One & Only (16 page)

“You have our full cooperation when
the time comes,” Maurice said.

He walked them out of the hall and
went to the training field after. Questions plagued him as to why Bree would
hide the knowledge of knowing his king. Her eyes gave her away when she
couldn’t look at him. Grey put the matter aside and gave direction for the
preparation of the upcoming war against the MacHeths. Soon he would get
revenge.

CHAPTER thirteen

Bree decided to wait near suppertime
to confront Grey about her request to move to a vacant cottage. Father
Geoffrey’s suggestion had merit and she wanted to ask Grey before she lost her
courage. If she could find the man, she could put her question to him, but he
was nowhere to be found.

Night came earlier each passing day
and soon there would be shorter days. She stepped outside and was careful where
she walked, because it had grown dark and there wasn’t a moon this night to
give light.

As she walked along the outer
structure of the keep, she felt eyes following her. She noticed some of the men
standing about, in discussion. Bree kept walking until she found herself by the
stables where many of the warhorses were kept. From outside, she could hear the
horse’s whinnies and the sound of their snorts. Never one to enter such a
domain at home, Bree was hesitant to step inside. At her father’s fief, the
stables were forbidden to her. But then she’d been the obedient daughter. She
need not be dutiful any longer.

Without reservation, she walked
under the threshold and saw several horses looking at her. They were large
animals, much larger than her palfrey. Bree reached the first stall and touched
the silky head of the dark-brown warhorse, whose demeanor was as cross as
Gell’s. She giggled when the horse tossed his head in objection to being
petted.

“What are you doing in here?”

Bree about jumped a foot. “Oh, ye
startled me, Grey.”

“You shouldn’t be about by yourself
at dark.”

“I was looking for you.”

Grey stepped next to her and took
her hand, leading her away from the stall. He stopped before he reached the
door and turned to face her. “Ye were?”

“Aye. You see I … that is to say
Father Geoffrey advised I speak with you and I didn’t have a chance to broach
the subject earlier …”

“What did Father Geoffrey suggest
you say?”

Bree couldn’t get the words out.
Distracted by his mouth, she couldn’t take her eyes away. His tight jaw
suggested he was agitated about something. Now was not the right time to ask
him her request. As she contemplated whether to do so or not, she backed up a
step and stumbled. She heard a screech. When she noticed what she’d tripped
over, she spotted a vary-colored cat licking its paw, affronted at being
stepped on. The cat had company. A hound bounded toward her along with pup.
Grey took her hand again and kicked hay at the animals to make them move away.

“They must smell the scent of ham I
helped Gell prepare for supper. I must remember to change my attire before I
take walks,” she said laughing.

“You smell delicious.” Grey pulled
her into his arms.

Bree was content to stay that way.
Being held by him was comforting, something she had never experienced. More
than that, she felt appealing in the way his arms encased her. Grey lifted her
chin and gazed at her.

The look smoldered, making Bree wish
he’d kiss her. When his lips lightly caressed hers, she forgot where she was
and what she’d been doing. The kiss deepened and his tongue sensually moved
over hers. A peculiar feeling came over her and she wasn’t sure why a knot
formed in her belly.

Her breath about ceased when his
hand moved to her breast and somehow they’d ended up lying in a hay pile to the
side of the threshold. She never experienced anything so wonderfully thrilling.
Grey lay on his side, his body flanking hers. Every muscle pressed hard against
her thigh and legs. Bree waited with baited breath to see what he would do.

She couldn’t help throwing her head
back when he uncovered her breast and his mouth took possession of her nipple.
Desire flowed through her, making the knot in her belly a twisted mass. A low
moan escaped her and she opened her eyes to find Grey staring at her.

“You taste delicious too.”

Bree realized the precarious
position they were in and her discussion with Father Geoffrey came rolling
back. A sting of embarrassment came to her cheeks and she hastily got to her
knees.

“Ah, Bree, what ye do to me.”

“Grey, please … This is why I needed
to speak with you.”

“I know what ye feel, Bree. I feel
the same. Let me pleasure you. Aye, you will enjoy this.”

“‘Tis sinful, Grey. Father Geoffrey
suggested I ask if I could stay in one of the vacant cottages. I cannot stay in
the keep with you when we are unmarried, especially if you continue to kiss me
like that. The women here hate me, they say I am condemned as it is.”

His eyes darkened and his frown
intensified. “What we do is not sinful, Bree. If it pleases you, I will allow
ye to stay in a cottage with Cait until we are wed.”

