Page 12 of Taken by the Ruthless Highlander (Taken by Highland Devils #6)

12

M organa’s heart fluttered as she stared up at her husband. She wasn’t sure if it was anger coursing through her or the excitement of defying all rules that had been set before.

She couldn’t ignore the intensity of his gaze, for it unnerved and rattled her to her core. Yet, she did not tremble under the weight of his scrutiny. If anything, she found the moment beyond thrilling.

Defying his rules gave her the pinch of freedom she had been craving all her life. It was as if putting on the trousers gave her confidence and pride that she hadn’t felt before.

“There was nay time for me to come to ye with this issue,” Morgana whispered as Ryder drew closer, as if he was determined to keep her hidden from prying eyes.

Before she knew it, she was pinned against the wall of the tavern, and the anger in her husband’s eyes turned to lust. She watched as the flames of his desires were kindled and stroked into a roar.

“Is that so?” he challenged.

“I had just received the letter this very day,” she answered.

The heat of his body seeped through the thin fabric of her brother’s shirt.

“Are ye sure this is how I’m to wear this?” Morgana asked as she glanced at Ronnie for reassurance.

“Ye look the part,” Ronnie answered with pride tainting his tone. “I just cannae believe ye can fit me clothes.”

“There was nay time to wait. I had to come. But why are ye here?”

“That is none of yer business,” Ryder said, his voice thick with desire and a yearning that spoke to her soul. “But I thought I told ye yesterday that I’d be gone. Ye were to be in charge of the clan, and yet I find ye here, gallivantin’ in men’s clothing. Do ye have any idea the damage yer little jaunt could do to us? The clan willnae tolerate such disobedience.”

“And what of ye?” Morgana asked, batting her long eyelashes. “What are yer thoughts on such things? Will ye have me thrown in the dungeons for disgracin’ myself and the clan?”

“Had someone recognized ye, aye, I would see ye punished.”

The challenge in his tone seemed to add fuel to her fire. “And what would ye do to me?”

Ryder’s eyes darkened. The corners of his lips twitched as if he were trying to suppress a smile. Tension rose between them, festering and brewing into something Morgana knew she wouldn’t be able to control. Ryder pinched her chin, ensuring that she wouldn’t be able to look away from him.

“Are ye tryin’ to challenge me?” he purred.

“And what if I am?” she shot back.

Ryder leaned closer, closing the gap between them. There was nowhere he wasn’t touching her. It was as if he had swallowed the whole world with his presence.

“What is it that ye want me to say?” he asked, trailing his fingers down the length of her neck. Her breath hitched when he didn’t stop at the swell of her bosom, but cupped her breast in his hand. “Would ye like me to describe the things I’d do to ye?”

“Ryder? Ye out here?” an unfamiliar voice called through the foggy night.

Morgana hated the intrusion and even more so the feel of the frigid night air on her skin the moment Ryder stepped away from her.

“Aye,” he called, without taking his eyes off her. She chewed on her lip as her anticipation grew. “What did ye need?”

“Och, I see,” Felix said with a curious expression. “And just who do ye have there?”

“Nay one,” Ryder answered. There was no hiding the sternness in his tone or the dread in each word he spoke.

Morgana’s breathing quickened as his fingers curled around her wrist, pinning her to the spot. She wanted to dart to safety, to flee from embarrassment. It was bad enough that her husband had seen her dressed in such a way, but to have her paraded around and mocked… that she wouldn’t tolerate.

“Come now, I can see ye’ve got someone there. If ye need some help roughin’ up the lad, I’ll be glad to help. The only way a pickpocket will learn is through a good beatin’ if ye ask me,” the man drawled as he stepped into the alley.

“She’s nae a pickpocket,” Ryder corrected, much to his shock.

“Did ye say she ? But he looks like a stable boy.” The man craned his neck to study Morgana.

