Oh God! Her body went cold. This is what she had been warned about. She had to find a way to stop him. Tearing her face away from his kiss, she tried to buck him off as she turned her head away, and a sob escaped her lips.
“Please do not take me against my will,” she said, in as steady a voice as she could muster.
A heartbeat later, he was off of her and standing looking down at her, scowling.
God, did he think she was wanton enough to tease him and then refuse?
Annabella sat up and straightened her clothing, then smoothed her hair. Getting slowly to her feet, she brushed her skirts then marched to the horse to await his assistance. She bit the inside of her mouth until metallic fluid slid across her tongue. Be damned if he would get the satisfaction of seeing her tears.
* * *
Angus raked his hands through his hair. What the hell had just happened? One minute she was responding to him with wild abandon, and the next she was accusing him of rape. He would no more force himself on a woman than he would slay an innocent bairn. This woman had gotten under his skin in a short period of time, and he needed to keep her at a distance for the rest of this journey.
And what the hell was he doing seducing an innocent, anyway? He knew better than that. She was a lady and a maiden. He had no business laying a finger on her, and he would do well to remember it. The fact that his body held a very different opinion was of no matter. Angus would never touch her as long as he drew breath.
“Come, we must resume our travels. We have a while yet before we reach our destination, and I already grow weary from this day.”
When she turned toward him, it was not fear in her eyes, rather anger. No, it was fury. Her full lips were pressed into a hard line, and her scowl was enough to make a grown man cower. Well, anyone but him. He had nothing to fear from her. She was naught but a wee lass who would be out of his hair once he reached Finlaggan Castle. He would secure her in the tower under lock and key, then post guards outside her door—and he would not engage with her until the time came to exchange her for his father.
Angus helped her up onto the horse and swung his leg up and over to sit behind her. Her shoulders were slumped and her head lowered. Damn, but he did not like that she was upset. What the hell had she done to him in the few hours since they had met? There was no way he would feel guilty for kissing her. It was a natural physical reaction.
The day had not started out well. While their plan had been seemingly foolproof, one thing after another had hindered their success. For starters, the information they had acquired about his father’s location was flawed. Angus, Graham, and Hamish had snuck in earlier and stolen guard uniforms, so were already inside when the rest of his men had started banging on the portcullis.
When he had arrived at daybreak, Angus had been surprised to find the portcullis up and minimal guards on duty. And those who were there had been so hungover from the previous night’s drink that they had barely raised their heads to acknowledge their entry.
Aye, it had been easy in the beginning. They had crept toward the barracks and taken the garments worn by the guards. Once dressed like them, the rest of the task should have been easy. But instead, they had been drawn into drills and were unable to explore the grounds unattended as they had hoped.
Angus had heaved a sigh of relief when the clanging began.
It meant he could focus on finding his father. But after searching the prison and exploring the grounds, they had come up empty handed. It was then they had happened uponher.
He followed the road leading west. They would need to reach Oban soon. He was weary and needed to put some distance between them and Linlithgow. They would be able to spend the night at an inn he knew well. Keith MacLean had been a loyal friend throughout the conflicts with the Stewart king, and had hidden Angus and his men on more than one occasion when they needed to disappear from patrolling king’s guard.
“We must halt,” she said, pulling him from his musings. “We cannot stop until we reach Oban.”
“But I am in need of some privacy,” she said. “You will have to hold it.”
By his estimation, they would reach the inn very shortly, so he was not about to stop for any reason.
“But I cannot wait.”
“You have no choice. As I said, I will not stop until we are safely tucked away, and then you can relieve yourself all evening if you wish.”
The sun was setting through the trees and he urged the horse onward. Out here, not only were they in danger from king’s guard, but also highwaymen who would not hesitate to defile her in ways he did not even want to consider.
He then recalled her earlier reaction to him. By God, he had been sure she was responding. How could he have misread her so badly? He could not shake the sense of shame from touching her. She was his pawn, and he intended to be sure she came into contact with no one while he held her.
Her shoulders shook slightly, prompting him to pull his plaid from beneath his tunic and wrap it around her.
“I do not wish to make you suffer, Lady Annabella. But it is important that we arrive at the inn without delay. I assure you that I will see to your comfort in every way once we are there.”
“And what does that entail? A straw pallet on a cold stone floor, with a crust of mouldy bread and stale wine?”
He chuckled. “I believe we can arrange something a little more appealing than that for you.”
“I do not jest, so you can save your laughter. I have been told all about you Highlanders and your savage ways. Is there no length you will not go to in order to increase your wealth?”
“You know nothing of our ways, Sassenach. You, who have been sheltered in an English court your whole life, could not possibly know what it is to carve out a life on an unforgiving island, scraping and clawing and coaxing the earth to give up a little of its bounty.”
