Claimed by the Highlander (37 page)

Did he know her?

There was something sinister about him. Had she done something to him?

Slowly, she gathered her skirts in both fists and rose to her feet, prepared to confront this man from her past, whoever he was.

His gargantuan warhorse sensed her movement and spun in a skittish circle. The Highlander whipped his head around, never taking his eyes off her.

“Be still!” he commanded the great black beast, in a guttural voice that made all Catherine’s nerve endings quiver.

She braced herself, steady on both legs …

The animal instantly obeyed, and the Highlander swung down from the saddle, landing on the ground with a heavy thud.

They faced each other squarely.

Her heart beat like a mallet in her chest.

She struggled to recognize him. Surely she knew him, if only she could remember …

God! Why couldn’t she?
It was inconceivable that she would ever forget a face like that. His black eyes were piercing. They blazed wickedly at her, with a savage determination that nearly knocked her backwards against the stone.

She should run. Her instincts were telling her that she was in grave danger, but her feet would not move.

The Highlander’s eyes narrowed, and he began to stalk toward her, entering the ring of stones that had, until that moment, been her own private domain. This man’s fortitude, however, seemed to conquer and invade the whole world.

His gaze never veered from hers as he strode across the grass, his big hand wrapped around the brass hilt of his claymore. At any moment he would reach her, and what would he do?

Catherine backed up against the stone, crashing into it. She sucked in a breath.

Suddenly he was upon her.

“Surprised to see me?” he asked in a deep Scottish brogue, pushing his big, kilted knee between hers and pinning her to the wall. Whether he wanted to ravish her or rip her to pieces, she had no idea. Perhaps he intended to do both. One right after the other.

The firm pressure of his body, so tight up against her own, sent a hot ripple of shock through her veins.

“Should I be?” She was determined not to show fear, even while her body quivered and her breaths came hard and fast. “Do we know each other?”

“Don’t tell me you cannot remember our last encounter.”

Now that he was closer, she noticed a small scar across his left cheek—one small imperfection on an otherwise perfect canvas.

He placed his hands flat on the stone above each of her shoulders, keeping her trapped there while his infuriated gaze swept down the length of her body. He smelled woodsy, like leather and pine.

“I’m sorry,” she answered shakily, her knees going weak, “but I remember nothing.”

Had she been his lover once? Was he the one who had taken her virginity? It was entirely possible, for although she sensed danger in him, she found him brutally attractive.

“You remember nothing?” the Highlander said. “Nothing at all?” His eyes glimmered with challenge. “Well, do not fret, lass. I remember everything. I’ve been going over it in my mind for three years, and I never gave up my quest to find you. And to do
this
to you.”

He wrapped his big hand around the back of her neck and thrust his body closer.

Bewildered and breathless, she willed herself to remember. He had been searching for her. For three years.

But what exactly had they been to each other? Why was he so enraged? Perhaps she had jilted him.

God help her … Everything about him—the way he smelled, the husky timber of his voice, and the crude manner in which he held her up against this cold wall of stone—was causing a fever inside her brain.

His palm slid around to the small of her back, and he pulled her even closer with a rough grunt, crushing her breasts against the solid wall of his chest.

She tried to shove him away.

“That’s it, lass,” he whispered. “Fight me. I
want
you to. For old times’ sake.”

She knew she should tell him to stop, for she was not some lusty tavern wench. He had no right to treat her this way. She was, according to her grandmother and cousin, a lady of noble blood and superior breeding.

“I demand to know your name,” she managed to say.

He responded with a low snarl of hostility. “Don’t pretend you do not know it.”

Catherine regarded him steadily in the sunlight. “This may be difficult for you to believe, sir—for clearly you think you know me—but I do not know you. I remember nothing. I wish I could, but I have no idea who you are. You must stop this.”

There. She’d said it. Firmly and without fear.

He gazed at her for a heated moment, and Catherine’s heart turned over in her chest. Something was very wrong.

“So this is how it’s going to be?” he asked. “You’re going to play innocent?”

She fought to recover her wits. “I honestly don’t know what you—”

“Did you think you would get away with this?” He grabbed hold of her wrists and held her arms up over her head.

“What do you mean?” The words slashed out of her as she tried to struggle free. “Let go of me! And get away with
what
?”

Wake up, Catherine. Wake up!

“You cursed me, lass, and now you’re preying on these innocent people, pretending to be something you’re not. How long do you plan to stay here? Just long enough to steal the inheritance? You once told me you would die a wealthy woman. Is this how you’re going to achieve it?”

She frantically shook her head, while the likelihood that he was speaking the truth shuddered in the air between them.

“Or maybe you plan to assume Catherine Montgomery’s identity for the rest of your life?” he said. “Is that it?”

A terrible pang of dread pitched through her. “What do you know of me?”

He sneered. “I know that you’re a vindictive she-devil and a lying thief. I ought to kill you right now and spare everyone a lot of trouble.”

His loathing cut her to the quick, and she fought harder against his unbreakable hold.

“I am not stealing anything!” she shouted, even though she knew nothing about herself or her past. Half the servants believed she was an impostor. Now it seemed they were correct.

Nevertheless, she felt compelled to defend her honor, for she had not come to Drumloch to deceive anyone, or to take what did not belong to her. That much, at least, was true.

