Yet Flora dared to question him. In fact, it seemed never to occur to her to temper her tongue. She’d been encouraged to speak her mind—a rarity in the Highlands for a woman. Not many people dared to challenge him openly. But Flora did.
He found it maddening, but also oddly refreshing.
Her faith in the king, however, was laughable.
A few months ago, angry over the resumption of feuding between the two clans, King James had attempted to bring Lachlan and Hector to heel by ordering them to appear before the Privy Council under promise of safe conduct to Edinburgh. Not trusting Hector to abide by the king’s directive, Lachlan sent his brother, John, in his stead, so that he could stay and defend Breacachadh from attack.
He’d expected treachery from Hector and found it with the king. Instead of hearing the merits of the dispute, King James had summarily tossed John into prison—trying to force Lachlan to end the fighting and cede to the jurisdiction of the Privy Council. Lachlan went to Argyll to help seek his brother’s release from Blackness Prison, and it was cold comfort to know that he’d been right to fear an invasion when Hector had immediately taken the opportunity to capture Breacachadh.
Hector was a harsh and brutal leader—Lachlan could only imagine the suffering of his clan under Hector’s dominion. And with both his clan and brother suffering, there was no time to lose.
He would take his men and storm Blackness himself—were it not for his sisters and his people. He couldn’t risk it. Not if there was another way. Flora was that way. He would not shirk from doing what was necessary to convince her to marry him, even if it meant deceiving her. A prospect that had seemed a whole hell of a lot simpler when he’d thought she was a spoiled girl. But there was nothing simple about Flora MacLeod. Or the riotous feelings she roused in him.
She would never agree to marry him if she learned the truth. Thewholetruth of the devil’s bargain he’d struck with her cousin Argyll to ensure his brother’s release from prison. And it disturbed him to realize how much that prospect bothered him.
Lust had obviously addled him. Flora would help secure John’s release, and Hector would pay for all he’d done—that was all that mattered.
Seonaid was right where Morag said she would be, collecting herbs from the garden. She had some skill with herbs and served as the clan’s healer. That the sight of her softly rounded bottom perched in the air didn’t give him a flicker of hesitation proved that he was doing the right thing.
She heard him approach and stood up slowly to greet him with a wide smile. “My laird. What a pleasant surprise.” She sauntered toward him, her hips swaying in the sensual way that had originally caught his eye. She stood right in front of him, her soft, plump breasts poking his chest, and glanced up at him coyly. “Is there something you need?”
Yes, but unfortunately not from her. He wasn’t even tempted. But it wasn’t Seonaid’s fault. “Not today, lass.”
She gazed at him hopefully. “Tonight, then, perhaps?”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “I see.”
He could tell from the crushed look on her face that she did. He hadn’t intended to hurt her, but he’d been honest from the start. “I thought you understood.”
She tried to smile, but he could see the tears shining in her eyes. “I did. I just hoped…” She looked down. A lock of hair slid across her face, and he reached down to tuck it behind her ear. But she read more into the gesture than he’d intended. He could see her hope swell before she turned her blame from him to Flora. “It’s her, isn’t it?” Her voice grew angry. “She was watching me last night. She told you to be rid of me.”
Lachlan frowned, not liking the venom he saw on Seonaid’s face—or the inference that he would be dictated to by a lass. “The decision was mine.”
She reached up, sliding her arms behind his neck, pressing her soft and very willing body against his. “She’ll never satisfy you. A woman like that. You’ll terrify her.” She trailed her hand down his stomach and wrapped her fingers around him intimately. “I know what you like.” She breathed against his ear. “How you like me to take you deep in my mouth.”
One long pull of that talented mouth, and Lachlan could release some of this restless energy. But it wasn’t Seonaid’s mouth that he pictured. His body stirred at the image of Flora’s red lips stretched taut around the heavy head of his cock, milking him.
Seonaid misunderstood, and a satisfied gleam appeared in her eyes. “Do you think your fancy court lady will do that for you?”
Her words bothered him more than they should have. The differences between Flora and him had not gone unnoticed. But Seonaid had overstepped her bounds.
Lachlan removed her hand and stepped away from her. “It isn’t your concern.”
“I thought we had something more.”
He didn’t want to be cruel, but he didn’t want there to be any doubt. “What we had was sex. From the start I made that very clear. You were my leman.”
“And she will be your wife.”
Lachlan’s eyes narrowed. Only his guardsmen, Morag, and his sisters were aware of the true purpose for Flora’s presence in Drimnin. He’d thought it best to keep the matter of John’s imprisonment quiet; there would be fewer questions to answer and less likelihood she would discover her cousin’s involvement. Was Seonaid merely speculating, or had someone spoken out of turn? He’d have to make damn sure that none of the talk reached Flora’s ears.
“You forget yourself, Seonaid. Whether I take a wife is no concern of yours.” She flinched at his blunt words. He knew the lass spoke out of jealousy, but he would not tolerate disrespect. Nor did he like the calculation he saw in her gaze. “I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any pain, lass. But I warn you. Do not interfere.”
I need you, my sweet. Make no mistake of that.
Echoes of last night’s conversation still sounded in her head, even as Flora sat down to break her fast. Why did he need her if the king was involved? Without a legal claim to Breacachadh Castle, surely Hector would be ordered to return Coll’s castle. It didn’t make any sense. Was there another reason? But when she’d asked him, he’d brushed aside her questions.
