Claimed by a Laird (17 page)

Her hips involuntarily bucked beneath him as a piercing
pleasure radiated outward from his tongue. He withdrew his fingers and grabbed
her hips to still them as his tongue encircled and flicked at her clit in a
slow, languid rhythm.

Anna sank into the bed, her hands tensing into fists as
waves of ecstasy rippled through her abdomen. The room spun and her breaths
came in rough, choppy moans as the fire of his touch dispersed throughout her
skin.

She gasped in surprise and wonder, her thoughts fragmenting
as the first throbs pulsated through her, intensifying with every lap of her
clit. She thrashed against him, moaning his name. He pushed her hips into the
mattress, holding her still. He dipped his tongue into her opening and then
raked it across her clit. Blood thudded in her temples and she clawed at the
bedcovers, her core clenching hard. A wet, frenzied spasm deep within her
abdomen raced through her pussy, radiating down her thighs, and she cried out.

Standing, he grabbed her by the waist. The rigid tip of his
cock pressed against her and wedged between her swollen folds. She moaned and
arched her back as he drove into her. The weighty fullness of him sent hot,
satisfying vibrations through her core.

He fell onto his palms on either side of her, pulling out
and shoving his shaft back into her. She lifted her hips, meeting his thrusts
halfway as he stretched her wide. She smoothed her hands up and down his
strained arms, marveling in the fluid texture of his sun-kissed skin. He
towered over her magnificently, every muscle from his shoulders to his abdomen
flexing and straining as he slid himself in and out. She wrapped her legs
around his waist, desperate to drive him deeper.

Groaning, he leaned down, hungrily covering her mouth with
his and forcing his tongue between her lips. She slanted her mouth, matching
his tongue-play as her nipples throbbed against the hair on his chest.

He pulled his lips from hers and reached between their
joined bodies. Her eyes fluttered closed in complete surrender as his thumb
found her clit, rubbing it in quick, rhythmic circles.

Sparks of electricity seemed to fly around her, prickling
her skin as his cock, so hot and smooth, pulsated as Galen embedded his entire
length inside her and then stopped. Her pussy contracted around him, sucking
him deeper. With one tap on her clit, a wild, wet thrumming ripped through her
core and tore her breath from her chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, clutching her to his chest,
and rocked his hips, pounding into her over and over. Then he froze, groaning
her name against her ear, as his hot seed shot into her.

They clung to one another, hearts pounding in unison as they
struggled to regain their breath. Galen withdrew his cock and reached above her
head to pull the blanket down. He scooped her up and deposited her in the
middle of the bed and slid in next to her. Drawing her against him, he arranged
the blanket over her shoulders and pressed his lips against her neck before
laying his head next to hers.

Anna sighed in contentment, cradling his hand against her
chest and allowed her eyes to close.

The man meant to make her his wife.

Her eyes flew open and she struggled to extricate herself
from under his arm. Finally freeing herself, she turned to face him and found
his eyes closed.

“Galen?” She gently shook his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I don’t
mean to wake you but—”

His sigh was loud enough to wake the dead. “Woman, we have
had a long day. Go to sleep.”

She bristled at his tone, hating it when he referred to her
as “woman” since it always seemed to mean he was irritated with her.
Undeterred, she shook him again. “No, this is important.”

He opened his eyes and yawned. “What is it?”

“It’s about this whole marriage thing.” Anna hesitated,
afraid of what his reaction might be, and instead twisted the blanket between
her fingers.

“What about it?”

She shook her head, turning her attention to the fire. “I
can’t marry you.”

Galen shifted next to her and ran his hand up her thigh.
“You are not married to another.”

“I know,” she replied, attempting to prevent herself from
melting into the comforting warmth of his touch.

She inhaled deeply, her stomach churning as the memories of
her first marriage intruded her thoughts once again. Galen had been right. The
fact she was a Campbell would have eventually slipped out once her guard was
down. If she didn’t tell him about James Gowrie, then someday she would mention
it in passing and all hell would break loose.

Who was she kidding? All hell would break loose
now
.

“What is it that has you worrying now, Annie?”

His voice was so soothing, so gentle it warmed her heart.
What if he never spoke to her that way again? She clenched her teeth in
determination. No, she had to tell him. No more secrets.

“I’m afraid you’ll hate me,” she admitted in a cracked
whisper.

Galen sat up and caressed her cheek with the back of his
hand. “I could never hate you.”

His sentiment was sweet, but it did little to ease her
fears. She bowed her head, closing her eyes to prepare for the onslaught of his
anger. “About ten years ago, I was married to a man with the last name of
Gowrie.”

