Page 27 of Healing the Highland Sinner (Tales of the Maxwell Lasses #7)

CHAPTER 27

“ W hat the hell dae ye mean the shipment was taken ?” Rosalind shouted.

The man who’d captained the ship frowned and looked down, wringing his hat in his hands. He swallowed hard and raised his head again.

“The ship was boarded, me lady, by men wearin’ the standards of Clan Sinclair,” he said. “They took the goods we was movin’ and replaced it with these crates.”

Rosalind’s eyes drifted from the man’s crew, most of them bruised and battered, but still alive, to the stacks of crates that lined the ship’s deck. The shipment they had been moving was one of her legitimate jobs. She had been sending food stores to a port further along the coast.

“They sent us back here with their goods and a message fer ye.”

“What is the message?”

The captain licked his lips and handed her an envelope then backed away quickly as if afraid she was going to strike him. She cast a look at Ellair, who stood silently off to the side, his body taut, his face pensive, but he gave her an encouraging nod. He had been off all day. It was clear to her that something was on his mind, but she hadn’t yet pressed him on it. She’d decided that she would let him come to her with it when he was ready.

With a sigh, Rosalind opened the envelope and pulled the sheet of parchment out. As she did, something else fell out and landed on the deck at her feet. Frowning, she bent down to pick it up and when she did, her eyes widened, and a low, anguished groan passed her lips. Her heart leapt into her throat and her stomach clenched painfully.

“Bleedin’ hell,” she gasped.

“What is it?” Ellair asked.

She held up the lock of hair tied with a red ribbon. “’Tis Blaine’s hair.”

Ellair strode over and took it from her to inspect. His face tightened and his expression darkened as he raised his gaze to her once more.

“What about the note?” he asked.

She’d been so shocked, she’d almost forgotten about the letter that had come with it. Rosalind unfolded the note and felt her heart drop from her throat into the pit of her belly.

“Ye are tae deliver this shipment tae Clan Ulstead upriver. And after that, ye are tae intercept a shipment tae Clan Gunn and deliver it tae me,” she read aloud. “Dae these things now or the next thing I send ye will be yer braither’s head.”

She dropped the letter to the deck of the boat and turned away, staring out at the expanse of water before her. Rosalind fought the waves of emotion that battered her, refusing to let herself give in to them. She took a deep, shuddering breath and held it, as fear for her brother and rage at Sinclair warred within her. He was toying with her. Teasing her and using the threat of her brother’s death to lock her in a cage there was no escape from.

Much like the man who had virtually enslaved Ellair’s brother, using promises of his freedom to keep Cormac doing his bidding, Sinclair was using Blaine’s life to keep her in bondage.

“Are ye all right?” Ellair asked as he stood beside her.

“Nay. I’m really nae.”

He gave her arm a gentle squeeze then quickly removed his hand. It almost broke her. She was fighting the tempest of emotions churning within her. She had worked so hard to be strong, to make herself iron and steel, to not let herself be affected by what was happening around her. It was the only way to make it in that world.

And yet, there she was, almost completely undone. Sinclair was trying to bend her to his will. And for the first time since he took Blaine from her, Rosalind felt herself starting to give. She felt the first cracks in her armor starting to form and knew it was only a matter before she shattered completely.

“If I dinnae dae Sinclair’s biddin’, he’s goin’ tae kill Blaine,” she said softly. “Me braither’s blood will be on me hands.”

“It will nae come tae that,” he said. “We will find a way tae get him back.”

“Nae soon enough. We’ve got two days tae get this shipment upriver. And tae take Laird Gunn’s shipment,” she said. “If I fail, he’ll kill me braither.”

“We will find a way out of this.”

“I dinnae see a way out of this, Ellair. He’s got me hemmed in.”

Ellair sighed and stared out at the water for a moment. The only sound between them were the cries of the shorebirds circling overhead and the gentle slap of the water against the hull of the boat. He finally turned to her, his face etched with resolve and determination.

“Come. We need tae be away from here for a bit. Tae let ye clear yer head,” he said, then turned to the captain. “Ye and yer men tend tae yer wounds and stay with this ship. We’ll be back soon with instructions on how tae proceed, eh?”

The man nodded. “Very good.”

