Page 11 of Hope in the Highlands (Seduced in Scotland #1)

A tremor shook Graham’s body at the gentle scratching of her nails trailing over his arms. She was restrained, hesitant almost, and he wondered if it was because she was truly unsure or whether it was just that she had been brought up that way.

God, she was tempting. Tilting his head until their temples met, he inhaled deeply. His fingers flexed against the softness of her hips. The scent of apple blossoms filled his senses as he breathed her in. It was dangerous being with her like this. He had avoided Belle’s plot thus far, and while he had no desire to be caught in a situation that would dictate the rest of his life, he couldn’t tear himself away from her.

Just a few more moments.

He had purposely been trying to avoid her the past two weeks, hoping to clear his mind from all of his thoughts about her. He had strained mightily to convince himself that his attraction to her was only due to the fact that she represented Lismore Hall.

But deep down, he knew that to be a lie.

Graham drew back slightly and their eyes met. The light from the bonfire danced on the side of her beautiful face, and the oddest sensation tugged in his gut. There was something here, something powerful, and though he was eager to explore it, he knew the darkness surrounding them gave him a false sense of privacy.

This was too risky. He needed to be away from her before he compromised them both.

Pulling away, he planned to leave, but when her fingers caught at the creases of his jacket. Graham’s gaze dipped to her hands and then back to her face.

Her mouth opened slightly, as though she wished to speak, but no words came out. Her cheeks reddened as her expression became embarrassed and Graham was flooded with remorse for making her ashamed in his presence. Her hands released him and her fingers curled into her palms as she tried to twist away.

“I’m sorry—”

But Graham wouldn’t have any apology from her. His well thought out plan to scold her and leave her was unravelling quickly. This was why he’d avoided her, because whenever he was near her, the all-encompassing need to be closer to her was too great to resist.

Unable to stop himself, he reached for her slowly. It was a mistake, he knew it, but he simply couldn’t stop himself. He needed to touch her. To taste her. One strong arm curved around her; his hand pressed on the small of her spine while the other came up to cradle the back of her head as his mouth found hers.

A jolt pierced through his body as he kissed her, his mouth desperate to taste every inch of her. His tongue brushed against hers, sweeping and sucking as he pressed her soft body against him. She tasted like strawberries and tea and when she melted against him, he felt himself harden.

Damned if he didn’t want to take her right now, beneath the stars.

The thought should have frightened him. Should have warned him of the dangers of the whole situation, but he couldn’t pull away from her. It made no sense. Even though he knew of Belle’s plot to force him into marrying Hope, and that he should therefore avoid her at all costs, his better judgment seemed to vanish when he was standing near her.

It made his skin crawl to be managed, but Graham liked her despite himself. Being alone with her, he could be himself. Graham had been cranky and rude, yet she hadn’t withered away.

Instead, she was kissing him back, almost as eager as he was, if not very skilled. Still, her earnestness made up for any lacking skill, and a primitive need coursed through him. For he was more than willing to teach her all sorts of things.

His mouth travelled down her chin as she tilted her head back.

“Graham,” she whispered, and a building heat coursed through him.

“Mm?”

“What… We … Oh,” she said as his mouth reached the hollow below her ear, breaking her thoughts.

He was glad to quiet her and yet regretted not hearing her speak. What a maddening desire this was. He needed to kiss her, to devour her entirely.

He dropped his hand from the back of her head and brought it down over her body. Touching the front of her jacket, and he undid the buttons of her Basque. All reason had left his mind as the need to touch her consumed him. When the last button released, her ribs expanded as she inhaled. Her billowy white habit shirt was thin and as his hands came upward, he could feel the hard boning of her corset. He longed to free her from it, but found that it didn’t go all the way up as his fingers brushed against the round weight of her breast.

Hope’s breath sucked in and Graham could feel himself harden at her reaction. Her kisses became increasingly aggressive, as if she were desperate for them to continue. Obliging her, Graham’s head dipped down her neck as his mouth found the bed of her nipple through the white fabric. He sucked, his tongue wetting her shirt and her arms came around his head, holding him to her chest as he continued.

Hope moaned and Graham’s grip tightened. He had lost all sense of time and place in the moment. His only concentration was on her. Her skin, limbs, and desire. He fought the urge to tear her clothes right there so that he could taste her skin. A single word echoed through the caverns of his heart.