Bree sucked in a breath. “But we are
not to be married. I will not marry anyone. Shall I be bartered like a common
cow? Going from one laird to another in hopes of stopping this war between you?
I will not be used so. My life changed because of a man’s wish to use me to
come between the clans and now I don’t know who I was or what could have been.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and Bree hastily wiped them away.

Grey took her hand and Bree tried to
pull back, but he held fast. “You have never been barter to me, Bree. You mean
more than that to me.”

“That is not so, Grey. I heard your
discussion with Laird Ross and his brother. I was betrothed in order to bring
peace and then abducted to end that peace. I was barter, still am barter. I
refuse to wed you or anyone here.”

Before he could say a word, Bree
fled the stables. The truth of the words she’d spoken hit her as she ran to the
kitchens and hastened inside. Pots of all sizes sat on the flame. Bree needed
to soothe herself and so she took a spoon and began stirring, not caring what
she was doing.

She absently went about her tasks
and dismissed Gell who gave direction to his helpers. Then he began shouting
that she was in the way. So she took a spot at the table and started to slice
bread for the evening meal. When Gell had dishes ready for the hall, she
offered to take them. Enough time had passed and she’d calmed. Yet she wasn’t
sure if she could face Grey.

With two platters atop one another,
she held fast and walked as quickly as she could to the great hall. Many had
all ready entered and awaited supper. She set the platter down with the sliced
bread and cheese, and then set the ham in the center. Before she could leave
the hall, Grey’s guard called to her.

“Milady, will ye not join us for
supper?” Duff asked.

“Oh nay, I shall return with more
food. I hope you enjoy it.” Bree left and went back to the kitchens. She
returned with a large pot of soup and a tray of cut vegetables. Before she had
left the kitchens, she poured her special sauce on the vegetables and sprinkled
salt and peppercorns over the oily mixture.

After entering the hall again, she
set the pot down along with the vegetables and went to sit with Cait. “Grey
said we could have a cottage. I will begin packing our belongings.”

“Oh, Bree, ye didn’t ask him that
did you?” Cait’s face held a look of disapproval.

She hunched her shoulder. “Aye. I
will not stay here and have those women think … whatever it is they are
thinking.”

“I shan’t go with you to the cottage.
I will stay here with Sunny. I can’t leave her alone.”

“You mean leave Duff. I see that you
have no concern for my welfare, Cait. Would you that I be condemned to spend
eternity in hell?”

Cait laughed so loudly, she caused
everyone in the hall to stop and look at them. Bree shushed her laughter.

“Hell, my lady, the devil would not
know what to do with you. Nay, ‘tis the wee one I am thinking of. She should be
here and not in a damp cottage where she could catch a chill.”

“I was hoping she could come with
us. I hadn’t thought of that, Cait. Mayhap you are aright. Sunny would fare
better here than in a cottage.”

Cait shook her head. “The girl is
safer here, and besides, I don’t want to leave the comforts here, Bree. Mayhap
I am being selfish. If you want to move to a cottage, then go. You’ll be back
at the keep within a sennight I’ll wager.” She laughed again and Bree scoffed
at her.

“Milady,” Kenneth called. “Will ye
eat with us?”

Bree looked down the table and saw
each of Grey’s guard staring at her.

“If it pleases you.” She took a bowl
and filled it with soup and then snatched a few pieces of bread. As she sat
there, she noticed the men giving her peculiar looks.

“Don’t ye like us, milady?” Colm
asked.

“Of course I like you, Colm. Why do
you ask such a question?”

Now Greer spoke, “Will ye wed us,
milady? I mean wed our laird?”

“Aye, you would make a fine wife for
our laird, milady,” Kenneth said. “And a mistress unlike any other for us.”

Sean leaned forward, smiling and
said, “We always knew ye would make our laird happy. He never wanted any
other.”

Bree’s head spun with them all
questioning her at once. “I … will mayhap consider it.” She couldn’t bear to
tell them the truth that she felt as though she was an object to be used by men
in their attempt to either rule the land or subject her to further misery. At
that moment, Bree couldn’t help feeling the woe that came upon her.

“We hope ye do wed our laird, Lady
Bree. He’s been wanting to wed ye since you were this high,” James said,
holding his hand above the floor a few feet.

“Aye, she were a pest when she was
wee, wasn’t she?” Duff said to his comrades. “Och, milady, Grey never let
anyone insult ye. I remember a time when he fattened my lip because I called ye
a name. ‘Course I was a young lad bent on trouble then. Now ye’ve grown to a
bonny woman and won’t be calling ye names now.”