His hand fell from her face a split second before the
mattress shifted. Anna bit her bottom lip and drew her knees to her chest, her
arms encircling and clasping them tightly as he drew open the furs shielding
the window and stared into the night. Unable to read his facial expression in
the dim light, her head fell forward and she closed her eyes once again,
leaning her forehead against her knees.

Her stomach churned, her thoughts whirling with images of
being tossed beyond the castle walls to make her own way alone in the world.
Perhaps, if she could get back to Fannich and Graham Castle, the pendant might
take her home.

The mattress sank next to her and she jumped, biting back a
yelp of surprise as Galen brushed the hair from her forehead and softly kissed
her hairline.

Hope sparked within her and she lifted her watery eyes to
his, her heart compelling her to lay everything on the table. If this
frightening warlord was willing to overlook her past connections to his
enemies, then she would hide nothing else from him. She owed him that much. “I
was young and stupid. And gullible. I believed everything he said…believed he
loved me…but then he turned on me. He beat me when I would not leave my family
to go home with him.”

Galen’s eyes grew dark. “He was the one who hurt you? The
man you did not wish to speak of the other day?”

She nodded, eying him warily. “It only happened once,
though.”

“Were you badly injured?” His eyes narrowed and he searched
her face as though he were looking for scars. “How did you stop him?”

Bitter bile rose in her throat. God, how she hated thinking
about that night. “My cousin and her boyfriend found us and he ran. I never saw
him again.”

“Is the man dead?” he asked, a possessive, desperate edge in
his voice.

“I don’t know. But the marriage was annulled, so it doesn’t
really matter, right?” A cold shiver swept over her and she shrugged to
convince both herself and him it did not matter.

Galen’s hand slid down her hair and he twirled one of her
curls between his fingers. The hopeful glint in his eyes faded as his stare
fell to her pendant.

Several moments passed until she could no longer deal with
the anticipation. “Galen, say something, please.”

He shook his head, his eyes not leaving the pendant. “It is
the truth, lass, I am at a loss. I cannot do anything to right this for you. I
cannot seek revenge against a man that does not yet exist.”

She caressed his forearm. “I don’t need revenge.”

“I do!” he nearly shouted, his muscles tensing beneath her
fingertips.

Anna jumped, her pulse pounding.

He exhaled and shook his head, reaching for her hands. “If
only I could wrap my hands around his neck.”

“Galen, don’t,” she whispered, her heart contracting in
pain.

“I cannot help myself, lass. Another man dared to lay a hand
on you and now I cannot move or speak in anger without you recoiling from me.”
His voice was rough with outrage. “Every time it happens, I see the fear in
your eyes. I feel your distrust.”

Anna bowed her head, guilt descending upon her aching heart.
She knew Galen would never harm her, but she could not help her instinctive
reactions to his bursts of anger. His voice and body language were intimidating
when he was in a good mood, let alone when something pissed him off.

“Do you really think I would ever harm you?” he whispered,
gripping her hands with a desperation that tugged at her heartstrings. “I want
only to protect you, Annie. Certainly you can see that.”

She nodded, lifting her eyes to his as tears welled in the
corners. He was not looking at her face, however. Instead, he stared at the
pendant lying against her chest.

Galen grabbed it and yanked it off her neck in one quick
movement. She yelped in surprise, grasping her neck in vain.

“You will no longer wear this,” he insisted as the chain
dangled limply from his fingers. “I cannot protect you if this damnable thing
can spirit you away from me without warning.” He rose from the bed and strode
toward the fireplace mantle. He lifted the lid of a small, carved wooden chest
and dropped the pendant inside before closing it.

He approached the side of the bed and stared down at her for
several moments. Her skin prickled under his scrutiny. “Is there anything else
I should know, Anna? Anything at all?”

She quickly shook her head, giving him a tentative smile. “I
don’t think so.”

He caught her chin, forcing her head all the way back and
leaned over her, his lips only inches from hers. “Are you certain? Did you bear
this Gowrie’s child?”

Anna gasped in shock. “No, of course not.”

“What about your mother?” he persisted, squeezing her jaw.
“Is she a daughter of some damn English baron or even the King of England
himself?”

“Galen, you’re hurting me.” Her brow crinkled in irritation
as she yanked on his arm.

He released her, but not before he smothered her lips in a
short, demanding kiss. Just as she responded, he pulled away.

Breathless, Anna scrambled to one side of the bed as he
flicked the blanket back and lay down beside her. When she did not immediately
join him, he unceremoniously pulled her down, shoving her head onto his
shoulder and arranging the blanket over her.

