Highland Desire

Highland Desire (Highland Temptations Book 4)

Hildie McQueen

"Your Englishman is here."

Cailyn McDougall jerked her attention away from the brawling brothers to her cousin Dugan, who leaned halfway out the windo
w
,
his gaze locked on what transpired below.

She darted to where he stood and attempted to shove him aside, but the huge male refused to budg
e
.
"It's Captain Westcott."

"Oh, God." This time she succeeded in moving Dugan and peered down. The rider who approached was clearly Jamie Westcott.

A loud crash sounded. Her brothers tumbled over a large settee, two of its legs now flattened. Surely they should have tired by now. "Stop it!" She screamed at them, and was promptly ignored.

Cailyn hiked up her skirts and rounded the men, who now had hands wrapped around each other’s throats, while their wives attempted
in vain
to pull them apart.

Hopefully they'd not notice her absence right away. Cailyn dashed down the wide stairwell of Somerset Keep, her childhood home, and through the great room out to the courtyard. At the open, expansive wooden door, she attempted to catch her breath, cursing the tight corset she wore. Hand over her brow, Cailyn shaded her eyes against the bright sunlight and squinted at the approaching party of men.

With four escorts and many more of her clan
smen
following, the infamous privateer Captain Jamie Westcott's immense steed lumbered toward the keep. His wind-tussled auburn hair glistened, as did his green eyes when they met Cailyn’s.

Her heart drummed faster under his regard. Cailyn motioned him with both arms to hurry and dismount, while glancing over her shoulder toward the keep. His brows scrunched together, he dismounted and stood next to his horse, holding the reins.

"Hurry, Jamie, I must speak to you before my brothers come." Cailyn grabbed the reins from his hands and tossed them to one of his men. She then looked to a clansman, who watched with interest. "Captain Westcott is a friend of the family. Four of you can remain until the laird orders where they will sleep tonight. The rest of you return to whatever you were doing."

Threading her arm through his, she tugged Jamie toward the keep. "Can you please walk faster?" she begged, now panting with the exertion of attempting to breathe against the tight contraption around her waist.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Jamie asked, as he hurried his pace. "I believe it is protocol for a visitor to wait for the laird to invite one in."

Cailyn pulled him into the only room with a door that locked, her eldest brother's stud
y
,
and slammed the door. She swung around to Jamie and placed her fisted hands on her hips. "I asked you to wait four days at the port. I also informed you that we'd travel ther
e
.
Why did you come now?"

Exasperation grew when he raised both brows and gave her an incredulous look. "You seriously expected me to sit back at the inn and wait patiently for whatever your clan planned to do with my sister?" He shook his head, “The only reason I waited three days was because I had some business to tend to.”

Screams sounded, along with items crashing, and Jamie went toward the doorway. "Where is my sister?"

Somehow Cailyn hoped to delay a meeting between the men upstairs and Jamie. At the moment, neither of her brothers were of a mind to attend to Jamie. She shuddered to think what would happen if he burst in and demanded to take his sister back to England.

"She's not involved in what is happening," Cailyn held both hands out against his chest. "My brothers are having a disagreement."

Although poised to rush out, he peered down at her with ill-concealed want. "I have thought about you. About our time together."

Heat rushed to her face and Cailyn took a breath. "So have I."

He pulled her against his muscled chest. "I thought about your kisses." Strong arms surrounded her, and Cailyn held her mouth up for him to take. When his lips fell on hers, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Soft, yet firm, his mouth traveled over hers and her blood began to pump harder. His tongue probed at her lips and she parted them. Both began the lover's dance, tongue
s
twisting, palms sliding over each other
's body
, while moving in circles in an attempt to sway into the natural rhythm of their heartbeats.

Jamie raised his head and peered down at her, a
slight
curve to his lips. "I've come for Victoria. I must take my sister back to England, as I am prepared to depart as soon as I return to port. "

A louder crash sounded, followed by Victoria's clear voice. "Stop this instant, you are going to kill each other."

"
Torrie
?" Jamie rounded her and rushed from the room, with Cailyn on his heels.

Jamie sprinted up the stairs and stopped abruptly at the scene inside the sitting room. Furniture lay askew, drapery torn. The room was in shambles, thanks to the two panting men sprawled on the floor side-by-side, each with a woman sitting on top of hi
m
.

Dugan remained by the window with his arms crossed over his chest. He scowled at Jami
e
.