Rosalind let him take her hand and lead her down the docks. She felt completely numb. As if she no longer had it in her to be afraid or angry anymore. Those cracks in her armor grew wider as her full and total collapse seemed as imminent as it was inevitable. There was no way out of this. Not without either Blaine being killed, or if she did as Sinclair wanted, many, many more people she would never know being killed.

Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.

Ellair rode to a cove well away from town and dismounted, then helped her off her horse. It was a cove she knew well. It was where she came when she wanted to be alone to think. Surrounded by sheer rock faces and soaring trees, it was easy to feel alone when she was there. And sometimes, the solitude was welcome. Comforting.

The feature she enjoyed most though, was the natural hot spring in a shallow cave that was tucked up under the face of the cliff. It was sheltered from the wind and, surrounded by stone walls on three of its four sides, it kept the heat from the water inside, making the inside of the cave warm and humid.

“When did ye discover this place?” she asked.

“When I followed ye here one day.”

She startled then shook her head and laughed softly. “Of course ye did.”

“I was goin’ tae say somethin’ tae ye the day I followed ye here, but ye looked like ye had a lot on yer mind, so I let ye be instead.”

“This is me sanctuary.”

“I could tell,” he replied. “I thought ye might be able tae use a little quiet right about now. A chance tae catch yer breath and sort yer thoughts.”

She nodded. “Thank ye. That was thoughtful of ye.”

“Ye’re welcome,” he said. “I just…”

“Yes?”

His gaze lingered on her for a long moment, making her heart race as his icy blue eyes bore into her. The moment was heavy with a sense of anticipation. Longing. And something else. As she looked into his eyes, she thought she saw a hesitance. A tremor of fear. Rosalind didn’t know what to make of it or what could possibly be making him fearful in that moment.

“What is it?” she asked.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but closed it again without speaking a word. Instead, he shook his head and offered her a small smile.

“Naethin’,” he said. “I’ll just… I’ll give ye a little time tae enjoy the spring and relax a bit. Let ye clear yer head. I’ll stand over there and keep watch.”

He turned to go but she reached out and took his hand, turning him back to her. Their eyes met and Rosalind felt that familiar flutter in her heart and warmth spring up in her belly. Her lips curled into a smile as she held his hand and began to draw him back toward the spring.

“Why dinnae ye come enjoy the water with me then, eh?” she purred.

His smile was faltering but she saw the desire flare to life in his eyes. “I’m nae sure?—”

“But I am.”

Still gripping his hand, she pulled him backward. Once they entered the cave and she felt the warmth and moisture of the spring upon her skin, she pulled her tunic off and dropped it to the cave floor. Ellair’s breath caught in his throat, but his eyes remain fixed on her body. Rosalind kicked off her boots and with a sultry smile, shimmied out of her breeches. She stood before him, completely naked for a moment, letting him drink her in.

A flirty smile on her lips and a. sultry glimmer in her eyes, Rosalind stepped back and slipped into the hot waters of the spring, immediately feeling the bunched muscles in her shoulders and back begin to ease. She swam, reaching and leaning against the far side of the rock tub, a low moan spilling from her lips.

Rosalind looked up, watching Ellair through the tendrils of steam that curled off the surface of the pool and smiled as she watched him fumbling with his clothes, seemingly unable to strip them off fast enough. As he pulled his breeches down and kicked them aside, she bit her bottom lip, admiring his toned, muscled body, as well as the long, thick manhood between his legs.

As he entered the pool, memories of their night together flashed through her mind, igniting the fires of passion inside of her. He waded through the water and pressed her to the wall of stone behind her. Their mouths crashed together, tongues lashing one another as desire and want consumed them. She ran her hands over his body as they kissed, relishing the feel of his corded muscles and the way they bunched and flexed as he caressed her.

She reached down, hungry for more, and took hold of his rigid staff. She pumped her hand up and down, relishing the sound of his breathy moans. He kissed her harder, his tongue lashing her own with a near frenzied pace as his desire boiled over, hotter than the water that swirled around their bodies.

“I need ye inside me,” she whispered.

A wolfish grin quirked across his lips, and he kissed her neck, nipping at her collarbones as he kneaded and caressed her full breasts. Rosalind let out a shuddering moan as he lightly pinched her stiff nipples and cried out in pleasure when he grabbed hold of her backside and pressed her body against his thick, stiff organ.

