Page 15 of The Mad Highlander

15

I ris examined the marks on her arms that were already beginning to discolor. She would have a few bruises on her body, that was for sure.

The maid brushed the strands of her wet hair, patting them down her back as the girl took extra care not to bump any part of her body that had been harmed.

“Ye must have had quite a shock, Me Lady. I hope the hot bath has eased yer muscles a bit?” The kind young girl with mousy features and a spray of freckles across her nose finished braiding her hair and took a step back, examining her handy work before tidying all of the things she had used.

“Yes, it was quite a shock, I’m not sure what we would have done if His Lairdship hadn’t come along when he had.” Iris swallowed hard, recalling the terror that had rushed through her body. Everything had seemed so quiet and peaceful before the men had suddenly appeared out of the bushes and dragged them both deeper into the woods.

The fear in Robyn’s eyes had awakened something within her that made her suddenly fight back. Breaking free, she had bitten into the man’s grubby hand before letting out a blood-curdling scream that had pierced even her sensitive ears.

“It’s a good thing, too; the servants are all talking about what happened. I cannae believe it was McReed that hired those men. But then again, none of us ever liked him much. He would always bark at us an’ ne’er said thank ye.” She paused as a deep blush spread over her cheeks. “Not that a man of his station ever has to show humility or gratitude,” the girl quickly corrected her statement.

“Dinnae fuss, I ken what ye meant,” Iris reassured her with a smile.

The girl relaxed considerably as her shoulders slumped back down. “Will that be all, Me Lady?”

“Aye, that will be all, thank ye.” Iris smiled at the girl before watching her disappear down the hallway.

Turning back to the mirror, Iris sighed heavily and let out her breath. She hadn’t been able to reflect on her feelings since Cayden had come to their aid. Margot had met them at the edge of the forest and ushered them all into the castle where Astrid had been waiting to see to their wounds.

Astrid.

Iris had been in such a state of shock that she hadn’t even questioned why the beautiful young woman was seeing to her wounds. A few days ago, Cayden had told Iris that Astrid was the castle healer, but did she actually mean more to him than he was letting on?

“Iris?” A gentle knock sounded at the door before Iris had a chance to pursue that particular train of thought.

“Cayden.” Her heart fluttered when she looked in the mirror and saw his reflection. He was clad in a fresh cotton shirt and clean breeches. The cut across his cheek had been sewn shut.

“Did I scare ye?” he asked gently, his eyes boring into hers through his reflection.

“Nae, I was deep in thought, but ye didnae scare me.” She smiled softly, allowing her eyes to wander over his body where his muscles bulged against the confines of his clothes. The pit of her stomach coiled with desire despite the ordeal they had just been through.

Cayden nodded. “Good. Do ye mind if I come in?”

“Sure.” She nodded to his reflection in the mirror before turning around to face him. Her heart skittered when he moved to shut the door but left it ajar.

Did he change his mind?

She wondered if he had planned to shut the door but then changed his mind at the last minute.

“I went to see McReed ’afore I bathed. Ye need nae fear; he’s securely behind bars, an’ I’ve told the guards they are nae to leave his side for a moment.” He spoke softly before perching against the edge of her bed with his hip.

“That’s good to ken.” Iris nodded, feeling safer now that Cayden was in her room. She knew that she was safe within the walls of the castle, but then again, McReed had been a member of Cayden’s clan, and not even he knew that the man would have acted in that manner.

“I’m calling another council meeting in the morning, I dinnae think that anyone else will try an’ repeat the act, nae after McReed failed so miserably.” Cayden almost spat the words out as he clenched his jaw in anger.

“I dinnae blame ye, Cayden, if that is what ye are worried about,” Iris spoke softly, resisting the urge to close the distance between them. They had embraced each other so naturally in the woods that it had felt right. She’d instantly felt at home in his arms, causing her fears to melt away.

“It doesnae matter if ye blame me or nae,” he stated a little too loudly. “I made a promise to ye, and I havenae even been able to keep it until our handfasting day.”

“Ye saved me.”

“I wouldnae have to have saved ye if I had protected ye properly in the first place. It all happened right under me nose.” Cayden balled his fist and slammed it against the wall, causing Iris to jump.

“Please,” she said, moving to him and placing her hand on his cheek. “There was naythin’ ye could have done. I would be in the grave if ye hadnae turned up. Ye saved me life.”

A little relief flushed his face. “I am glad that ye feel that way; I should have had a better handle on things, but I appreciate yer words.” He pushed himself up and headed toward the doors.

“Cayden, wait.” Iris suddenly stopped him as panic filled her body. The thought of spending the night alone in her bed scared her far more than she had realized.

“Aye?” He turned to her with a frown.

Her throat felt dry as she searched for the right words. “Stay with me,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. Heat flooded her cheeks when Cayden continued to stare at her. “I thought I would be fine by meself, but all I can think about is the look in his eyes when he grabbed me in the woods. I wasnae scared when we came back here, but now that ye are goin’ to leave…” She looked around the large room that had been appointed as her chambers since the moment she had arrived.

