The Campbell Trilogy (3 page)

She would swear she’d never seen him before. From his clothing and weaponry, he was obviously not an outlaw. He was probably a chief from distant lands come for the games—which meant he was owed the sacred obligation of Highland hospitality. But if he was a chief, where were his guardsmen?

Well, chief or not, he shouldn’t be looking at her that way. “Your name, my lord?” she demanded. “You are on Lamont lands.”

“Ah, then I have reached my destination.”

“You are here for the gathering?”

He gave her a long look, one that made her feel he knew something she did not. “Among other things.”

He hadn’t told her his name, but at the moment she didn’t care who he was. She would welcome the devil himself—or, God forbid, one of his Campbell minions—if he would help her down. Her arms were starting to ache from trying to hold most of her weight as to not put too much weight on the fragile branch. Her rescuer certainly
was taking his time. “Well, are you just going to stand there watching me all day?” she asked impatiently.

His mouth lifted at one corner. “I might just do that. It’s not very often that a man happens upon a half-naked wood nymph climbing a tree.”

Caitrina’s cheeks flamed. “I’m not half-naked, and if you could spare a glance upward”—
away from my chest
—“you would see that I’m not climbing, but stuck and in need of some assistance.”

Her blustery response seemed only to increase his amusement. Though he wasn’t precisely smiling, his steely blue eyes twinkled as radiantly as the shards of sunlight streaming through the trees.

The wretched brute was laughing at her.

Caitrina narrowed her gaze, not used to being laughed at—particularly by a man. She supposed there was something amusing about the entire situation, but he should have the courtesy not to show it. It left her feeling at a distinct disadvantage, which was silly given her circumstances. She
was
at a disadvantage. But not for long. When he got her down from here, she would give him a piece of her mind.

She bristled and in her most haughty voice—the one she used with her brothers when she wanted them to do something—said, “Just hurry up and help me down … now!”

She realized immediately that issuing demands might not have been the best tactic when the smile that had temporarily lightened his hard expression vanished and his lips thinned into a straight line. He gave her a long stare, then crossed his arms over his broad chest. Her breath caught, confronted with the impressive bulge of muscle. Good gracious, he was strong.

“No,” he said lazily. “I don’t think I shall.”

Caitrina gasped, more shocked than angry—at first. “No? You can’t say no.”

He lifted a brow, begging to differ.

“But why not?” she sputtered inanely, finding it impossible to comprehend a refusal.

His gaze slid over her body. “I’m rather enjoying the view from here.”

“How dare you!” She gave him a withering stare, which was easier said than done from her position. “You are a vile man.”

The smile that curved his mouth sent a shiver running through her. “If I were in your position, I think I’d be praying that you were wrong about that.”

She ignored the warning. “But I will fall,” she protested.

He eyed the distance from her feet to the ground. “I wouldn’t advise it.”

“You can’t be serious.” Caitrina was at a loss—never having encountered a situation like this. In truth, she wasn’t used to being told no—particularly by men. Was he in earnest or merely toying with her? His expression was infuriatingly unreadable.

She’d gone about this all wrong. But he’d irritated her with his amusement at her predicament and his bold appraisal of her body. Taking a deep breath, she forced a broad, playful smile to her face and batted her lashes for good measure. “For a moment I thought you were serious,
but I know a gallant knight such as yourself would never refuse a lady in peril.”

Gallant knight, ha!
He wasn’t likely to be confused with a knight in shining armor anytime soon.

He arched a brow. It was obvious he knew exactly what she was up to. He gave her another long, penetrating look, one that she felt all the way to her toes. “Perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

Something in his voice caused the hair to prickle at the back of her neck. “What sort of arrangement?”

“I believe it is customary in such situations to offer a boon.” Their eyes met, and she could see the unspoken challenge in his gaze. “A kiss, perhaps?”

Her eyes widened. Of all the arrogant … Outrage coursed through her body, but somehow she held her temper in check. “I believe it is customary in such situations for a gentleman to offer to help a woman without condition.”

He turned back to his horse, gathered the reins, and started to lead it away. “Suit yourself.”

She gaped at his retreating back. “Where are you going? You can’t just leave me here.”

He turned and gave an infuriating lift of his brow. He didn’t need to say anything, the gesture said it all: He could indeed.

The branch under her feet cracked and sagged a few more inches. He might have made a movement toward her, but she couldn’t be sure. Her arms had begun to ache from the strain of supporting most of her weight; she didn’t know how much longer she could hold on. Her face was hot with anger and indignation. She would argue with him later. “Very well. Just get me down.”

He gave a mocking bow. “As you wish, my lady.”

For such a tall, muscular man, he negotiated the branches of the tree with surprising agility and speed, stopping a few branches below the weakened branch that was
partially supporting her. In the span of only a few seconds, his hands circled her waist. She sucked in her breath at the unfamiliar sensation. His hands were big and strong, and she was acutely aware of his thumbs positioned under her breasts.

Their eyes met. Shock reverberated through her. Up close, he was even more handsome that she’d realized: piercing slate blue eyes, dark brown hair that in the sunlight contained hints of the red it had probably been in his youth, a wide mouth, and a hard, square jaw. It was a harshly masculine face, but also an incredibly attractive one. Given his abominable behavior, it shouldn’t affect her, but she found herself flushing nonetheless. Though his expression betrayed nothing, somehow she knew that he was not as indifferent as he seemed.

His hold was firm and sure as he plucked her from the cracked branch and lowered her toward him, bringing her to rest securely against the hard length of his body.

Relieved, she sagged against him. Her arms felt like jelly, and for a moment she allowed herself to take refuge against his warm, solid strength. Solid was perhaps an understatement. His chest and arms were like granite. But rather than intimidate, the powerful evidence of his strength made her flush with a strange, heavy heat.

