The Highlander's Sin (28 page)

Heather felt that familiar sensation again, the one that told her she was about to fall off a cliff and into a cloud of pure ecstasy. She cried out, arching her back, matching his thrusts with the rock
ing of her hips.

“Are ye close?” he asked.

Without having to ask, she knew what he was asking and where he wanted to take her. “Aye,” she answered, feeling the first tremors of her peak. “I’m there.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

One week later…

“K
yle of Tongue,” Duncan said, pointing to the loch. “Look there, at the top of the ridge.”

Stone w
alls jutted toward the sky, a thick stone wall surrounding a castle upon the highest point. “Your home?” Heather asked.

“Aye, lass. Castle
Varrich.” Duncan felt both relief and fear approaching the place that would only remind him of such pain and suffering. At least here, the memories of being in this castle were all good. Not like if he were ever to visit Dingwall. There, he’d likely have nightmares.

Heather rode in front of him and slid a comforting hand over his thigh. They’d decided to leave the nag at the abbey. The journey had been longer than it should have been, as they took it slow. A honeymoon, of sorts. They’d spent hours bathing and swimming in lochs, making love in glens. The Sutherland clan had promised to meet them at Castle
Varrich, following at a respectable distance to give the new couple privacy.

At first Heather had been embarrassed by their insatiable need for one another, wondering what her brothers must think. Duncan didn’t give a fig for anything other than his beautiful wife. Neither of her brothers had rushed their camp to find out what was taking so long, and within the first two days, she told him that she’d realized that when her brothers had both married, they’d spent just as many hours enjoying their newfound wedded bliss, so she didn’t need to worry about them anymore.

“Are ye ready?” she asked softly.

“Aye. Too long
a time has passed.” He was as ready as he’d ever be.

“They will love ye, just as I do.” Heather leaned her head back agains
t his chest and gazed up at him.

Her eyes sh
one with merriment and peace.

“Thank ye, love.”
Duncan kissed her forehead. He felt like the luckiest man alive.

The Sutherland warriors melted from the trees, not surprising either Duncan or Heather. Magnus and Blane nodded t
o Duncan giving conspiratorial nudges, which, thank goodness, Heather didn’t notice.

They rode in two lines up the winding road to Castle
Varrich. Just as Prior Samuel had said, the clan was awaiting them. Guards called out orders, and the portcullis was raised, and the gate doors opened. The place looked just as it had when he’d left it. Busy, bustling and fully fortified. His uncle had done well by the clan in keeping them safe. Lord, he prayed the man wasn’t upset with Duncan’s return.

Inside, clansmen, women and children cheered. Duncan couldn’t shake his shock at their pleasure in seeing him
. He dismounted swiftly, turning to face his bride.

“I have to tell them,” he said to Heather as he helped her dismount.

She shook her head. “They accept ye as their laird, their chief. They know what happened to your family, to your people. They know ye feared returning, that ye sought sanctuary with the church.” She pressed reassuring hands to his forearms. “Ye must first forgive yourself and then accept their acceptance.”

What would he have done without her? He never would have returned here, that was a certainty. “Have I told ye today how much I love ye?”

Heather giggled, tried to duck her head, but Duncan wasn’t going to let her get off that easy. He tipped her chin and planted his lips on hers in a demanding, possessive, very thorough kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers. Even the Sutherlands shouted out bawdy barbs and hoots of appreciation.

“Welcome home
, Laird and Lady MacKay!”

Duncan turned Heather to face the crowd, lifted her hand with his in victory. “
MacKays!” he shouted.

“MacKay!” they returned.

An elder gentleman stepped forward, the lines of his face familiar to Duncan. “My boy,” he said, “we’ve long awaited your return. When we didna find ye amongst the…well, we had hope.”

“Uncle Andrew!” Duncan hurried forward and enfolded the older man in a back slapping hug.

“When so many years passed, our hope faded. We’d feared ye were dead.”

Duncan pressed his lips together, not allowing that day to rush forward in his mind. “Part of me was.”

“Your people love ye, lad. Always have, always will.” The way his uncle spoke the words, so matter-of-fact, without question, struck a chord in Duncan’s chest.

“Thank ye.”

Uncle Andrew nodded. “None required.” He turned his gaze toward Heather. “And who is this beautiful lass?”

“Lady Heather
, my wife. Youngest sister to the Earl of Sutherland.” Duncan introduced Magnus and Blane to his uncle, who couldn’t take his eyes, nor his hand, away from Heather.

“’Tis a pleasure to meet ye,” she said, a charming smile on her face.

Duncan grinned with secret wonder. This woman amazed him. Charming, shrewish, seductive, all of it in one inspiring package.

“Now we feast!” Uncle Andrew shouted, followed by a deafening roar of agreement from the crowd.

Surprisingly, another man stepped into line with the MacKay clan, his hands folded behind his back—William Wallace.

Duncan immediately turned to see his wife’s reaction.
Heather’s eyes widened. He nodded to the Sutherland men and then introduced himself to Duncan. “William Wallace, my laird. I’ve heard much about ye.”

Duncan grunted. “Not sure I want to know what.”

Wallace grinned. “A story for another time. Let us simply say ye’ve helped me and hindered me on many an occasion.”

Duncan
laughed and took Wallace’s arm. “I’m pleased ye came. My wife has been wanting to speak with ye.” Duncan had sent a note to Wallace when they’d first gotten to the abbey. Prior Samuel had mentioned that the man had been visiting with allies in the north near Varrich.

