Beneath a Highland Moon (The Highland Moon Series 1) (19 page)

"
I didn't. I'd but stopped at the cottage to see if anyone there had seen a man and a woman traveling on horseback.
The old man said he'd seen no woman, but a man had ridden past—in a hurry—not long before my arrival. Hearing you weren't with MacRae, I feared he'd already taken your life.
I was just about to go after him, when I saw you run from the shed and across the meadow. You don't ken how relieved I was, once I realized 'twas you I was seeing."

"
I'd planned to find a place in the wood to hide until Gordon gave up searching. I'm so glad you saw me." She snuggled back against his chest and sighed contentedly.

He wasn
't about to tell Jillian, but MacRae wouldn't have given up searching until he'd found her. Kade slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, thankful he'd been the one to find her instead of MacRae.

Night settled around them like a
soft blanket, with only the light of the moon to guide them.
Kade listened to Jillian's breathing, deep and even as she slept in his arms. With every shift of the saddle, she moved against him. A wave of desire washed over Kade.
His mind slipped back to the amazing feel of her lying in bed curled up next to him. And he couldn't wait to have her there again. But first, he had to get her back to Ravenskull, and they had many miles yet to go.

After riding for some time, Kade
stopped to allow Caesar to rest for a bit.
The horse was not used to carrying two riders, and even though Jilly was but a wee thing, he didn't wish to tire him out.
Gusts of salty sea air shoved at their clothing, and whipped their hair about their faces. The North Sea beat against the cliffs below, sending sprays of water high into the air.
A chunk of the moon and a good portion of the stars had disappeared behind the clouds.
Kade feared they might be in for a storm.

With
Jilly in his arms, he threw his leg over the saddle and slid to the ground.

Jillian
roused. "Where are we?" she asked, yawning.

"
Somewhere near Aberdeen.
How are you feeling?"

"
My head and jaw ache and I'm starving, but other than that I'm quite well."

"
I'm glad to hear that," he said, setting her on her feet. He took out the remainder of the bread the young wife had given him. "This is all the food I have," he said, reaching it to her.

Jillian
hungrily shoved pieces into her mouth, barely giving herself time to chew the first bite before adding another.

Kade frowned.
"When did you eat last?"

She thought for a moment.
"I ate some berries beside the road when Gordon stopped to let the horses rest and drink. But, aside from that, 'twas the night after Will and I left Ravenskull—just before Gordon grabbed me.
Poor Will. He gave up his own life to protect mine, and 'tis entirely my fault," she said, her voice seeped in sadness.
"If I'd but listened to you, Kade, this wouldn't have happened, and he'd still be alive."

"
Don't fash yourself, Jilly. He's not dead.
Thankfully Galen and I found him before he bled to death. Galen took him on to Ravenskull.
More than likely he'll recover. Och, I forgot to tell you. I found your mare."

"
Where is Bonnie? I thought I'd lost her for good. When I fell to the ground, she became frightened and ran off. I never caught sight of her again."

"
She's being well cared for by a young family I met along the way, 'til I can send someone to fetch her. I made certain I paid them well for their trouble. That's where the bread you're eating came from."

"
Umh, 'tis delicious," she said, finishing off the last bit of crust.

"
I've more good news. Both Roderick and Winnie are alive and doing well. Winnie asked about you and Ian. And she seemed most pleased to hear of our marriage. She thinks 'tis time you found happiness, and said as much."

Jillian gently touched Kade
's face. "'Tis of a certainty that I have. I'm so glad Winnie is alive.
I greatly feared for her safety.
If it hadn't been for her slipping what I needed into my bedchamber, and giving my instructions to Roderick, I'd never have been able to escape."

He pulled her to him and held her close.
"I'm much thankful to them for what they did."

"
Winnie and Glennis were close friends, 'til my father sent her away after my mother's death. I'll have Winnie come stay at Ravenskull, so the two of them might be friends once again. It'd also make Ian very happy. He's quite attached to her."

"
Aye, whatever you wish, lovely and delightful wife of mine."

She smiled up at him.
"Will you always be so quick to go along with my requests?"

He snorted.
"Nay, I'll not.
Remember? 'Twas I who told you to stay put at Ravenskull."

"
Aye, indeed 'twas.
I wish I'd listened. Tell me of Roderick? He's been my pillar of strength since Father's death. I don't ken what I'd have done without him to guide me."

"
He's well and much thankful for his freedom. I had him show me to your bedchamber."

"
Why did you need to go there?"

"
My garrison searched the castle from top to bottom without finding MacRae. Knowing you'd used the tunnels to make your escape, I suspected he'd done the same. Once we opened the panel, I realized I'd been right. His boot prints shown clearly in the thick dust."

"
Aye, Gordon told me as much. He also said that I was more than likely a widow by the time he found me, for he'd left you surrounded by his guards. But I knew in my heart you still lived."

He kissed her. She
'd become his life's blood. He lifted his head. "I love you, lass."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing his head back down.
"I love you, too, Kade," she said, kissing him passionately.

A sudden clap of t
hunder rumbled through the hills and valleys, followed by a flash of lightning.
"We'd best find some shelter from this storm. There's an old crofters hut but a little ways from here," he said, helping her back up on Caesar and jumping up behind her. "I've stayed there in the past whilst hunting game.
'Tis not much, but it'll do to keep us dry."