Why their talk of their childhood
saddened her, she didn’t know. None of their reminisces came to her, and she
couldn’t recall ever seeing them as lads. In her determination to appease them,
she nodded, hoping to dispel the conversation. Once she’d finished her soup,
she went above stairs and collected her belongings. Now all she had to do was
find Grey and have him show her where she would stay.

She walked along a path outside and
saw him standing near a corral. He was speaking to one of his soldiers,
apparently explaining how he liked his war-horse’s reins applied. Without
hesitation, she approached and waited for him to finish his conversation before
speaking.

“Bree, I see you mean what you
said,” he spoke low, nodding at her baggage.

“Aye. Can you show me where I’ll be
staying?”

Grey scowled, fisted his hands, and
turned. “You’re a stubborn woman. Come.”

He led the way to a cottage within
the walls of the keep. At least she would not be outside the walls and mayhap
unprotected. That relieved her unease slightly. Grey opened the door for her
and allowed her to step inside. When he made a move to enter, she held her hand
out to stop him.

“It would be improper for you to
enter, Laird Gunn.”

“We’re back to calling me laird?
This does not please me, Bree, you staying here alone. Will Cait be joining
you?”

She shook her head, knowing he was
becoming agitated with her. “Nay. Which is why I cannot allow you to enter.”

Grey took her in his arms. His hands
moved over her back, she could feel the strength in him. Closing her eyes, she
reveled at his concern even if he was somewhat annoyed. His lips brushed hers
in a light kiss and when she opened her eyes, he was gone.

Bree moved inside the cottage and
closed the door. The one-room cottage had a small hearth, no table, or chair
with which to sit. There sat a pallet with a comfortable looking bedroll atop.
She set her belongings beside it and sank to the bedding. How she ended up here
was beyond her. All she had wanted was to be accepted by the clan’s women and
because of their disdain she had no choice in leaving the main keep.

Besides, she meant what she’d said
to Grey. Bree refused to be barter. All the years she’d been away attested to
the fact that she didn’t belong here. A severe loneliness came over her. She
already missed Grey, Cait, Sunny, and the guardsmen, but she couldn’t return to
the keep now. Mayhap she had made the wrong decision.

CHAPTER fourteen

Grey made a mistake by allowing Bree
to move to a cottage.

He didn’t like Bree staying by alone
but what could he do? It had been nearly a fortnight since she’d moved to the
cottage at the top of the hill. Though she spent the evenings in the great hall
with Cait and Sunny, she always returned to her cottage for sleep after she’d
bathed and tucked Sunny in bed. It was then, when she’d left for the night that
he felt most sullen. The woman was driving him to distraction.

Winter came early and with it light
snow carpeting the hills and valleys. Most nights his clan spent indoors, with
a nice blazing fire set in their hearths. Even with the warmth of a fire, it
was difficult to ward off the chill which settled into the ground. The cold
crept through the stone and floorboards like a banshee roaming the edge of the
lochs, intent on finding the nearest warm body to plague.

Grey had all the windows covered
with thick hides and kept extra plaids in the hall for the women. Sunny was
clothed in heavy fabric which he noted might be a good thing, for she couldn’t
move as fast as she had without it. Some of the elders huddled beneath their
plaids in the corners and those whose cottages hadn’t been properly repaired or
insulated with straw stayed in the main keep.

As he sat in the hall waiting for
the meeting to begin, he watched Bree, Cait, and Sunny sitting by the hearth.
Bree used her fingers and was showing Sunny a game or something of the sort.
Their faces animated and contently amused, he smiled too. He could get used to
having her around and missed having her in the hall often.

It had been years since there was
such joy in the keep, not since his parents had been alive and even before
that. Grey decided a long time ago to dedicate himself to clan matters. His
happiness was not important, nor needed. But now, he realized how much he
wanted joy in his life.

He wanted the family he’d been
promised, the woman who would keep him warm at night, and the children who
would strengthen the clan as his father had proclaimed so long ago. He deserved
that, didn’t he?

“Laird, we’re all present,” Duff
said, tapping his arm.

“What?” When he looked up he saw all
his guard sitting around the table, their gazes directed elsewhere. He’d been
deep in thought and hadn’t heard them come in. Taking the time to look at each
of his men, he watched James, Sean, Kenneth, Colm, and Greer and saw where
their interest lay. They were each looking at Bree as well. ‘Twas no fault of
theirs, she was just too darn bonny.

He cleared his throat to draw their
attention back to the meeting and when they didn’t hear him, he looked at Duff.

