Mysty McPartland (4 page)

Another thought entered his head and he frowned darkly, who was this
man she professed to love? Suddenly, a sickening notion swept through his mind and he became consumed with rage. Without realizing it, his arm tightened around her squeezing her waist. The very moment they were back at her home, he would find out the truth.

If he
found out that she had given herself to this man she professed to love and she was no longer innocent, he would kill the thieving son of a bitch. And as for her, he didn’t know what he would do with her. One thing did know though, he was certainly going to learn the truth and what he might do with it, well he would decide when he had it.

When the lass seated in front of him started to thrash and dig her nails into his arm, he suddenly realized he was squeezing her to hard and she couldn’t breathe. He slackened his hold slightly and glared at the
top of her head. He would uncover the truth even if had to bed her to get it.
Be damned if he would let any wench cuckold him especially, his bride.

Though he intended to wait until after the vows were spoken to make love
to her, the situation had now changed. If she did not admit the truth freely, he’d have no other recourse than to find it out for himself. No woman would make a fool out of him and he scowled. At the moment, he was unable to decided what he would do if he found out she was no longer innocent. His mouth tightened in a grim line, he had to suppress the urge to demand and answer right now. With and effort he clamped his jaw shut. Now was not the time to have such a discussion.

Frightened when her breath was being squeezed out of her, Dalla fought to free herself from pressure. His arm was like a steel band squeezing every bit of air out of her and she had to do it before she passed out. Desperately she dug her nails into his wrist, it took a few moments before his hold eased and she closed her eyes and drew in long deep breathes. She promised herself that once she was home, she would find some way to escape the fiend.

Never would she marry this man. Never. Never. Never.

From the moment she’d been roughly tossed her
on the horse and forced up against the hard, unyielding body behind her, she ignored not only him, but also the large bearded man that rode beside them. She dismissed his rude stares and sat stiffly with her chin in the air, while her mind frantically thought of one plan after another, anything that would get her out the horrendous predicament she now found herself in.

Now that she could breathe more easily she could think clearly. If only Robert hadn’t gone off to Edinburgh, he would surely help her, but he wasn’t here and it would be up to her to find some way she could prevent marrying this man. Would her father believe her when she informed him that her betrothed had slept with Lisa? It would certainly be something she could try.

Whether it
worked was an entirely different matter though, but surely her papa would be just as disgusted as she was and break the contract. She would do it the first opportunity that presented itself because at the moment she couldn’t think of anything else that would save her from this
terrifying
nightmare.

A nightmare that would most assuredly
get worse as the months and years swept by. Her shoulders sagged at the prospect of living such a hellish life, but before it could drown her, she thrust up her chin and stiffened her shoulders. They weren’t married yet and there was still a chance she could escape such a despicable, atrocious future.

She would let no man defeat her or shame her, especially this fornicating pig. If
he thought for one moment she would ever accept such a lifestyle, he was swiftly going to learn she wouldn’t. The very second he turned a lustful eye on another woman she would return home to her father. She hoped it would disgrace him knowing that everyone in the Highlands knew his wife walked out on him.

Aye it
would be immensely satisfying leaving the skirt chasing rogue and there was no doubt in her mind she would be forced into taking such measures if she was to wed him. Though the idea of being married but not married was depressing, at least she wouldn’t have to live with him. However, it was a much better prospect than living with a rutting goat for the rest of her life.

Tears of defeat filled her eyes when she noticed the high walls of her home just up ahead. She quickly blinked them away before they could fall, she would not let anyone see how crushed
her spirit was at this very moment. There was still time to get out of this mess yet, she sternly reminded herself. She gritted her teeth when that steel band once more tightened around her waist, forcing her to suck air through her teeth.

Not realiz
ing his arm around the lass tensed, Tarrel was finally relieved to reach the keep. He pulled his stallion to a stop and glancing around, couldn’t help but notice all the unhappy faces and frowned. He would have thought everyone would have been pleased to have their mistress returned safely; instead it was quite the opposite. Shaking his head, he dismounted, reached up to lift his betrothed down and placed her on her feet.

“Wait right here for me while
I tend to my horse.” He snapped at her without glancing at her once. Taking the reins to lead the animal away, he spun around at the cry of pain and shaking his head, he handed the care of his stallion over to Duncan.

The very second
her feet touched the ground; she intended to rush away and find somewhere to hide. She took a step and yelped in anguish when she put her full weight on her ankle.

The next instant
she was swung up in powerful arms and carried inside. She made no attempt to struggle from his hold, knowing it would be pointless. She stared coldly ahead refusing to acknowledge the man or thank him for his aide.

By damn
, the foolish lass, he ignored the rigid way she held herself as he carried her inside. His only concern was learning the truth and she would not be wise to defy him. He had a feeling though that it would be a long battle until she learnt that lesson. His jaw clenched as he strode across the hall with one intention in mind. He spied her father and grimaced as the old man flew across the room.

Relieved at s
eeing Laird McCain carrying his daughter inside, Kevin jumped to his feet and hurried over to them. “Och lass I am so pleased to see ye home safe and sound. I have been so worried about ye.” He stopped talking when he saw the burning anger in his daughter’s eyes, and the cold fury in the young laird’s.

“Aye she is home safe,
but the foolish lass has injured her ankle, I’ll take her up to her chamber.” He was determined that nobody would stop him having a private word with his betrothed, not even her father.

“I insist that ye p
ut me down I can get to my chamber on my...” Dalla stopped speaking when the air was squeezed out of her.

