Page 22 of Never Kiss a Highlander

“I doona wish to argue, either. But I also doona want to be told what to do.” She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “I can defend myself.”

He grinned. “Aye? How can ye defend yerself?”

“Doona laugh at me, Mackay. I am excellent with arrows. I also carry asgian dubhwith me.”

“Ach, lass, that scares me even more. If someone gets close enough to ye for ye to stab him, he would be able to grab it off ye and use it to cut yer throat.”

Seeing her expression change, knowing she was about to argue the point, he cupped her face and took her mouth in a completely possessive kiss. There was no better way to stop a lass from speaking than to keep her lips busy.

A pounding on the library door broke them apart.

Chapter Nine

“‘Tis time for the bedding!!” A few voices carried the message through the door, and most likely to the great hall.

“Aye,” he shouted back. He winked at Alison. “‘Twill be fine, wife. I will make sure no one but myself sees yer naked body.”

Instead of reassuring her, she blanched, but, before he could say anything more, a group of women barged through the library door, grabbed her and dragged her up the stairs to the bedchamber floor.

“Time for another drink, Mackay.” His cousin, Logan, slapped him on the back and the group moved him downstairs.

Foot stomping, mugs banging on the tables and a great deal of cheering greeted them. He looked at the dais where Robin and Craig sat, grinning at him with their arms crossed.

It was annoying to remember how both his brothers managed to avoid the bedding ceremony at the behest of their wives.

However, their positions in the clan gave them the standing to throw the men out of their rooms. He, on the other hand, instead of status, had rowdy, drunk warriors to contend with, who had no intention of missing the highlight of the celebration.

They tried their best to get him drunk, most likely hoping he wouldn’t be able to perform and they could tease him about it the next morning. He sighed, just about ready to race them upstairs since he doubted any of them could, at this point, more than stumble after him, when one of the lasses came downstairs announcing the bride was ready for her groom.

He was half carried, half pushed up the stairs. The women outside the door, just as enthusiastic as the men, opened the door.

Alison sat on the bed, her face as pale as new milk. She had curled herself up, with the bedcover pulled all the way up to her chin.

The men started to strip his clothes off, tossing them in every direction as Alison’s eyes grew wider by the second.

Once he was stripped down to his skin, he backed up until the back of his legs hit the bed. He sat and held his hand up to stop the shouting. Finally, he was forced to let out a loud whistle to gain their attention.

“This is as far as the ceremony goes, lads. My wife and I would like some privacy.”

“Nay!” one of the men yelled. “We have to put ye into the bed.”

“Aye, how do we ken if the bride is ready for ye?”

Finn pointed to the door. “Out! All of ye. ‘Tis no matter but mine. Besides, ask yer ladies there who prepared Lady Alison.” He looked over at the group of women, not as upset as the men because they’d gotten a good look at his body, very prepared to consummate his marriage.

One of the older women walked toward the men. “Let’s go, lads. The mon is correct. Ye don’t need to take a look at his wife.” She pushed a couple of the men toward the door. “Come on, now.”

Reluctantly, with a great deal of grumbling, they made their way out of the room. Once the door was closed, Finn hurried across the room and barred it.

When he turned back, Alison was sitting in the same position in the bed, except the bedcovers were now over her head.

“Would you like a whisky or glass of ale, now that the crowd has left us?”

She lowered the bedcovers enough that he could see her eyes. But nothing else. She nodded her response.

It was going to take some time to get his new wife to relax. The last bit of frenzy certainly hadn’t helped.

“Um, do ye have something ye can put on? I think ‘tis rather chilly in here.” He almost missed her mumbled words, but realized she was correct. His nakedness, while quite normal to him and other men, would make her uncomfortable.