Page 42 of A Virgin for the Beastly Highlander

Chapter 17

The sun hung low in the azure sky. Conner glanced to the heavens as he clung to Olivia. He couldn’t help but smile as they rode along the valley floor heading back to the castle. With Olivia’s body against his, and the scent of wildflowers flowing out from her hair, he knew he could never be happier. It was these rare moments when all his troubles seemed to fade away.

But as the castle grew closer, the troubles and his worries crept over him, pressing his shoulder and his smile down. He didn’t want to return back to the castle, not yet at least. With his mind drifting to Olivia, he wondered what she would think of a night out under the stars. The thought of having her so unbridled thrilled him. He’d never heard her so animated before and couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with being away from prying eyes and ears of the castle.

“Dae we have to come back so soon?” Olivia asked as if she had the capability of reading his mind. Giving her a tight squeeze, he wanted more than anything to be able to tell her no. How he could whisk her away, back to the bluff and stay there for as long as she wanted. But he knew by the way the sky was blazing in the east a storm was brewing and she wouldn’t want to be caught out in it.

“It’s best this way,” he said.

“For whom?”

“For one, I daenae think ye want to be out here come night. What if the fairies or brownies come for ye?”

“What makes ye think they’d want me?” she asked.

“Out of the two of us, which one dae ye think they’d want livin’ wit’ them? A bonnie lass such as yerself or a crusty ol’ laird like me?”

“Ye are the one wit’ the power,” she giggled. Her laughter was like the soft chiming of bells. It didn’t matter how gloomy he was, the sound of her voice and her giggle could always draw out a smile.

“True,” he said as they passed by the stone wall. “But ye sound better. Besides, I’ll nae part wit’ ye. They’d have to fight me tooth and nail to pry ye from my arms.”

“Is that so?” she asked as she glanced over her shoulder to steal a peak at him. The way her body shifted with the movement of the horse rattled him. He could feel his loins aching for her again. Only he’d take her in the bed where the rocks and pebbles didn’t dig into his knees.

“Dae ye doubt me?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Aye,” she teased. “Ye’d be outnumbered a hundred to one.”

“Ye ken the beasties are only wee high,” Conner lifted his hand and gave about four inches of space between his appendixes. “I could stomp on half of them and probably blow down the others.”

“So ye’d annihilate an entire race of little people for me, how brave and noble.”

“I’d take on the world if I had to,” Conner said, giving his horse a bit of a kick as they passed the barrels of hay collected in the field. Not too far away, the stones of the castle grew more dominant. Conner felt his chest tightening the clearer they became. It was as if he was marching to his doom looking at it.

“What dae ye say we dae this again tomorrow?” Olivia asked. “Just ye and me, out in the wild without a care in the world.”

“I daenae ken if I can, my love.”

Her head bobbed slowly. Conner didn’t need to see her face to know she was a bit disappointed by his answer. Of course he couldn’t blame her. He wanted the same thing and wished he could drop everything and run with her. But there was far too many things going on in the castle and the fields to neglect.

“Dae ye think we could at least try?” she asked. “Ye managed to finish yer business early today so we could go.”

“That I did,” he said. “But that was only because there wasnae much for me to dae today. I daenae ken what tomorrow will brin’.”

“Aye,” Olivia mumbled. “For tomorrow will brin’ its own woes.”

“That it will. But, if I can, ye ken I would, right?”

Her hands drifted over his and she gave him a tight, sympathetic squeeze. “I ken.”

Conner moved through the courtyard and headed for the stables. The moment they were under the roof, a clap of thunder rumbled over their heads. Olivia’s eyes widened as the horses stomped their hooves in protest.

“I daenae think Gale likes the storm,” Olivia said as she moved to her white mare. Conner tossed the rope off his saddle that he used to lead the horse back and slipped down. He watched as Olivia pressed her head against Gale’s neck and rubbed the white coat trying to calm the horse down.

“I’ll put her wit’ mine,” Conner said. “It seems the two of them get along well enough. The company will keep her tonight.”

Before Conner could get the saddle undone, a servant rushed through the stable doors and bowed. The look on the boy’s face rattled Conner’s nerves.

“Aye?” Conner asked as Olivia turned around with the same shocked expression on her face.

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