Chapter 15

Afull week after the wedding, Isobel was preparing to leave the castle on a longer expedition to meet with her people. She liked getting to know them and learning of their troubles—it was how she connected with them, their land, and her place in it.

As she walked down the back stairs of the castle, looking around at the almost completed courtyard, she saw Alex on the other side speaking to Gavin. He glanced up as she emerged, and for the first time in many days, he met her gaze.

After an awkward pause, as she waited to see what he might do, he walked toward her, his kilt flapping in the breeze, his hair tied in a loose knot down his back.

Despite her fury at his past behavior, she could not miss an opportunity to admire his wide chest and strong legs. Since arriving in the castle, he had even acquired a few more items of clothing and was beginning to look like a laird in more ways than name alone.

"Where are ye off to?" he asked, his tone stern.

She felt her hackles rise instantly. It was almost as though he were admonishing her for leaving without his permission.

"Off on another swimming expedition?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

Isobel glanced behind him at Gavin, who looked distinctly guilty. "Ye had me followed?"

Alex shrugged. "Ye are a married lady now, Isobel. Ye cannae travel alone. Am I so unreasonable for lookin' out after me wife?"

Isobel sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted at constantly being at odds with her husband. She did not wish to fight every day of her life, and if it meant she must be the one to be civil, then she would have to swallow her pride, yet again.

"I am goin' to the villages," she replied. "It has been many days since I spent time with me people, and I wish to ken how they are settlin', given the disorder of the last few weeks."

She stepped down to the courtyard and made her way toward the stables. One thing she would not do was ask permission to live her life as she chose. If Alex was expecting a dutiful wife who meekly did his bidding, then he was going to be disappointed.

She could hear his heavy footsteps as he followed her, but he did not protest. As she approached the horses, she turned, looking up at him quizzically.

"Will ye accompany me, M'Laird? They are yer people, too. Surely we can spend a few minutes together without being at each other's throats, despite our differences."

Alex frowned at her, and any hope Isobel had that they could be polite to one another faded quickly.

"There are nay differences," he stated forcefully. "Ye dinnae trust me—that is the only difference I can see."

Isobel scoffed in frustration. "Of course, I dinnae trust ye. Have ye made any effort to prove to me that ye can be trusted?" She lowered her voice, wary of the many servants on either side of them. "I've seen nothin' of ye for a full week. I am better acquainted with a stranger in the street than with me own husband."

At that, he advanced on her, using his bulk and the enclosed space within the stables to force her back against the wooden wall, rendering her unable to escape. She looked up at him defiantly.

"Do ye often kiss strangers?" he asked in a low growl.

She placed her hands on his chest to move past him, but he gripped her wrists firmly and pushed her back as she let out a soft grunt, half infuriated, half excited by his proximity.

"Well, here's somethin' ye should ken about me," Alex continued, lowering his head to hers, those dark green eyes flashing. "When I ask a question, I demand an answer, wife."

The last words were a whisper, and Isobel could feel her labored breaths as she tried to wrench her hands from his grip once more to no avail.

She clenched her jaw, but pinioned as she was, she could not free herself. She looked up at him, rage burning deep within her at how much she wanted him. He was everything she should rail against in the world, yet he fascinated her like no other.

"So, do ye kiss strangers as a matter of course?" he asked again, his full lips shaping the words, an inch from her mouth.

"Nay," she said finally.

His huge body pressed against hers, making her heart flutter in her chest. His lips moved to her ear as his breath fanned her skin. She was unable to suppress a shudder as he pressed more firmly against her.

"Beg."

This time, the word sent a dark heat through her, and she moaned, her head dropping back against the wall behind her with a thud. Alex slid his hand behind her head to cushion the blow, threading his fingers through her hair.

"And if I willnae?" she asked defiantly, feeling his other hand move to grip her waist.

Her fingers moved automatically to his shoulders as he hoisted her up against the wall, just as he had done against the tree trunk.

They were at eye level now, with Alex keeping her full weight off the floor effortlessly, looking at her as though she were a puzzle he was trying to decipher.

"Don't tempt me, lass. Ye dinnae ken what awaits ye if ye try."

He wedged a knee between the folds of her skirts, keeping her pressed against the wall as his lips moved to her neck, ghosting across her skin. Isobel bit back a groan of pleasure.

"Beg me," he purred, and all of her protests died down.

"Please," she whispered, and his lips finally met hers in a passionate kiss.

