Page 24 of Highlander's Rebellious Affair
“Nay,” she replied and tossed a berry into her mouth. Hope had enjoyed the rich taste of the porridge they ate, the vegetables and fruits that had come after was what they ate as they discussed.
“I shall take ye ridin’ tomorrow then,” he said and her smile widened. “We will go as far as ye want and I will show ye how beautiful Galloway is.”
They smiled at each other, and her heart burst with joy and a warm feeling. He made her feel warmth and an unsurmountable amount of happiness she never knew existed, and he was perfect.
Perfect for her in every way. They went back into the Castle later that night, and spent a few more hours in the chamber talking about his discussion with Callum earlier that day.
Orlaith had told them about the first time she met Callum in the village. He had not paid any attention to her, thinking she was a mere healer but she knew who he was because the Laird had talked to her about him. She admitted to him that his father was always cautious about his brother, and suspicious of his every move.
When it was time to sleep, Hope moved into his arms, and he raised her chin and brought her lips closer to his for a kiss. She lay in his arms that night, and thought of nothing else as she fell asleep.
The next morning, she was up before Ian, and she pushed her body closer to his so she could feel his warmth. It filled her, and her hands slowly roamed his body, his chest, and then his shoulders gently.
She heard his low raspy groan when her hands brushed over his shoulders and back and his eyes opened. His cheeks reddened, and her eyes widened.
“Are ye all right? Did I do somethin’ wrong?” she asked and pulled away from him, but Ian stopped her by holding both her hands.
“I am all right,” he replied and groaned again as he sat up on the bed. Her eyes scanned his, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I got hurt yesterday.”
Hope gasped, and her eyes widened. “What happened?”
“Lyall,” he replied and sighed as he continued to rub his shoulder. “I believe he sent someone after me.”
Hope’s eyes instantly filled with tears and she reached out to touch his shoulder again, but gently this time. “I was lucky, his arrow did not hit too deep.”
“Why didn’t ye tell me?”
“I dinnae want ye to worry,” he replied, and touched her cheek. “It was nay serious.”
“This proves that we should be careful, Ian,” she said, amazed at how far Lyall was willing to take this. The thought of Ian getting hurt filled her mind, and she shook her head and tried to dispel it.
“I ken. I will be, I promise,” he replied and pulled her close for a hug.
Hope got out of the bed first and stretched, then turned around again and found him admiring her. There was a bright smile on his face, and his hooded gaze sent a shiver up her spine. Ian got out of the bed, and padded softly toward her, then pulled her close to him and kissed her, lifting her off her feet and wrapping her legs around his waist in the process.
His hands pushed her bottom up, and he took her to the bed and placed her in the center of it. She giggled as he climbed the bed to meet her, and she raised her arm so he could enter her embrace.
Hope let him kiss her, and pull her close, she kissed him back with the full passion she felt as his hand skimmed her body and used his hands to hold her waist steady on the bed.
He stopped and pulled back so he could take off her clothes, then he replaced them with his body. Hope felt his warmth fill her, she wrapped her legs around his waist again, and he slowly made love to her that morning before they set out to spend the day with her Aunt Orlaith.
* * *
Ian watched Hope and Orlaith sit together on Callum’s front porch while he sat with Rhea and Callum out in the yard. “She seems to be speaking some truth in the midst of everything she says,” Callum said to Ian.
“Did Orlaith say something about the treasure?”
Callum shook his head. “She only sings, and every lad or lass of Galloway kens that song, it is a myth, no one believes in it.”
“Aye,” Ian replied and turned to Orlaith again. He remembered she recognized him, and his sister, but yet she had acted like she didn’t when they first met. A part of him sensed that she knew something, he didn’t know if it was about his father’s death, or about the treasure, but he could sense that she did because he caught her gaze on him some times, and it left him with a feeling he couldn’t explain in his gut.
From where Orlaith sat, her gaze met with his, it lingered before she looked away and turned to Hope again. “How is yer shoulder?” Callum asked, dragging his attention from Orlaith, and he smiled.
“Rhea has been treatin’ it, and it will heal quick.”
“I have sent word out to the men in the Castle and our spies pretendin’ to be on Lyall’s side to be careful, and I believe Lyall has men watchin’ us too.”
Ian nodded, and sighed. “I will meet with the men in secret today to find out what they have found out for us.”
