Conall: The 93rd Highlanders, Book Two (20 page)

She nodded. “Beyond
ready. Please.” She wasn’t begging, but both men could tell she
wanted it, wanted them, wanted to be possessed like
this.

“
I pull out,
and as I push in you pull out,” Conall instructed him. He followed
his directions with action, and Avril gave a sensual little hiccup
of a moan and tried to move. “Stay still,” Conall told her.
“Tonight it’s your turn to just get fucked.”

“
Yes, sir,”
she said with a cheeky little grin against Graeme’s shoulder that
Conall wasn’t sure he’d seen before but was instantly enamored of.
He wanted to see that grin every day from now on, no matter what it
took.

There were no more words
as he and Graeme began the intimate dance of fucking their woman
together. There was a certain amount of control involved that he
couldn’t give up, not without hurting her. And it was good because
it made him last longer, made him enjoy the feeling of being
together like this. At some point he slid his hand over Graeme’s on
Avril’s waist and Graeme turned his hand and clasped Conall’s. They
fucked her like that, connected, giving to her and holding each
other. Finally Conall could feel the burn of his orgasm building
and building and he knew he couldn’t hold it back any
longer.

“
I’m going to
come,” he said, his voice breaking a little with the effort of
still holding back.

“
Avril
first.” Graeme pushed Avril up off his shoulder until she rested on
her hands, still bent over him. He leaned up and bit her nipple as
he thrust into her hard and Avril cried out. Conall followed his
lead, increasing the force and pace of his thrusts, and in moments
Avril was crying out as she came, gripping his prick so hard in her
bottom that Conall shoved deep and stayed there as his orgasm
washed over him. Pleasure pulled him in until he was drowning in it
and it felt as though his release was pulsing from his fingers and
toes as well as his cock. Vaguely he heard Graeme curse and then
groan as inside he felt the heat of Graeme’s release and the pulse
of his cock. It was the most intimate thing they had ever done, the
most intense and pleasurable and amazing thing.

By the time Conall had
cleaned Avril off she was already asleep in Graeme’s arms. So
Conall rinsed the cloth and washed off Graeme too before cleaning
himself. It was the first real thing that made him feel like a
husband, not just to Avril but to Graeme, which was an odd notion
but one he rather liked.

He crawled into the cot
beside them, pulling the plaid blanket over the two of them and
then grabbing his own. Graeme lay there silently, watching him take
care of them. When Conall was settled on his side he and Graeme
just stared at each other for endless minutes, so much emotion
between them. Finally, Graeme spoke.

“
When this
business with the Russians is over, I want you to sell
out.”

“
And you?”
Conall asked, ready to fight about it.

“
Of course,”
Graeme said. “I’m not sure I’m able to play the country squire and
raise your sheep, but I’m willing to try.” He cleared his throat
and looked away, but Conall knew he wasn’t done. “I expected to
spend my life alone, in the Ninety Third, and to die that way.
Perhaps here in the Crimea, even.” He licked his lips. “Now, I
can’t imagine my life without you and Avril. You mean everything to
me.” He looked back at Conall. “Do you understand? Before you two,
there was no me. Just an empty shell going through the motions.
Then somewhere along the way I began to dream of more. With you.
And then with Avril.”

“
At
Balaclava,” Conall told him. Graeme frowned in confusion. “After
you saved my life, I was lying there in your arms and your eyes met
mine and that was the first time I thought there could be more.”
Conall reached out and ran the backs of his fingers along Graeme’s
beard-covered jaw. “It shocked me. Scared me. I came back and tried
to ignore it. Then Ham straightened me out, made me see I was
wasting my second chance. But there was that one moment, and it
changed everything.”

“
Yes,” Graeme
said in his simple fashion.

“
When did you
love me?” Avril asked quietly, opening her eyes, her cheek pressed
against Graeme’s chest as he held her close.

“
I loved you
before that,” Conall told her. “Loved you the minute I saw you and
thought you’d never give two minutes to a foolish boy like
me.”

