My Highland Bride (Highland Hearts #2) Page 5

  Colum’s eyes widened. He jerked and stared down at her hand on his arm, then quickly lifted his gaze back to her face.

  Oh Lordy. He must’ve felt it too. Kenna wet her lips. How in the world had that happened? Had she accidentally released some residual energy from the jump? Kenna swallowed hard. No. This was different. She’d never felt such a connection with anyone before. It was almost as though her heart and soul had jumped to attention and shouted, “Hey! He’s the one. Don’t let go!”

  Her gaze trailed down Colum’s arm and took in the rest of his body. She wanted to touch him. All over. She wanted them both to tingle until they exploded into sighing bits of ecstasy.

  Kenna hitched in a deep breath and blinked hard against the trance her starving libido had triggered. Get a grip. She had to use her head and keep her focus above her waistline. Yeah, but what about what’s below his waistline? Kenna pinched the bridge of her nose, scrubbing the inside corners of her eyes. Get. A. Grip.

  Rubbing her fingers together, she looked up, searching Colum’s face for a clue as to what he might be thinking. How much did this man know about the Sinclair women and all their abilities? Granted, he’d just witnessed how they traveled through time, but was he aware of all the other little bells and whistles included in the Sinclair package? Kenna toyed with the idea of slipping into Colum’s mind and looking around. No. That wouldn’t be right. She didn’t need to flip through his memories…at least not just yet. She shoved her still tingling hand in the tight back pocket of her jeans. “Uhm…did you say it wasn’t very much farther?”

  Colum jerked again as though waking from a trance, then nodded toward a broad stand of trees just a few feet away. “Aye. MacKenna keep lies just beyond this wood.” He frowned down at the hand Kenna still had stuffed in her pocket and motioned toward a bend in the dirt road. “Rua and Geal wait just beyond the turn. If ye be weary, we can ride the rest of the way.”

  “Rua and Geal,” Kenna repeated. “I assume those are horses?”

  Colum’s stern expression relaxed into a smile. “Aye. Horses.”

  “I don’t know how to ride a horse.” Kenna stared nervously down the roadway, chewing on her bottom lip. Apparently, between his wounded pride and the surprise of the breathtaking tingle when they’d touched, Colum had completely forgotten the fact she’d told him she couldn’t ride a horse. “Remember?”

  Colum waived her protest away. “Ye ne’er had a proper teacher. I’ll have ye feelin’ as though ye’ve been astride all yer life.”

  I bet you would. Kenna clamped her lips tighter together and held her breath through a hurried count to ten. Good gosh. Did the Highlands emit some strange mating chemical? Even before she’d actually touched Colum, she had been very much aware of every nerve ending in her body. At first, she’d thought it was just some weird aftereffect of jumping centuries, but now, following the uber-tingle she’d just enjoyed, she knew better.

  Kenna expelled the breath she’d been holding and sucked in another deep breath. Enough with the hornies. She wasn’t some freakin’ schoolgirl panting after a boy. “All I’m worried about is reaching the keep in one piece. I can’t wait to meet my new little nephew or niece.”

  Colum squinted up at the sky, shielding his eyes against the shining sun. “Mother Sinclair said the babe would arrive before sunset. We best be on our way. Perhaps ye could bring comfort to yer sister while she struggles with the birth.”

  Immediate guilt washed over Kenna. Here she was fantasizing about riding a Highlander and her sister Trulie was fighting to bring a baby into the world. As they rounded the bend in the road, her heart fell at the size of the horses she was supposed to conquer in a matter of minutes.

  The bigger horse, a reddish monster that could have rivaled a Clydesdale, peacefully swatted his coal black tail back and forth while he stripped leaves off a nearby bush. A smaller horse, almost blonde with a white mane and tail, amiably grazed beside her much larger partner.

  Kenna caught her lower lip between her teeth again as she stared at the horses. Even the small one was so tall she’d need a stepladder to climb into the saddle. She glanced up at Colum, who was standing proudly at her side. “You don’t have any smaller ones?”

  Colum pointed to the blonde mare as the horse turned and whickered a friendly greeting. “Yon Geal there is tame as a newborn lamb. There’s no finer horse in our stables for ye to learn to ride.”