"
I hope the rain holds off until we reach it," she said, snuggling her hips back against him.

Kade gritted his teeth. She
was driving him mad, and didn't even realize it. The skies suddenly opened up and the rain came down in torrents.
They were soon soaked to the skin.
Lightning intermittently lit up the dark countryside, aiding Kade in locating the old hut.

Ji
llian shivered against him, drawing her cloak tightly around her. "How much further?" she shouted over the storm.

"
It's just down this glen." After a few minutes more he had sight of the crofter's hut. Reining Caesar to a halt, Kade jumped off and quickly helped her down.
Throwing his pack over his shoulder, he gathered her up into his arms, kicked the crumbling door open and carried her inside. He hesitated putting her down, not certain what creatures might be using it as their home.

After a few moments in his arms, she said,
"Kade you can put me down now."

I
t might be better if he made no mention of the creatures. Kissing her on the forehead, he set her on her feet. He removed his flint and steel from his pack. "Stay put. Once I start a fire, we can light some candles. If memory serves me correctly, there should be several bits of discarded candles somewhere along the hearth." Kade slowly made his way across the room, using the occasional flashes of lightning as his guide. Once he'd found the fireplace, he ran his hand over the rough stone of the hearth. A mouse squeaked somewhere nearby and Jillian inhaled sharply.

"
Kade, where are you?" she asked, anxiety clear in her voice.

"
At the fireplace. Just a wee bit longer now." As he searched for something to start a fire, his hand brushed across a small heap of dried leaves along the wall. He gathered and placed them in a small pile within the inner hearth. After several strikes of steel on flint, a tiny spark jumped to life, growing brighter and brighter within the dark confines of the crofters hut.

Jillian glanced around th
e room. "It looked much better in the dark," she said dryly.

Kade laughed.
"It'll make a fine place for us to spend the night out of the rain, lass, just you wait and see." He'd been correct about the discarded candles. He lit one and wedged it into a small crack in the hearth. He lit another to help him see to gather the dry twigs and more of the leaves that had blown through the broken shutters, and now lay scattered about the hut. He quickly added them to the tiny fire before it burned itself out. The flames leapt higher and higher, adding much needed warmth to the small space.

Jillian knelt
on the hearth beside him, rubbing her hands together. "This feels wonderful."

He
glanced at her and winced. A dark bruise covered her left cheekbone, with the lump he'd felt earlier standing out clearly. Not wishing to upset her, he said naught. Bruise or no bruise, she was still beautiful to him. Then his gaze dropped to her bodice, ripped and torn. His heart beat wildly against his ribs. "Jilly, what happened to your clothing."

She glanced down.
"When we stopped to rest the horses, Gordon forced himself on me. He kissed me, and tried to tear open my bodice. He let go of me when I hit him on the shoulder I'd stabbed earlier with my
sgian dubh
."

"
Good lass. I found your blade
lying in the grass where we found Will. 'Tis
in my pack. I wondered who the blood on it belonged to; now I ken."

She shivered and her teeth chattered.
"I'm so cold."

"
You'll not be getting any warmer, lass, 'til you get out of those wet clothes. I'll not have you catching your death of cold."

She raised a brow
. "I've naught else to wear and I'm certainly not going to stand around naked until these dry."

He grinned.
"I wouldn't mind."

She tried to keep from smiling.
"Nay, of course you wouldn't."

"
You can wear my other plaid. 'Tis in my pack. Now, undress or I'll do it for you," he said, then raised a brow. "On second thought, allow me the honor. It'd be most enjoyable, I can assure you—for the both of us."

Even in the dim light of the hut, he saw her blush.
"I've no doubt 'twould be, but I think I'll do it myself—
this
time," she said, removing first her bodice, and then her skirts. After taking off everything but her shift, she said, "This'll dry soon enough."

Water dripped
from the hem onto the floor.
"Are you daft?
That thing will never dry with you wearing it. Now, off with it."

She sighed.
"If you insist." Jillian slipped the straps from her shoulders, letting the thin material fall to the floor in a wet heap at her feet.
"I hope you're pleased, Kade MacLachlan," she said, placing her wet clothing near the fire to dry.

Kade swallowed hard
. "Extremely," he whispered hoarsely. The sight of her with the glow of the flames flickering across her bare skin, showing every hill and valley of her enticing body, was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. Kade didn't ken how he managed to wrap her in his plaid, without taking her then and there.

He
slid his finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his. He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, and then her mouth. "Jilly, you've no idea how badly I want you right now," he whispered against her lips.

She smiled up at him, and her e
yes sparkled with tears. "Kade, I love you so."

"
As I do you, lass.
We've a long life together ahead of us, with many bairns to bounce on our knees."

"
And I'm looking forward to every minute of it," she said then kissed him.

He groaned against her mouth
and lifted his head. "As much as I regret leaving you, my fiery wife, I must see to Caesar. When I return, we can continue where we left off. Stay by the fire."

Jillian
stiffened in his arms, but she didn't say a word—she didn't have to. The frightened look on her face bespoke her fear. MacRae would pay dearly for putting it there. Kade pulled her against him. "I'll not be long, Jilly, I promise," he said, pressing his lips against her forehead.

She nodded and sat down on the edge of the hearth
, pulled the plaid tightly around her and was staring into the fire when he left her.