Page 30 of Highlander’s Evil Twin

In the large sitting room, the fire roared its approval at him. He felt the warmth hit him and sighed in relief, stripping off his coat already covered in droplets from the rain. Heather was sitting by the fire warming her hands.

“You got caught out in the rain too.” He laughed at her red hair, wispy tangles, glowing even redder with the light from the fire.

She put her hand up to her shimmering locks and patted them in place but failed. They hung damply around her face. “Yes, the storm came on so suddenly. I was about to read and then got a drenching for my efforts.” She laughed.

Hiram stretched his long frame out in the armchair opposite her. It felt so good to relax, just the two of them, but the shadow of what to do about his mother hung over him like the damp clouds outside.

“Have you seen her?” He raised his worried eyes to Heather’s, but she shook her head.

“I knocked on her door earlier and asked if she was okay. There was no answer.”

“She needs time,” Hiram said, contemplating how long he should give her.

“Am I wrong to feel relieved?” Heather turned worried eyes to him. “He would have raped me, and he left me to die. I can’t forget that or forgive him, ever.” She swallowed hard, fighting back her tears. “I still think about that moment. He was a vile man, Hiram. I am so glad you are my husband. What would have become of me if they had married me to him?”

A chill settled over Hiram again. It felt as if a passing shadow had reached out to touch him, but he shrugged the feeling away.

“I would have fallen in love with you and took you away from him. I would have killed...” The word hung in the air and their eyes met in unique understanding. They were meant to be together and nothing, not even family, could keep them apart.

“We have to think about our future. Forget about him. We do what we must so to be together and to look after our child. The future Laird.”

“Or Lady,” Heather chided, wagging a finger in his direction. “Will you mind if we have a daughter?”

“Not at all, not if she is as beautiful as you. Ah, think of it, my own wee lassie.” Hiram smiled. “I don’t care if we have ten girls.”

“Ten?” Heather shrieked out loud. “You want ten children? I am not sure I can oblige my Lord.”

Hiram grinned. “It is your wifely duty to provide to me. So, when I come back from monitoring the land, I expect you to be waiting submissively for me.”

“Submissively?” She giggled. “Do you know me?”

Hiram leaned forward, his face flushed by the roaring fire nearby. ”No not yet, but I would like to.” He grinned and his eyes sparkled mischievously. “I will allow you a short period of time after giving birth and then, as soon as you are able to, I will be back inside you. I plan to make you pregnant quickly.”

“Hiram.” She blushed. “Someone might hear you.” Heather looked around nervously.

“I think we should practice right now.” He jumped from his chair and straddled her, pushing her back in her seat. She struggled beneath him, still giggling as he pulled at her top until one rosy nipple was displayed to him. “I will start here.” He took the nipple into his mouth, gently teasing her, and she groaned instantly with desire sweeping over her. When he released it and tucked it back in place, she looked at him in disappointment, her desire evident.

“You have a ten second start Milady, but wherever I catch you, that is where I will take you. And I mean that. Go!” He pulled her to her feet and started counting.

Laughing, she ran straight for the stairs, shrieking as she did so, hearing her husband running behind her. She had just made it to their bedroom when he caught her and whisked her up in his arms, kicking the door open and throwing her onto the bed. She bounced twice before he pinned her down.

“Now, it is time to make you mine.”

17

“Don’t cry my love.” Hiram pulled her into his arms tightly, holding her as close as he could. “Shh, I think it bothers you more than you let on. You have to talk to me,” Hiram said.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Please, let it go, it will fade.” She shuddered, praying that the scene within her mind would fade. She felt haunted. It was as if the foundations of her very being were becoming tremulous. Ever since Connor’s assault, it had brought back painful memories. Now in her dreams, it was Connor at first who taunted her, but then his face would disappear, fading until the faces of the other men who had tried to rape her materialized. She felt the same rising sense of panic as when Connor had looked at her that day. Malicious intent had been written in his eyes.

She had never shared this story with anyone. She wanted to talk to Hiram—he was her husband and they shouldn’t have secrets—but she was terrified he would stop loving her. But there was more to it than this. She was concerned that once out in the open, the past would continue to haunt her.

Hiram put his finger under her chin so she was looking at him. “I heard your dream. That is not something that will simply fade away. I want to kill them, all of them that were there.” Hiram growled in his throat. Pure anger resonated within him. He was serious.

She gasped. “You know?” Her eyes filled with tears and she pulled away, shame rippling through her.

“You lived through it all in your sleep. At first, I thought it was Connor,” he admitted. “It was hard to hear but I realized that something had changed and there was more that you had been bottling up.” He stroked her hair tenderly. “You have to let me help you through this.”

“Will it solve anything? It won’t change the past.” Tears fell down her face. “I thought I had moved past it. I had buried it. I can’t tell my story after all this time. No one would ever believe they hurt me. They will say that I am making it up,” Heather said.