dark. But what could she do?
Before she could speak another word though, a savage cry shattered the still night air. Rosalind’s heart leapt into her throat, and she stared in disbelief as armed men poured over the walls of her compound. The main gate crashed inward with a thunderous crack and her mouth fell open as she watched Laird Sinclair striding in. Ellair gave his horse a slap on the rump, sending it running as he turned and drew his blade, taking a step-in front of her protectively.
Sinclair stopped a few feet in front of them, a dozen of his men, blades drawn, standing behind him. He eyed her closely for a moment before his gaze shifted to Ellair, his lips curling downward in distaste. Rosalind heard the door to the buildings behind her crash open followed by the sound of her men running to her defense. She held her hand up to stop them before they threw themselves into the fight. Sinclair had the upper hand.
Once her men had stopped advancing, she stepped around Ellair, giving him a grateful nod, before stopping in front of Sinclair. A tense moment of silence followed and she took a beat to quell the churning in her belly and heart.
“There’s nay need fer bloodshed taenight,” she said with forced confidence.
“Perhaps nae,” he replied. “But ‘tis time ye learn tae dae as I say and stop pokin’ yer nose intae affairs that have nothin’ tae dae with ye.”
“What are ye daein’ here?”
“I came tae repay the favor yer man showed me last eve,” he replied.
“What are ye talkin’ about?”
“Yer man there,” he said, gesturing to Ellair. “Came by tae pay me an unexpected visit. I thought we’d dae the same taenight.”
Rosalind shook her head. She turned to Ellair whose jaw remained clenched, eyes narrowed and fixed on Sinclair, and was otherwise expressionless.
“What is he talkin’ about, Ellair?” she asked.
He said nothing but the muscles in his jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together. She turned back to Sinclair, her mind spinning with questions, not understanding what this was all about.
“Was it yer daein’?” Sinclair asked. “Did ye send him tae come poke about where ye need nae be pokin’ about?”
“I dinnae ken what the bleedin’ hell ye’re talkin’ about,” she almost shouted.
Sinclair’s eyes narrowed like a predator spotting prey, shifting from her to Ellair and back again. But then his eyes sparkled with mirth and a wide, feral smile stretched his lips.
“Ye truly didnae ken,” he said.
“I’ve got nay idea what ye’re on about, Sinclair.”
“Yer man here,” he started, gesturing to Ellair again. “Came tae pay me a visit last night. And by visit, I mean he got caught skulkin’ about me compound just outside of town.”