“Aye, Felix,” Ryder said. “Perhaps now is a good time for ye to meet my wife.”

“Nay.” Felix chuckled.

He eyed Morgana with an uncertain expression. It was clear from the confusion on his face that he was having a hard time picturing her as the lady of Clan McKenzie while she was wearing her brother’s clothes.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I have to admit, ye do make a handsome lad.”

“Enough,” Ryder snapped, his annoyance spiking. “I’ll nae have anyone else see her this way. We’re goin’ back to the castle, now.”

“I’m nae goin’ anywhere,” Morgana insisted. “I came here to find out where my sister is stayin’. I cannae go back to my family without answers.”

“Aye, ye are,” Ryder grunted as he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from the shadows of the alleyway. “I’ll nae have ye wanderin’ around this town lookin’ the way ye are. Ye dinnae ken the sort of evil that lurks in the hearts of men. It’s too risky for ye to be here on yer own. Nae to mention the fact that ye’re Lady McKenzie. This isnae how a lass of yer status should behave.”

Morgana started to protest, only for him to shoot her a glare, daring her to challenge him in front of his friend. Trying to keep her emotions from her voice, she struggled against him.

“If ye didnae want to be seen with me, then let me go and get the information I need,” she pressed. “Ye dinnae understand—my sister is missin’.”

“Aye, and ye may think me cold-hearted for nae carin’ about her at the moment, when our problems are here and now,” Ryder said. “We need to get ye back to the castle and into somethin’ more respectable, before the village turns on us and I see ye hangin’ from the gallows. Even at my best, I could only take on three—maybe four men at the same time. I dinnae want to have to protect ye from the whole town.”

“Funny how that seems to be the fate I was dealt.” Morgana chuckled darkly at the thought. “But if ye hadnae dragged me out of the tavern, I would have had the information by now.”

“Highly doubtful,” Felix interjected with a snicker. “Everyone kens that the things ye hear in a tavern are only a fraction of the truth.”

“It doesnae matter. We’re leavin’, now . Felix, ye ken where to find me, but I’ve got to take her home before all hell breaks loose.”

“Aye.” Felix nodded.

Just then, the tavern doors flew open. Three men stumbled out, their laughter filling the alleyway.

Ryder’s eyes narrowed as his grip on Morgana’s arm tightened. “Ye’ll play yer part and nae say a word, do ye understand?” he hissed.

The threat in his voice sent an icy chill down her spine.

“Her voice is too high-pitched to pass off for a lad,” Felix mumbled as he stepped up to her side.

“Nae a word,” Ryder warned again.

Together, with Felix on her left and Ryder on her right, they marched out of the alleyway and strolled to the stables of the blacksmith. Her boots squelched in the mud as she walked.

How she wanted to turn around and head back to the tavern. She felt as if she were giving up by walking away.

“Now that?—”

“What did I tell ye?” Ryder growled, shifting his gaze to Felix the second they stepped into the blacksmith’s stables. “Ye’re to keep silent.”

“But there’s nay one here,” Morgana argued.

“Ye dinnae ken that,” Felix interjected, his voice tight as his eyes lingered on the shadows in the rafters. “Ye’d be surprised by the hidin’ places one finds when they want.”

Morgana jumped as Ryder’s hand landed on her shoulder. He nodded his head toward his horse. “Get on.”

Before she could get a single word out, Ryder hoisted her up by the waist and lowered her into the saddle. She held the horn as he climbed in behind her.

“I expect yer answer by mornin’,” Ryder said to Felix as he turned the horse around.

Questions swirled around in Morgana’s head as Ryder squeezed his legs against the horse’s flanks. With merely a kick, the horse responded and bolted out of the stables.

“Who was that?” Morgana asked, once the darkness enveloped them.

“Felix Gilmour,” Ryder answered. “I’m hopin’ he’ll take up the position as my man at arms.”

Morgana frowned. “What of Cohen?”