He didn’t hate her. Lightness entered her heart and she
smiled, kissing his jaw. It twitched and she couldn’t help but laugh at his
show of annoyance.

“Your mother was not a MacRae, was she?”

She lifted her head and peered at Galen through the darkness.
“Don’t tell me you’re feuding with yet another clan.”

“No, I simply do not like them.”

The corner of his mouth curved into a leisurely smile and
she quickly kissed it before laying her head back on his shoulder. “Don’t get
mad, but she was a Graham.”

He grumbled and playfully smacked her backside. “You are
making this difficult for me, lass.”

Since his tone didn’t suggest he was angry, she was able to
push aside her worries. She threw her leg across his thighs and rested her hand
on his chest as she snuggled into the crook of his arm. As she was about to
close her eyes, she remembered she had neglected to convince him she wasn’t
about to marry anyone— including him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but then something
unfathomable from deep within her clamped it shut. Thoughts of Galen’s gentle
touch and the heart-throbbing way he looked at her, James’ flash of violence
and her self-imposed romantic isolation, came forward in her mind all at once
and then slipped away.

A weightiness crept into her eyelids and she yawned. She
gave up attempting to pull the varying visions back together into a coherent
narrative. There would be time enough to convince Galen tomorrow.

“Be my wife, lass,” he whispered, lowering his lips to hers.

She smiled, welcoming the kiss and sighing contentedly into
his mouth as their lips met. He slid his arms around her waist and rolled onto
his back in the tall grass, carrying her with him. She broke the kiss and sat
up, straddling his waist.

“Only if you love me.” She traced the smooth scar on his
cheek with her index finger.

His brow raised questioningly. “How can I love you if I do
not even know who you are?”

Her back stiffened and the light from the sun dimmed as dark
clouds rolled across the sky. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Annie, wake up,” he snorted. “You are a Campbell.”

She gasped, anger swelling in her chest. “So what?” she
demanded, throwing her feet under her in an attempt to stand.

He gripped her hips tightly, keeping her anchored against
his pelvis. “So what? You are a Gowrie too. You think I can love something I
hate? Wake up, Annie.”

She shook her head, clawing at his fingers. “I am not a
Gowrie!”

“Annie, wake up,” a low, rough voice hummed in her ear.

Torn into consciousness, Anna groaned and stretched her arms
above her head, opening her eyes. It was still dark, but Galen’s face loomed
over her.

Her heart contracted and she momentarily lost the ability to
breathe as she attempted to reconcile her dream’s imagery with the man leaning
over her. As soon as Galen smiled, she exhaled in relief. She sleepily caressed
his cheek with her palm and smiled as she closed her eyes once again.

“Annie,” Galen repeated with a deep chuckle. “Open your
eyes.”

“Mmm, what is it?” She turned onto her side and shoved her
bent arm underneath her head.

“Lass, you have to wake up.” He rubbed her other arm. “You
are needed in the village.”

Her eyes flew open and she sat up, yawning. “What’s wrong?”

“Catriona’s sister, Lizzie, is in labor. Catriona is
downstairs, waiting to take you to her house.”

She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. What on
earth was he talking about?

Her eyes snapped open in panic.

“I am not that kind of nurse,” she protested, her stomach
knotting. It had been years since she had done any work in obstetrics, and even
then only because she was required to do so as part of her clinical rotations.
“Don’t you have midwives or something here?”

“The midwife is elderly and her hands are quite stiff. Her
apprentice just married into another clan and no one has yet taken her place,”
He brushed the hair away from her face. “Catriona thought you might be able to
help, especially if things became difficult.”

Anna’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would she think
that?”

“Because of how you handled Adam’s injuries. You are the
talk of the clan, you know.” He paused and placed his hands on either side of
her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. “There will be other women there,
but they need you for your healing skills and your strength.”

Just because she could sew up a wound didn’t mean she could
deliver a baby. Sure, she knew the basics, but what if something went wrong?
What if the baby was breech? What if the mother didn’t dilate properly? What if
the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck? “I can’t,” she protested in a
feeble whisper.

“You can.” Galen tightened his hold on her face. “I know you
can.”

Strange, but his insistence comforted her. And she couldn’t
very well refuse a plea for help. She would, however, have to make certain each
of them, including Catriona, understood she was no expert in childbirth and her
skills as a “healer” were quite limited in this case.

“All right,” she conceded. She never had been able to turn
down anyone asking for help. “I’ll go.”

