He grabbed hold of the back of her neck and pulled her toward him. Jamie clung to the saddle, trying to keep her balance.
He waited for her to look up at him, then easily captured her gaze. “You didn’t want me to.” He grinned at her.
“That is the most arrogant—”
He kissed her just to silence her. He meant only to remind her just who was the laird and who was the chattel, but her lips went all soft under his, reminding him just how good she really was. He swept the inside of her mouth with his tongue before pulling away from her. She looked totally bemused. Her hand rested on his cheek, her touch as light as a butterfly. He doubted she even realized she was still caressing him.
“I said I’d honor your requests whenever possible, Jamie. It wasn’t possible for me to stop last night.”
“It wasn’t?”
The woman was going to make him daft if she continued to ask him to repeat his every word. Alec let her see his exasperation. “You may take the lead this time,” he announced, thinking to snap her back to the present.
Jamie nodded. She guided Wildfire around Alec’s mount and was just ducking under a fat branch barring her way when Alec appeared at her side. The minute he took hold of her reins, she realized her error.
He didn’t mention her pitiful sense of direction, and neither did she.
They stopped at sunset in the center of a wide meadow. Alec reached out to pull on Wildfire’s reins. When their mounts were side by side, he still didn’t let go of the reins. His face was impassive now and he stared straight ahead.
“Is there danger, Alec?”
She hadn’t been able to keep her worry out of her voice.
Alec shook his head. Would he be sitting in the middle of such an open expanse if there was danger? Her question seemed absurd until he remembered she had no knowledge of the ways of fighting men.
Jamie thought she’d stretch her legs a bit but when she started to dismount, Alec stayed her action by placing his hand on her thigh. His grip wasn’t at all gentle.
She caught his silent message quickly enough, but his behavior didn’t make any sense to her. She folded her hands on the cantle of her saddle, patiently waiting for Alec to explain what he was doing.
A faint whistle sounded from the forest a fair distance away from them. The trees suddenly seemed to come alive when men wearing brown and yellow plaid began to walk toward them.
Jamie didn’t realize she was clutching Alec’s leg until his hand covered hers. “They’re allies, Jamie.”
She immediately let go of him, straightened her back, and refolded her hands in her lap. “I guessed as much,” she whispered.
It was a lie, made blacker still when she added, “Even from this distance I can see them smiling.”
“An eagle couldn’t see their faces from this distance,” he answered dryly.
“We English have perfect eyesight.”
Alec finally turned to look at her. “Are you jesting with me, wife?”
“You decide, husband.”
“Aye, you are,” Alec answered. “I’ve already learned all about the English sense of humor.”
“And what have you learned?”
“You don’t have any.”
“That isn’t true,” Jamie argued. “Why, I have the most wonderful sense of humor.” After making that emphatic statement, she turned her face away from him.
“Jamie?”
“Aye, Alec?”
“When they reach us, keep your gaze directed on me. Do not look at anyone else. Do you understand?”
“You don’t want me to look at any of them?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why?”
“Don’t question my motives, wife.”
His voice had become as brisk as the rising wind. “Should I speak to them?”
“No.”
“They’ll think me rude.”
“They’ll think you subservient.”
“I’m not.”
“You will be.”
Jamie felt her face heat up. She frowned at Alec, but it was wasted effort for he was staring straight ahead again, ignoring her. “Perhaps, Alec, I should get off my horse and kneel at your feet. Then your allies will surely see how very subservient your wife is.”
She didn’t care that her voice shook with anger. “Well, milord?”
“The suggestion has merit,” he answered.
He didn’t sound as if he was jesting with her. Jamie was too astonished by his outrageous comment to think of a clever comeback.
She wasn’t about to let her displeasure show in front of strangers, though, no matter how upset she was with her husband. Oh, she’d play the obedient wife, all right, until she and Alec were alone again. Then she was going to blister his ears.
When the allies finally reached them, Jamie kept her gaze directed on her husband’s hard profile. It took all her concentration to keep her expression devoid of any true emotion. Serenity was simply too much to ask for.
Alec never even looked her way. The conversation was in Gaelic. Jamie understood most of the words, even though the dialect was a little different from the Lowland Gaelic that Beak had taught her.
Alec didn’t know she was fluent in his language, and his ignorance gave her a perverse satisfaction. She decided then and there she was never going to enlighten him.
She listened to him refuse the allies’ offer of drink, food, and shelter as well. His hard, unyielding manner was that of a mighty warlord now, and when they’d finished with their offers and he’d finished with his refusals, they reported to him the latest happenings among the clans.
Jamie knew they were staring at her. She tried to keep her expression tranquil. In true desperation she offered her Maker a month of daily masses and one litany if he’d only help her through this humiliating ordeal.
Alec was ashamed of her. That sudden realization made her want to weep. Her self-pity lasted only a minute or two. Then she became furious. How dare he be ashamed of her? She knew she wasn’t as pretty as most, but she wasn’t horribly disfigured, either. Once her papa had even called her beautiful. Of course, it was his duty to give her such praise; she was his baby after all, and his opinion was certainly colored. Still, she’d never noticed people turning their faces away from her so they wouldn’t lose their supper.
