Mysty McPartland (2 page)

He was immune to the wench’s blatant seduction, lowering the goblet from his mouth; he felt nothing but revolted by this brazen strumpet. She possessed no morals and cared for no one but herself. “’Tis late, woman, and I think ye should go back to ye own chamber.” He growled softly.

Unable to believe that this man would reject her, placing a hand on his shoulder, Lisa bent over knowing her breasts were displayed from the top of her gapping gown. “Nay, Laird, let me stay here with ye. I promise ye willna be sorry. I can give ye more pleasure than ye could even dream about.” She whispered huskily in his ear.

The shudder of revolution swept through him when feeling her hot breath brush over his neck, he jerked back in repulsion. He was left cold despite the sight of her unfettered breasts. Pulling her hand away from his shoulder, he let it drop to her side. “Go, I’m nay interested in ye offer wench, so I suggest ye to leave.”

At hearing the chilling finality in his voice and seeing his eyes regarding her with contempt, Lisa was filled with fury. How dare this man so coldly toss what she offered back at her? With a glare that promised vengeance, she turned and left, swearing that she would pay him back. No man ever denied her and this man would regret his scorn of her and for rejecting her.

While he watched the wench exit the chamber, he knew he’d made and enemy but didn’t care, the harridan repulsed him. He avoided females like her for years and he would never be tempted by one of them. They drained a man of everything, their soul, their self-respect and their dignity.

His top lip curled up in disgust and a knowing spark lit his eyes. He sensed that this strumpet most of all would destroy a man and enjoy doing it. Quickly dismissing the harpy from his mind, he turned his thoughts back to his betrothed. He knew she was hiding somewhere near, she would have to be. Nonetheless, if he didn’t find her tomorrow, he thought he may as well go home.

It would mean ending the contract and that left him feeling unsettled. Hell
, the woman, he knew from the beginning, would be trouble, but still it irritated him that she wasn’t even slightly interested in meeting him or knowing him. Instead, she would rather risk her safety by leaving her home to avoid him and their marriage.

Damn her
, one more day and if he didn’t find her, he would leave and not feel one ounce of regret over her or the ending of the contract. Be dammed if he would.

****

Uncomfortable, snuggling deeper under the blankets trying to keep the chill from her, Dalla sighed. Lord, she was taking a risk being outside the castle walls alone, but she wasn’t going to sit at home like an eager ninny and wait for this stranger to arrive, that she was being forced to wed, and greet him happily.

No
, never, she heard enough rumors about the man and as far as she was concerned, he was despicable. Two, maybe three more days at the most and she could go back home, by that time hopefully the odious beast should be gone and the betrothal broken, then she could marry the man she loved.

She just hoped
when she returned home her father wouldn’t be too angry with her and beat her for what she had done. Maybe her betrothed didn’t care that she ran away and was in fact quite relieved. Her cousin Lisa was there and she would probably be consoling him at this very moment.

Her mouth tightened in a hard line, even though she knew it was wrong, she didn’t like Lisa very much. The woman was scheming and vindictive, and didn’t care who she hurt yet men still found her attractive, even married men. That is why Lisa’s father sent her here to avoid the terrible scandal she had created between Laird Cameron and his wife.

She felt sorry for
Lady Trisha, she was a kind and lovely lady and loved her husband, and for her cousin to seduce Laird Cameron knowing that his wife would catch them was such a malicious thing to do and she could barely bring herself to speak to her cousin since she had arrived.

Knowing Lisa as she did, the woman was probably in bed already, cheering up her betrothed. After all, he owned a reputation of his own and that was half the reason why she ran away. She would never wed a man who had slept with as many women as he’d been rumored to have taken to bed.

Definitely not
. When she wed, she wanted to marry her darling Robert. Just thinking of him brought a sweet smile to her face. Robert was everything she wanted in a man, so handsome and kind. She had never seen him lose his temper and she knew that he would always be faithful to her, whereas her betrothed would never be. No, she made the right decision in running away and very soon she would be with the man she loved.

Letting her lashes drift down
, she smiled dreamily thinking of the lovely and loving future she would share with Robert. She was certain when the fornicating rogue ended the contract between them, her father would finally agree to let her marry the man she adored. There wasn’t any reason now he would be against them marrying.

No
, there would not be the excuse that it was impossible because she was already betrothed. She also disagreed with her father and she believed Robert would make a fine laird for her clan when the time came for him to take over from her papa. Oh, she hoped it would be a very long time before that would happen. She just had to make her father see what a fine man Robert was and he would stop this ceaseless disapproval of him.

Her smile dying
, she let out a heavy, sad sigh, she hated disappointing her father and upsetting him. And she knew by running away she had done just that, but surely he would understand that she couldn’t marry a man she abhorred and would never come to love. She was certain when she returned home all would be forgiven and her papa will be finally agreeable to letting her wed Robert.

A chill wind swept through the little hut and she shivered beneath the mound of covers. It was all that fornicating
rogues’ fault that she was driven from her home and was now suffering. She hoped that once he came to realize what his involvement with her cousin was going to cost him, he would be miserable as well.

She made a choking sound of disgust.
Maybe he would decide, since she wasn’t there, that Lisa could take her place. She laughed at the thought of those two immoral people ending up with each other. It would be fitting if they did. They would probably be wretched for the rest of their depraved lives and of course she would be deliriously happy and living with the man she loved.