Worry sliced through her irritation. After all, Cohen was her only friend in the castle, and seeing him demoted did not sit well with her.

“He was loyal to my faither,” Ryder said. “I need men I can trust, just as I want a wife who will do as I tell her the first time I tell her.”

“Why do ye do that?” Morgana huffed as she glanced over her shoulder at him. “Ye talk to me as if I’m a child.”

“When ye make silly, childish decisions, ye’re goin’ to be treated as such,” Ryder countered. “I mean, really, what were ye thinkin’? Dressin’ as a lad? Leavin’ the castle without an escort? What if ye were kidnapped? Or killed? Did ye ever consider what that would do to yer family?”

Morgana blinked as his words settled over her like a heavy, wet blanket. “Hence the disguise. But tell me, what gave me away? How did ye even ken it was me?”

Ryder shifted behind her and cleared his throat, “Yer scent.”

“What?” she blurted, dumbfounded.

“Ye smell like lilacs and rosemary. And summer…” Ryder trailed off, his hot breath caressing her neck.

Goosebumps rose over Morgana’s skin as they moved like shadows in the night. Tingles ran up and down her spine. It was as if Ryder had flipped a switch within her, causing every inch of her body to respond to him.

“Is that right?” she murmured, trying not to let her imagination run wild.

The image of Ryder tethering the horse to a tree and laying her on his tartan before taking her maidenhead flashed across her mind. Her body quivered at the thought.

The tip of Ryder’s nose traced the length of her neck, making her breath hitch. Did he have any clue how badly he was taunting her? Temptation was like chains bound to her ankles.

She chewed on her lower lip as her thoughts strayed to the feel of his strong arms around her, keeping her from falling off the saddle.

“I think that might be the first compliment ye’ve ever given me.”

“Nae true,” Ryder countered, his voice soft and sultry. For a moment, Morgana couldn’t help but wonder if he was growing sleepy. “I told ye how lovely ye looked durin’ the weddin’.”

“That must have slipped my mind,” Morgana said, just as a crack of thunder rippled overhead.

“That’s nae good. We’re nae goin’ to make it back before it starts rainin’. I hope ye dinnae mind gettin’ wet.”

No sooner had Ryder spoken the words than the heavens opened.

Rain pummeled Morgana, the icy kisses stealing the last bit of warmth she had managed to hold onto. Ryder’s body curled in on her, shielding her from the rain as he pulled the extra fabric of his tartan over his head. The fabric was enough to cocoon them in a private well of dryness and trap their warmth.

A flash of lightning blazed a path through the darkness, illuminating the road ahead. In the distance, Morgana could see the castle against the inky backdrop. The sight was both a blessing and a curse. With no news to share, she felt like a failure. But the thought was swiftly pushed to the frayed edges of her mind with each squeeze of Ryder’s strong arms.

“Out,” Ryder snapped at the stable boy the moment they entered the sanctuary of the stables.

The rain pounded on the roof, making it hard for anyone to hear anything. The stable boy gave a sharp nod of his head and scurried out.

“Was that necessary?” Morgana asked as Ryder jumped down from the horse.

He turned and held his hands out to her. Morgana swung one leg over and let gravity pull her into his embrace.

“I’ll nae have them start rumors,” he answered as he plucked a strand of wet hair from her chest. “It’s bad enough that ye’re dressed as a lad. I’ll nae have the castle thinkin’ there’s somethin’ wrong with ye. I can handle a drunk wife or even one that’s ditzy. But I’ll nae have a disobedient wife. Now, I’ll nae ask ye again.”

Morgana’s heart pounded as she watched him guide the horse into a stall. There was no doubt he’d order the stable boy to feed and brush down the horse the second they left. But at that moment, Morgana wished that she hadn’t gone out, to begin with.

Swallowing hard, she peeled the wet shirt off her as if it were a second skin. A sharp gasp escaped Ryder’s lips, causing her muscles to tighten. How she wanted him next to her again, shielding her from the cold.