Mine .

A desire to have, to conquer, had long been in his heart. He had wanted Lismore Hall for ages, but this? This yearning to possess another human being? He knew it was wrong, yet it felt so very right all at the same time.

Whatever it was, this craving, Graham ignored it and focused on the task at hand. To bring pleasure to Hope.

Her breathing had become short and shallow as his mouth teased her through the fabric. His hands moved down the center of her body, and before he knew what he was doing, he’d bent his knees in a preemptive attempt to hitch her leg up. But just as he was about to abandon all caution, he sensed another person’s presence.

“Ah. Pardon me—uh, Graham?” A male voice, Jared, sounded from somewhere behind them.

Graham’s entire body stilled as Hope froze in his arms. He should let her go, but he held her close to protect her from being seen in such a disheveled state. He glanced over his shoulder and glared at the intruder.

The hesitation in Jared’s form and the tilt of his head let Graham know he was curious, if not cautious.

“What?” Graham said after a moment of heavy breathing.

“Um, nothing, I suppose,” Jared said, unsure. “My father was correct, then? You and Miss Sharpe are set to wed?”

“Oh, well, actually no,” Hope’s muffled voice floated up from where her face was buried in Graham’s chest, but he interrupted.

“Yes,” Graham said.

A heavy pause followed as Hope raised her head.

“Graham?” she whispered. “What are you doing?”

He peered down at her. Her face was wrought with worry. The desire to protect her was too powerful. He couldn’t deny it. He wanted Hope, all of her, just as she was and as soon as possible. If that meant caving to Belle’s plan, then so be it, because if there was one thing he knew, it was that he would be damned if he let someone else have her. An uneasy peace settled in his heart as he looked down at her. If he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her, perhaps a marriage between them was the only sensible choice.

But then he would have to tell her the truth.

He took a deep breath and brought his fingers up, grazing her cheek bone as he spoke.

“Would you have me, Hope?” he asked quietly.

Hope’s brown eyes rounded, shining with shock.

“We’re barely acquaintances.”

“I know you well enough.”

She made a face, unimpressed with his words.

“There’s really no need for this. He is your cousin. Swear him to secrecy, and there will be no harm to my reputation.”

“I have no doubt Jared could keep a secret.”

“Well, then there you have it—”

“But I won’t.” Hope stared at him, wide eyed. “The highlands may be a far more relaxed place than London, but we are not a people without morals. Now I’ve mishandled you—”

“You have not—”

“And I won’t disrespect you or your family by ignoring what must be done. I’m offering for you, Hope.”

He paused, still more than a little surprised to find himself trying to convince her, since he had been against this from the beginning. But he was not operating on logic or reason here. Graham was acting purely on instinct—and every one of his instincts was telling him that he had to have Hope.

“But … but we hardly know each other.”

He sighed deeply, oddly touched by her concern. He had already argued her points internally for weeks.

“I like you, Hope. And I think you like me, just a little bit. Don’t you?”

Words seemed to catch in her throat, for all she did was nod in reply. Still, the small acknowledgment sent an explosion of gratitude through his chest. He faced Jared once more. “Aye, we are to be married.”

Even if he hadn’t been able to see it, Graham would have heard the smile in Jared’s voice when he spoke.

“Fantastic news,” he said, nodding. “Must be something in the air tonight. If you’ll excuse me, I just, well…” He shuffled around them and Graham held Hope tighter. “I came this way to relieve myself.” Jared waved his hand behind him. “Carry on.”

Hope buried her face back into Graham’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her, afraid that she was overcome with emotion. Was she regretting saying yes? Rubbing his hands up her back, he felt a ripple go through her body. His hands moved to her shoulders and pressing her back slightly, he discovered that she was laughing.

“Hope?” His voice was hesitant.

“Oh, goodness,” she said, as laughter spilled from her lips. “How mortifying. How positively humiliating.”

She continued to laugh.

“I’m glad you find this amusing.”

“I can’t help it. I always laugh when everything goes completely and utterly wrong,” she said. An edge of fear entered her voice. “How could I have done this?”

“It wasn’t all you,” he said. “I had a hand in it.”

