Page 60 of Highlander's Battle of Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Five

Aindreas

Aindreas couldn’t get enough of her. He couldn’t stop touching her. His lips pressed against her forehead. His fingers tangled themselves in her hair. He knew he couldn’t go through with the marriage. There was no way he could marry Sorcha, not when he loved another woman. Not when Blair’s very smile lit his heart, her touch calming the storm brimming within him.

But the lairdship.

He sighed, lacing his fingers with Blair. Slowly, he rose from the ground, tugging her towards him. She giggled as she followed him up. “Where are ye taking me?”

Aindreas waggled his eyebrows. “Some place secret.”

He stepped over their discarded clothes, taking her deeper into the forest. There was a time when he spent most of his time hiding in these trees, climbing them and waiting for Daniel to appear, so he could jump out and scare him. There were many times he had hidden in them to be alone. After his mother’s death, he had spent many days in this forest trying to forget the pain of her loss, listening to the birds in the hopes they would bring him some solace.

Aindreas wondered if his birth mother had ever come to this forest, or perhaps his father. There was a time he was constantly looking at the servants, wondering who could be related to him. However, the question never went answered and only drove him into a deeper depression. Eventually, he decided it didn’t matter.

Lady Fiona was his mother. She was the one who had cared for him when he was all alone in the world. Laird Duncan had taught him everything he needed in order to become a man. They were his parents.

Aindreas paused when he came upon the stream, a wicked smile spreading across his face as he turned to Blair. “Shall we?” He tugged her forward, but Blair held her ground.

“Isn’t it cold?”

Aindreas shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

He released her hand and rushed forward, his teeth gritting as he ran through the water, splashing it everywhere. Blair laughed, holding up her hands as he dove in, allowing the clear stream to clean the dirt from his body. He lowered himself deeper until only his eyes were visible, watching Blair as if he was about to pounce.

Blair held a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile while she slowly tiptoed towards the shore. She put one toe into the stream and shrieked before bursting into a fit of giggles. “Ye want me to get in this?” She shook her head. “I think not.”

Aindreas slowly rose, the water dripping off his well-built body. His face flushed as he watched her eyes lower to his manhood. His shaft twitched in response as he slowly stepped towards her. “What if I say otherwise?”

Blair took a step back. The joy in her eyes warmed his heart. “Ye can say all ye want, but I’m still not getting in that water.”

“But I’m yer laird.”

Blair scoffed. “Aye, yer my laird, but I’m still not getting—“

Aindreas grabbed her wrist, dragging her towards him. Before she could squirm out from his hold, he threw her into the water, laughing at her shrieking. She slowly rose, scowling up at him as the water dripped down her prickled skin.

“Ye are the worse—“

Aindreas splashed her in the face, and she sputtered.

“How dare ye—“

Aindreas splashed her again, chuckling as she attempted to block the water with her hands. Her hair was soaked and matted to her face, covering her eyes and making it difficult for her to see. She gasped, stumbling forward, but she must have stepped on an unstable rock, for her body dipped into the water, and for a moment, she was completely submerged.

Blair surfaced, tossing back her hair and gasping for breath. Her hands ran up and down her arms while her teeth chattered. Aindreas couldn’t stop himself even if he wanted to. He laughed, doubling over while she scowled at him.

She splashed him, but Aindreas dodged.

“Missed!” he taunted.

Blair lunged for him, splashing once more, but he jumped backward.

“Missed again!”

Blair shrieked, a smile on her lips as she ran towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him down into the water again. He laughed as he surfaced, the water drenching his hair. Blair shook her head at him, a smile on her lips as she leaned into him, her arms sliding up his front to wrap around his neck.

“Yer absolutely terrible,” she said before pressing her lips against his.

---