  Kenna glanced up at the position of the sun. A sense of urgency squeezed her. Trulie needed her; she felt her calling. “I don’t have time to learn today. Would your horse let me ride with you? I know how to hang on. I just don’t know how to steer one.”

  Colum’s broad smile beamed clear to his eyes, and if Kenna didn’t know better she’d have sworn his chest expanded to at least double its original massive size. “Aye, lass. I’d be honored t’have ye ride in front o’ me.”

  Colum hurried over and secured Kenna’s bags across Geal’s saddle, then held out his hand to her. “Come t’me, lass. Rua and I will get ye to yer sister.”

  Something about the way Colum said “Come t’me” made time stand still and created a jelly-like weakness in Kenna’s knees. The deep sensual echo in his voice made her ache to hear those words whispered, warm and inviting against her cheek, while he held her in the darkness.

  The piercing cry of a hawk high above broke the mesmerizing spell. Somewhere deep in her consciousness, Kenna heard Trulie cry out as clear as the hawk’s scream. Enough. Trulie needed her. Monster horses and drool-worthy warriors would have to wait. Kenna shook herself free of her musings and slid her hand into Colum’s. “I’m ready. Get me to Trulie.”

  Chapter 7

  Lore, the scent of her was driving him insane. Colum tightened his arm around Lady Kenna’s waist and inhaled another mouthwatering breath of her sweetness. With a subtle nudge of one knee, Colum silently bid Rua to slow his pace. ’Twas much better if they traveled slowly. After all, he didna wish to frighten the wee lass—this bein’ her first time on a horse and all.

  Rua tossed his head and danced a bit to one side. Kenna squeaked and clutched Colum’s arm tighter about her waist.

  “ ’Tis all right, lass. I’ll no’ let ye fall.” Colum smiled as he hugged her tensed body back against his chest. Well done, lad. Ye’ll have an extra share of oats and mayhap a carrot or two this verra evenin’. Rua always did have a keen sense for his master’s wishes.

  Colum leaned forward, nuzzling his cheek against the silk of Lady Kenna’s hair while pretending to dodge a low-hanging tree limb that couldn’t possibly reach them. So soft. So silky. What he wouldna give to lace his fingers through those tresses as she shuddered and cried out his name.

  “Colum?”

  “Aye, m’lady?” Colum dipped forward again, pressing his cheek snug against her hair. For sure and for certain, he nay wished to miss a single word the lady uttered.

  Kenna cleared her throat and wiggled. Colum nearly groaned aloud as the delightful curve of her bottom brushed back against his aching cock. Lore a’mighty. What pure…albeit delicious…torture.

  Kenna lightly patted his arm and wiggled again. “Uhm. You don’t have to hold me so tight now. I think I’m getting the hang of it.”

  Colum loosened his grip the barest bit. Damn, but the woman seemed oblivious to the excruciating waves of pleasure she triggered with every move of her sweet arse. He took a deep breath and kneed Rua to walk slower still. May the Lady Trulie forgive him. If Colum had his way about it, they’d ne’er reach the keep. He’d hold this precious softness against him and they’d ride on forever. “It gladdens me t’know ye no longer fear Rua.”

  Kenna shifted in his embrace as she lifted her face to the gentle breeze soughing through the trees. “Rua’s not scary. It’s just he’s so tall. If you weren’t hanging on to me, I might fall and break my neck.” Kenna closed her eyes and shifted against him with a deep intake of breath. “This place is so…” Her voice trailed off as she inhaled again, then shivered.<
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  Colum swallowed hard. A few more wiggles like that and the lass would completely undo him. “Aye, m’lady. Nothing compares wi’ the Highlands and the beauty they hold.”

  Colum’s spirits fell as they cleared the last of the woods and came to the bridge. Damned if they weren’t nearly there.

  Lady Kenna excitedly leaned forward, Rua’s immense size apparently forgotten as the breathtaking vista of the keep spread out before them. “Holy cow—look at this place.”

