The Laird's Future Bride (16 page)

Duncan let her follow him around for the afternoon. He told her about helping his tenants, and he told her that he and Callam split duties of running the castle. He showed her his study and sat her down with the ledgers and books.

“We do well. Our wool is prized, and I hire out some of me men.”

Holly looked down at the messy writing and numbers. “Whose writing is this? It is messy?”

Duncan groaned. “The pens are too small for me to grip with me fingers.”

Holly laughed and sat in his chair. “Poor, baby.” She patted his arm. Looking down at the books and papers in front of her, Holly could see that everything was really easy. Basic math, mostly. “I can do this for you if you’d like.” She picked up the quill and the paper she’d been shown, and started writing and working.

“Where did you learn to do this?”

Focusing on the messy writing, she calculated the amount before answering. “I told you when I first arrived that I went to school. I would have been at university if I was in my time. It is compulsory for children from the age of five or six to go to school and learn. You go to school for thirteen years and then, if you want to, you can advance your studies in a certain field to help get a job. I was going to become a teacher.”

“What would you have taught?”

“I love children. I would have taught the younger children, and that is a bit of everything. English, math, geography, and history.”

Duncan grunted. “Why would ye need to teach English?”

“I teach it so they know how to write and understand what the meanings of some words are.”

“History, do ye ken much about Scotland?”

Holly tensed, unsure what she should say. Holly didn’t want to change anything important and worry Duncan. “King James will take over after Elisabeth. I don’t know much, and I think it would be best if I don’t tell you and interfere.”

Duncan sighed and turned her to see him. “I kenned already that James would rule England, but how will it affect our clan?”

Holly’s heart soared as he said ‘our clan.’ She knew from looking into where she was staying that the MacLeods had done well throughout history and had only one tough time, but the castle had always stayed in a MacLeod’s hands. “In my time, the castle is still owned and lived in by a MacLeod.”

The smile on Duncan’s face had her laughing and standing to kiss him. Duncan looked like he’d just accomplished the impossible. He gathered her to him. “We should make sure that comes true.” He lifted her and placed her on the table, where she spread her legs and hiked her dress for him. “Do ye like this idea? I say we do this at least twice a day to make sure it comes to pass.”

Holly giggled and wrapped her legs around him as he settled between her legs. “I like the sound of that.”

Duncan reached up and slid her underwear down and let them fall to the ground. He moved his plaid and she zoned in on his thick cock, biting her lip as anticipation ran through her. Duncan leaned over and undid the back of her dress. His hands eased her dress off her shoulders and down her waist. His mouth nibbled its way down her body. “I’m going to taste ye.” He moved her so her butt was just on the edge of the table and her legs settled on his back.

Holly moaned as his tongue licked her clit. She flattened her hands on the table wishing she had something to grip. She closed her eyes as his strokes got longer, and he dug into her pussy, devouring her. The tension in her body built and she opened her eyes, leaned back, and ground herself against his mouth, needing release. Duncan growled, and the vibrations coursed throughout her, bringing her that much closer.

“Duncan. I love what you do to me,” she said, her voice a breathless whisper as he sucked her clit into his mouth. His hands gripped her waist and they tightened as her breath grew faster and her orgasm burst through her. Holly moaned her release and reached down and gripped him by the hair, holding him to her.

Duncan tore his mouth from her, and she let her hands fall. His body covered her, and then his dick pushed home. The intense focus in his bright blue eyes captured her, and she couldn’t turn away as his cock drove into her over and over. Her already sensitive body hummed with renewed pleasure, and she arched up into his hands as they caressed her breasts.

“Ye're so beautiful.” His lips took hers, and she could taste herself on him and it only drove her body to burn for him even more.

Duncan’s mouth took everything. He sucked her tongue and nipped at her lips. His hands eased around to her back and brought her up closer to him. Duncan seemed almost crazed as he pounded into her with a power she hadn’t felt before. The heavy table moved with his force and the knowledge she was driving him to this high, had her body exploding into a million pieces. Holly screamed her release and gripped Duncan to her. He buried himself to the hilt and roared his own release and collapsed on top of her. Papers and ledgers dug into her, but Holly didn’t care as bliss settled over her.

“I love how ye are always willing to let me have ye. That ye are always ready and wanting me.” He slipped out of her and gathered her to him as he sat on the chair.

Duncan growled, and his body tensed as he looked behind her. “How long have ye been there?”

Holly felt her whole body heat with embarrassment as she shrunk in Duncan’s arms, wishing the floor would open up and take her.

“Long enough to ken that I have to leave.” Callam’s voice sounded rough.

Holly looked up at Duncan to see the stern look on his face and watch him nod his head. “I ken. King James would love to have ye.”

“Aye. It will keep ye here longer if I’m with him. Ye nay need to come to court for a while. I’ll hold him off, and ye can enjoy yer time with yer wife.” Holly turned and covered her breast with her hands. Callam smirked at her actions. “I have seen ye now. Ye're perfect. I wish I saw ye first. If I was me brother, I’d never let ye out of me sight. Me brother is verra lucky.”

Holly bit her lip, unsure of what to say for a moment as she looked into Callam’s sad face. “You will find someone, Callam.”

He gave a forced smile. “I want ye. Ye ken that, dinna ye? I have stayed away but after seeing that, I have to go.” He took a step toward her and Duncan, only to stop and look behind her to Duncan. “I’ll be gone before she is down to break her fast in the morn.”

“When ye're ready to come back, ye're welcome home,” Duncan said in his deep voice as his he squeezed her tight.