“They cannot help it, Laird. Look at
her, she’s a beautiful woman. I heard one of the younger lads say if you didn’t
want her, that he’d take her. The men congregate outside her cottage in the morning
waiting for her to appear. At night it’s worse. They stand about until she
returns. Often I break up the crowd before she returns.”

“I know,” Grey said dejectedly.

“When she passes the training
fields, all sparring ceases and it takes me several minutes to get the men back
to their tasks. It’s been like that for weeks. Can you not keep her inside?
It’s very frustrating.” For all of Duff’s impatience, he sounded remarkably
calm.

“I’m sure it is, Duff.” Grey didn’t
like hearing this, but what could he do? Until he gained her cooperation and
acceptance, he’d have to deal with the lads’ inability to be near her.

“Yesterday, I sent Gordy to deliver
a message to ye, and when he came back he couldn’t tell me if he delivered the
message or not. All he blathered about was seeing milady in the hall. I swear I
was going to wring his scrawny neck and if it wasn’t for Greer, I would have.”

“Aye, I know your patience is
wearing thin, Duff.”

“Thin! It’s completely unwound. In
fact, it has snapped. Laird, you needs do it. Just tell her you’re betrothed
and get it the hell over with. Once the lads know you are to wed, they’ll get
back to work and I can make some progress. If we’re to train and be ready for
the MacHeths, I need to make sure the lads have some skill.” Duff’s voice rose
slightly, but he kept his demeanor sedate considering his annoyance.

“This is nonsense. But I agree,
Duff. I will do some-thing about it right now.” With his men looking on and
with some of the younger soldiers present, Grey left his seat. In quick
strides, he reached Bree’s chair and picked her up. He held her in his arms,
her feet dangling over his forearm.

She let out a loud gasp, which he
quickly covered with his mouth. In front of all, he kissed her passionately,
letting every single man inside the hall know—she was off limits.

When he heard the whoops and
hollers, he pulled his mouth away.

“Laird … Grey, what are you doing?”
Her face brightened.

Lord, her mouth looked sweet with
the shimmer of his kiss on it. “I am taking you away,” he said, and then took
the stairs two at a time before she could object.

The noise level from the hall rose
and the men were now yelling their cheers. All he could focus on was her soft
body in his arms and what he was about to do. The thought excited him, and yet
daunted him. One on hand, he wanted to thoroughly ravish her. On the other, he
would have his answer whether she would follow her father’s wishes to be
betrothed to him.

Grey stopped in the hall outside his
chamber and grinned. There was no going back once he took her inside his room.
With that, he kicked the door open and entered. Bree held onto him tightly,
fearing he’d drop her. Her panic made him smile, but he tightened his hold to
appease her.

“Aye, you are so sweet, lass. Have I
told ye that? I have never wanted anyone as I want you. And this night I mean
to show you how much.” He kicked the door closed and walked to the bed. Gently,
he set her in the center and joined her.

The room seemed to heat, and Grey
found himself warming. When he touched her face, cupping her cheek with his
palm, he felt the coolness of her skin. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
There was uncertainty there.

The best course of action was no
talking. He wouldn’t give her a chance to make up some nonsense about improprieties.
And so he lowered his mouth and kissed the side of her face. His lips brushed
over her chin and down her neck to the base of her throat. There he felt a
little pulse and he smiled. She was as excited as he was with the prospect of
what they were doing.

Grey splayed his hand over her
stomach and gently shifted it upward until he cupped the underside of her
breast. The weight of her breast in his hand pleased him. He heard her slight
intake of breath. Keeping focused on his task, Grey moved his mouth to hers and
waited to see what she’d do.

His lips hovered a scant above hers
and it must have been too much for her. Bree clasped her hands behind his neck
and pulled him forward until she got what she wanted.

His mouth covered hers and the
softness of her lips beckoned his tongue. He possessed her, using his tongue to
show her how much he desired her. It was too much. Grey wanted much more than
intense kisses. He wanted them to come together in blissful abandonment, to
join their bodies and finally surrender to their desire.

Their kisses became all consuming,
so much so that he wasn’t able to think straight. Grey felt the rough flesh
beneath his fingers moving over her breast and his body pressing urgently
against her side.

A will to take her overwhelmed him,
but he couldn’t be so impertinent. She was far too important to him to not have
a care. With that he tore his mouth from hers. He rasped for breath and
couldn’t take his eyes off her. A flush covered her cheeks and her eyes were
hazy with pure passion. In that moment, he realized she desired him as much as
he desired her.