  Colum failed to see how a cow could be holy, but he did agree that MacKenna keep was quite the impressive stronghold. Sheer cliffs rose on either side of the deep blue inlet, hemming in the rocky crag jutting out to the center of the bay. The keep sat perched atop the solitary knuckle of land like a great seabird about to take flight. The stone bridge they were crossing provided the only access by land. The keep was also safe from attack by sea, because it could only be approached by boat with extreme caution. Few other than the MacKenna himself knew of the narrow channel leading through the treachery of the jagged inlet.

  Colum glumly straightened in the saddle as they rode beneath the welcoming stone arch. He’d soon have to hand the fair Lady Kenna over to the others. “The child must no’ be here yet. There are none in the bailey to greet us.”

  Kenna bounced in the saddle. “Hurry then. Help me down so I can get to Trulie.”

  Colum slid to the ground and pulled Kenna into his arms. For the barest second of sheer bliss, the lady rested her hands atop his shoulders and smiled down into his eyes. Did he imagine the lass caught her breath? Was he merely confused by his own aching need or was desire in her eyes as well?

  Colum froze as Kenna’s gaze lowered to his mouth and she slowly traced the tip of her tongue across her lips. Dare he hope to steal a taste of her before he had to let her go? Ever so gently, Colum brought her closer. Her warm breath brushed across his skin as he closed the distance between her mouth and his.

  “Colum!”

  Colum clenched his teeth as Kenna jerked away, then quickly squirmed her way down out of his arms. Galen. That ill-timin’, interruptin’ son of a bitch. He’d snap the fool’s bloody neck if the squat bastard had one.

  “Hie yerself, man! Mother Sinclair bids ye deliver the lass to the tower. The babe’s nearly here and the Lady Trulie cries out for her sister.” Galen hopped back and forth across the wide top step of the front entrance like a great toad unable to settle on the perfect log on which to sit.

  Kenna patted Colum’s arm. “You heard him! Get me to Trulie.”

  Colum deflated with a disappointed sigh. Life had suddenly gotten verra complicated indeed. Gritting his teeth against another wave of frustration, Colum grabbed hold of Kenna’s tiny hand and rushed her up the entry steps. “Come with me, m’lady.”

  He shot a narrow-eyed glare to the stairwell leading to Lady Trulie and her grandmother. Now he knew why Gray had been so damned amused when the two women had assigned him this task. His chieftain knew he’d ne’er stand a chance once he felt the magic of a Sinclair woman’s touch. Damn ye, Mother Sinclair. Damn ye, Gray MacKenna.

  Lady Kenna hurried ahead of him. Still clasping his hand, she anxiously pulled him along. Her voice giddy with excitement, she yanked on his hand as she motioned toward the stairs. “This way, right? He said the tower.”

  Colum’s heart melted, while at the same time his irritation grew. Twice damn ye, Gray MacKenna, for snarin’ me arse in this inescapable trap.

  Chapter 8

  “She is so precious.” Kenna cradled the squirming bundle closer, soaking in the wonder and warmth of the treasured new life. She gently pressed the tip of her finger into the tiny outstretched hand. The baby grunted, then squeaked out a yawn as her wee fingers closed around Kenna’s and latched hold of her heart with a bitty squeeze. Her round little face was still red from the hard task of entering the world. Kenna eased down and sat on the edge of the freshly straightened bed. “Do you have a name picked out or shall we all just call her Princess?”

  “Chloe.” Trulie settled wearily back into the nest of fresh pillows Granny had plumped behind her. She reached out and rubbed the back of one hand against Kenna’s arm. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too.” Kenna blinked fast against the happy tears stinging the corners of her eyes. The baby grunted and stretched, squirming in the depths of the soft blanket as though trying to find the most comfortable position.

  “Okay, little Miss Chloe, I’m gonna hand you back to your mama now.” Kenna reluctantly settled the precious weight back in the crook of her sister’s arms. Smiling up into Trulie’s face, she carefully smoothed the back of one finger across the baby’s cheek. “Well done, Sis. Well done indeed.”

  “I didn’t do it alone.” Trulie looked to Gray, smiling as he carefully settled down on the other side of her. “My fine chieftain had a little bit to do with it.”

  “Aye. Verra little.” Gray cradled his daughter’s downy head in the palm of one hand and pressed a tender kiss to her brow. “Yer máthair worked verra hard a gettin’ ye here, m’dear wee daughter.”