His hips ground into hers, and his tongue thrust into her mouth without mercy as his fingers gripped her waist so tightly that she could barely breathe. Her fingers ran down his shoulders and his back, her nails raking down his spine as he let out a sharp moan.

The kiss seemed to last forever, their bodies molded together. When Alex finally pulled back, Isobel was breathless and flushed, attempting unsuccessfully to regain her composure as he looked down at her contentedly.

He lowered her gently to the floor, his hands running down her arms and wrapping around her palms.

"Let's go and meet our clan, M'Lady."

As they left the stables on horseback, Isobel spotted Angus approaching them with a paper in his hand. He waved it in greeting as he made his slow, hobbling approach, and came to a stop beside her before passing her the paper.

"This is a list of all the requests from the villagers. If ye make yer way to the lagoon, ye should ken that is where many of the newcomers have been placed."

Alex eyed him with a frown, and Isobel could see why. When Angus said ‘newcomers,' he was referring to the pirates, and there was a twist to his expression that was not altogether pleasant.

"Thank ye, Angus. We are headed there now and will bring news upon our return," Isobel said, folding the paper and placing it in the saddle bag beside her.

Gavin approached them, looking as though he were going to fetch his own horse and follow them to the village, but Alex raised his hand. Isobel watched Gavin's jaw clench unhappily—clearly, Alex's man-at-arms did not appreciate being left behind.

"They are me people, lad," Alex told him. "If I take ye with me, it will look as though I dinnae trust them."

Gavin stepped back, a frown creasing his brow, clearly wishing to accompany them, but he nodded at Isobel, his expression grim.

Isobel patted her saddle bag, before flipping the flap open to reveal her bow and arrow and her dirk inside. Gavin shook his head, chuckling as they moved off.

As they made their way out of the castle gates, Isobel felt a sense of belonging and hope rush through her. She wasn't sure if it was the kiss they had shared or the journey she was making to be with her people, but for the first time, she felt like the lady she had never expected to become.

Alex was watching her as they rode on, and she glanced at him questioningly.

"Ye did all this alone at Clan Clyde, did ye nae?" he asked, something in his voice sounding very much like respect.

"I did," she replied. "Hunter is a good man and a fair laird, but he was too far for our people to trust him. I was all they had for a while."

Alex nodded. "They trust ye, the council."

He did not say more, but Isobel could hear the underlying message in his words.

"They will trust ye in time."

"How can ye be so sure?" he asked skeptically.

"People dinnae like change in these parts, but they cannae keep their views forever. Ye have to prove to them that they can trust ye. And ye will."

She looked back at him, his expression softer than she had seen it, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"And will ye?" he asked. But this time the question was not an accusation.

"I make nay such promises," she said lightly, humor lacing her words.

She grinned when she heard Alex bark out a laugh behind her.

She looked over her shoulder, finding him carefree and happy, his face losing some of the severity it always carried.

"Ye drive a hard bargain, Isobel Bain," he muttered, and then it was her turn to laugh.

They continued onward as the sun broke through the clouds above their heads, covering the fields and hills around them in a golden blanket.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at their destination. They had spent some time in other parts of the villages, assessing the progress that had been made, and Isobel had been gratified to see that everything was coming together well. A small community of fishermen was already established at the lagoon's edge, and there was even talk of a market being held the following day.

The area where the pirates had settled was bustling with life. The houses there were being shored up and repaired—clearly the location Alex had chosen for the settlement was good.

The stretch of water in the lagoon was far wider and deeper than Isobel had seen before, the channel connecting at its farthest point to the ocean.

She sat on her horse, looking at the eddies and ripples as they played over the water's surface, and then glanced at Alex, who was watching her with a smirk.

"Are ye thinkin' of divin' in?" he asked, a touch of resigned affection in his tone.

"Always," she replied. "I believe I may have been a fish once. I love the water."

As she said those words, however, all vestiges of humor died in his expression. His eyes skittered across the surface of the lagoon before them, but he did not linger there long. She wanted to take back what she had said or ask what his expression meant, but he merely clicked his tongue at Jock and steered the horse away from the shoreline.

Isobel followed behind, shaking off the strange exchange, and smiled as the women and children came out to greet them. They all seemed joyful and grateful that their Laird had come down to spend time with them all. Despite their obvious uncertainty about Alex's character, this crowd, at least, appeared friendly. It warmed her heart to see it.

The main surprise she found as they moved through the crowds was Alex's demeanor. She had expected him to be surly and standoffish with his people, civil but reserved, but he was quite the opposite.