Even though she
knew it was wicked of her to have such spiteful thoughts, but at the moment she didn’t feel very kindly towards either of them. Snuggling deeper into the straw mattress, she grimaced and shifted when a piece of stubble pierced her thigh.
I hope they both rot in hell together,
she mumbled between clench teeth.

Some people deserved to be happy and some didn’t, her cousin and her betrothed certainly didn’t.
Just look what she was suffering now because of him. She was certain he had no more liking to wed her than she did him. Surely, he didn’t want to be tied to one woman and especially one that loathed him for the rest of his life.

Wouldn’t he much rather
remain unattached and continue his depraved lifestyle? Be able to lift any available female’s skirts and rut with her to his heart’s content without having to worry about a wife. She even doubted he would even stay faithful for more than an hour after they were wed. Men like him didn’t change just because they were married.

Never would she stand by and let some man humiliate her in such a way. If she was forced to
, she would most certainly take a blade to his family jewels and slice them off. It would soon put a stop to his fornicating and prevent him shaming her. She chuckled just thinking about it, aye it was amusing. Suddenly, her entertaining thoughts were cut dead and a horrifying thought occurred to her.

What in the devil’s name would she do if he decided not to end the contract between them and still wanted to wed her? What if she went home
in a few days and he was still there waiting for her? Heaven help her, please, please don’t let it be true. Make him end the betrothal and ride off to wherever he came from just don’t let him be there when I return home.

If he was
still residing at the keep, she knew her life would be doomed and she would be dishonored and disgraced for eternity. Surely, he would be infuriated and insulted that she’d preferred running away and risking her safety rather than marry him. Wouldn’t he have some pride? She snorted in loathing; nay a man with so little scruples most assuredly didn’t possess any. 

Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, wondering what she was going to do if he was still in residence. There most certainly wouldn’t be anyway she could escape her fate then. “
Oh, Lord please don’t let it be true. Make him go away and stay away,”
she whispered the quick pray and squeezed her eyes shut. How she wanted to curse the fates that made her father sign such a hideous contract all those years ago.

Why couldn’t her papa believe all th
ose rumors about her betrothed? Every time she mentioned one to him, he just waved it away and said it was all just malicious nonsense. Her father believed that McCain was a fine braw of a man and an impressive laird. Well respected throughout the Highlands and Scotland. He would make her a fine husband and a good leader for their own clan one day in the future.

It didn’t matter how many times s
he repeated the latest scandalous whispers about her betrothed it never changed anything. She wanted to stamp her foot and pull out her hair when her father chuckled and said she didn’t have any reason to be jealous and that McCain was only sowing a few wild oats before he settled down and married her.

Wild oats indeed; more like sowing the entire fields of England and Scotland. It was well known the man’s lust was insatiable; no woman was safe around the lustful rogue. All the Highlands knew he would tup any lass he found slightly attractive, and he did. Besides all those rumors about him must have some truth to them and she didn’t understand why her father refused to believe them.

If luck was on her side s
he could only hope that her father would catch Lisa and her betrothed rutting. Because there was no doubt in her mind they would be. Her papa would be horrified and disgusted; he wouldn’t waste any time throwing the pair out. Though it might be only wishful thinking, she hoped it would come true. It would certainly end all her problems and she would be free to marry Robert.

Chapter Three

The next morning w
ith Duncan at his side, Tarrel rode out in search of impertinent, foolish lass. They had been riding for over an hour, when he pulled his horse to a stop, and lifted his hand to tell his friend to remain silent. He sat listening and there it was again, the sound of soft laughter floating on the breeze. Smiling grimly, he swung down off his stallion. “Wait here, Duncan, I think I have just found my missing bride.”

Surprised
, raising a bushy brow, Duncan dismounted, took Tarrel’s reins and stood silently by the horses to wait for his friend to return.

Quietly m
oving towards the soft laughter, he parted the thick bushes and stopped dead. He was taken completely by surprise, he could only stand there in utter amazement and watch the woman playing in the water. It must be a water nymph, the woman couldn’t be real, not this goddess.

By G
od, she was a beauty, with her long ash blonde hair plastered wetly to her glistening wet body. And what a figure, slim hipped, a waist he could easily span with his hands and breasts that were full, yet were standing up proudly. He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of her face and already his cock was erect and demanding satisfaction.

I
f this was the lass that he was betrothed to there would be no way he would end the agreement. No, he wanted this woman and he would have this woman. With that thought determinedly set in his mind, he pushed the bushes further apart and stepped into the clearing. “’Tis lucky ye are lass that ‘tis I that have come upon ye while ye are behaving so scandalously and nay someone else. Running around naked as the day ye were born even a dead man would rise to the occasion.”

Frightened
nearly to death at hearing the deep male voice behind her, Dalla cried out and dropped beneath the water. Wrapping her arms over her breasts, she twisted around and stared in wide eyed fear. She was terrified by the sheer size of the huge dark man standing on the bank. He was so tall, so wide of shoulder and his thighs were as thick as tree trunks.

He w
as dark all over, his body a threatening weapon, power and strength emanated from him. She trembled beneath the water and bit her lip wondering if it would even be possible to escape this dark devil and the ugly, heinous thing he was going to do to her because there was no doubt in her mind that this black devil would violate her if he were to get his hands on her. Terror screamed through her veins and she knew that if she didn’t escape, her life would be over.