The Sinful Scot (Saints & Scoundrels) Page 28

  Alec abruptly stepped in between them. “Did you want something, Constance?”

  His gruff tone took her aback for a second. “Well, I thought as the celebrations were about to commence, I should come and find you. After all, I require an escort to the fields, especially considering I am unaware of exactly where to go.”

  “I would be happy to escort you, my lady,” Iain offered with a gallant bow. “After all, we wouldn’t be wanting the fairies or witches to capture you and have you fall under their spell.”

  He winked at her, and Connie laughed. He was talking about the ancient superstitions of the eve before Beltane, when the fires were lit to herald not only the sunlight and the coming of spring but to ward off the creatures of the eve that were said to roam freely looking for mortals to fall under their spell. An eve of magic and mist.

  “You’re not even dressed yet, son,” Laird McGuiness declared. “I shall have the honor of accompanying her to the celebrations and protecting her from those wily fairies.”

  “No, you both bloody well won’t,” Alec growled. “She is my guest here. I will be accompanying her.”

  “But you’re not even dressed properly yet, either,” Alec’s father protested.

  It was rather novel to be fought over by three strapping Scotsmen. And though there may be high emotions running among them all, Connie could also sense the bond they shared.

  The love under the surface, which she was sure none of them would ever admit to.

  “The duchess is ready, and it would be rude of me to not accompany her, regardless of my state of dress. What I’m wearing will do, and that is that!” His tone brooked no argument.

  The laird clutched a hand to his head. “Och, that truly pains me to hear such a suggestion. I feel the darkest of headaches coming on… Why, it has been plaguing me all day.”

  “I thought it was your heart that pained you before, Father?” Alec raised a brow at the old man.

  “Head, heart, who knows what will pain me at any minute…” The laird waved his hand about the room and heaved out a dramatic sigh. “I’m an old man, son. Everything pains me.”

  “If you’re that sore, then go to bed and rest like an old man should,” Alec replied.

  The laird pulled his shoulders back, a glint of fire in his gaze. “I cannot ruddy well miss me own festival! Besides, I’m feeling better suddenly.”

  “Of course you are,” Alec muttered with a shake of his head before he placed his hand on Connie’s elbow. “Come along, duchess, before my father’s big toe starts to pain him, too.”

  Without even being able to properly say goodbye to the other two men, she was led by Alec out the door and down the hallway. His pace was fast and full of bottled-up energy. She suspected that perhaps he was still upset with his brother and that woman, Elise, but he didn’t have to take it out on her. She dragged her heels, forcing him to slow his pace, and then she stopped in the hallway, Alec doing likewise.

  He turned to face her. “Is there a problem?”

  “Indeed, there is,” she replied. She could see the fire flashing in his eyes, and not for the first time she had no idea of what he was so upset over. “I appreciate you’re upset still with your brother and Elise, but must you include me in your ire?”

  “Elise? This has nothing to do with that woman,” he denied. “This is all about you and my brother!”

  “Excuse me? What on earth are you talking about?” Connie could feel Alec’s frustration almost vibrating off him, and in turn could feel her own anger rising in reply.

  “I’m talking about the fact that you and my brother were flirting in there!”

  “Oh please,” Connie scoffed. “That interchange between your brother and I meant nothing. He and I both knew it, but clearly that nuance was lost on you.”

  “I call a spade a spade.” He took a step closer, his chest heaving up and down, mirroring her own. “And what I saw was flirting!”

  “Oh my goodness. Are you jealous?” She’d always been scared when Duncan had been jealous, but with Alec, the thought thrilled her, especially because she knew he would never hurt her. And it also meant he cared, even if it was only a little bit.

  “Dammit! You want the truth? Then, hell yes I am.”

  The admission sent an arrow of warmth to her heart. To hear he was jealous not because of memories of Elise but instead because of Connie’s own interactions with Iain was such a relief. “I’m glad.”

  “That’s all you can say? You’re glad?” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I wanted to rip my brother’s throat out for daring to look at you like he was. I have never, ever had such impulses before. Even when I caught him kissing Elise, I didn’t think of wanting to pummel him, instead I was just coldly furious. But it’s different with you. You seem to bring out my primal instinct, and it scares the hell out of me.”

  “There is no need to be scared. I know you would never act on those impulses. You heal people, Alec, not hurt them.” She leaned over and grabbed the collar of his jacket, slowly pulling his head down toward her own. “I’m glad you were jealous, because it means you care.”

  “This is a very bad idea,” he gruffly whispered as his mouth lowered ever closer to hers.

  “Shh,” she hushed him. Before her lips pressed against his.

  A feeling of sublime delight coursed through her at the touch of his lips. She’d been wanting to kiss him again ever since their first time.

  Initially, she could tell he was battling his inner demons, but his resistance crumbled in a second when his hands grabbed her skirts from behind and pulled her tightly against him.

  She groaned as she felt the hard length of him pressing against her belly. Reaching her hands up farther over his shoulders, she pushed herself even closer toward him, her breasts now firmly against his chest.