As they continued on, his shoulders relaxed by degrees as he recognized that these people were genuinely happy to meet him. He seemed to rejoice in that fact, unleashing his charm on all who spoke with him. Despite his intimidating appearance, the bairns also loved him, reaching up to ask for a ride on his horse.

After only a few minutes, he dismounted, lifting one wee girl onto Jock's saddle as she squealed in delight, and putting another little lad on his shoulders. He was attentive toward the people and spoke easily with everyone who approached him.

He has a laird's blood. A natural-born leader if not a reluctant one.

Isobel dismounted too, and they made their way down to the shoreline, where many fishermen and boats were being set up. The crowds ebbed and flowed around them, and she was gratified to be greeted cheerfully by several men whom she had known during her time leading Clan Clyde.

As they walked, she noticed a man ahead of them approaching Alex. Despite clearly wishing to blend in with the clan, the pirates who had made up Alex's crew were instantly recognizable to Isobel. The man's clothing was all wrong for the Highlands, his scars and swarthy face showing years of toil beneath a hot sun.

"Rory!" Alex hollered, putting the little boy on his shoulders down and then lifting the girl down from the saddle to tether the horse to a nearby fencepost.

Isobel tethered Heather beside Jock, before asking one of the villagers to fetch them a bucket of water to quench their thirst. She walked across to Alex as Rory greeted them warmly, his eyes flicking between them.

"Rory, this is Isobel Bain, me wife and the lady of this clan," Alex said.

Rory bowed low to her, and she nodded in return.

Behind him stood a small cottage by the water's edge.

"Ye are happy with yer lodgings?" Alex asked, walking up to it.

Isobel hid a wince as she imagined him living in something that size—his head would touch the ceiling in every room.

"Aye," Rory replied. "Ye ken I prefer to be close to the water, Cap'n." He stopped as Alex glanced back at him. "M'Laird," he corrected, looking a little embarrassed.

Isobel looked out over the lagoon and the high hills in the distance. It really was a beautiful spot. The sun was setting, shards of pink and gold reflecting in the water.

"Are ye settled here?" Alex asked as he walked back to Rory.

Rory nodded. "We have found a good home here, M'Laird, amongst these people."

Alex nodded. "I am glad to hear it." He placed a hand on Rory's shoulder. "Ye have been good to me since we left the ship, Rory. I mean to see ye steady and thrivin' for the remainder of our lives."

Rory put his own hand on Alex's shoulder in return, and they nodded to one another in a formal agreement Isobel was unfamiliar with.

"It'll be dark soon," he said. "Ye are both welcome to stay with me, it's a long ride back at night."

He gave Isobel a warm smile, the scar on his cheek twisting to look like a farmer's sickle.

Isobel looked at Alex, who was watching her carefully. It appeared he was assessing how she felt about the matter.

"It is a long ride back," she agreed, feeling the ache in her thighs from being on her horse all day. "We can continue our tour in the mornin'," she added.

Alex's expression held something in it that she couldn't quite read, but he nodded all the same.

Later that night, they were all seated at Rory's table as he served them a simple dinner of grilled fish and bannocks.

His kitchen was small and compact, and Alex was hunched over the table like a goliath in their midst. Isobel could not help smiling at his discomfort as he shifted on the bench, which creaked ominously.

"Thank ye for lettin' us stay, Rory. It is most kind," Isobel said with a smile, which was returned heartily.

"Anythin' for me Laird and Lady," Rory returned as he sat down to tuck into his plate of food.

Isobel looked over at Alex, who still had a wistful look on his face, but as their eyes met, his gaze darkened with heat, and she felt a shiver run through her.

After supper, Rory showed them to their rooms. Isobel felt a flutter in her stomach as she saw that there was only one room for them both and one bed.

I didnae think of that.

Rory bid them goodnight as Alex stood, comically large, beside the small window, his head bent slightly to accommodate the low ceiling.

As they prepared for bed, Isobel could not help the anxiety that bubbled in her gut. Alex had avoided her all week, never coming to her room, showing no interest in her at all. She did not think she could bear it if he did the same when they shared the same bed.

The night had turned chilly, and she snuggled beneath the blankets, unaccustomed to the lack of a fire in the room.

As she lay there, Alex dispensed with most of his outer clothes, sliding into bed with his chest bare. She faced away from him, trying her best not to feast on the sight too openly. She had never seen a man with painted skin before. Alex had markings across his forearms and his back, which she longed to examine more closely.

She felt the mattress dip as he got into the bed, his body heat permeating the space between them like wildfire.

