Free My Captive Highlander (Highland Adventure Book 7) by Vonda Sinclair Page A

'Tis beautiful," he breathed.
    Maili awoke and her eyes widened upon him, as if shocked to remember what they'd shared… and that they were still naked beneath the plaid.
    "Look." He nodded toward the colorful sunrise beaming through the mist among the tall stones.
    She turned her head. "Oh," she breathed in wonder. "How lovely."
    "Aye." But he only had eyes for her now. "And you are lovely." With her head still turned aside, he kissed her ear, her throat. Her arms wound around his neck and she shivered. He moved down, placing wee cherishing kisses on her chest. When he reached her breast, he drew the rigid tip into his mouth. " Mmm ," he breathed. Arousal surged through him, and he pushed his hardened shaft against her thigh.
    "Shamus," she whispered.
    "Aye." He shifted his attention to her other nipple, kissing and suckling.
    "I hate to say this," she said, "but I must… excuse myself."
    With regret, he lifted his head. "Of course. Me too. We need to be on our way soon, anyway." Unfortunately.
    He wished he could stay here with her forever.
    But a threat lingered about them. Once they discerned which way the MacDonalds had gone, they would head along the alternate route out of the area.
    Naked, he helped her dress in the pink dawn light. He then pulled his shirt over his head, belted his plaid about his waist and donned the baldric and weapons. She moved into the bushes and short trees out to the side of the stone circle.
    "Don't go far," he warned, then realized it had been a while since he'd seen her horse. After he relieved himself, he glanced about for Ruairi but saw naught. He shook his head, trying to clear it. While within the stone circle, he'd felt drugged and blissful. A pleasant experience to be sure with Maili, but now, reality returned with a vengeance. Her brother's men were out scouring the countryside for them.
    When Maili returned from the bushes, he said, "We must find your horse. I wonder if he's still by the loch."
    "Oh." Her eyes widened and she glanced about. "I'd forgotten about him because of…" Her gaze flew to him and a lovely blush brightened her cheeks.
    "Aye." He understood her meaning perfectly. "As did I. Come." He helped her down the hillside to the loch's edge. Pink dawn light reflected in the water's still surface and white mist floated above it.
    The horse was nowhere to be seen in either direction. He muttered a curse beneath his breath. He should've led the horse back to the stone circle with them last night and tethered him to a bush. But Maili, and the passion between them, had so distracted him, a horse was the last thing on his mind.
    "Do you think he returned to Bearach Castle?" he asked.
    "Mayhap. He does love oats for breakfast."
    ' Slud . What would her clan think when the horse returned without her? Likely ' twould cause them to redouble their efforts in locating her. "We must continue our travels on foot, then."
    Once on the muddy trail her clansmen had taken the night before, he paused often, listening for any sounds that might tell him the men were returning. Two hours later, at the fork in the trail, he discovered fresh tracks going in both directions.
    "Damnation," he muttered. "The search party split here. Which route offers ample hiding places and bushes along it?" he asked her.
    Maili considered for a moment. "The trail south, I'm thinking."
    He nodded, preferring to travel south along the coast anyway, where he might find a galley to transport them north again to his clan's castle.
    After they'd each eaten a bannock while taking cover in a small wood beside the trail, he held her hand as they strode briskly along the narrow path, worn down from years of horse and foot traffic.
    A horse snorted off to the left of the trail, in the bushes. Shamus drew his sword. Was that Ruairi or a different horse? He dragged Maili for cover in the bush on the opposite side of the path but before they were out of sight, a horse and rider burst onto the trail.
    "Halt!" the bearded man