Highlander's Reckoning (The Sinclair Brothers #3) (18 page)

She blinked at him. “Raef Warren’s keep?”

“Aye.”

He could practically hear the gears grinding as she
took in the information.

“But why?” she said finally.

He tensed slightly. Why would it be so surprising to
her that he and his family, along with the Bruce’s reinforcements, would lay
siege to an English-held castle?

“Do you have some objection to it?”

She shook her head distractedly.

“It’s not that. I suppose it’s just…I knew you
wanted to defend Loch Doon from Warren and the English, and I understand your
hatred of the man. I didn’t realize you were planning to go on the attack.”

His eyes followed her as she began pacing the length
of the chamber in thought.

“How will you accomplish this? From what you’ve told
me, Warren and the English have held Dunbraes for several years.”

Sharp-minded as she was, she wanted all the details
of the plan. A flutter of pride brushed him.

“Aye, it’s been under English control for five years
and has withstood plenty of attacks as well. But we have an advantage others
didn’t—Jossalyn has lived in the castle. She told you, didn’t she?”

She nodded, so he went on.

“She’s helping us map the castle so that we’ll know
its layout and weak spots. Plus, she knows how her brother thinks—as well as
anyone can.”

“I assume that this siege is why your family is
here, then? And that explains Jossalyn’s presence, but what about Meredith and
Alwin?”

Daniel smiled to himself. “We thought it would look
more like a family wedding celebration rather than a strategic planning meeting
if the women came along. Besides, Alwin wanted to meet everyone, and no one
tells her nay.”

Rona halted in her pacing and shot him a quizzical
look.

“Is that what Garrick meant by comparing me to her?
He thinks I’m stubborn and strong-willed?”

“Aye,” he said with amusement.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, which almost caused
him to laugh. But then she sobered.

“And they all knew of this plan?”

She had a way of cutting right through to the heart
of things—to
his
heart. He suddenly felt ashamed for not having told her
sooner. He stepped in front of her and took both her hands in his.

“Aye, they all knew.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Hurt laced her
voice.

“I’m sorry, Rona. I was worried that telling you too
much would put you in danger. I sent Malcolm away.”

“What? What does he have to do with this?” Her brow
furrowed again and she tried to pull her hands back, but he held them fast.

“Probably nothing,” he sighed, “but he seemed too
watchful. There are spies everywhere, and—”

“You thought him a spy?” she interjected
incredulously.

“Not necessarily. All I mean is that information is
at a premium. Those who have it can always sell it, and those who want
it…they’ll take it.” He squeezed her hands reflexively, suddenly feeling
protective.

“So, you thought to protect me by keeping me in the
dark about all of this?”

He could sense that her temper was beginning to
flare, but so was his at her disbelieving tone.

“Aye, Rona, and I’ll not apologize for trying to
keep you safe,” he responded darkly.

This time she did yank her hands from his and spun
on her heels so that her back was to him.

“Is that really the only reason?” she said quietly.
“Are you sure it wasn’t simply that you still don’t trust me?”

He raked a hand through his hair in frustration but
forced himself to contemplate her words before responding rashly.

“If I am honest…” he eventually said, “then I
suppose I have to own up to the fact that I held on to reservations about
trusting you.”

Her shoulders slumped but she didn’t say anything.

“Things have not always gone smoothly for us, wife,”
he said softly. “We have both harbored doubts and suspicions, and we have both
kept things from each other. But I’m telling you now.”

She turned her head slightly toward him so that her
profile was illuminated by the low fire.

“And this is the end of it? No more secrets?”

He gently turned her around by her shoulders.

“Aye, no more secrets. I…I want what my brothers and
cousin have. I want a happy marriage.”

“I want that too,” she whispered, her eyes wide and
vulnerable.

He suddenly bent in front of her on one knee.

“Rona, I swear to you that I won’t lie or hide
things from you ever again. I will protect you, care for you, and trust you.”

She stared down at him in surprise for a heartbeat.
Then slowly, she knelt next to him.

“Daniel, I swear that I won’t lie or deceive you
ever again, either. Thank you for trusting me with this information. I will
trust you, too.”

He held her gaze, trying to remember this moment—how
beautiful she looked in the firelight, how connected he felt with her, how much
the hope of a happy future with her stirred him. Their spoken vows tonight
deepened the ones they’d said on their wedding day. Though they had been
ordered to say their marriage vows, these they spoke freely and earnestly, with
a heartfelt commitment to build a trusting and strong union. His chest
squeezed, and he noticed that her eyes shimmered with emotion.

Something in the air suddenly shifted around them,
and his eyes flickered to her lips, which were softly parted. Leaning forward,
he kissed her gently, a mere press of their lips. But it quickly transformed
into a deeper kiss. She tilted her head and pressed into him more firmly, her
breasts molding to his chest.

Unbidden, his cock suddenly came to life under his
kilt. Even after all their lovemaking in the last couple of weeks, his response
to her was immediate and overpowering.

His tongue invaded her mouth, and he nearly groaned
at the velvety warmth inside. She kissed him back passionately, urgently. She
met his caresses with desperation, like she was trying to communicate something
to him.

His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her more
firmly against him. Every nerve ending in his body sang at the feel of her hips
flush against his, her breasts pressed into his chest, and her hands settling
on his shoulders.

Suddenly, she pulled back from their kiss. She gazed
up at him with a crease between her brows, panting from their breathless
embrace.

“I want to show you that I trust you,” she
whispered. “I want to show you…like you showed me in the study.”