He kissed the top of her head and stood. Crossing his arms,
he stood by as she jumped out of bed and scrambled for her clothes. As soon as
she had successfully pulled everything on, he tied the shoulders of her
overdress and made certain she had put on her shoes before heading out the door.

He gave her an affectionate pat on the backside. “Good luck,
Annie.”

She jumped in surprise and his laughter bounced off the
stone walls. She couldn’t help but smile. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek,
she turned to rush down the hallway.

Catriona paced back and forth in front of the cold hearth in
the hall while a young man stood motionless nearby with a torch in hand. As
soon as Anna descended the last two steps, Catriona rushed forward and threw
her arms around Anna, squeezing tightly.

Anna laughed in surprise, stumbling backward.

“Oh, thank you, my lady! Lizzie is most worried and you will
be such a comfort to her.”

Anna’s stomach churned uneasily. “What is it? Has something
gone wrong?”

Catriona pulled away and shook her head. “No, not yet.”

“What do you mean by that? Cat, you need to tell me what is
worrying you. It might be important.”

“Our mother died birthing me,” she confessed in a whisper.
“Lizzie was there and has always worried she would die too.”

Anna tilted her head in sympathy, forcing a calm expression
onto her face. It would do no one any good if she dwelled on the negative. She
pushed aside all thoughts of what might have gone wrong for their mother that
Lizzie may have inherited and straightened her shoulders, squeezing Catriona’s hand.

“Worrying will do us no good,” Anna stated with a decisive
nod.

Catriona nodded as well and smiled weakly before turning to
the young man behind them. “This is Lachlan, my brother-in-law’s younger
brother.”

The dark-haired man stepped forward and inclined his head.
“My lady. I am glad to see you have recovered since the last time I saw you.”

His smile, genuine and warm, reached his green eyes,
triggering something from deep within her memory. “You were the one of the
warriors who rode with Adam and Geoffrey to bring me here, right?”

“Yes, that was I.”

Anna reached out and pressed her hand onto his forearm.
“Thank you for that.”

His cheeks flushed and he chuckled uncomfortably. “It will
be my pleasure to escort you to my brother’s home now. As long as my lady
promises she will not curse at me about the length of the journey.”

Anna’s mouth dropped open and she blushed. Just how much of
a bitch had she been? “Oh, I am so sorry, Lachlan! Did I really do that?”

“Once or twice,” he replied with a grin. “Now, if you will
follow me.”

Catriona giggled as Lachlan turned to leave. The two women
followed him out of the keep and through the silent courtyard. The darkness
enveloped her all at once and Anna couldn’t help but peer around nervously,
convinced she would stumble over something at any moment. No wonder someone in
the future invented streetlights. She’d had no idea just how dark the night
could actually be.

Anna stuck closely behind Lachlan and a small white-washed
home with a thatched roof and windows aglow with candlelight came into view. As
they approached, the front door flew open and a dark-haired man with a grimly
set mouth stopped short as his weary eyes landed first on Lachlan then on Anna.
His features relaxed in relief and he shut the door behind him.

“Thank you for coming, my lady,” He bowed his head toward
Anna. “Lizzie will be most grateful.”

“This is Gabriel, my brother,” Lachlan announced.

The uneasiness in both of the men’s voices was not lost on
Anna. She darted a look between the brothers as Lachlan shifted uncomfortably
while worry creased Gabriel’s brow.

She forced a confident smile onto her lips. “I am pleased to
meet you, Gabriel. Is the midwife here?”

He nodded. “Lizzie’s aunt is rubbing a salve on her hands
right now, but the old woman does not think it is helping much.” He paused and
glanced furtively at Catriona and Lachlan before leaning toward Anna. “Lizzie
thinks she is going to die,” he whispered. “You cannot allow that to happen.
Please.”

That last word, spoken with such anguish, shrunk the large,
intimidating warrior into a helpless little boy right before her eyes. Anna’s
heart ached to tell him all would be well.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that doesn’t
happen.” She silently prayed for a textbook birth.

He nodded, trust filling his eyes, which did little to ease
her nervousness. Stepping aside, he pushed the door open and bade her to enter.

Catriona moved away from the door toward Lachlan.

“Aren’t you coming?” Anna asked.

Catriona shook her head. “It is not allowed, my lady.”

“She is not yet married,” Gabriel explained.

Anna resisted the urge to snort. Of course young women
wouldn’t be allowed to watch a birth. Men might not be able to get them to
marry if they knew what was in store for them in nine months or so.