Cayden lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the door before turning toward it fully.

Iris was half afraid that he was about to leave. Cayden glanced down the hall before turning back to her and nodding.

“I will stay with ye tonight to ensure there are nay more attacks. It is the least I can do.” He closed the door and walked over to the chair by the window, slumping down into it.

Iris went and sat on the edge of the bed. She watched Cayden in the chair, wanting to share in his suffering. She had tried to convince him that he was not to blame, but she had not succeeded. It was her own fault for straying so far, even if she was unaware of any danger.

“Why would someone want to hurt me?” Iris asked softly.

“Because they want to hurt me,” he replied, not looking at her. “They see ye as me weakness, and they are tryin’ to exploit it.”

“That means they will come again.” Iris tried to hold back the tears.

“Maybe, but we will be ready for them this time.” Cayden got out of the chair and sat on the bed with Iris. He took her hand. “I ken ye are scared, but we have the man responsible, and I will not rest until I have put this matter to bed. He didnae like what I have planned, but somethin’ tells me this runs deeper than that. That it is somehow connected to Murdoch takin’ yer brother.”

“What?” Iris gasped. “How?”

“I dinnae ken yet, but I will find out. I am a man who others might cross once, but they never cross me a second time.”

Iris looked into the Laird’s eyes, and she might have been scared by what she found there, but his anger was not directed toward her. It was directed toward her enemies. She did not need any proof that the Laird’s words were the truth. She could see in his eyes that no one would cross him twice.

She found comfort in his anger. She wanted their enemies to pay for what they had done. She wanted him to rescue her brother. She needed the mad laird more than she had ever needed anyone ever before.

Iris took up her hand, Cayden still holding it, and she kissed his fingers.

“I feel safe with ye here,” she told him.

“Ye will be safe,” he replied. He said it with conviction, and she saw the change in him. He had felt guilty, but he only had determination now.

She placed her free hand on his chest, feeling the muscles below. He not only had strength in his words, but his body, too.

“Ye saved me,” she reminded him. “I am yers now.”

“Aye,” Cayden said. “Ye are mine to do as I please?”

“Aye,” Iris said nervously.

“Ye shouldnae say things ye dinnae mean,” Cayden told her, placing his hand over hers on his chest. “Ye make it sound as if I could da anythin’ to ye.”

Iris brought her eyes up to meet his. She took a breath. “Aye.”

Her heart pounded furiously as he slipped the robe from her shoulders and tossed it across the room. She fumbled at his shirt, needing to discover what was below. Iris gripped the edges of his shirt and lifted it over his head.

What am I doing?

Raw panic filled her body as she watched him stand to kick off his boots. He towered above her like a mighty oak, scars crossing his body like the bark of a tree. Her chest rose and fell, a thin fabric the only thing between the Laird and her body. She was willing to give herself to him fully.

Cayden paused at the end of the bed and looked her up and down with hungry eyes. Iris stood and placed her hands on his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin this time.

“I’ll keep ye safe. I promise” He searched her face.

“I ken ye will.” Iris kissed his chest, drawing her lips over his scars. She let out a small gasp when his hand reached around and cupped her rear.

He hoisted her up into the air, and she wrapped her legs around him. He looked into her eyes again before tossing her onto the bed. Once more, he towered above her, and she felt small before him. She needed the safety that he brought—she needed him in her bed.

“I want ye,” Iris whispered. She did not know if it was he or the protection he brought, but seeing his broad chest before her, she was only thinking with her body now, and she longed to touch him. From the look in his eyes, he would ravage her.

Cayden knelt on the bed, and it creaked under his weight. He crawled his way up beside her, his feet hanging over the edge of the bed. He brought immediate warmth even if their bodies were not touching. She watched his chest rising and falling.

Her brazen confidence began to fail her. Iris leaned to the side and blew out the candle beside her bed, bathing them both in darkness. Silence filled the chamber. She listened to the Laird breathing in the darkness. She wanted his touch, but she didn’t at the same time. She was the one who had invited him into her bed, but now that he was beside her, she was not sure what she wanted.

He was handsome and commanding, but she was still scared. Of an attack? For her brother? Of the mad laird? She did not know.

Cayden finally broke the awkwardness. “I must thank ye.” He swallowed hard.

“For what?” Iris probed gently.

“I have a terrible temper. I’m nae sure why or even how, but ye help me control it. There are fewer outbursts now, and I nae longer feel as if I will snap an’ hurt…” his voice trailed off.

Feeling touched by his admission, Iris turned over and propped herself up on her elbow as she strained her eyes in the dark to look at him. A chink in the drapes allowed just enough light into the room to make it possible for her to see the vulnerability in his eyes.

I dinnae ken who he is, but he is nae who I thought he was.