  It was he who groaned this time before his lips began to gently devour hers. Softly at first, they teased her mouth open, and then his tongue began caressing her own, and Connie thought she would combust.

  The kiss deepened, both demanding more of each other.

  Her heart was racing, and all she wanted him to do then was cart her off to the nearest bedroom.

  The sound of someone’s throat clearing gradually penetrated her awareness.

  With a start, Alec and she pulled apart.

  Malcolm was standing just down the hallway, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. “I do hate to interrupt, but I’d come to see if you wished to go down to the celebrations. Though I see you’ve begun them early.”

  Connie didn’t know whether to laugh or feel mortified. Perhaps a combination of both.

  “God damn it, Malcolm, you have the world’s worst timing,” Alec cursed.

  In reply, the grin on Malcolm’s face grew only wider. “Come on, then, you two. Let’s get a move on.”

  Glancing over to Alec, she was comforted to see he was breathing as hard as she was, and there was a hunger in his eyes that he couldn’t disguise. It filled her with confidence. Clearly, their kiss had affected him as much as it had her. And she was going to use that knowledge.

  As soon as she could get him alone.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The Beltane’s Eve celebrations with Clan McGuiness were truly a sight to behold, and most especially to Connie, who’d never really partaken in them before.

  Wagonloads of clan members had been arriving steadily for the past hour at the site of the festivities, with a few more still expected to arrive throughout the evening. Considering it was a good thirty-minute ride from the main residence, many of the guests who lived to the far north of the estate had traveled a great deal farther to get here.

  Alec had told her the remote spot had been used for centuries, as it had originally been the location of the very first residence of the McGuiness Clan before a war in the mid twelfth century had destroyed the keep
. Now all that remained of the original building was a crumbling pile of ruins at the southwestern edge of the McGuiness lands. And apart from the hunting lodge that was a short ride away, there wasn’t another building for miles. Being outside, under the stars, lent the night an air of freedom and daring.

  The festivities were well and truly underway, with two of the largest bonfires Connie had ever seen blazing in the center of the field, with stones circling each to contain the flames. There must have been over a hundred people dancing around the fires, laughing and sipping ale the whole time. And thankfully the rain that had been threatening had held off so far.

  Steadily and continuously, Alec had been introducing her to so many clan members that their faces and names were beginning to blur together. She had no idea how Alec remembered most of their names, especially considering it had been a decade since he’d lived here. But remember them he did, or at least the adults; the children who scampered up to greet them were too young to have been alive when he was last in Scotland, so the young ones introduced themselves to them both. And she’d bet money on it that Alec would now remember the children’s names, too. Perhaps it was his profession that had helped develop in him such a good recall of names and faces. A skill she couldn’t even begin to match.

  Speaking of Alec, she glanced to her side and had to suppress a smile at the glare of displeasure that was still plastered across his face as he stood next to her, his arms crossed over his chest, staring out at the crowd. Every time one of the males in the clan came over to introduce himself to her, Alec’s very presence was enough to either intimidate them into turning tail before even saying a word or had them running for the hills as soon as they’d done so.

  And it seemed as if everyone wanted to be introduced to her.

  Mind you, it wasn’t too surprising, considering she was probably the main newcomer attending the event, and Scots were rather curious and suspicious of newcomers. Though they’d all been very welcoming, especially after Alec’s father had made it known to everyone when they’d arrived that she was their honored guest, and he expected them all to treat her as such.

  At first, she hadn’t known if that was a subtle warning to them all to treat her with respect, especially if the rumors of her being wanted by the police had reached them. Or if it was simply declaring that she was under their protection.

  Either way, the clan’s members all seemed to be genuinely happy to meet her and weren’t treating her with the type of fear she would expect them to if they had heard she was suspected of murder. Though she doubted many of them would wish to risk the wrath of the McGuiness men even if they had heard the rumors.

  Quickly, she shut down those thoughts. This was a night of freedom. A night where she could simply relax without having to worry. And it seemed futile to continue to think about what was possibly awaiting her in the future. She didn’t know what was around the corner, but she could see what was right in front of her, and she was going to make sure she enjoyed it.

  “I always felt like I was missing out when Duncan refused to take me to Clan Campbell’s celebrations for Beltane’s Eve, and now I see I was, if they are anything like this.”

  “Nay, you weren’t missing out,” Alec replied. “They wouldn’t have compared to Clan McGuiness celebrations. My clan has always excelled in celebrations involving drinking and dancing. Which is all Beltane’s Eve is—an excuse to do both.”

  It looked like such fun, and rather than stand on the sideline, she wanted to be a part of it. It was time to be bold. Time to actually take charge of her life, instead of letting circumstance dictate it.

  “Dance with me?” she asked Alec.

  Connie hadn’t thought it was possible for his frown to deepen, but it did.

  “I don’t dance,” he replied. “There’s already been enough comments on my lack of wearing a kilt tonight. Trust me, you don’t want to add dancing to the mix.”

