Page 27 of Savage Kilted Highlander

Her eyes ran over his muscular form, and a hot flush of excitement began to rise up her body. “I said, we’ll see. Now, ready, steady, go!”

“You know I let you win, don’t you,” she asked between kisses a few minutes later as they stood beneath the oak’s sheltering branches.

“Aye, I thought as much,” he murmured, nibbling her bottom lip gently with his teeth. “Was it because ye wanted me tae kiss ye?” His hand was tangled in her hair, cradling the back of her head.

“Perhaps it was,” she confessed breathily as his mouth closed over hers once more, more forcefully this time. She gave herself up to his arms, to his kisses, closing her eyes, melting into him…

The sound of the door closing snatched her from her dream. Heavy bootsteps approached the bed. “Constance, are ye awake?”

“I am now.” Reluctant to leave the wonderful dream behind, she opened her eyes. Bane was looming over her.

“Good mornin’, time fer breakfast. But first, I have wee present fer ye,” he said, beaming at her in a way she had never seen before. He looked happy, his face relaxed and almost boyish for a change. The sight warmed her heart. As he turned away, she thought of him kissing her in the dream, his lips so soft yet so demanding at the same time. It had been thrilling. She felt herself blushing as she hoisted herself up against the pillow by her elbows and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“A present? What sort of present?”

“This sort,” he replied, reappearing next to the bed, holding up a pretty gown against himself. It had a pretty jacquard pattern in three shades of green, long sleeves, and a lace collar. “D’ye think it suits me?” Playfully, he swayed and twirled, modeling the dress for her.

An irrepressible smile burst onto her lips. “Yes, it does. The colors suit you perfectly. I think you should wear it today instead of those frowsy old trews of yours. It will make a nice change.”

He laughed freely and laid the gown carefully on the bed. “Mayhap ye’ll lend it tae me sometime, eh? But fer now, ’tis yers.”

“But Bane, whatever for? And where did you get it?” she cried, excitedly throwing off the covers and kneeling on the bed, gathering up the dress. “Oh, it is very pretty, and it is made of wool too. It will be nice and warm.”

“Well, seein’ as ye lost all yer things in the river, and ye’ve been makin’ dae with me old things, I thought ye needed somethin’ tae wear. As soon as I saw it in the shop, I knew it would suit ye.”

She looked at him happily, not just because she liked the dress but because he had been thoughtful enough to go and buy it for her. Before she knew what she was doing, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. When she let go, she saw the stunned expression on his face and felt embarrassed at what she had done. “I-I love it, thank you very much. It is very generous of you and kind to think of me,” she said, feeling suddenly shy. She looked down at the dress to hide her embarrassment, trying it against herself. “I think it will be a perfect fit.”

“Aye, I reckon it will too,” he said, brushing over what had just happened, even though he was obviously as surprised as she was. She was grateful for it. “’Tis a used one. I’m sorry, I couldnae afford a new one fer ye, more’s the pity. But the lady in the shop told me ’tis almost new.”

“Yes, it seems to have hardly been worn,” Constance agreed, examining the gown to hide her blushes.

“So, ye’re pleased with it, eh?” he asked with uncharacteristic eagerness.

“I am very pleased. Thank you again,” she replied, afraid to look at him but risking a small smile.

“Grand. Now, I’ve brought us up some breakfast. Will ye come and eat?”

Constance got out of bed to join Bane at the table. Lured by the enticing aroma of hot chocolate and freshly baked bannocks, she forgot for a moment that she was not properly dressed. She was halfway to the table when she realized she was only wearing her shift beneath the old shirt Bane had given her and his old woolen socks. The shirt reached to her ankles, enveloping her slight body. She had worn less revealing gowns many times.

Dismissing her doubts, she sat at the table and tucked in to the bannocks, lavishly spread with butter and honey. “You remembered to ask for honey. Was that for me?” she asked, her heart warming further towards him.

“Of course. I ken what a sweet tooth ye have,” he said, slapping bacon into a sliced bannock and biting into it with obvious enjoyment.

“Thank you, Bane. I know I have called you a brute in the past, but clearly, there is another side to you as well. If I forget that you’ve abducted me… you are not a brute.”

“Ach, I’m nae daein’ it because of something else than wantin’ ye tae keep doing as I tell ye, and I’ve learned the best way tae dae that is tae keep ye happy.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke, and she knew he was joking.

“I have never asked you this, but what do you do for a living?” she asked, suddenly curious.

“Me and me braither Tav have a blacksmithing business, a forge. We shoe horses and make things from metal, swords, blades of all sorts, weapons, shields, farming equipment, pots and pans, whatever anyone pays us tae make. I’ve actually been working as the castle blacksmith fer a while too.”

Constance was intrigued. “That explains your muscles,” she blurted out without thinking. She was shocked at herself for mentioning his muscles. She knew she should not be even noticing them, let alone commenting on them! But he did not seem to take it amiss.

“Eh? Oh, aye. ’Tis hard work, beatin’ out the metal on the anvil, fer sure. It builds up yer strength all right when ye dae it every day.”

Telling herself to be more careful of what she did and said, she replied, “You actually make things people can use. I admire that. I have never made anything useful in my life that I can think of. Although I have embroidered a lot of things.” She took a bite of her bannock. “Oh, that is so delicious,” she mumbled through the crumbs, embarrassed by her bad manners for talking with her mouth full. But, of course, Bane did not care a whit.

That was one of the things she was starting to like about him most of all. He did not judge her every move to see if it was demure or ladylike enough and rebuke her if she was found wanting. Besides, he was far too busy demolishing his food, so she stopped worrying and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the more liberated atmosphere.

She drank some of the hot chocolate. It tased divine, better than she could ever remember it being when she had had it every day. She understood that hardship and going without her usual luxuries was having a profound effect on her, on her expectations of what life should be like, and her enjoyment of it. Poor people did not drink hot chocolate every day, nor did they always have enough food to eat, and if they did, it would not be coq au vin or a fresh lemon syllabub. It was something she had barely considered before.

The life she had left behind was not normal, she was realizing. As Bane had said, it made one weak, unable to survive in the real world that the majority of people inhabited. After so many years of trying to be “the perfect daughter,” she found herself increasingly questioning whether the rules and expectations she had once adhered to were truly worth sacrificing her freedom and individuality for.

She looked over at Bane, at his handsome face, the muscles he had built up after years of hard labor. He was strong, and capable, and fearless. She had the feeling he could survive just about anything that did not kill him. What Bane was putting her though was terrible, yes, but a part of her knew it was also the best and most exciting thing that had ever happened to her. In a strange way, he had given her a gift.