Page 10 of The Cruel Highlander’s Healer (Highlanders’ Feisty Brides #1)

CHAPTER TEN

C onall stared, impressed as Eliza glared up at the councilman. He’d come here to ask for Conall’s help and instead found himself going head-to-head with a lass that had balls the size of any man’s.

“What do ye mean, lass?” Councilman Aulds asked as he stared down at her.

Eliza didn’t flinch under the weight of the councilman’s gaze. “The healer ye were askin’ about? That’s me. And I ken how to help the bairns.”

“What do ye mean?” Conall asked, and it was his turn to rise out of his chair.

“I told ye before,” Eliza began, turning her attention in Conall’s direction. “The herbs will work. We got the first batches of tonic almost done, and it’ll be ready to administer soon.”

Conall studied her for a split second before turning his attention back to Councilman Aulds.

“Eliot,” Conall barked, “escort Councilman Aulds out, please. We will let him ken if we can assist him soon.”

The Councilman gaped like a fish as he stared at Conall. Conall only glared back. His chest puffed up, and he made a show of flexing his biceps as he crossed his arms.

I will nae be ordered around.

“Councilman,” Eliot interrupted, gesturing toward the other man and then toward the door. “This way.”

Aulds stared for a moment longer, and Conall could tell that he wanted to argue back, but Conall wouldn’t let him.

“Follow Eliot,” he commanded, placing a little bite in his words, letting the councilman know that he would find no kindness or wavering within this room.

Conall watched as Auld sized him up, but he did not waiver. Flexing again, he stared him down.

Finally, Auld exhaled a deep sigh, some of the fight going out of him.

“We will wait for yer word,” he said, before turning on his heel and following Eliot out of the room.

Conall waited until he heard the footsteps of the two men fully fade into the distance before finally turning his focus back on Eliza.

“Ye created the tonic?” he asked, immediately cursing himself internally when he heard how much hope had leached into his voice.

“Aye,” Eliza nodded. “I taught Kate, too. I’ll stay ‘til the mornin’ to make sure nothin’ goes amiss.”

At her words, a sinking feeling had filled his stomach. He stared down at her beautiful, lovely face.

“Only ‘til the mornin’?” he asked, stilling himself internally.

“Ye said ye needed me to heal the bairns,” Eliza explained, her lovely eyes never once leaving his face. “I have helped the bairns.”

Conall stared at her for a moment, the air between them growing thick. He imagined what it would be like in the morning, placing her back on the horse and riding into the forest. Dropping her off at the cottage where he’d nabbed her from, and then likely never seeing her again.

It was that thought more than anything else that drove him forward.

“Ye havenae helped nothin’, yet,” he said, his voice a low growl.

“Ye’ll keep me forever if I daenae go now,” she answered.

Conall’s gaze flicked down to her chest, quickly noting how rapidly her breaths were coming. He took a step closer to her.

Eliza didn’t flinch, she didn’t so much as take a step back, allowing him to close some of the distance between them.

“Why would I keep ye, when ye’ve been such a pain in me arse?”

The corner of her mouth ticked up in a smile.

“There’s already more people fallin’ sick,” she said. “But ye already ken what it is. Kate will ken well enough how to solve it come mornin’. I daenae need to stay.”

“Are ye sure about that?” Conall watched, taking another step forward and closing the distance between almost entirely.

* * *

Eliza looked up at the Laird’s face, heat rushing through her at their proximity. She had been this close to him before, but only when she was sitting on a horse with her back facing him. Now, she was able to take in his full glory.

Beastly, but beautiful.

“What else would there be?” she asked.

The tips of her fingers tingled with the need to reach up and touch him. Now that he was closer, she could see that the eyes she had once thought were black had small rings of gold around the irises.

The scar on his face, while brutal, gave him a ragged appearance that made her heart race. She wanted to run her finger along it.

“Maybe ye want to spend more time with me,” his voice was a low growl.

He was close enough that she could feel them rumble through his chest. The words made her breath hitch, but she forced a sarcastic smile onto her face.

He kidnapped ye.

Eliza reminded herself, using those words to give herself the strength to resist.

“Aye, I’m sure all the lasses fawn over their kidnapper,” she said with a grin.

“Ye might be surprised,” he shrugged his shoulder. “It’s nothin’ to be ashamed of. Plenty of lasses have wanted their chance to bed me.”

Eliza rolled her eyes, “and I bet ye scare them right off with that terrible nature of yers.”

Something flared in his eyes. The space between them had already been thick with tension, but somehow, it seemed to pulse.

Her heart raced faster, and heat crept up her neck and into her face. He didn’t step closer, if he did, they would have been touching. But somehow, she became even more aware of his presence than she had been a moment before.

The smell of him, all musk and danger, drifted the small space between them, cloying at her nose. She wanted to inhale it, craving to bury her face into him as he ravaged her.

Get control of yerself, lassie. Daenae go throwin’ yerself at a man like him.

“I daenae think I scare ye off.”

His words rumbled through her.

“I only want to help the bairns.” Eliza’s words sounded hollow, the lie in them apparent even to her own ears.

The Laird chuckled darkly. “We’ll see about that.”

Before she could react, his large hand lashed out. It wrapped around her head, gripping in her hair as he pulled her body against hers. Eliza didn’t even have time to luxuriate in the feeling of it before his mouth claimed hers.

Heat rushed through her, painting everything in her red with lust. Her veins felt like they were on fire as their mouths moved together.

His hand fisted in her hair, and his tongue darted out, claiming her mouth.

She reached her arms up, coming onto her tiptoes to wrap them around his neck.

With sure steps, the Laird pushed against her, backing Eliza up until her back hit the wall. She was nothing more than the feeling of his lips on hers, of his hand gripping her hair as the other roamed down her back.

She wanted more. Needed more. She wasn’t sure how she would ever get enough of this feeling. She needed….

Just as quickly as it all had started, suddenly the Laird wrenched away from her. Cold air rushed through, touching all the places that his warmth had just been.

Eliza’s eyes flashed open in surprise, finding Laird MacKinnon several paces back in the room. He stared at her, frank amusement written on his handsome, brutish face.

“I guess ye’re like the other lasses after all,” he said, the side of his mouth ticking up in a smirk. “We’ll be goin’ to Auld’s village in two days’ time. Make sure ye’re ready early in the mornin’. I willnae be waitin’.”

Eliza’s mind was spinning, having a hard time making sense of his words and everything that had happened within the last few moments. The Laird didn’t wait for her to respond as he turned and strode from the room.

With a shaking hand, Eliza touched her lips. They were swollen from the force of their kiss. Even though she was entirely alone in his study, she could still feel the touch of him. She could still feel the way his hands had roamed her body, and the pressure of his mouth on hers.

As the truth of it all settled over her, embarrassment washed over her, cold as ice. It stifled all the desire that had been coursing through her, like snow in her veins.

“What the hell did ye do, lass?” she asked aloud, but the only response was the crackling of the fire and the still rushing beat of her own heart.