  “Actually, I do.” She reached down and took ahold of his hand, squeezing it softly. “Please, Alec, dance with me? Let me right the wrong of changing my mind to dance with you on that last occasion. After all, this could be both our first and perhaps our last dance together.”

  For a terrifying moment, Connie thought he was going to refuse again, but then he intertwined his fingers with hers and led her out toward where the others were dancing. She was looking forward to taking part in some of the Scottish country dances that everyone seemed to be having such fun doing.

  They waited for a minute until the music started up again, and then they joined the others in dancing a reel. A dance she’d only really seen from the sidelines but had been eager to try.

  Nerves and adrenaline coursed through her suddenly, but as she started to move to the music and repeat the pattern of the dance, a delicious warmth filled her. There was laughter, there was clapping, and there was excitement in the air. And then there was Alec, whose eyes never left her own.

  They twisted around each other and the dancers that formed their group in the reel, and Connie couldn’t help but grin. She’d never had so much fun before. There was a freedom to dancing, and a sense of such aliveness, that she was intoxicated by it all.

  As the music for that dance finished, everyone broke into wild applause, Connie and Alec clapping with them.

  “You can dance!” she accused him happily, having to yell above the crowd.

  Alec shrugged. “It was easy with you, Duchess; you dance effortlessly.”

  “Why, Dr. McGuiness, where has this charm suddenly come from?” She couldn’t help but tease him.

  He laughed in reply, a deep chuckle that filled her with joy, and she started laughing, too. He bent his mouth down to her ear. “I love it when you laugh.”

  Connie didn’t know if it was the words themselves or the soft whisper of his breath against her earlobe that sent a shaft of desire piercing through her.

  She wanted this man with every fiber of her being.

  Before she could formulate a reply, the musicians struck up a Strathspey dance, one that had a slower tempo, with couples twirling around each other instead of in a group, coming in close, only to then dance out of each other’s reach, repeating those moves until the music reached a crescendo. It had always reminded Connie of an elaborate courting ritual. A whisper of promise in every move.

  “Shall we?” he asked.

  All she could do was nod and watch as Alec bowed to her. Shaking herself, she curtsied to him before swinging her skirts and beginning to skip around him. She felt his eyes on her, following her every move, with a hunger banked in their gaze. She’d never felt more alive than she did right in that moment.

  Dancing with Alec was magical. The soft swish of her skirts brushing against his trouser legs as she twirled around him, combined with the heady thrum of the music and the heat radiating from them both, had her heart pounding in a rapid staccato. She was breathless and so very aware of Alec, as she’d never been of anyone.

  With a clash of the drums and horns, the music built and built as they danced closer and closer together. And as the tune reached its peak, Alec pulled her toward him, and they stopped dancing. Everything else fell away. She was aware of only the two of them, standing there, staring at each other, an aching hunger raging between them.

  Her heart felt like it was about to gallop out of her chest, and she wanted nothing more than to feel his lips against hers again. To taste him. To feel him deep inside her.

  Without a word, Alec took her hand and led her away from the dancers, but instead of returning to where they’d been standing beforehand, he led her over to where their horses were tethered along with the other carriages and wagons, behind the old ruin.

  When they were far enough away from the revelers and hidden behind a crumbling stone wall, he stopped and turned to her.

  Connie didn’t know who started it, but suddenly her lips were against his, and they were kissing
as if there was no tomorrow. He tasted so delectable, she never wanted the kiss to end. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed her breasts more fully against his chest. A deep moan came from his throat, and she felt emboldened.

  But then he wrenched his mouth away from hers. “We can’t do this here,” he muttered.

  Disappointment lanced down to her toes.

  “My father’s hunting lodge is only a few minutes’ ride away.”

  Suddenly her heart filled with happiness, and she was breathless with anticipation. She’d thought he’d changed his mind, but he hadn’t. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and the knowledge satisfied her deeply.

  He led her over to their horses, but instead of helping her mount her own mare, he gave her a boost up onto the saddle of his stallion. A second later, he settled himself behind her, pulling her in tightly against him, and then guided his horse past the other animals, down the track, and away from the celebrations.

  Leaning her back against the solidness of his chest, she was safely encased in the strength of his arms and thighs, as he guided the horse carefully along the moonlit track. She breathed in his scent of sandalwood and soap, a smell that was all Alec and all male. A scent that she could happily lose herself in. There was such an intensity of desire pulsing between them, she could barely stop herself from touching him.

  A few minutes later, what she presumed was the hunting lodge came into view, but her spirits dropped when she saw a light shining from within. “Someone else is here?”

  “Nay, lass,” Alec’s deep voice rumbled. “Malcolm was here earlier and prepared a fire in the hearth, in preparation for after the festivities for himself and the lady he was hoping to convince to join him.”

  “Oh… Will he not be upset we’re here, then?”

  Alec reined the horse to a halt just outside the cottage. “No. His woman friend got a bee in her bonnet about something he said, so he told me it was free if I wished to use it. And I suppose after he saw us in the hallway earlier, he thought we might decide to.”