When Alec reached over and took hold of Wildfire’s reins, Jamie was pulled back to the conversation. She heard one of his allies ask who she was.
“My wife.”
There hadn’t been a tinge of pride in his voice. God’s truth, he could have been referring to his dog. No, she qualified; his dog probably meant more to him.
He hadn’t gagged over the words either, Jamie decided, trying to find something redeeming in his attitude.
Alec was about to nudge his mount forward through the throng of warriors when another ally called out. “By what name is she called, Kincaid?”
He took a long time answering. Alec slowly scanned his audience. The look on his face chilled Jamie. His expression could have been carved in stone.
And then he answered at last. His voice, as cold as sleet, lashed out like a battle cry.
“Mine.”
Chapter Eight
She was beginning to think he wasn’t human. Alec never seemed to get hungry or thirsty or tired. The only time he stopped to rest was when Jamie asked him to, and God only knew how she hated asking him for anything.
An Englishman certainly would have seen to his wife’s comforts. Alec had difficulty remembering he had a wife. Jamie felt as wanted as a thorn in his side.
She was exhausted, guessed she probably looked as worn out as an old hag, too, then told herself it didn’t matter what she looked like. Alec had made his position perfectly clear when he refused to introduce her to his allies. She didn’t appeal to him at all.
Well, he wasn’t any prize, either, she decided. His hair was almost as long as hers, for God’s sake, and if that wasn’t a primitive inclination, she did
n’t know what was.
Her feelings about her husband might not have been so black if his attitude had been a little more pleasant. The mountain air had obviously affected his mind, for the higher they climbed, the more distant and cold his manner became.
He had more flaws than Satan. The man couldn’t even count. He’d specifically told her it would take them three days to reach his holding, yet here they were, camped for their fifth night, and still not another Kincaid plaid in sight.
Was his sense of direction as poor as his ability to count? Jamie decided she was too tired to worry about that possibility. As soon as Alec turned his attention to the horses, Jamie walked to the lake to gain a few moments’ privacy. She stripped down to her chemise, washed as best she could in the frigid water Alec called a loch, then stretched out on the grassy slope. She was bone-weary. She thought to just close her eyes for a few minutes before getting dressed again. In truth, the bitterness in the air didn’t even bother her.
A thick mist rolled into the glen. Alec gave Jamie as much time as he thought she needed to see to her bath, but when the haze covered his bare feet, he called out to her, commanding that she come to him.
His summons went unanswered. Alec’s heart started pounding. He wasn’t worried that his enemies had caught her unaware. No, they were on Kincaid land now, in a protected area none but his own would dare to breach. Still, she hadn’t answered him. Alec broke through the lush green foliage and came to an abrupt stop. His breath caught in his throat at the sight he came upon.
She looked like a beautiful goddess. She was sound asleep. The fog floated around her, giving her a mystical appearance. The streamers of sunlight only added to that fantasy, for her skin was a true golden color. She was sleeping on her side. The white chemise she wore rode high on her hip, revealing her long legs.
He stood there a long while, drinking his fill. Desire swelled up inside him until it became almost painful. She was simply magnificent to him. He remembered what it felt like to have those legs wrapped around him, remembered the feel of her when he thrust inside.
His wife. A fierce surge of possessiveness shook him. He knew he wouldn’t last another night without making love to her again. His promise to wait until they’d reached his holding wasn’t going to last. This time, however, he was determined to go slowly. He would be a tender, undemanding lover. And he’d be gentle . . . even if it killed him.
Alec stood there watching her sleep until the sun was completely gone. She started to roll down the slope then. He rushed over to her and caught her in his arms just in the nick of time.
What a trusting nature she had. He knew she’d awakened, yet she didn’t open her eyes. When he lifted her up against his bare chest, she put her arms around his neck, nuzzled up against him, and let out a soft sigh.
He carried her back to their camp, wrapped his plaid around both of them, and stretched out on the ground. Jamie was completely covered from the brisk mountain air, covered from head to toe by the blanket and her husband.
Her mouth was just a few inches away from his own.
“Alec?” she asked, her voice a sleepy whisper.
“Yes?”
“Are you angry with me?”
“No.”
“You’re certain?”
She wished she could see his face. His hold was like iron, though, and she could barely move at all.
“I’m certain.”
“I’m so tired tonight. It was a hard day’s ride, wasn’t it?”
He hadn’t thought so, but he decided to agree anyway. “Aye, it was.”
“Alec? I’d like to ask you something.” Jamie scooted upward, then let out a loud groan when his hands moved to her backside and he forced her against him. His thighs were harder than the ground.
He knew she didn’t have any idea what her little motions were doing to him. Alec closed his eyes in reaction. She was too tired and obviously too sore to be attacked by her husband. He would have to wait, he told himself. It was the only decent thing to do.
It was going to be his most difficult challenge.
“Alec, please move your hands. You’re hurting me.”
“Go to sleep, wife. You need your rest.” His voice sounded ragged.
She arched against him. Alec gritted his teeth.
“My backside is sore.”