Wallace turned his attention to Heather.
“I’ve heard ye wanted to help with the rebellion.”

Heather was speechless.
She glanced up at Duncan, her eyes saying she’d guessed that he’d made good on his promise to tell Wallace of her desire. Duncan winked at her.

“Aye, Sir William, I do.”

Wallace stepped forward. “Then I believe I have a task for ye.”

Heather’s fingers trembled as she sought Duncan’s
hand. “All right.”

“Can I make ye in charge of our supplies?”
Wallace asked.

“In what way?”
She never agreed to anything without knowing all the details. Even when her dream was presented as a reality she questioned it.

It only made Duncan admire her more.

“We’ll send ye a list of all the things we need. Ye gather them, or have others gather them, and ensure their delivery. We canna survive without our supplies. ’Tis a duty that will keep ye here as well, tending to your new home and husband.”

“Aye! A task I will enjoy and give my all
to.” She glanced over at Duncan with a blush, making his chest puff out with pride.

Damn, but he loved her more than life itself.

“The men of the resistance will be verra pleased to know their livelihood is in such capable hands,” Wallace said.

“’Tis a great honor, sir, truly.”
Heather beamed.

Duncan was more than pleased that Wallace had come through. He’d not been sure if the man would get his message, let alone indulge a woman’s desires. Seeing Heather’s dream come true made his heart clench. She’d done so much for him, more than she’d ever realize
. It was the least he could do for her.

Wallace grinned, took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing her gently on the knuckles. “The honor is ours.”

Duncan growled, trying to temper the jealous beast inside him. “Och, get your scoundrel lips off my wife.”

Everybody
with a set of lungs burst into laughter at Duncan’s outrage, even Wallace, who made a pretense of pulling Heather into his arms, before quickly thrusting her back at Duncan.

“The lass is yours, my laird, though I canna say that would have been the case if she’d allowed me to court her afore laying eyes on ye.”

“I’ve spent too much time with ye, Wallace, to ever have let that happen!” Heather’s brother Blane called out.

“Aye, ye scoundrel,” Magnus taunted the highest-acclaimed warrior of their time. “Not on your life.” He tilted his head toward Duncan. “And nearly not on his, either.”

“Och, the lot of ye are a bunch of braying ninnies,” Heather lamented. “Are we going to feast or shall we all perish while ye figure out who’s the best among ye?”

“There’s my wife,” Duncan called out, pulling her into his arms. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. “I’ve a mind to feast on only ye.”

Too late, he realized that she was
not
the only one to hear what he’d said.

“Enticing words, my laird! Shall we have a bedding afore a meal?” Uncle Andrew called out.

Duncan shook his head, while Heather’s face colored a shade darker than a beet. He pulled her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “A meal,” he replied. Pressing his lips to her ear, this time he made
sure
no one else could hear, “and then a bedding.”

Heather giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe this time ye’ll let me—”

Duncan cut her off before she’d said what he thought was on her mind. Already, his cock was hard as stone. “Hush or I’ll change my mind about the order.”

“
There’s one thing I’ll never change my mind about,” she said softly.

“What’s that?”

“How much I love ye.”

Duncan couldn’t help the smile that curled his lips. “’Tis a fact, I love ye more and more each day, princess.”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin. “I just thought of another thing I’ll never change my mind about.”

“Do tell.”
Duncan nuzzled her ear.

“That I hate when ye call me princess.”

Duncan’s head fell back on a roar of laughter. “How about I call ye tart instead?”

Heather shook her head in pretend disgust. “Only if ye want me to call ye a bastard whoreson heathen.”

Love poured from every inch of him. She was such a delight, a breath of fresh air. “I think I have changed my mind. We’ll feast after I take ye upstairs and whip up your skirts—”

“Shh… They’ll hear.”

“Too late!” someone called out.

“
I’m going to enjoy sparring with ye for the rest of my days,” Duncan said with a laugh. “I just never know what ye’ll say next.”

“Aye, so ye best be on your toes.”

“With pleasure.”

Duncan led her to the chair where his mother used to sit, and he took his place in his father’s. Facing the clan with grim eyes, he lifted his glass of ale and stood.

“The last time I saw most of ye was the morning we trekked to Dingwall. I return here to ye a changed man. No longer a lad, but your laird. We’ve risen from the ashes of our past to start a new life. God bless my mother and sire. God bless my lost sisters and brothers. God bless our lost men and women. God bless, Clan MacKay!”

The roar of approval echoed through the rafters of the great hall. Mugs clinked and sloshed. Boot heels stomped. A
nd a great weight lifted from Duncan’s chest. Everything he’d feared was no longer. He could move forward, live his life the way he was meant to.

“Thank ye, Heather,” he said, though his words were dulled by the crowd.

She glanced up at him, a contented smile curling her lips. “Ye dinna have to thank me, Duncan.”

“But I do have to kiss ye.” And with that said, he claimed his wife’s lips in a fiery kiss, knowing from that moment on that he would get to spend the rest of his days in perfect moments, just like this one.

“The End”

If you enjoyed
THE HIGHLANDER’S SIN
, please spread the word by leaving a review on the site where you purchased your copy, or a reader site such as Goodreads or Shelfari! I love to hear from readers too, so drop me a line at
[email protected]
OR visit me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor
. I’m also on Twitter: @ElizaKnight
Many thanks!