“I don’t know what you speak of,” she argued. “The dowager countess traveled to Italy to claim me as her granddaughter, and she insists that is who I am.”

“With no help from
you
?” His fierce gaze swept over her whole face. “No spells or potions?”

Catherine winced at his words. “Explain what you mean, sir!”

He dipped low and thrust his hips between her legs. “
This
ought to remind you. Surely you know what I can—and cannot—do with it.”

His arousal was undeniable, his size and strength overwhelming. Her heart thudded against her breast. “No, it only tells me that you are a brute!”

He wrenched her closer, his grip punishing on her arms. “Aye. That’s what I am, only because you made me so. But I shouldn’t need to explain it to you. Do you not see
everything
in the stones?”

She didn’t know what he was talking about, but she could not risk angering him further. “I will be honest,” she said, swallowing tightly, “I have no idea if I am the real Catherine Montgomery or not, but I did not come here looking for any of this. I meant it when I said I don’t remember meeting you, because I have no memory of anything. I do not know who you are.”

His dark eyebrows pulled together in a frown.

“No one here knows where I have been for the past five years,” she continued to explain, “but you seem to know something. If you could tell me why…”

He covered her mouth with his big, callused hand. Her eyes grew wide with panic.

“I admire the effort, Raonaid, but you cannot fool
me
. I’ve been hunting you down for three years, and now that I’ve found you, you’re going to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”

A mixture of rage and desire burned in his eyes. As a result, she did not dare provoke him. She would do what she must to keep him calm. Catherine nodded her head.

Slowly, he withdrew his hand from her mouth, but used his body to keep her pinned against the stone.

Everything inside her—all her thoughts, senses, and emotions—screamed with alarm, but she had to keep her head. She had to explain herself logically. Make him understand.

“You called me Raonaid,” she carefully said.

“Aye, that’s your name.” His voice lost some of its hostility in that moment. A quiet, more curious arousal seemed to take its place as he tilted his head to the side, regarding her closely.

Catherine took in a shaky breath. All she wanted was to understand why he was here, and to find out what he knew about her past. Perhaps if she heard something familiar, her memories might return. And if she understood what she had done to him, she might be able to appease him somehow.

“What is it that you want me to do?”

“I want you to fix it.”

Her pulse throbbed. “Fix what?”

“The curse.”

He had mentioned a curse before, but still, no memories returned to her.

“Have you cursed so many men that you cannot remember one from the other?” he asked, as he pulled her snugly against him.

All her instincts roared at her to go along with this, at least until she understood what he wanted. He seemed to be growing more aroused. Perhaps if she could get him to let down his guard, she might be able to strike back at him and escape.

He reached down, gathered her skirts in his hand, and began to tug them upward. “You look different,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “The clothes, the hair, the perfume. It’s a wonder I even recognized you.”

He slid his hand up her thigh, over the thin fabric of her petticoats.

“What are you doing?”

She squeezed her legs together and pushed his hands back down, but he was persistent.

“Lift the curse, Raonaid. You know what will happen if you do not.”

“No, I assure you, I
don’t
know.” She punched at his arms and tried to shove him away. “Stop, or I will scream!”

“You want me to stop?” he scoffed. “And you expect me to honor your wishes? Thanks to you, it’s been three years since I’ve had a woman, and suddenly, I’m as randy as a bull. I didn’t expect this to be quite so stimulating—not with
you,
of all people—but I suppose I’m in a worse state than I imagined. Since it’s your fault I’m this way, here is my proposal.” He paused and brushed his lips across her cheek, spoke softly in her ear. “You’re going to do one of two things for me today. Lift the curse, or relieve some of my pent-up frustrations. It’s your choice.”

He used his body to hold her captive against the stone, while he pushed his kilt to the side and began to wrestle with her skirts. A blazing, hot fireball of terror shot through her bloodstream.

“Tell me how to lift it, and I will!”

She squirmed against him and tried to escape, but he was too big, too strong—and all of a sudden, he was brimming with sexual need.

“You can feign innocence all you like,” he said, looking into her eyes, “but I’m not as easily swindled as your doting grandmother. I know who you really are, and I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment—for you to undo what you did to me three years ago. Lift the curse now, or you will soon fall victim to it.”

Instantly, Catherine gave up any hope of appeasing him.
“Let go of me!”

She spat in his face and kneed him in the groin, causing him to double over in pain.

Bolting toward the manor house, she shouted,
“Help! Someone help me!”

She barely reached the other side of the stone circle before the sound of the Highlander’s heavy footsteps pounded fast in pursuit. She glanced over her shoulder, and the slight twisting of her body caused her skirts to tangle around her legs. She flew toward the ground, scraped the heels of her hands on the grass, and split her lip open.

He came down on top of her, then flipped her onto her back.

“You’re insane!”
she cried, fighting to shove him away, glaring at him with fierce and vicious determination. She slapped him across the face, kicked at his legs, and scratched his neck.

“Lift the curse!”
he demanded.
“Do it now, woman, or I swear, by all that is holy…!”

“I cannot!”
she insisted.
“I cannot remember anything! Let me go!”

For a moment, the whole world went quiet, and the Highlander paused, suspending the attack. He stared down at her in a cloud of hazy shock, then his eyes focused on her bloody lip. It seemed almost as if he were seeing her for the first time.