Highlander Unchained Read online

  She nodded, and with Lachlan’s aid and instruction, they swam for shore—not directly, as she’d attempted before, but diagonally with the current.

  Soon she could see Rory and Lachlan’s men wading toward them and knew that she’d done it. She’d fought her fear and won. And though she felt ready to collapse, the feeling of accomplishment gave her an unexpected swell of strength that carried her through the last few strokes.

  As soon as the water was shallow enough, Lachlan stood and cradled her in his arms, carrying her the rest of the way. She pressed her face against the familiar hard planes of his chest, savoring the simple sensation of being held in his arms again.

  Rory rushed toward them. “Is she all right?” he asked Lachlan.

  Flora could hear the worry in his voice and immediately moved to reassure him. “I’m fine.”

  “Thank God.” He drew off his plaid, which was blissfully dry, and gave it to Lachlan to wrap her in, covering her near nakedness and providing much needed warmth.

  “She’s freezing,” Lachlan said. “I need to get her to the castle as soon as possible. Have my room prepared.”

  “Look here, Coll,” Rory said, blocking his path to the castle. “I thought we agreed. I’ll not have my sister forced into this marriage. It’s best if you put her in another room.”

  Why, he’s trying to protect me, Flora realized. Warmed by the show of brotherly affection, especially after what she’d just been through, she gave Rory a grateful smile. One that Lachlan mistook.

  His jaw flexed, and she could tell he wanted to argue, but instead he pushed past Rory and said through clenched teeth, “Any damn room, then.”

  Flora hid a smile and thought about teasing him for a bit longer, but he was right—she was freezing. “I thank you for your concern, Rory,” she said to her brother, who’d kept pace with them. “But the laird’s bedchamber will be perfect.”

  Lachlan stopped midstep and gazed down at her, hope glistening in his eyes.

  “Are you sure, lass?” Rory asked.

  But Flora couldn’t look away from Lachlan. The depth of his feeling for her had been splayed open to her gaze, revealing her heart’s desire. She would remember this moment forever. Remember how it felt to know without a doubt that she was loved—totally and completely. Despite what he’d done in manipulating their marriage, he’d been willing to give his life for hers.

  “Aye,” she said softly. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

  Lachlan squeezed her tight and, not giving Rory the time to respond, carried her through the crowds of cheering clansmen. The Maclean of Coll had come home.

  The door closed behind his serving woman Mairi, but despite her assurances, Lachlan still could not relax. He checked the fire, adjusted her pillow, and tucked another plaid around Flora.

  He heard a muffled giggle and whipped around to look at the source. Crossing his arms across his chest, he narrowed his gaze in warning.

  A warning the wee harridan promptly ignored. “You would make a horrible nursemaid with that forbidding frown. Stop fussing. You heard what Mairi said, I’m perfectly fine. As soon as I got that wet sark off me, I warmed right up.”

  His gaze traveled down the length of her, heating at the thought of the naked body underneath. He frowned, realizing that’s exactly what she intended—the little minx. “Stop trying to distract me. It won’t work, you need your rest.”

  Her eyes were bright with laughter. She lowered the plaid a bit, revealing a flawless swell of ivory skin. Her brow arched in naughty invitation. “It won’t?”

  He sat beside her on the bed, pulled the blanket back up to her chin, and swept a stray lock of damp hair from her forehead. His palm lingered to cradle the baby soft skin of her cheek. “God, Flora, when I saw you jump—” His voice broke, and he turned his head slightly, shielding his burning eyes from her view. After a minute, he looked back at her. “I don’t ever want to feel like that again. I thought I would lose you.”

  “But Hector was going to kill you,” she protested.

  “Aye, but it was a choice I would gladly make.”

  “But not one I could live with.” She hesitated. “What of Hector?”

  “Alive, but taken. Argyll will hold him until his punishment is decided by the king.”

  He could see the relief sweep her face and knew he’d made the right decision in sparing Hector’s foul life.

  “I know he doesn’t deserve my compassion, but I’m glad he was not killed. Defeat and imprisonment is a much better punishment, one for which the pain will endure.”

  He nodded. “If he’d delayed any longer, I would not have had a choice. I had to reach you.” He would never forget the sight of Flora disappearing beneath the waves. That same sense of panic gripped him. “If you ever do anything so foolish again, I will lock you in that tower. My heart stopped when you jumped into the water.”

  She covered his hand with hers. “Then you know how I felt. I know what Hector intended. I couldn’t let you die for me.” She pressed a finger against his mouth to stave off his protest. “I was scared, but you made me believe that I could do it. You taught me the skills; I just had to be brave enough to use them.”

  His gaze softened. “I’m proud of you, lass. But next time, save the swimming lessons for the loch.”

  “Agreed.” Suddenly, the smile fell from her face and all signs of teasing fled. “I cannot believe my own brother could do something like that.”

  “Hector has the moral compass of a snake. I should have warned you, but I didn’t think you would believe me.” He shook his head. “I never thought that he would try to harm you.”

  “His hatred for you was stronger than his feelings for a sister he didn’t know. And I ran right into his trap. I never should have left like that.”

  Lachlan’s face turned serious. “No, you shouldn’t have. You can’t run away every time you are scared or angry.”

  Flora nodded, chastened. “I know. You accused me of having no concept of what it meant to be in charge and responsible.” He started to stop her, but she held him off. “There was more truth in that than I wanted to acknowledge. You were right—I couldn’t see past my own hurt to realize the difficulty you faced. You had an obligation to your clan and to your brother. But to me, duty equaled misery. I don’t have the family you do. I was raised not to blindly follow my duty. But I never understood that when you loved someone, you owed them…something. At the very least, I owed you an attempt to listen.”

  He cupped her chin with his hand. “I need to trust that you will not run like that again.” He gave her a wry grin. “I might not always make decisions that you agree with.”

  She smiled. “No, you probably won’t. I won’t promise not to be angry, but I will promise not to look for the first boat.”

  He stroked the smooth curve of her cheek with his thumb. “You had reason to be angry. I handled it badly. I should have given you time; instead, I forced myself on you.” He met her gaze. “I deserved to be called a barbarian.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I didn’t mean it, I wanted to hurt you. Actually, I was more frightened by my reaction.” Her cheeks heated. “I wanted to hate you, but my body wasn’t listening. I know you would never hurt me.”

  “But I did,” he said quietly, referring not to the kiss, but to his bargain with Argyll. He knew it had struck at her most vulnerable place.

  She lifted her gaze to his. But instead of anger, he saw the flicker of understanding beneath the hurt.

  She sighed. “When I first realized what you and my cousin had planned, it seemed that my worst fears had come true. My mother’s life flashed before my eyes. All I could see was that I was being used as a pawn. I couldn’t separate your duty and your feelings for me. I couldn’t accept that you could love me and keep something from me at the same time—not that I don’t wish you’d confided in me.” She studied his face. “But I understand why you didn’t.”

  “And I’m sorry for that, more sorry t