  Kenna quietly rose from the edge of the bed and eased a few steps away. She suddenly felt very much the intruder in the bonding of this brand-new family. If her trip to the past resulted in half the love and joy Trulie had found, she’d thank the Fates every single day and twice on Sundays.

  Granny wrapped a spindly arm around her shoulders and squeezed hard. “Just look at you, gal. I have missed you so much. The fire portal didn’t do you justice.”

  Kenna hugged Granny back and giggled. “The only way this reunion could get any better would be if Mairi and Lilia were here too.”

  Granny’s smile faltered a bit as she shook a bent finger in the air. “Soon. This is your time now. Don’t be a wishin’ your life away. Soon enough it will be their time.”

  Soon. Granny had used that word a lot when they were all children. “Soon” was usually Granny’s way of gently saying no…or at least not right now. “Could you go into a little more detail about why exactly my time is now?”

  Little Chloe headed off Granny’s response with a squeaking, high-pitched rowr.

  “Oh my, I think someone’s hungry.” Trulie peeled back the layer of blankets from Chloe’s waving arms and shifted the babe higher on her pillow.

  “Kenna and I will go to the outer room. You don’t need an audience while you and the little one figure this out for the first time.” Granny turned Kenna toward the door and smiled back at Trulie. “Relax, gal. Just let instinct guide you. Chloe knows what to do.”

  Granny closed the door softly behind them and motioned Kenna toward the bench and table on the other side of the room. “Sit, gal. I’ll pour you some water and order a meal sent up. I know you must be completely spent. It turned out to be a much longer night ushering little Chloe into the world than we expected. I had reckoned her arrival to come at sunset rather than sunrise.”

  Kenna slid to the center of the bench and clasped her hands atop the table. Granny was right: she was exhausted. But she wasn’t too tired to realize that Granny was working up to one of her “talks.” Granny’s tone was a dead giveaway that a “This is what you’re gonna do” speech was imminent. Kenna shifted and tucked one leg underneath her. As she leaned her chin into her hand, an aching sense of weariness settled across her. The adrenaline and excitement of the past couple of days had run out, and she was about to crash. “I really think we should do this later. Aren’t you tired too? I think we could all use a few hours of pillow time.”

  Granny poured a stream of crystal-clear water into the metal cup. She shook her head as she set it in front of Kenna. “I never get overly tired when it comes to bringing new life into the world.” Her face took on a sad, faraway look as she slowly lowered herself to the bench beside Kenna. “Especially when the outcome is as happy as this one turned out to be.”

  Kenna sat straighter and clasped the cool metal cup between both han
ds. Granny was thinking about when Trulie and Gray lost their first child—and no doubt also about Mother. In the past, whenever Granny’s voice got all hollow and sad, she was remembering the day her own daughter had died bringing Mairi and Lilia into the world.

  Kenna reached over and squeezed Granny’s hand. “You kept your word to Mother and Father both. Look how great we all turned out.” Granny had bravely jumped to the future with a twelve-year-old, a five-year-old, and a pair of sickly twins. Father had begged her to take his frail newborns to a time where they had a better chance at survival. Then he’d lowered himself down into the grave beside his wife and ordered his men to bury them both. Kenna had been only five years old at the time, but Granny had never attempted to hide the family’s past or the extreme nature of her parents’ love.

  Granny smiled and shook her head sadly as she covered Kenna’s fingers with a trembling hand. “I like to think they’re watching over all of us. I hope they see what fine young ladies you’ve all become.”

  Kenna sipped at the water, closed her eyes, and inhaled a deep cleansing breath. They’d all been through so much. Such was the legacy of a Sinclair time runner.

  “So tell me, what did you think about our fine Colum Garrison?” The tip of Granny’s tongue raced across her faded lips as her thin brows arched to her hairline. She reminded Kenna a great deal of a starving cat preparing to pounce on a fat mouse. If Kenna didn’t know better, she’d swear Granny’s ears were perked forward with interest.

  “So, he’s your plan for me.” Kenna pushed the cup away and climbed out from the bench. She should’ve known Granny would send the man she wanted her to marry to be the first one she met upon her arrival to the past. “Mind telling me why you picked him?”