She’d never been this close to a man, where it seemed as if every inch of her body were melded to his. It felt … exciting—disturbingly so. One of her legs was caught between his powerful thighs, and her breasts were crushed against his chest. She could feel the steady pounding of his heart, all the more disconcerting because of the erratic beat of hers. He was so warm and smelled incredible—clean and soapy, with the faint hint of an exotic spice.

She had to tilt her chin to meet his gaze and realized he was every bit as tall as she’d imagined. The top of her head barely reached his shoulders. “You can let go of me,” she said unevenly. “I can get down from here.”

At first she thought he would refuse, but after a moment he released her.

Thankfully, the feeling had returned in her arms and she was able to follow his lead the rest of the way down. He dropped to the ground from the lowest branch and reached for her. She stared at his outstretched hand and hesitated. It seemed somehow significant. Cautiously, she slipped her hand into his and jumped. He caught her by the waist and lowered her down as if she weighed no more than that kitten she’d just rescued.

When her feet touched the ground, she wanted to sigh with relief. Instead she found herself unable to breathe, caught in the web of his magnetic gaze—and the strange sensations wrought by the realization that only a very thin piece of linen separated her nakedness from him.

What if he wasn’t a gentleman?
It was probably something she should have thought of earlier, but she’d never been in such a vulnerable predicament. And she’d never met anyone like him.

Her heart fluttered like the wings of a bird trapped in a cage. His arms were still around her. She should pull away—he was a stranger, a man who hadn’t even told her his name—but her body seemed to have a will of its own. She stood there, transfixed by a connection that was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

But its strength frightened her, enough to give her the sense to jerk away.

“Thank you,” she said quickly, her voice unsteady. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear nervously. He watched the movement with an intensity that unnerved her. Actually, everything about him unnerved her. “I can manage from here.” But all six-foot-plus, heavily muscled inch of him stayed exactly where he was—too close. If she weren’t feeling so strangely vulnerable and unsettled, she might have admired the impressive physique she’d just been plastered to. “You can go now.”

Again she’d taken the wrong tone, she realized.

“Dismissed, my lady? Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Her cheeks burned. “You can’t mean to hold me to your ridiculous condition. I agreed only under duress.”

“It’s a debt of honor.” He paused. “Is the word of a Lamont worth nothing?”

She gasped. “You know my name!”

He laughed again with that knowing look. “An educated guess. ’Tis said the Lamont has a very beautiful daughter.” He frowned, giving her face great scrutiny. “But maybe I’m wrong. They didn’t say anything about a crooked nose.”

“What!” Her hand went immediately to her nose. “I don’t have a—” She stopped, heat staining her cheeks, seeing his grin. The arrogant lout was teasing her again. Well, not exactly arrogant, she supposed. More like confident in his authority and strength. She flushed at the memory of his hard body stretched against hers.

And now he wanted her to kiss him.

Caitrina bit her lip, debating what to do. She owed him nothing, but she had agreed to his “bargain.” His attack had been well aimed, striking in the one place every Highlander was vulnerable—their pride.

Her struggle seemed only to amuse him. “What is it to be, my lady?”

A long, slow smile spread across her face; she had the answer. “Very well. You shall have your kiss.”

She thought a flicker of surprise crossed his face. When she held out her hand, he looked puzzled for a moment before comprehension settled in that cool, steely gaze.

She thought she’d won when he took her proffered hand, but then she saw the determined glint spark in his eyes. Determination that made a shiver of alarm slide down her spine.

Her fingers seemed to be swallowed by his big warrior’s hand. It was warm and hard with calluses—and strong. He could crush her without effort, but instead his thumb caressed
her palm and the hair on her arms stood straight up. He turned her hand over, revealing the jagged scratches on her palm.

A frown settled over his handsome features. “You’re hurt. Why didn’t you say you were hurt?”

Self-conscious, she tried to pull her hand away, but he held firm. “It’s nothing,” she dismissed.

Holding her gaze, he slowly lifted her hand to his mouth.

She couldn’t turn away. She couldn’t breathe. All she could do was wait and anticipate, her pulse as frantic as the wings of a hummingbird.

She felt the warmth of his breath on her hand right before he pressed his lips against her injured palm. She sucked in a short gasp of air. The shock of his kiss was like a lightning bolt, a brand upon her skin.

His lips moved along her palm to the sensitive skin at her wrist. Her heart pounded faster, realizing what he intended. This would be no simple kiss of the hand. It was a seduction.

And it was working. Something strange was happening to her body. Her legs felt suddenly weak as a heaviness descended over her. His mouth trailed from her wrist to the bend of her arm. The press of his soft lips and warm mouth on her bare skin sent tiny shivers sweeping up her arm. The gentle scratch of his chin on her skin made every nerve ending stand on edge and prickle with awareness.

Her lips parted and her breath hitched. He lifted his eyes to her face, and something changed. In one movement, his hand slid around her waist and he pulled her to him.

His handsome features were drawn in a hard line, but there was no mistaking the heat in his gaze. His eyes fell to her mouth. The pulse at his jaw quickened.

She knew what he was going to do.

She could have stopped him.

But she didn’t want to. She’d never wanted a man to kiss her before … until now.

He cupped her chin, stroking her skin with a sweep of his callused fingertips. It seemed impossible that such a physically powerful man could touch so gently. He tilted her mouth to his. She sucked in her breath, anticipation crackling inside her like wildfire on dry leaves. Her nipples tightened against his chest, pressing against him, straining. Her entire body felt so sensitive, as if with one touch she could dissolve into a pool of liquid heat.