Free Highlander's Bride (Heart of the Highlander Series Book 1) by Deborah Gafford

leaned against the wood, her shoulders pulled back, almost
as if posing her supple figure for him to admire. She slowly ran the tip of her
pink tongue over her bottom lip as he sheathed his sword.
     Alexander watched her with a feeling akin to a
moth being pulled uncontrollably toward a deadly flame.
    Her black eyes traveled from his face, to his
chest, and lower still. Her voice reminded him of a purring cat. "Ooh,
Alexander. Ye surely do thrill a lass with yer powerful skill with yer sword.
Are ye always able to pull it out and sheath it again so smoothly? Tell me, do
ye often wield yer… sword fer a lass to see?"
    Proud that she admired his prowess with his
broadsword, he patted its hilt and smiled. "Ah, Fiona, it takes years of
practice to learn to wield a blade. The mightier the weapon, the more practice
it takes to be skilled in using it." 
    "Aye, true words, m'lord. Or so I've been
told."
    He looked away from her eager glance and drew a
deep breath. Best get his answer now. "Fiona, lass, I must ask. Did you…
was there a child from our night together?"
    She hesitated a moment, then said, "Alas, no.
I have naught but the memory of it."
    Alexander let out his breath in relief and sat
down on the stool beside the fire, enjoying the simple peace. He drank his ale
slowly and stared into the dancing flames. So, Fiona had not borne a child.
This released him from a duty-bound marriage to the lass. Aye, but what of his
conscience? And after their night together, did she expect it? What could he
say? He felt no passion for her as a man should for his wife. By the saints, he
felt no different toward Fiona than he ever had. At times that cursed night
seemed naught but a bad dream from which he could not free himself.
    Fiona stood in silence for a long time and he
eventually relaxed. When he glanced at her, he met her gaze as it slowly
traveled from the area below his sword belt up to his face.
    A rumble of thunder seemed to stir her speech.
"Alexander, is there anything ye want? Anything at all? Ye have only to
ask and I would gladly give ye whate'er ye have a hunger for."
    Her words seemed to reach out and caress him,
kindling back to life the fire in his blood that he'd felt earlier for
Katherine, and his thoughts turned lusty. God's teeth, he must not lose control
again. He wouldn't even have drink to blame this time.
    "No, lass. I must take my leave of you, for I
fear there is more than one storm rising here and we dare not let ourselves be
engulfed by it."
    At that moment, nature chose to intervene. A
brilliant flash of lightning momentarily lit the hut, bathing Fiona's profile
in light before a tremendous crash sounded outside the hut.
    She screamed and ran into his arms.
    The storm broke in all of its fury. Wind and rain
lashed out mercilessly. The force of the deluge pounded against the roof and
walls of the small hut, springing leaks in dozens of places as the wattle and
daub gave way under the onslaught of nature.
    Alexander's training alerted him to the frantic
cries of his horse. He swiftly released Fiona and heaved the door of the hut
open. A cascade of water poured in followed by twigs and leaves blown in by the
strong gust.
    Except for momentary flashes of lightning,
everything was blanketed in darkness. Straining to see, Alexander waited
impatiently for another brief flash of light. With the next burst of light, he
saw that a large tree branch had broken under the pummel of wind and heavy
rain. It had fallen forcefully against his horse, knocking the animal to the
ground and tangling in the reins. The stallion thrashed in vain as it tried to
free itself of the heavy limb.
    Alexander raced through the doorway to free the
stricken animal. The storm lashed at him unmercifully. Driving rain hit him in
sheets. The wind battered him, hampering his movements. The downpour made the
leather reins as slippery as if they'd been greased. They tangled further from
the constant struggle of his horse against the weight of the