Victoria looked up expectantly. "Jamie, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait at port for me to come to you." She pushed her disheveled hair away from her face and smiled up at him. "The brothers were fighting, I think they've finally tired out," she told him, as if it were an everyday occurrence.

At Jamie's lack of response,
Victoria scrambled to her feet, and the man on whose chest she
'd
sat got up with her. She dashed over and hugged Jamie.

Over his sister's head, Jamie glanced at Cailyn. Calum cleared his throat and pinned her with a hard stare from where he lay.

The laird took his wife by the waist and hoisted her off. He then came to his feet, wiping blood from his cut lip with the back of his hand. "Captain Westcott." He met Jamie's questioning stare with nonchalance. "It seems I am forced to welcome you to Somerset Keep as a member of the family. Conor and Victoria were married last night."

"What?" Jamie looked from the laird to Victoria, who rushed back to the large man's side, and lastly
to
Conor, who now stood with an arm possessively around Victoria’s waist.

Jamie flew at the Scot with a loud growl and fists swinging.

Dugan let out a shrill whistle and the men stopped fighting, although Cailyn noticed that Conor had not put up much of a fight.

Dugan gave
the men
a bored look. "I believe the laird wishes to speak to you both."

Jamie released the cloth of Conor's tunic and lowered his arms.

"Very well," Conor replied, motioning for Jamie to exit before him. Jamie snorted his displeasure and moved ahead.

Moments later, the men retired to the study, while the women remained.

"It's all my fault." Victoria paced the now-destroyed sitting room while the women waited for the men. "Jamie is so angry." Her sister-in-law blew out a breath. "What a mess."

Cailyn nodded in agreement. "Calum is as angry, if not more. Nonetheless, there isn't anything that can be done about it now. You are married to Conor, and both of them will have to accept it."

Victoria went to the doorway and scowled toward the study. "It’s been nearly an hour.  What can they possibly be discussing that would take so long?"

"Well, for starters, your money. Decisions have to be made about your estate in England and such," Cailyn replied. "There is much they have to agree upon, which I assume with those men, it is like enticing a boar out of a thicket."

"Right." Victoria sat. "And what of you and Jamie? What transpired between you? I noticed he struggles to keep his eyes off you."

"I'm sure it is your imagination." Cailyn stood. "I will go see about the evening meal."

****

That night
Jamie lay on the large bed and stared up at the ceiling. Things had definitely not gone as he'd planned.
Victoria married to
a
McDougall
, of all things he least
expected was
this. Much had to be agreed upon, so he'd remain. But foremost
he had
to avoid time alone with Cailyn. She was a distraction he didn't need.

A beautiful tempting distraction.

The object had been to collect his sister
and return to port immediately
Instea
d
,
now he'd agreed to spend two days
at Somerset,
so that they could come to an agreement over Victoria's assets in England.

Conor McDougall, her new husband, seemed to be a man of honor, as he'd requested that Jamie remain the sole administrator of
Victoria's
fortune. The Scot vowed that
his sister
would want for nothing
.
T
hey'd be relocating to their own nearby home soon.

Caily
n
.
Seeing her again pushed away all his resolve. When the beauty rushed to see him, his stomach had flipped. Him, Captain Westcott – the infamous Red Pirate – felt
a
lurching in his gut when he saw her. He shook his head. She was definitely dangerous, and to be kept at a distance.

All throughout the evening meal, he'd been able to maintain a conversation with the laird, Victori
a
,
or her husband, Conor. Barely any words were exchanged between him and Cailyn. Although he had to admit, his gaze did constantly go to her.

Breathtaking in a deep blue gown, her matching cobalt eyes met his several times. The exposure brought by her dark hair pinned u
p
,
and the low cut of her gown, made him painfully har
d
.
The entire time, his
cock had throbbed uncomfortably against the fabric of his breeches.

Now as he lay alone in the dark, he considered attempting to find her. To have her one last time.

Jamie slid his palm down past his stomach to press against his hardened length. It was already proving to be a test of endurance for him.

His door cracked open and Jamie reached for the dirk beneath his pillow. He pretended to sleep, watching under his lashes to see who entered.

"Jamie?" Cailyn whispered and took a tentative step inside. "Are you awake?"

If they weren't in her brother's home, he'd have slammed her against the doorway and taken her then and ther
e
.
Instead, he turned to his side and lifted up to his elbow. "I must ask you again if your intent is to get me killed."