Dougal disengaged from her, never minding that he was brutally aroused, his body slick with her wetness. She misunderstood what he wanted and instead rolled to her side, her hand curling around his shaft. Carefully, she guided him back inside her, but the new position didn’t bring him deep enough. He guided her onto her hands and knees, reaching to cup her breasts while he entered her from behind.
For a moment he teased the hard nipples, feeling the way she clenched at him within her depths. But when she backed against him, he forgot what he was doing and lost himself as he grasped her hips firmly and claimed her.
Mine, he thought savagely as he invaded and withdrew. He wanted to brand himself within her, to shatter apart her senses until she remembered no man except him. She was meeting him with every thrust, until he grew so hard, he was afraid of harming her.
She lowered her torso to the ground, raising her backside in a way that increased the sweet friction and took him deeper.
Did she think he was simply going to let her go after this?
No. He wanted more than that. He didn’t want her to leave him again. Though he would keep his promise to help rescue her sister, the girl’s freedom would come at another price.
He wanted Celeste.
He wanted to spend his nights in gloried lovemaking and his days making her happy. He wanted her to admit her mistake, agreeing to come back to Glen Arrin with him. She’d been the woman he’d loved for so long, the woman who knew how to get beneath his skin.
And when she was crying out in wicked release, begging him to end the torment, he filled her with his seed, collapsing atop her.
Nothing would force him to let her go. Not after this.
Chapter Six
In the darkness, Celeste put on the gown Marguerite had loaned her. Dougal was sleeping hard, his naked body revealed against the fur pallet. It was quiet within the fortress, and she wanted a few moments alone.
They had spent too long together, making love. She’d been unable to resist him, and now there was no time to escape, no time to ride away with him. She stepped into her shoes, closing the door behind her.
Within the fortress, every archer stood on the battlements, their bows at the ready. Callum was among them, and as soon as Marguerite spied her, she pulled her back inside.
“Don’t. They’ll see you.”
But Celeste ignored the woman, moving along the wall until she reached a crevice that allowed her to see outside the fortress. Lord Eiloch’s soldiers were waiting, surrounding them on all sides. There was no means of escaping them without bloodshed. And it was her fault for drawing them here.
She leaned back against the wall, understanding that many lives would be lost. Possibly even Dougal’s, if they dared to fight back.
From behind, she heard footsteps. Dougal had awakened and dressed so quickly his tunic hung open.
“Stay with Marguerite,” he ordered. “We have archers. And Callum is better than all of them. They won’t make it past the gates.”
“After you’ve killed them, Rowena will send an army here. They’ll butcher your family.” She had no doubt of it, and dismay flooded through her at the thought. She'd brought them away from Glen Arrin, only to increase the threat to Cairnross. They wouldn't give up.
But Dougal's gaze hardened. “They won't if we kill them first.”
She could not allow him to start a war. Turning to face him, she saw the fervor in his eyes. He intended to fight for her, no matter what the cost.
“No.” She moved past him, toward Marguerite. To the woman, she asked, “I want to invite Lord Eiloch inside. I would speak with him now and see if we can come to an agreement without any fighting.” It was time to stop running and do what she could to save them.
“Only if he comes alone,” Dougal said. “His men must stay beyond the gates.”
Lord Eiloch rested his hand upon his sword when he entered. Dougal remained at Celeste’s side, uncertain why she was surrendering so easily. Did she not believe he could defend her? His anger was barely in check, and he was itching for a fight. If the man made one move to harm her, he’d find himself dead.
“I know why you left,” Lord Eiloch began, his gaze fixed upon Celeste. “But it won’t work.”
He raised his eyes to Dougal and a smug look crossed his face. To Celeste, he added, “I suppose you took him as your lover, didn’t you? You thought to conceive a child and pass your bastard off as Edmon’s.”
The stricken look on Celeste’s face was worse than a blow to Dougal’s stomach. It spoke of a truth he’d never imagined. A child? Was that the reason she’d come this far?
When he sent her a questioning look, tears formed in her eyes. And when he glanced at her, they were tears of guilt.
A numbness settled through him, for he’d never imagined she would use him in that way. Was she already pregnant when he’d lain with her last night? Or was Lord Eiloch speaking the truth, that she’d lain with him to conceive a son?