He could hear the blush in her soft confession. Her gasp wasn’t soft, though; it was loud and full of outrage when he began to rub the stiffness out of her muscles. He ignored both her struggles and her groans.
“Your education has been sorely neglected,” Alec told her. “’Tis the truth you’re the most unskilled woman I’ve ever known. What think you of that, wife?”
“I think you believe I’m about to cry, husband,” Jamie answered. “I know my voice trembled when I told you I was sore. And you’re a man who hates a weeping woman, aren’t you? Oh, don’t be denying it, husband. I saw the way you watched my sisters when they were carrying on so. You looked most ill at ease.”
“Yes, it’s true,” Alec admitted.
“And so, to prevent my weeping all over you, you insult me to prick my temper. You’ve guessed I have a temper and you’d rather have me shouting at you than crying.”
“You’re learning my ways, Jamie.”
“I told you I would,” Jamie boasted. “But you’ve still to learn mine.”
“I have no need to—”
“Oh, yes, you do,” she argued. “You confuse inexperienced with unskilled, Alec. What if I told you I could shoot an arrow better than any of your warriors? Or that I could probably outride them—bareback, of course. Or that I could—”
“I’d say you were jesting with me. You can barely hold on to the saddle, wife.”
“You’ve already made up your mind about me, then?”
He ignored that question and asked one of his own. “What is it you wanted to ask me? Something has you worried, doesn’t it?”
“I’m not worrying.”
“Tell me.”
He wasn’t going to let her change her mind. “I merely wondered if you were going to give me similar instructions when we reach your holding and your men.”
“What instructions?” he interrupted. He didn’t have any idea what she was talking about.
“I know you’re ashamed of me, Alec, but I don’t think I shall be able to keep silent all the time. I’m used to speaking quite freely, and I really don’t—”
“You think I’m ashamed of you?”
He actually sounded surprised. Jamie turned in his arms. She pushed the blanket aside and looked into his face. Even in the moonlight, she could see his astonishment.
She wasn’t believing it for a minute. “You needn’t pretend ignorance with me, Alec Kincaid. I know the truth. A woman would have to be daft not to know why you wouldn’t let me speak to your allies. You think I’m ugly. And English.”
“You are English,” he reminded her.
“And pleased that I am, husband. Do you know how shallow a man is to judge a woman solely by her appearance?”
His laughter stopped her lecture. “Your rudeness is worse than my appearance,” she muttered.
“And you, wife, are the most opinionated woman I’ve ever encountered.”
“’Tis nothing compared to your sins,” Jamie answered. “You’re as riddled as an old shield.”
“You aren’t ugly.”
Alec could tell by the way she continued to frown up at him that she didn’t believe him. “When did you come to this conclusion?”
“I’ve already explained,” Jamie answered. “’Twas when you wouldn’t let me take my gaze off you, when you didn’t introduce me to your friends, when you wouldn’t let me speak a thought of my own. That’s when I came to my conclusion. Make no mistake, Alec,” she rushed on when he seemed about to laugh again, “I don’t care if you think I’m pretty or not.”
He captured her chin and held it steady. “If you’d stared at one man longer than another, by chance or wan
t, he would have concluded you were fair for the taking. The Kerrys can’t be trusted, at least not by my measure. They would have challenged me for you. ’Tis simple enough to understand, even for you, English. Some would perhaps have thought your violet eyes were magical; others might have wanted to touch your hair to see if it felt as silky as it looks. All certainly would have wanted to touch you.”
“They would?”
Her eyes had widened in amazement during his explanation. Alec realized she had absolutely no understanding of her own appeal.
“I think you exaggerate, Alec. Those men wouldn’t have wanted to touch me.”
She was pleading for a compliment. He decided to give it to her. “They would. I didn’t want to chance a fight because I know how the sight of blood distresses you.”
Jamie was stunned by his casually spoken explanation. Had he just complimented her? Were her eyes magical to him?
“What has you frowning now?”
“I was wondering if you . . . that is . . .” She let out a sigh, nudged his hand away from her chin, and rested her face against his warm shoulder again. “Then you don’t think I’m ugly.”
“I don’t.”
“I never thought you did,” she admitted, a smile in her voice. “’Tis good to know you don’t find me unappealing.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Jamie decided he was jesting with her again. “I never said you weren’t ugly,” she said. “Perhaps I think you are.”
He laughed again, a rich, full sound that made her smile all the more. Was it possible she was actually beginning to get used to him?
Alec brushed her hair away from her forehead. “Your face was burned by the sun today. Your nose is as red as fire. I don’t find you at all appealing.”
“You don’t?” She looked startled.
Alec let her see his exasperation. “I was jesting.”
“I knew you were,” she said, smiling again.
She yawned, reminding him of how exhausted she was.
“Go to sleep, Jamie.”
The tender way he was stroking her back took the bark out of his command. When he started to rub the stiffness out of her shoulders, she closed her eyes and let out a loud, lusty sigh. The palm of her hand rested on his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her fingertips. Almost absentmindedly, she began to stroke a circle around the nipple hidden beneath his chest hair. She liked the feel of him. His wonderful scent reminded her of the outdoors. It was so clean, so earthy.