Confusion swamped him for a moment, but then he
remembered that blisteringly hot afternoon they’d spent in his study, when
she’d ridden him in his chair. He’d let her lead, let her take her pleasure,
willingly giving her control to prove he trusted her.

Suddenly his mind was flooded with all the
implications of what she was saying now.

“I want to give you pleasure,” she breathed, holding
him with her gaze. “I want you to take your pleasure from me.”

His heart slammed in his chest in anticipation. He
would be in control. He liked that very much.

“There is something we haven’t done yet,” he said,
pinning her with his eyes.

“Show me,” she whispered.

He rose from his knees slowly. She started to stand,
too, but he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Nay, stay like that,” he breathed. Christ, but his
blood was pounding as if he’d just fought a battle.

She tilted her head back so that she could gaze at
him from her crouch on the floor.

“Take off my boots and hose.”

She obliged, letting her fingers run down his legs
as she untied his boots and peeled down his knee-high woolen hose.

“Now reach under my kilt.”

Her lips parted slightly, desire burning in her eyes
as she slowly moved her hands under the hem of his kilt. Her nails gently
grazed his thighs, sending a shiver through him. She went higher still, and
higher, so tantalizingly slow that his stomach clenched in anticipation. Then
her fingertips brushed his manhood, and he jerked reflexively.

Her hands moved over him somewhat tentatively, but
as he groaned under her touch, she grew more bold and confident. As her hand
slid over his cock, he impatiently ripped his shirt out from the top of his
kilt and flung it onto the ground. Then he unfastened his belt, and his kilt
was sent pooling to the floor around them.

She paused in her stroking caresses and let her eyes
travel all over his body. He watched her as she drank in the sight of him,
clearly enraptured by him. God, they were lucky to both be so drawn to each
other in this way. Aye, they had their struggles, but he sent up a blessing for
the Bruce’s unknowingly skillful matchmaking abilities.

He clenched his teeth as he gazed down at her,
already wanting more.

“Now take me in your mouth,” he gritted out.

Her eyes fluttered up to his, a look of surprise and
shock at his bold words written on her face. But then her features transformed
back into the lust-filled look she’d had a moment before.

“That will give you pleasure?”

“Oh, aye, very much.”

She leaned forward and slowly flicked her tongue
across the head of his swollen cock. His head fell back and he cursed, which
was all the encouragement she needed. She circled him with her tongue,
exploring and teasing.

“More,” he rasped, nearly undone at the feel of her
hot tongue.

She took more of him in her mouth, sucking and
flicking her tongue as her lips surrounded him. He groaned again, and it took
all of his strength not to thrust his hips. Instead, he laced his fingers
through her fiery locks, massaging her scalp.

She began to rock slightly so that he moved in and
out of her mouth. That was nearly his undoing. Not wanting to end this
scorching-hot night so soon, he reluctantly pulled away from her.

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling bright.

“I didn’t realize this was part of lovemaking.”

“And two can play at this game, love,” he said,
another idea forming. “Undress for me.”

He moved to the bed and threw back the coverlet,
then sat on the edge. She rose and turned toward him.

She began loosening the ties at the back of her gown
and eventually freed herself enough to shimmy out of the dress. The fire was at
her back, and he could see her lithe outline through her linen chemise.

Her hands went to the ties of the chemise, but a
look of uncertainty crossed her face. He realized suddenly that though they had
been naked with each other before, she’d never stood completely bare in front
of him.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,”
he said lowly. “Show me all of you.”

She relaxed and a faint smile teased at her mouth.
She let the loosened chemise fall from her shoulders and stepped out of the
puddle of fabric it made at her feet.

She might as well have been an ancient goddess. Her
hair, riled from his fingers, cascaded around her in fiery waves. Her eyes
pinned him, bluer than a perfect summer sky. He let his gaze travel down over
her body, and he inhaled sharply.

Her skin was milky-white everywhere. Those pert,
shapely breasts, each one rose-tipped, tapered into a narrow, flat stomach. He
couldn’t wait to grip those delicately curved hips and have her long, shapely
legs wrapped around him.

Like lightning, he shot from the edge of the bed and
scooped her up. She squeaked in surprise as he tossed her onto her back on the
bed. Then he pulled her to the edge and knelt in front of her. With one hand on
each of her knees, he spread her legs.

“What are you doing?” she blurted out as he lowered
his head to the apex of her legs.

“As I said, two can play this game.”

“And it would give you pleasure to do this…to me?”
Surprise mixed with incredulity in her voice.

“Oh, Rona, you have no idea,” he said, sending her a
devilish look. Then without waiting further, he flicked his tongue across her
sex.

She gasped and bucked, but he held her steady. He
let his hands slide to her hips and brought his mouth down on her again, this
time gripping her firmly.

He laved her, swirling his tongue over that perfect
spot of pleasure until she was writhing and panting uncontrollably. Her moans
were growing incoherent, and her hips were beginning to rise of their own
accord to meet his demanding mouth.

Soon. Soon he would be inside her, claiming her body
as she claimed his.

He pulled back and stood suddenly, unable to hold
out any longer. He took her hips in his hands and raised them slightly, then
pressed the tip of his cock against her entrance.

In one hard thrust he was inside her. She gasped and
moaned again, arching her back to take him in. From his position standing over
her at the edge of the bed, he could look down the length of her body. He drank
in the sight of her breasts, which rose and fell rapidly with her erratic
breathing. Her hair was splayed wildly across the bed, and her eyes were closed
in ecstasy.