Ellair sat down on one of the natural stone steps then pulled her on top of him. Eager to feel him filling her up, Rosalind straddled his lap, reaching down to grab his rod again. She brushed it against her sensitive part, shivering with delight as goosebumps crawled across her flesh. She nestled it between her velvety folds, then lowered herself, sinking down onto him.

She shuddered as his long staff slid along inner walls and threw her head back, reveling in the sensation of having him fill her up so completely. Rosalind leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his and looked deeply into his eyes. She kissed him as she slipped her hands around the back of his neck and began to roll her hips, taking him into her.

“Bleedin’ hell, ye feel so good,” he gasped.

As she rose and fell on his lap, impaling herself on his stalk over and over again, she created waves in the water around them that slopped over the lip of the tub. Rosalind’s moans of pleasure echoed around the stone chamber, blending with Ellair’s deep, gruff grunts as she slammed herself up and down on him, piercing her very core with his manhood.

“Hell,” he gasped.

As the familiar warmth and pressure built up inside of her, Rosalind dug her nails into Ellair’s shoulders, gripping him tightly as she moved harder and faster on top of him. He sucked in a sharp breath, a grimace on his face. She gasped.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Dinnae stop,” he moaned. “Dinnae ye dare bleedin’ stop.”

A slow grin split her lips and she dug in tighter, moved faster, bounced on his staff with a hard, steady rhythm. Ellair slid his hands down and gripped her backside, squeezing it, pulling a sharp squeal of surprise and then a laugh out of her. Ellair leaned forward, his full lips brushing her neck then her ear, sending a wave of tingles across her skin.

“Harder,” he moaned, his breath warm up on her cheek. “Harder, lass.”

She did as he asked and slammed herself onto his staff even harder, her movements purposely fast and vicious. Their kiss was as fierce as their coupling, his tongue filling her mouth and stealing her breath with its intensity. He squeezed her backside harder, guiding her in the rhythm he wanted her to move. Their bodies joined together, they moved and rocked, and her breathing grew ragged as her heart raced wildly.

The pressure built to a crescendo and when she reached her peak, Rosalind threw her head back and cried out, her screams of pleasure echoing around the cave. As she shuddered and writhed on his lap, she felt his staff swell and a long, languid groan passes his lips as he raised his hips, driving himself as deep inside of her as he could and then exploded.

Rosalind gasped at the sudden burst of warm, sticky seed that filled her up and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as a quavering smile crossed her lips. Her skin tingled and grew warm, and her face flushed as she felt his staff twitching and pulsing. She squeezed him with her inner muscles, milking him for every last drop.

She pressed her forehead to his and with their gazes locked, they both let out a soft, quavering laugh. He kissed her softly and pulled her to him. Rosalind laid her head on his shoulder and shivered as he trailed the tips of his fingers up and down her back. She embraced the quiet of the moment. For once, all the problems and stresses she labored under fled from her mind. It was a nice respite from her constant worry about Blaine, her rage at Sinclair, and the fear of having a man like Ewan constantly trying to take her head.

As the water in the pool around them settled, Rosalind gave herself over to the heat soothing her body and the man who soothed her mind. She and Ellair clung together tightly, seeming to take comfort in each other. And when she looked into his eyes, her heart swelled. She never expected to feel for somebody the way she felt for Ellair. He had brought parts of her heart and soul she’d long thought dead and buried, back to life. He put a warmth in her heart she hadn’t felt in a very, very long time.

Although she feared it, she also rejoiced in it. And she was able to, because she could see that he felt exactly the same way. They had never spoken of it, had never shared their feelings for each other. But the way he looked at her told Rosalind all she needed to know. He loved her. And she loved him.

However, as she looked into his eyes, that fear she’d seen earlier returned and seemed to have brought with it something else… guilt.

“What is it?” she asked.

He swallowed hard and frowned. “There’s somethin’ I need tae tell ye.”

Those words and the strange look on his face drove a lance of fear into her heart and as her stomach churned with a greasy, nauseous feeling, she swallowed hard.

“All right,” she said, trying to steel herself. “What is it?”