“Aye, brother.” He turned and stopped when he opened the door. “I came to tell ye the McCoys have set fire to the border hut. The fire is out, and the men killed three of their men and the rest retreated. Greggor is ready to report to ye when ye finish.” With that, he left, and shut the door leaving them in quiet.

“I’m sorry,” Holly whispered, feeling guilty.

Duncan turned her so she looked up at him. “Dinna be. He needs time to ken ye're mine and I’ll nay share ye. I kenned ye did nothing to let him think he had a chance with ye. Callam will come home again when he’s ready.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Come, we had best get dressed. I need to ken how much damage the McCoys have done. Ye can come with me if ye like and see me take charge.”

Holly got off him. “You are always taking charge.”

Duncan winked. “I thought ye might want to see me take charge of something else other than taking ye.”

She laughed and the unease left her as she dodged his hands and got dressed. “Yes. I’ll ride Midnight.” She came to him, and he did up her dress. Moving to the door, she turned the handle and paused. “Come on. I’ll race you to the stables.” She opened the door and ran out, giggling as she heard him coming after her.

Duncan walked down to the stables to meet his wife for her lessons with Midnight. The beast was a funny thing; it wouldn’t let anyone else besides his wife touch him. Holly had had to learn everything quickly as the horse wouldn’t even let the stable hands rub him down. Duncan kenned this was a problem, but the animal made Holly so happy, he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize her happiness. Especially after what happened with the McCoy men, Duncan was still scared she would change her mind and want to go back to her time.

Holly brightened Duncan’s world, and he loved keeping her happy. They had received a messenger from the king the other day requesting a MacLeod's presence, and saying the king would like to meet his new wife. Duncan hoped his brother’s presence would keep James happy for a while. Court life was hard. He had to watch his back all the time and all the schemes were exhausting. If Duncan admitted it, he was worried about introducing Holly to the king. He was so suspicious, and Holly was different.

He’d been married for over two months now. With Callam leaving, the tension in the castle had eased. His people were coming to love Holly. She was always willing to help even with things she didn’t like. Duncan involved her in running the keep, but he still kept her away from the more brutal side of being a laird.

Arriving at the stables, he was surprised when he couldn’t see his wife. Holly was always early for their riding lessons. He waited for a while, and when she didn’t turn up, he went searching inside the keep, ending at the kitchen where he kenned from their nightly talks that she spent her mornings.

“Lady Holly left some time ago, me Laird,” Mary said.

“She went to go wash,” Edna added. “She was a mess when she left here and said that it was good it was one of those rare days the sun shone.”

Duncan kenned where she’d gone, and was furious she’d gone alone. Duncan thought after the McCoy's attack she would be careful and never leave the surroundings of the keep. It was the reason he hadn’t put a shadow on her.

Thanking the women, he walked to the loch. When he wasn’t far from the loch, he saw three Fergussons peeking through the bushes at the loch. He quietly snuck up on them.

“I dinna see why we stopped, James. Aye, the woman is verra pretty, but she has all the same things mother has. I want to go raiding with Adam and the men.”

Another groaned. “Why did we bring him for? We dinna need him for raiding, he’s too young. He’s going to get us caught. If yer brother finds out we followed him, it will be all his fault.”

“Am nay too young, and it will nay be me fault,” said the one who’d first spoken.

The third, the one Duncan assumed was called James, said, “Da said I had to look after him. He has the McCoy laird over, and Heather needs to look her best. Da dinna want him in mother’s way.”

“I understand. It’ll take a lot to make yer sister look her best.”

“I ken. That’s why I better nay take the woman now in case Laird McCoy sees her instead.”

Duncan could see now that the last two boys were lads of probably four and ten mayhap six and ten. The youngest, whom he guessed to be around seven or eight, spotted him first, his eyes going wide as he reached for his knife. Duncan was too fast, snatching it out of the boy’s hand and unsheathing his own against the two older boys.

“Do ye want to tell me why ye're watching me wife? And why ye're on MacLeod land?” Turning around, he motioned with the weapons as he walked them toward his keep. Duncan kenned when he cleared the trees his men would come and take the boys. He wanted to ken why the McCoy's laird was going to the Fergussons.

The young one kept kicking and punching him, yelling for him to let his brother and cousin go. With the knives against them, the boys yelled, “Run, Bran!” at the youngest.

The ruckus brought his men sooner. Bran ran away when he saw the men coming, but Greggor caught him and brought him back. As he reached the clearing, Duncan turned to Greggor.

“Put them in the dungeon. They were on me land up to nay good. They came across Holly swimming, and that stopped them helping in a raid.”

Greggor’s eyes flashed, and a grin spread over his face. “Is she at the loch by herself? Have ye nay told her how dangerous that is? Did she nay learn after what happened on the day of her birth?”

Duncan shoved the boys at his men and growled, “There are other men out raiding, I heard the boys say, so get some men to check.”

Greggor nodded. Duncan was furious with Holly. She had to know that she couldn’t go off by herself as far as she had. Snarling, he clenched his fist and bit out, “Nay, I have nay told her not to leave the keep without guards. I dinna think she would after what happened. I’m going to get me wife now. By the time we get back, she’ll ken nay to go that far without an escort again. I want ye to post men as her shadow from now on.”

He heard his men chuckle as he stormed back into the forest. Some of his men followed Duncan, and he kenned they were coming to check nay more Fergussons were about the loch.

His mind was going over everything that could have happened. She could have been taken by any of the clans he was feuding with, or some blackguard could have found her and he didn’t even want to think what any of those would do to her. Holly needed to ken that it was different in this time. She couldn’t leave the castle grounds without an escort.

Duncan couldn’t let anything happen to Holly. She was his soul mate. He needed her.