“No, I know that. I just …” She bit her lip. “I should know better. The entire reason we came to Scotland was because of a scandal just like this. At the time, I couldn’t imagine how it had happened, and yet here I am. Even after we were nearly caught at Elk Manor.” Another nervous laugh escaped her lips. “Am I so completely careless?”

Guilt pushed its way into his thoughts.

“It isn’t your fault, Hope. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. I just,” he said, shaking his head. “I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t much of an excuse, and Graham was surprised to see Hope smiling at his words.

“That’s the second time you’ve apologized for kissing me,” she said softly. “I might begin to think you don’t like it.” He opened his mouth to say something, but she held up her hand. “Besides. It’s hardly fair of me to blame you when I was more than willing to participate.”

Graham stared at her.

“You don’t seem upset.”

“I suppose I should be, shouldn’t I?” A blush spread across her cheeks. It made him want to touch her cheek. “Given that I barely know you. But then…”

“What?”

“I don’t know. It seems as though we’ve been pushed together, almost. As if it were fated or something.”

Graham wasn’t sure why, but her words chilled him. He needed to tell her the truth now before they went any further. He opened his mouth to do so, just as the booming voice of Laird McTavish echoed from beyond the fire.

“Hope, there’s something I should—”

“Graham MacKinnon! Show yourself!”

They both looked toward the bonfire as a cheer erupted from the crowd. Graham cursed silently to himself.

“I think Jared must have told my uncle the news,” he said. “He’s always one for big shows.”

“Oh dear.”

“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “But I want to tell you—”

“MacKinnon! Where are ya, lad?”

The cheers from the crowd grew louder, and Hope began to look nervous. Deciding now wasn’t the best time to explain everything, Graham shook his head.

“Come. Let’s go before they send a search party.”

He helped her button up as they made their way out from behind the tents and carts holding hands. Hope and Graham received several knowing glances that made Graham cautious. He led her through the center of the crowd where his uncle stood. After an exchange of words in his uncle’s ear, the old Laird stood back with a smile, eyes wide with delight.

“What fine news indeed!” Laird McTavish said, gazing between his nephew and Hope. “She works fast, doesn’t she?” He winked at them both. “Fergus! Get the good wine. We have a celebration on our hands!”

“Who works fast?” Hope asked, as the old man took her hand and Graham’s, wedging himself between them.

“Lady Luck, of course,” the laird said. “Attention!” he bellowed across the crowd. “Quiet! My nephew, Graham MacKinnon, has just proposed to Miss Hope Sharpe, and she accepted!” The crowd broke into a series of cheers and whistled as the laird lifted their hands. “Let’s have some proper music!”

“Uncle—” Graham protested.

“Ack, it’s tradition, Graham,” his uncle interrupted as the harps, bagpipes, and flutes all began to play.

The laird joined Graham and Hope’s hands before him, as some sort of show or display. Graham reluctantly pulled her towards him, as his other hand went to her waist. Several other couples hurriedly joined them as they began a simple waltz-like dance that Hope had never seen before.

“I don’t know this dance,” she said worriedly.

“No one does, except the McTavish Clan,” he said, grasping her tight. “It’s a clan tradition. Just hold onto me and follow my lead. It’s fairly simple.”

“Oh,” Hope said. “Do all clans have a special betrothal dance?”

“No, but the McTavishes have always been a bit more willing to embarrass themselves than others.”

His words caught Hope’s attention.

“Embarrass? Are you embarrassed to dance?”

“I don’t like attention,” he said as they twirled out and came back together. “Dancing, announcements. All of it. I find it a bit ridiculous.”

“You’re rather a private sort of person, aren’t you?”

He gave her a searching glance.

“Aye. Are you?”

“I suppose I am, though I’ve never given it much thought before,” she said quietly. Hope glanced from side to side, watching the other dancers. When she looked back to meet Graham’s eyes, though, she seemed nervous. “Have we made a mistake?”

The worry in her voice set his nerves on edge. He didn’t want her to fear this partnership. He held her closer, ignoring the laws of propriety as they were betrothed now, giving them more leeway, especially since the rules of propriety were always relaxed during festival time. Graham leaned down, and his mouth found her ear.

“I don’t think so,” he said softly. “Do you think we have?”

She shook her head, and a tremor went through him as she smiled cautiously.

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Good.”