“I suggest
, Laird McBain, ye start making the arrangements for the wedding to take place tomorrow.” He advised the man as he moved towards the staircase and ignored the loud gasp coming from the woman in his arms.

Kev
in wrung his hands worriedly as he watched the two of them go up the stairs.
Oh Lord he didn’t think it was wise for them to be alone. They are both so angry, but there was no missing the determination on Laird McCain’s face and knew that the young man would not stand for any interference.

O
n the landing, he stopped. “Which room?”

Filled with impotent rage and seething with defiance, she pointed down the end of the hall to the chamber on the left.

With quick purposeful strides
, he headed for the door she pointed to, bending down he easily opened it, stepped into the bedchamber, and kicked the door shut behind him. Glancing around the room, he was impressed at how neat and tidy it was. The women he knew loved clutter and filled their chambers with ridiculous knickknacks, an impatient growl rumbling in his chest he dismissed his daft thoughts. Then spying the large four poster bed, he moved towards it and when he reached it, he tossed her callously down on to the mattress and stood over her, refusing to even glance at her. He couldn’t take the chance of gazing at her face, because he knew he would forget everything he wanted to say if he took one glimpse of her mesmerizing beauty.

When she was
unceremoniously tossed onto her bed, she sat up, brushed her hair out of her face, and glared at the man with insolence and with venomous intensity.

“Ye
will tell me what I want to ken and I warn ye dinna dare lie to me, wench.” He ran his fingers through his hair and stared coldly at the wall. “Firstly, I want to ken who the man Robert is and if he is ye lover.” With his hands fisted on his hips and his legs braced apart, breathing heavily, he waited for her reply.

At his demanding question
s, frowning, she bit her lip wondering if she should do what he warned her not to do and lie to him. However, seeing the cold ferocious expression on the man’s face wondered if she dared.

It was when she didn’t answer him that
he dropped his gaze to her and noticing the uncertainty in her eyes and knew that she intended to withhold the truth from him. Before he became enthralled by her, he tore his gaze away. “I warn ye, wench, that I will ken if ye speak falsely. There is an easy way to prove if he is ye lover or nay.”

Outraged, gasping, she knew what he was suggesting and how he would find out if she lied or not, the man was a black hearted monster to threaten her in such a despicable way. “The man I love is Robert Ferguson and nay he is nay my lover,
yet
.” Her last word spoken with fierce defiance and apprehensively she watched the fury pour out of him, it seemed to surround her and practically swallowed her up. She became truly terrified and started inching back across the mattress.

A roar of unmitigated rage
tore from him, he dropped his eyes to her and noticing her trying reach the other side of the bed, he threw himself over her pinning her back down on the mattress and his much larger body settled over hers. “Ye are surely a daft wench and if ye even think about taking this man or any other as a lover.” A snarl curved his lips and a growl rumbled in his chest. “He would die a slow death before he even had a chance to enjoy it and ye just may join him.” It was only the anger within him that saved him from not drowning in her eyes or her beauty.

Frantically, she struggled beneath the brute’s weight, but at his cold vicious warning her blood froze in her veins. As she stared into his cruel, black eyes, she could plainly see that he meant everything he threatened and a shiver of dread rushed down her spine. Turning her face away, she prayed with all her heart that there would be some way to stop this madness.

The sensation of
her moving beneath him, he found it impossible to stop his body catching fire and he forced himself to tear his gaze away from her face. He ground his teeth and took several deep breaths trying to control his lust, but it was damned hard. He rolled off her, lying beside her, and covered his eyes with his arm.
What in the hell was he going to do, one glance at the lass and he not only lost his senses, but his body burned fiercely with lust.

Chapter Five

Immensely relieved once the big body no longer covered hers, Dalla shifted away and closed her eyes for a moment before quickly sitting up, she was about to jump of the bed and flee for her life when her arm was captured in a tight grip.

When he felt her squirming
, Tarrel dropped his arm away and caught the lass before she could move away. “Ye are nay leaving my sight until we are wed.” He warned her in a chilling voice.

Alarmed, t
urning to glare him, she couldn’t hide the shock or horror on her face. “Ye canna stay here with me. I will nay allow it.”

S
lowly sitting up, he gave her arm a shake, but he didn’t look at her. “Aye, I will and it matters nay a thing what ye will permit. Ye have proven that ye will do anything to escape this marriage and I willna allow ye another chance to flee.” He smiled grimly. “So, if I am nay with ye there will be one of my men that will be guarding ye. I will take nay more chances with ye, wench.”

It was to
o much, and being called a wench repeatedly, she lost all control, and with a violence she never knew existed inside of her, she attacked the brute. She felt some satisfaction when her fist connected with his eye and another with his nose.

U
nprepared for the viciousness of the assault, it wasn’t until she managed to get in a few good hits in that he caught both hands and forced them over her head and her body under his. Her warm harsh breath burned the skin at his throat, and he fought the building of his hunger for her. “Lord, woman, ye definitely are foolish.”

He clo
sed his eyes and sucked in a lung full of air as he felt himself sinking beneath the murky waters of lust. The hot spiral of desire bubbled and boiled through him. It wasn’t just looking at her, but the sweet curves of her body rubbing against his own that was tempting him beyond his endurance.

It was impossible to control his cock hardening even more when she pressed against his erection, he growled and his mouth came down covering hers in a hot demanding kiss. In the back of his mind, it registered the fact that her kiss was as innocent as any maidens and that pleased him tremendously.