“I ken ye wouldnae hurt me,” she said gently before reaching out and stroking his cheeks, feeling the stubble that had begun to grow on his jawline.

Cayden’s eyes shone hauntingly blue in the dim light of the moon. Her breathing suddenly deepened as he came a little closer, his hand venturing to her face as he drew her in for a kiss. Everything felt right as a shiver of pleasure ran through her body. His kiss was soft and chaste for only a moment but quickly descended into the same passion they’d had in the light of the room. His tongue snaked out and brushed her lips before entering her mouth.

A soft gasp escaped her throat when he pulled her closer, placing his hand behind her back before caressing her skin through the fabric of her nightdress. He was as warm as fire against her, and she felt any resolve melting as their bodies pressed together. She wanted him.

“I cannae go any further until we are married.”

The words shocked Iris, and it felt like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She opened her mouth to respond, but the Laird spoke first.

“There is still something that I can show ye now.” His voice was deep and thick with passion as he growled against her lips.

“What?” Iris felt her pulse racing when his hand slid over her hip, gently caressing her flesh through the fabric. She wished for him to tear it off and claim her in the bed—to make her feel something other than the panic she had experienced that day.

“Do ye trust me?” Cayden asked, pausing right before he began to lift her dress.

Nodding, she gave her consent and pressed her lips against his, hungry for more of his touch.

Cayden growled in response and gently gripped her sides, pushing her onto her back. She looked up at his hungry gaze. His eyes swept over her body, causing a wave of heat to rush through her veins as the pit of her stomach knotted deliciously with anticipation.

Pulling her lower lip through her teeth, she allowed him to move her arms, placing them above her head before gripping the edges of her nightdress and slipping the garment over her head. Her skin broke out in a light layer of bumps as he gazed down at her naked body, his eyes filling with hunger.

Leaning forward, he kissed her wrists softly at first before flicking his tongue over her skin and kissing a path down her arm and chest.

A sharp, visceral response flooded her body when his lips closed over her erect nipple, gently suckling on the sensitive nub. She couldn’t help but moan when his tongue flicked back and forth, creating an entirely new sensation that had her squirming beneath his body.

“Cayden.” She gasped softly, feeling him leave her one breast and kiss the other before his lips broke into a smile.

“Trust me,” he commanded her, allowing his hands to glide down her sides before his lips traced a path over the plains of her flat belly.

The feeling of his hands parting her knees made her nerves rise again. She had never been intimate with a man before and wondered if what he was doing was normal. Her lips parted again in a surprised gasp when she felt a gentle kiss being pressed against her inner thigh.

Repositioning himself, Cayden shifted down her body until his head was positioned between her thighs. The hungry growl that escaped his throat when he buried his face between her thighs was nothing compared to the whimper of pleasure that filled the air when his tongue penetrated her folds.

The hot sensations of pleasure that filled her core caused her back to arch as Cayden licked her folds, flicking his tongue back and forth with slow, even movements that had her gasping for more as she gripped the sheets in her fists, looking for something to hold onto as she writhed beneath his tongue.

His tongue was slow at first, gently guiding her toward the realms of pleasure she’d never visited before.

Her hands moved as if they possessed a life of their own as she gripped the back of his head and pushed his face deeper between her thighs.

“Hmmm,” Cayden moaned in agreement against her labia before doubling his efforts with faster strokes of his tongue.

Iris whimpered and shut her eyes when her legs began to tremble, making her lose control of her body when Cayden gripped her thighs to hold her in place. “Oh, Cayden!” Her voice was almost strangled when she gripped the sheets and pulled them between her breasts, unintentionally closing them both in a makeshift cocoon.

Her breathing quickened now as her limbs shook with pleasure. The strange feeling of wanting to lose control while still wanting him to continue his onslaught between her thighs took hold of her being.

“Show me how much ye like it,” Cayden demanded hungrily, stopping for the briefest of seconds with his tongue poised over her moist center.

Her back arched before her limbs stiffened, her body exploding with hot waves of pleasure that sent her over the edge.

Cayden continued to lick her slowly, bringing her down until the final remnants of her climax had ceased, and her legs had stopped shaking. “Good girl,” he growled against her thigh before kissing the sensitive flesh and making his way up her body. Propping himself up beside her body, he used the tips of his fingers to draw patterns over her breasts. “How did that feel?”

Iris took a moment to regain her composure before mumbling an answer. “It felt wonderful.” She kept her eyes closed as he rolled her over and nestled her against his body.

“Good, it’s supposed to feel wonderful. It will feel even better when we’re handfasted,” he whispered in her ear before gently nibbling the edge between her lips.

Iris found herself shivering with pleasure when he continued to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, all the while running the tips of his fingers over her skin.

Sleep began to take over her body as she drifted away in the warmth of his arms. Nothing and no one had ever made her feel as safe and loved as Cayden had done. The last thing she could remember was Cayden promising her that nobody would lay a finger on her ever again for as long as he lived.