When she reached her release, her cry echoed down the hills around them. If there were any riders on these roads, they would not have been able to ignore it. But she couldn’t find it in her to care, as her body finally softened against his, the pleasure that she had needed spinning through every inch of her at once. He kissed her again as she moved over the edge, drinking in her pleasure, and, a few moments later, she felt him finish inside her, driving himself one last time within her like he never intended to pull back.
“Ye have bewitched me, Innes. How can I ever get enough of ye?”
Smoothing his hand over her hair, he stared down at her, and once she had managed to gather herself enough, her eyes found his. And there was such softness there, in the way he looked at her, that a swell of emotion threatened to rise and take her over entirely.
She managed to kiss him again before it did, their bodies still entangled in the most intimate way. He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment before he spoke, as though he, too, was overwhelmed with all of it.
“I dinnae ken about you, lass,” he sighed. “But I think I might finally be sated.”
“For today, at least,” she teased, and he laughed, pulling her on top of him as he went to kiss her once more.
And, in the late afternoon light, she could have sworn there was nothing better in the world than this man, than this moment.
Chapter Seventeen
Innes closed her eyes as the air washed over her body; the ride back to the Keep from the heathered hills wasn’t long, but Lachlan had taken his time, as lazy and content as she was from their afternoon together.
The sun was just starting to vanish behind the hills now, and her eyes were drooping, her mind drifting to her bed. Though she knew it was far too early to retire for the night, she couldn’t think of anything better than being alone with Lachlan again, especially if this afternoon’s excitement had been anything to go by…
But they had scarcely reached the gate before a guard emerged from behind the portcullis, calling for Lachlan.
“My Laird! Please, it’s urgent!”
Her head snapped up, the sound of the guard’s panic enough to wipe away whatever comfort she had been sinking into. Lachlan drew the horse to a halt in the courtyard and climbed down, offering her an arm to do the same as he turned his attention to the guard.
“What is it, lad?” he demanded.
“It’s Master Keith,” the young guard blurted out, his face pale. “He was attacked.”
He kept talking, filling Lachlan in on what had happened and where his friend now resided, but Innes could only hear the ringing in her ears at the shock of it. Attacked? Who had attacked him? And why?
The image of the woman she had seen back in the village flashed to the front of her mind once more, and a cold shiver rushed down her spine. Could they have been connected?
Lachlan took off towards the healer’s quarters, and Innes followed close behind. Though she knew it was silly, she could not help but feel culpable for what had happened. If Lachlan had not dedicated the afternoon to her, he would have been there to fight alongside his friend, and maybe…
Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw Keith sprawled on the healer’s table, feet freezing in the doorway. Lachlan rushed to his side, crouching down next to him.
“Keith,” he muttered, and Keith lifted his head, his eyes bleary.
A recently cleaned wound was slashed along his chest. A bandage barely containing the gore that was still leaking through. A large bruise showed on his jaw, and he looked entirely spent, like he had only just made it out of there with his life.
“My Laird…”
“What happened?” Lachlan demanded. “What do you remember?”
“Bandits,” Keith rasped. “They came fae the forest. Attacked me. But they took off when they realized that you werenae with me.”
“They were looking for me?”
“No,” Keith shook his head and looked past him. “They were looking… they were looking for her.”
His eyes locked on to Innes, and her knees grew weak at the revelation. Those people who had hurt Keith so cruelly, they haddone it to find her. But what could they have wanted from her? What could they have intended? What would they have done if they had managed to get their hands on her?
“Rest, Keith,” Lachlan told him, straightening up, his eyes darkening with a sudden fury. “I’ll deal wi’ this.”
His jaw was set tight as he stormed out into the corridor, leaving Innes to chase behind him. It was like he had slipped into another mode entirely, responding to the threat that was laid out against his bride. He had been so soft and so gentle with her before, but all of that was gone, his urge to protect overwhelming him completely.
“Nathan!”