“
You were
never a foolish boy to me,” Avril said. “I always wanted you like a
woman wants a man, and at first I was shamed by it, you being so
young.”

“
Avril, I’m
twenty-two years old, hardly a babe.”

“
I’m
twenty-seven,” she said, biting her lip nervously. “I don’t think I
can have babies, Conall. I should have told you that before you
married me.”

“
Why?” Graeme
asked, smoothing his hand along her unbound blonde hair over and
over.

“
Well, I was
married for six years and never conceived,” she said. “It became
obvious. It’s why I didn’t hesitate to have intimate relations with
either of you. No consequences.”

“
Marriage
isn’t a consequence?” Conall asked with a laugh. His heart was near
to bursting with love as the three of them lay there making lovers’
small talk.

“
I suppose
so,” Avril said with a smile. “If so, I gladly accept
it.”

“
It took you
long enough,” Conall groused playfully and she lightly punched his
shoulder. He caught her hand and kissed her fist.

“
Avril,”
Graeme said thoughtfully, “when was the last time you
bled?”

Avril looked startled for
a moment and then she blushed. “I don’t know,” she
mumbled.

Conall frowned and
thought about it. “Not since we’ve been together,” he said, his
heart racing.

“
Not while we
were together,” Graeme said.

Avril licked her lips
nervously. “It’s been almost two months, I reckon,” she said. “You
don’t think?”

“
I think it’s
a good thing your foolish boy married you,” Graeme said, humor in
his voice. He grew serious. “That does it, then. We’ll be selling
out as soon as we can.”

“
Truly?”
Avril said, hope in her voice. “I love you both so much. I can’t
stand the thought of losing you here.”

“
Truly,”
Conall promised her. “I came for war and found love. I choose
love.”

“
I choose
love,” Graeme agreed.

“
I choose
love,” Avril said, kissing first Graeme and then Conall. She lay
back down on Graeme’s chest but left her hand over Conall’s heart.
Conall covered it with his own and closed his eyes.

“
Good. That’s
settled just the way I want, then,” Conall said
sleepily.

Graeme snorted and then
took Conall’s other hand in his. The three fell asleep just like
that.

T
HE
E
ND

If you enjoyed
this story, please turn the page for an excerpt from book three in
The 93rd Highlander series,
BRODIE
.

Balaclava, Russia

October 25, 1854

“
First line
down!” Lieutenant Brodie Fletcher shouted at his men. They were
standing at the end of the valley, the last British line of defence
against the charging Russian cavalry, all that stood between the
advancing Russians and the port of Balaclava at their back. Brodie
hadn’t expected a fight today. The last line of defence meant
exactly what it sounded like, and he’d counted on the front lines
to turn the Russians back before they reached the 93rd. More shots
rang out and Brodie waved the second line forward to fire back as
the first line dropped to their knees and reloaded their
weapons.

The pipe that had been sounding
the call suddenly made a gurgled sound and fell silent. Brodie’s
heart stopped. His best friend Captain Alec Bruce was the piper for
the 93rd. Without a second thought Brodie leaped to his feet and
started to dash toward the last place he’d seen and heard Alec. Had
he been shot? Sabered? Trampled? Suddenly a horse was in front of
him, stopping him and he glanced up angrily to see his brother,
Major Douglas Fletcher, glaring back.

“
Get back to
your men,” Dougie shouted.

“
Alec,”
Brodie said, pushing at the horse’s side.

“
You can’t
help him now,” Dougie said harshly. “Don’t be a fool. Do you want a
court martial? Get back to your men.”

Brodie glanced over his
shoulder at his troops, patiently waiting for orders, their
training shining through. It was then Brodie realized the shooting
had stopped. He looked back down the valley and watched the
Russians retreating, two volleys all it took to scare them off.

“
Get your men
in order and then find Alec,” Dougie said not unkindly. “I’ll see
what I can do.”

