The Capture of Highland Desire (The Mac Coinnach Brothers) (15 page)

Murdo
bent over her, his movements becoming more and more agitated.  Allia tensed, preparing to struggle for all she was worth, to kick and to bite and to scratch.  If she ended up dead, so be it.  She would
not
be bearing anyone a son that would be raised to bring harm to the world. 
No way
.  She took a deep breath, ready to scream even though she knew it would do no good.  But just as Murdo reached for her, there was a dull thump and the door swung open.  Her eyes flew to it, and her heart started thudding hopefully in her chest. 
Eian!

He had his sword drawn, and
to her horror she saw that it was already bloodied.  There was also blood spattered on his shirt and across his face, and she knew he had fought and probably killed to get to her.  His eyes were burning with a soul deep rage as he took in the scene before him like some sort of gorgeous avenging angel.

As
Murdo turned around with a curse on his lips to see who had dared interrupt, Allia took advantage and kicked out with all her might. The man stumbled backwards, but he rolled to his feet and managed to land standing face to face with Eian.  She scooted back towards the wall, hugging her knees to her chest, terrified that Eian would get hurt.  But then she remembered the deadly look in his eyes, and she was no longer afraid of anything.

Eian was focused with lethal intent on the man who had been about to rape his woman, and the instinct to kill rose up so strong and so hard, he almost trembled with it.  Rage washed over him until everything around him seemed to be a shade of blood red.  He gritted his teeth.  “Do ye intend to fight, or shall I just slice ye from ballocks to throat and be done with it?”

Murdo
narrowed his eyes at the challenge, and drew his sword.  As soon as the weapon was out of its sheath and the fight was fair, Eian lunged with a primal growl.  Let it never be said he hadn’t fought with honor.  Metal struck metal with a sickening clash and screech, echoing off the stone walls of the small room. Murdo was quickly forced back one step, and then two by Eian’s nearly inhuman onslaught.  He regained his balance and swung his sword in a mighty arc that would have found its mark if Eian hadn’t met the blow with such force that it seemed to Allia his sword should have shattered.  His strength was simply astounding. 

She wanted to close her eyes until it was over, but something ke
pt her from looking away, as if her will alone could keep Eian from the sharp edge of the other man’s weapon.  So instead she held her breath as the battle continued for what seemed like much longer than the minute or two it had actually been.  A part of her mind couldn’t help but wonder just how many men Eian had killed, that no one was coming to investigate the noise.

Then
Murdo made a fatal mistake.  “Mac Coinnach”, he taunted as he swung again, “I want ye to ken that when ye are dead I’m going to take yer woman hard and fast until she screams, and…”  He didn’t get to finish because there was suddenly a dagger thrust though his heart.  Eian dropped his sword to twist the knife a bit farther.

“I dinna think so”, he said in a voice as cold as ice.  When
Eian pulled the dagger free, the other man dropped like a stone, and for a long moment he stared at the body at his feet, rage still coursing through his veins and his breath coming in gasps.  When at last he turned his gaze to Allia, his eyes were still dark, and his face was that of a man intent on violence and death.  But as he looked at her, his eyes slowly warmed, and his features softened, until at last the murderous haze left him and he smiled, his breath still coming hard.  

             
“I think ye promised me a kiss, lass.”

             
“That I did.”  She smiled back at him shakily, afraid that at any moment she might burst into embarrassing tears of relief.  And pride.  Eian Mac Coinnach had not only come for her, but he had protected her with his sword and his strength.  To see him in action like that had made her want to swoon with feminine desire, or some such thing she had never done before.  Not that she could blame herself, after all it was a natural biological response to such an incredible show of male virility. 

             
He sheathed his sword and then went to her, pulling her up gently from the bed.  The touch of his hands on hers made her tingle all over, but they weren’t safe yet. 

“We need to get away from this place, lass.  And
then I canna wait to claim my just reward.  Properly.  And with great relish”, he added with a cocky grin.

Allia wasn’t at all sure how he could be thinking of kisses and rewards after he had just taken the lives of at least
one, and probably several more men; was in fact still covered in their blood.  But then, he seemed so light hearted sometimes that it was easy to forget he was a warrior.  A very skilled and deadly warrior.  A dangerous man who could kill in a heartbeat.  Or flirt with a woman so that her knees went weak. 

Eian retrieved his dagger and wiped it
clean, while Allia glanced away.  Then he held the blade at the ready it as he led Allia cautiously out of the room and into the dark, windowless hallway.  They climbed a set of wooden stairs before emerging into a short corridor and then out into the starlit night.  Allia figured she must be a little bit in shock, because somehow the bodies and blood strewn near the entrance to the building didn’t faze her, at least not while her hand was wrapped in Eian’s much larger, stronger one.  He had killed to protect her, and even though they were still not out of danger, she had never felt quite so safe. 

Eian led her
swiftly away from the fortress and into the wood, where they walked a short distance before he leaned closer to ask in a low voice “Are ye all right, lass?  Do ye want me to carry ye?”

“No, thank you.  I’m fine.  Now.”  She shuddered, because if he hadn’t come for her when he did, she would have been raped… or worse. 
And she could very well have been carrying the child of Murdo McDermont.  She had known at Lochain that that man wasn’t quite right, but she should have known he was allied with the dark.  How could she not have known?  Perhaps she had, and she had been too cavalier, thinking she could watch out for herself.  She had forgotten that she had grown up in a safe, secure world.  Here… things were different.  She had learned an important lesson, and she wouldn’t forget it.  A shudder went through her, and Eian squeezed her hand a little tighter as they hurried through the trees, both still fueled by adrenaline.