“You are our laird’s woman so it is fine for you to attend
to Lizzie.” Gabriel obviously thought she was slow to understand his meaning.

Great. Now she was being pressured by the clan into becoming
Galen’s woman too.

Images of her recent dream haunted her. She did not want to
be in a relationship with a man who didn’t truly love her.

“I am not his anything,” she snapped. Regret instantly
washed over her and she shook her head at her inability to filter her thoughts
before they spilled out of her mouth. “I am so sorry, Gabriel. I didn’t mean to
sound angry with you.”

“No, no. It is fine, my lady. Lachlan said you have been
having a difficult transition—”

Lachlan loudly cleared his throat.

Anna glanced at him and he offered her a sheepish smile. Was
her reticence really that obvious?

A whimper from inside the house broke through her
preoccupation. Anna shook her head in exasperation, determined to put the
matter aside for the moment, and stepped inside the cozy, one-room dwelling.

Centered on the far wall was a rubble stone mantle, a fire
blazing in the hearth. In the middle of the room was a wooden table with long
benches on either side that held two middle-aged women who introduced
themselves as Lizzie’s and Catriona’s aunts. To the right of the fireplace was a
large bed covered in a patchwork quilt with furs tossed across the foot. Lizzie
lay in the middle. Clumps of brown hair hung in front of her face and her
features were etched with exhaustion.

The midwife, who had surely seen the fall of Rome with her
own two eyes, eased to her feet and greeted Anna by extending a bony hand.
“Thank you for coming, my lady. I am Katherine.”

Anna gently took her hand in both of hers and smiled,
pushing her fears aside. “Pleased to meet you. I am happy to assist in any way
I can.”

She released Katherine’s hand and sat on the bed next to
Lizzie. Anna brushed Lizzie’s hair away from the side of her face and tucked it
behind her ears.

Lizzie thanked her in a whisper, barely looking Anna in the
eye.

“The pain has been most intense for the lass,” Katherine
offered, patting Lizzie’s foot through the blankets. “But the pains are not
coming closer together as they should.”

Anna nodded. Walking the halls of the maternity ward at the
hospital had helped women with stalled labors. “Shall we take a walk around the
house, then?” She stood and held out her hands to Lizzie. “I know you are
tired, but a little exercise sometimes helps the laboring go faster.”

Katherine nodded. Lizzie glanced at the midwife and threw
the blankets back. She grabbed Anna’s hands and Anna helped pull her to
standing.

Moving to Lizzie’s side, Anna took her by the forearm and
supported it with both of her hands. Gently leading her around the perimeter of
the room, Anna instructed, “Let me know when a pain comes and we’ll pause so
you can lean against the wall or a table. Squatting may also help.”

Lizzie offered Anna a shy, but frightened smile.

“Don’t worry,” Anna replied, buoyed by a sudden and
inexplicable confidence. “We’ll coax that wee little one out yet.”

* * * * *

It was a textbook perfect birth—once Lizzie’s labor finally
kicked into gear. Katherine was an excellent teacher and quite hilarious, much
to Anna’s surprise. Anna learned a lot and actually contributed with her
detailed knowledge of the female anatomy. She even got to “catch” the baby—one
of the most thrilling and sobering experiences of her life—something no
obstetrician had ever allowed her to do.

The village was well into its morning routine by the time
Lizzie and the baby were cleaned and settled into bed. The aunts chatted
excitedly as they tidied the cottage. Anna couldn’t help but smile as she half
listened to the joyful women, despite her dark thoughts about the fate of this
little infant in such a bloody, harsh time period. When they finished, Anna
said goodbye to the ladies and Lizzie, promising to check in on her later in
the day.

She sighed and walked into the sunshine of late morning, her
back stiff and her hair falling into her eyes. She was followed by one of
Lizzie’s and Catriona’s aunts, who cheerfully announced to a very anxious,
pale-faced Gabriel that Lizzie was ready to see him.

Looking toward the keep, Anna spotted Galen, casually
leaning against a tree several yards ahead. He smiled and her heart leaped. A
sudden need to feel his strong, roped arms encircling her as she drank in his
warmth overwhelmed her.

She smiled shyly as she walked toward him. Her nipples
immediately responded to the mere memory of his flesh pressed into hers.

Shouldn’t what she just witnessed, as beautiful and life-affirming
as it had been, be enough to make her never want him to touch her again?
Especially considering she had no access to any sort of birth control?

Flashbacks of Galen towering over her, leaning down to kiss
her and wrapping his arms around her, assailed her senses. She squeezed her
eyes shut briefly to rid herself of the images.