It only took minutes for Brodie
to ascertain that there were no injuries among the men under his
command. He turned and ran for Alec’s last location, his heart
beating a frantic tattoo, his chest so tight he had trouble pulling
in a good breath.

When he finally saw Alec
sitting on the ground, someone leaning over his leg, he was able to
breathe again. He rushed over to his side and when Alec looked up
at him with amused hazel eyes, a wry grin on his face, Brodie’s
relief was so great he dropped to his knees where he stood.

“
Brodie,”
Alec said with a grin. “I fell in a hole and twisted my ankle. Can
you believe it?” He laughed. “Clumsiest piper in the army, that’s
what my medal will say.”

At his laughter tears sprang to
Brodie’s eyes. “I thought,” he said breathlessly. He couldn’t go
on, didn’t even want to put it into words. He turned so that the
fellow bandaging Alec’s ankle couldn’t see his distress.

It only took a moment before
understanding dawned on Alec’s face. “Ah, Brodie,” he said quietly.
“Go on now,” he shooed the other man away loudly. “My ankle is
fine. Christ on a crutch, I can walk for God’s sake.”

The soldier threw up his hands
in disgust. “Fine, you sorry bastard. Don’t come crying to me to
carry you home.”

“
I’ll help
him,” Brodie said, his composure back. He cleared his throat. “He
is a sorry bastard, for sure.”

“
So much for
compassion,” Alec said, rolling to his knees. He tried to rise on
just one leg, hopping up, and Brodie grabbed him just as Alec
reached out for his hand. “I just need a minute to work the
stiffness out,” Alec said, gingerly setting his foot down before he
yanked it back up with a wince.

Brodie sighed. “Don’t be
stubborn,” he told him, loving every minute of Alec’s complaints.
“Let me help you. I don’t mind.” Normally Alec had a sunny
disposition, enough to make some men crazy, truth be told. But
Brodie had always liked that about him, thought they rubbed along
well because Brodie was much the same. A joke and a laugh with a
smile was better conversation than frowns and angry words, in his
opinion, and Alec agreed. But today Alec could be as unpleasant as
he wanted and it was music to Brodie’s ears.

“
Brodie,”
Alec said, and Brodie could tell he was going to say something
about his reaction, about the tears.

“
Don’t,” he
said. “Don’t tell anyone.” He looked at the ground as if watching
Alec trying to walk on his injured leg.

“
Like pretty
Miss McMillan?” Alec said roughly. “She seems like a lass who’d
appreciate a man with finer sensibilities.”

The day before Brodie would
have taken the teasing and said something smart right back. It was
common knowledge he was pining for the colonel’s daughter and Alec
teased him about it mercilessly. Hell, an hour ago he’d have told
anyone who’d listen that she was what he wanted more than anything.
But he couldn’t stop reliving that moment he’d thought Alec was
down, perhaps dead. And the feeling of acute relief when he’d seen
him alive and well. Those weren’t the feelings of a friend. He
wasn’t sure what they were, and it confused the hell out of him. He
had no jokes today, no more smiles. “Please, Alec,” he whispered,
not meeting Alec’s stare. He wasn’t even sure what he was asking
for.

“
All right,
Brodie,” Alec said. “I won’t tell anyone. You know I wouldn’t.”
Alec squeezed his shoulder and when Brodie looked up he was snared
by Alec’s heated gaze.

“
Lieutenant
Fletcher,” someone called out to him. He looked away from Alec to
see a young soldier hurrying toward him. “I’m sent to fetch you.
Your brother Captain Fletcher is down. He was hit by a rifle butt
and broke his arm.”

“
A rifle
butt?” Brodie said, confused. “But the Russians didn’t get that
close to the line.”

“
It was one
of his own men,” the young soldier said with a laugh. “So excited
at the Russian retreat he was spinning around with a loaded rifle.
Your brother tried to stop him and he accidentally broke his arm.”
The soldier looked around and then leaned in with a grin. “He
fainted dead away,” he whispered loud enough to be heard by anyone
within five feet. He burst out laughing. “Came to cursing a blue
streak.”