Without thinking, Grey pulled at his
plaid until it fell away and he practically ripped his tunic over his head. He
kept his tartan on to appease her modesty. All he wanted was to feel her hand
on his skin, on the very heat of him. He burned for her touch and needed it
badly.

Grey took her in his arms again and
pressed her hand against his chest. As he’d imagined, her cool hand felt
wonderfully arousing and when she caressed him, he groaned at the pleasure.
Letting passion rule his mind, he took her mouth again and kissed her for a few
minutes before tearing himself away.

When he looked into her eyes again,
he saw no hesitation. That fueled the fire within him, igniting his actions and
defusing any concrete thought of stopping. He moved his mouth to her breast and
kissed the erect tip through the fabric. More than anything, he wanted to taste
her skin and surround the tip with his mouth. Groaning at the thought, he
looked back to her face.

“Grey, we shouldn’t be doing this.”
Her declaration came out as a petal-soft whisper.

“I cannot stop, lass. You turned me
into an untried lad, aye you have.”

“I do apologize, Grey. Please, I do
not mean to.”

He smiled despite the disappointment
he felt. “I know that. I should apologize. You make me want you, Bree. I cannot
help myself.”

“I do enjoy kissing you. Can we not
do that?”

Grey chuckled. “Kissing always leads
to the other. Don’t do that, lass. I might not be capable of stopping if we get
started again. I’m having hard enough time as it is.” She’d touched his chest,
letting her hand trail to his lower belly, and looked at him strangely.

“I was just looking at your scar.
You must have suffered a great wound.”

He realized she’d touched the scar
over his heart and frowned. “Aye, a grave wound indeed. I’ve had it since I was
a lad.”

“Who would hurt you so? You could
have died from such a wound.”

“Aye, mayhap I did die then. But now
I’m alive, more so than I have been in years.”

“How did it happen?”

Grey shook his head and couldn’t
tell her the truth. It was time to tell her about the betrothal and nothing was
going to deter him. He didn’t know how to begin and so he decided it would be
best to blurt it out. “Bree, when we were wee, we were—”

Duff came charging into his chamber;
the door hit the wall with such force it practically came off its hinges. Bree
scrambled off the bed and Grey grabbed his sword.

“What in hell do you think you’re
doing, Duff?”

“Laird, there’s a fire. Two of the
cottages are burning. You’re needed in the village.” Duff ran back out the
door.

“Bree, I’ll be back. Stay here and
wait for me. Don’t go to your cottage. It might not be safe.” Grey pulled his
tunic back on and fixed his plaid before running out the door.

* * *

With Grey gone, Bree sat on the edge
of his bed. She couldn’t fathom what she was doing there. One minute, she’d
been sitting in the hall minding her tasks and then next, she was being carried
away. Grey seemed to have affection for her, of that she was certain.

But Bree wasn’t sure what she felt
for him. The concern was, she wasn’t about to let herself be drawn into a
relationship and then be let down. She’d lost her family once and it could
easily happen again. Could she risk being hurt so?

There was indeed something about
Grey that tugged at her heart, but now her only thought was to protect her
heart—not allow herself to think he cared. People had cared before, yet it was
not enough to ensure her security or love. Wallowing in self-pity, Bree didn’t
want to hurt again. The first time she’d cared had been hurtful enough.

Oh, aye, she didn’t recall much of
her past. But she did know that being a child alone in the world was
frightening and so she did her best to be well behaved. And in doing so, she
secured her future. Now that future had been snatched away and she was left
once again defenseless and unloved.

“This will not do. I cannot sit here
and feel sorry for myself. I should tell Grey that no matter how much he wants
me, he should lend his affection elsewhere.” With that realization, Bree stood
in the chamber feeling remorseful at her words.

She couldn’t help looking around for
curiosity’s sake. Grey was a simple man. For all the comforts in his hall,
there certainly weren’t many here in his private chamber. Though the chamber
was large, as was most lord’s chambers, his was stark. There were no bankers,
tapestries, or desks in which to use for correspondence or business. He had
very few possessions, all of which seemed to fit in a small locked trunk.

Bree didn’t know why that saddened
her. He was a simple man with much to offer. Why had he offered for her?
Shouldn’t she be amiable to such a joining? Then she wondered why he would even
choose her for a bride. She had no great dowry or birthright.

There was no alliance in which would
bring any satisfaction except for the supposed war. Grey would gain nothing
except her willingness to couple with him and that certainly was not enough to
enter into any such arrangement.