It was nearly an hour later before they came to the place where Eian had left his horse
.  Dair was waiting patiently, and gave a whinny when he saw his master returning.  Eian smiled and stroked the stallion’s soft muzzle with a sigh.  It had been a bloody night and he had had to kill far more men than he would have liked, but none of that mattered now.  He had found Allia, and she was safe.  In that moment, he honestly didn’t care if he ever saw another living soul again, as long as she was with him.
A kiss…
Eian turned to her.  He held her by the arms and his hands trembled just a little in anticipation.  He couldn’t wait another minute.  No power on this earth was going to stop him from claiming the kiss she had promised him. 

She was looking up at him
in expectation, her eyes fathomless windows to her soul that he could gaze into forever… if his body didn’t crave hers so desperately.  Just looking at her like this, his cock was hard as iron and his balls positively ached to spill his seed deep within her.  He lowered his mouth slowly towards hers, excitement welling up within him until he shook with it.  Always before she had pulled away before he reached her lips, and he prepared himself once again for rejection.  Not that rejection was going to stop him this time, not now that he finally knew his own mind.  He would have what she had promised, whether or not she had truly meant it at the time.  He was holding her to it.

His fingers unconsciously tightened their grip, willing her to let him kiss her.  Closer… his heart raced.  He could barely breathe. 
Somewhere in his mind he knew instinctively that this would be no ordinary kiss.  There was something more at play here, something beyond the realm of the ordinary.  Something that he knew he should not even try to understand.  All he knew was that right now, he needed to kiss her more than he needed his next breath.  He leaned in closer, until finally their lips met.  Softly at first, searching, seeking.  But as a sharp thrill raced at lightning speed through his blood, Eian forgot everything else and was soon taking her mouth hungrily, almost savagely, the drive to possess the one woman he wanted above all else drowning out what was left of his rational thought.  It was
insanity
, this kind of wanting.  Nothing he had ever known before even came close.  And nothing ever would again.  He had to have her, to possess her, this one woman above all others.  A kiss would never, ever be enough.

             
His arms tightened around her as he sought to pull their bodies closer together.  The softness of her breasts pushed against his chest and a low growl of both pleasure and hunger escaped his throat.  Before he could stop himself, his hands had followed the graceful lines of her back to grasp her hips and pull them firmly against his.  He shifted slightly until the length of his rock hard erection pressed against her.  Aye, just
there
.  God, nothing had ever felt this good!  Nothing had ever felt so
necessary
.  He was quickly losing control, and he didn’t even care.  It was madness, what she was doing to him.  All he wanted, all he could think about, was mating with her, making Allia his, spending himself deep inside of her body again and again…

             
Something was tugging at the edge of his consciousness, and he fought to push it away.  Nothing could stop him from claiming this woman as his own, he was so ready, so desperately starving… nothing… A small fist pounded at his chest, bringing him floating back slowly to the surface of his mind. 
Nothing of course, accept Allia herself.

             
“Stop!”  She was breathing hard, and her cheeks were flushed, her lips red and kiss-swollen.  “I said stop, Eian!”

             
No!  Not stop… anything but stop!
  His own breath came in panting gasps, his body protesting as he loosened his grip.  He forced himself to gain some semblance of control.  “What is it lass?  What’s wrong?”

             
“I said one kiss.”

             
He couldn’t help it, he reached for her again, pulling her closer.  He was so hard and aching… “But…”

             
“No.”

             
Eian drew in a deep breath through clenched teeth, but dropped his hands to his sides, his face etched with confusion and frustration.  “Why?” he asked huskily.  “At least tell me why.”

             
She shook her head.  “I can’t do this.  I thought I could, Eian, but I just can’t.”

             
Eian relaxed just a little.  Maybe she was a little inexperienced, afraid.  He knew about that… knew how to put a woman at ease and then seduce her with his body and his mouth and his hands.  He could drive her wild with lust until she was
begging
for him to take her.  His stomach suddenly twisted into a knot.  Somehow, that would be so very wrong with Allia.  Somehow, just getting what his body needed would never be enough.  He wanted… something else.  Something more. 
Everything
she could give him.  He wanted nothing less than her heart…
her love
.

             
“Allia, I… I would no’… I mean, I would be gentle wi’ ye… we could go slower… I’ll only kiss ye for now lass, ye taste so good…”

             
Allia struggled to stop herself from falling back into his arms, because right now, she wanted nothing more.  “No.  You don’t understand.  This is about trust.  About me not wanting to be…. I don’t want to be just another one of your women, Eian.”

             
She had thought that maybe she could use him just as he was bound to use her, but after that kiss… she knew she was already in way too deep.  If she let herself get any closer to him, she would fall so fast and so hard she might never recover.  And right now that scared her out of her mind.  If she gave herself to him, it would be the most incredible experience of her life.  But when he got bored with her and moved on… she would be like a shell of the person she once was.  How could she ever move on from
that
?  He had the power to shatter her heart into a million tiny pieces that she could never hope to put back together.  He was just that good, and she was just that much already in love with him.  Her instinct for self-preservation was telling her to run as fast and as far as she could, but her heart was telling her to rip off all his clothes and make love to him until they both collapsed.  How could she ever reconcile such extremes of emotion?  And yes, she was tired, too.  The adrenaline from their escape was wearing off, replaced by a bone deep weariness. 

              Eian eased himself away from her, battling his most primal instincts, even though his entire body was on fire, burning for her as if she had set a spark to dry tinder.  Anger welled up from somewhere deep inside, though whether it was anger at himself or her, he didn’t know.  What he did know was that he’d give up every single one of those other women, every last meaningless tup and empty kiss, to have Allia just once.  Just one damn time!  Why could she not see that?