"Are ye going to face away from me all night?" he asked, his voice a sultry rumble in the quiet room.

"Isnae that what ye want?" she replied, refusing to allow him to blame her for the way she was acting.

There was a long tortuous silence, and then, "Nay, lass."

She rolled onto her back, looking up at him as he lay on his side, his head propped up on his hand as he looked down at her.

"Ye think I dinnae want ye?" he asked, looking amazed.

"Ye havenae been close to me in more than a week."

His fingers brushed her hair from her face tenderly. "And what about what I did in the stables? I was close to ye then."

She stared at the ceiling, her conflicting emotions roiling inside her. She desired this man, despite her best attempts to deny it, yet he was a mystery to her.

Alex shifted closer, and her breath caught in her chest.

"How could I nae want ye? Ye're the bonniest wee thing I've ever seen."

She rolled her eyes. "And that's all that matters, is it nae?"

He gave her a rueful smile. "Nay, but it helps."

She hit him lightly on the chest, feeling laughter bubble up her chest despite her best efforts to control it. The sound burst from her, and he grinned, smoothing her hair away from her face as she relaxed back against the pillows.

His fingers moved away from her hair, trailing a path down her jaw and her neck, leaving a tingling line across her skin. She swallowed as they came to rest on the neckline of her nightgown.

"Will ye let me touch ye, lass? We dinnae need to make a bairn this night, but I would like to show ye just how wrong ye are."

"Is that nae yer occupation in life?" she asked sardonically, making a grin spread across his face.

His eyes were dark and warm in the flickering candlelight, and she trembled as his hand moved lower. His fingers caressed her breasts as she watched his dark gaze follow their path, his breaths coming more heavily as he touched her skin through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

She trembled as he cupped one of the soft peaks in his hand, smoothing over it, before bringing his mouth to place a kiss on the tip.

"Ye are more than a pirate like me deserves," Alex murmured, his fingers moving slowly down her body, curling around the hem of her nightgown as he bent his head over hers. "Isobel Bain."

He spoke her name like a vow, like a prayer, and then his mouth took hers in a searing kiss.

His fingers moved to her inner thigh, and she gasped, opening her mouth and allowing his tongue entry. He thrust it inside, moaning deeply as he pulled her body flush against his.

His fingers trailed up her inner thigh slowly but surely, and she panted, her breasts heaving as she gasped for breath. He withdrew his hand from her thigh just long enough to untie the top of her nightgown, pulling it down to expose her completely.

His mouth left hers as he moved down to nuzzle her nipples, and his fingers returned to the hem of her nightgown, continuing their journey.

Isobel shuddered as his hand reached between her legs, his fingers massaging her sex. His mouth came back to her own, his lips moving with more urgency against hers, and she let out a startled cry of pleasure as he slowly slid his finger inside her.

She raised her knee as he entered her more deeply, his soft groans of contentment enough to fuel her wildest fantasies. She bucked her hips as he began pushing his fingers inside her more forcefully and grinding his hard length against her side.

Every sensation was a new experience for her, as she felt his body begin to set hers on fire. She could smell their arousal in the air between them as his movement became more frenzied and their breaths mixed together as they panted against one another.

Her hand delved into his long hair, and he pulled back, looking at her intently as he continued to slide his fingers in and out of her, the fiery pleasure unlike anything she had ever experienced.

"All right?" he whispered, and she nodded.

His eyes darkened further, and she threw her head back in ecstasy as one finger became two. He slowly worked them inside her, and she shivered as his lips returned to hers, his tongue thrusting into her mouth at the same rhythm as his hand. She couldn't get enough of the clean taste of him, her fingers digging into his hair, pulling at the long strands, feeling his grunt of pleasure as she did so.

They moved together as she felt her body welcome him over and over again, as the tension within her reached a fever pitch. The cool sheets slid against her back as she writhed beneath him, a heat building between her legs, impossible to deny.

Far too soon, she felt a wave of release flood through her. As it did, her back arched off the bed, and a harsh cry escaped her lips.

She shuddered in his arms, his strong arms holding her steady as she felt herself descend from the peak of her climax.

As he gently slid his fingers out of her, his mouth still fused to hers, she felt his hips grind against her with more urgency. After a moment, he tensed above her, and a grunt left his lips. Then he sighed happily, letting his full weight rest on top of her.

Isobel welcomed the heavy safety of his body. His breathing, long and labored, was as steady as the beat of his heart. She held him like that for many minutes, listening to the crackling of the fire, contentment spreading through her like the approaching tide.