“What was it ye said? There’s always someone watchin’? What makes ye think we’re alone in here?” she challenged.

She stood bared-chested before him, unashamed, bold as brass.

Judging by the spark in his eyes, Ryder was enjoying the show.

“Usually, only the stable boy would be in here at this hour,” he said as he moved toward her. His gaze was direct and seemed to carry with it the power to hold her in place. “But if it makes ye feel better, I’ll kill anyone who sees ye in this state.”

“I dinnae think that is necessary,” Morgana scoffed as she plucked a blanket off one of the stall doors and wrapped herself in it.

She turned around, her heart fluttering wildly. What had gotten into her? Was it sheer stubbornness that was giving her the courage to defy her husband and Laird?

“Did I tell ye to put that on?” Ryder growled.

Morgana’s body trembled, betraying her. She hadn’t expected him to be so close. And yet there he was, a hairsbreadth away from her. She closed her eyes as she let the blanket fall to the floor.

“What are ye doin’? I thought ye said ye wouldnae touch me,” she breathed as she turned back to face him.

“And am I touchin’?” he countered as his eyes roamed over her, taking in her nakedness.

She watched him devour her with his eyes in the dim torchlight. Her heart fluttered wildly, the anticipation wreaking havoc on her as she wondered what he was about to do.

“Ye really are a stunning creature.”

Heat rushed through her and flooded her cheeks. She licked her dry lips as he handed her back the blanket.

Confusion rippled through her, shattering the illusion she had built up around her.

“Ye’ll need this,” he said, stealing one more glimpse of her. “I expect ye to use the servants’ passages. Stay out of sight, understand?”

Rejection pricked her heart as she took the blanket to cover her nakedness. Flustered and frustrated, Morgana couldn’t help but wonder how could he just stand there and not do anything.

Unless he didn’t want her.

“Aye,” she whimpered, disappointment curling around her heart and stealing her hope.

She turned to the door and paused as the rain came in sheets.

“Dinnae tell me ye’re afraid of the water,” Ryder teased.

“Nay,” she answered, refusing to look back at him. He was toying with her. “Waitin’ for the lights in the kitchen to go out. Wouldnae want anyone seein’ me now, would we?”

“In just a blanket? Nay, that view is mine and mine alone,” Ryder asserted as he pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers.

His kiss was searing, hungry, insatiable . Morgana wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to keep him anchored to her. How long had she wanted this.

The blanket dropped to her ankles, and Ryder seized the moment, cupping her breast. Morgana moaned as the warmth of his hand spread through her. It was as if she had stepped into a furnace.

“Say ye understand,” Ryder growled as he backed her up against the wall. “Swear to me that nay one will ever see ye like this.”

He kissed down her neck as he pinched her erect nipple, sending a bolt of pleasurable pain to her core.

“Aye, I swear,” Morgana whimpered as his hand moved down the length of her body, tracing the curves of her hips until his fingertips grazed the button of her trousers.

With a flick of his wrist, her trousers dropped to the floor. Then, his fingers trailed down her mound to tease her wet folds. Her breath hitched when she felt his finger slide inside her.

“Swear to me ye’ll never pull another stunt like this again,” Ryder said as he pumped his fingers deeper into her.

Morgana threw her head back. The pleasure was overwhelming. It was as if he could play her like a fiddle, getting her to agree to whatever he wanted.

“Ye’ll never leave the castle without my permission. Swear it to me.”

The rhythm and speed of his thrusts quickened, bringing her to the brink of the unknown. It was as if her body was no longer hers to control. Somehow, with a single touch, Ryder had found a way to override every command she gave it.

“Aye, I swear,” Morgana moaned.

Ryder’s teeth grazed her earlobe as he pulled his fingers out of her. “Good. Now, go to bed. And remember, I’ll kill anyone who sees ye.”