Michele Sinclair - [McTiernays 05] Read online

  Conor pulled back slightly, but not enough to break contact. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  “You didn’t believe I could pack everything in two bags either, did you? When are you going to trust me?”

  His mouth twisted wryly. “Craig, Meriel, Hamish—they are adults. They have to arrive at their own conclusions, Laurel.”

  “I absolutely agree. I also know that for them to arrive at the right conclusions, Hamish and Meriel need to come with us,” Laurel said softly. Her voice was sweet and amenable, but her chin was set in a stubborn line. Conor knew that unless he was willing to absolutely refuse her request, talking about it further was not going to change anything.

  “Fine, I’ll talk to Hamish.”

  “And I’ll go talk to Meriel.”

  His lips parted in surprise. “You mean she didn’t ask to come?”

  “Oh, she will want to.”

  Conor arched a single dark brow as she slid her hands up and down his crossed arms, caressing the tense muscles. “No pressure?” he asked, his doubt unmistakable. She licked her lips, intentionally drawing his eyes toward her mouth. Her perfect mouth. Her sexy mouth. Mo creach. He would never get enough of her.

  “Do you really still doubt a woman’s ability to read the needs of the other?”

  “I only wish I had the gift to be able to read your mind,” Conor replied huskily, giving in to his baser needs.

  Laurel let her head fall back as his lips began a sensuous trail along her neck. “You are an amazingly clever man. I’m sure given enough clues that you . . .” She sighed, unable to remember the witty retort on the tip of her tongue. Conor might not always know what she was thinking, but he never failed in his ability to stop her ability to think.

  Meriel’s eyes followed her father as he retreated into the Great Hall. Rae Schellden, one of the strongest and more formidable clan chieftains in the Highlands, was also the most vulnerable and yielding when it came to his daughters. Last year was the first time she and her sister had ever left the protection of Caireoch, and only months after their return did she learn from the staff how tremendously hard their departure had been on him. And now she was leaving again.

  Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered how close he had held her to him. “I should deny you this request, but since you were a wee thing, you have known better than anyone just how to sway my thinking. Take care, child. Go and learn how to smile again.”

  Meriel had never said anything about her feelings for Craig, but somehow her father had known. And though she had promised her visit would be short, in reality, she did not know just how long she would be gone.

  Returning her attention to her horse, Meriel took a step closer to the animal and inhaled deeply, hoping to diminish the ripples of fear going through her. Tentatively, she stretched her arm out and barely stroked the brown hair along the horse’s neck. “Remember me, Merry? We took a trip together once before and we are going to do it again. A nice, uneventful, peaceful trip.”

  A chuckle behind her caused her to spin around. She should have known Hamish would be coming with them. She had seen him around and remembered the Highlander well from her visit to the McTiernays last year. It was hard to forget anyone who liked himself as much as the man in front of her did, which was one of the reasons she had intentionally avoided his company during the past week’s festivities.

  He wore the McTiernay plaid, but he did not resemble the majority of their clan. The man was tall, but shaped more like her father, broad shouldered and muscular. Instead of being dark featured, his hair was a deep auburn and he let it hang loose just past his shoulders. But it was his eyes that were the most striking, and like so many women before her, his intense gaze had drawn her in. Meriel blinked and the magic was gone, leaving her to see that the shimmer in his eyes was caused from laughter. The hulking brute was gleaning enjoyment from her fear of riding.

  Meriel turned around abruptly, hoping that he understood the hint but doubting he did. The man truly believed all females were susceptible to his charm, and after witnessing several women fall for his flirtations, it was not hard to believe the rumors of his being quite the sinner. “Beware, Merry,” she whispered to her mount. “A McTiernay wolf is in our presence.”

  The chuckle increased in volume as two large hands gently gripped her waist and effortlessly placed her on top of the horse before she realized what was happening. “McTiernay wolf ?” Hamish whispered back. “I like your pet name for me. But only in private. In public, best call me Hamish.”

  Meriel clutched Merry’s mane in a fierce grip and narrowed her eyes in preparation to glare at him, but she decided to play along instead. This man needed to know at least one woman was immune to his charm. “Madadh-allaidh.” She purred the word “wolf ” to him, gaining enormous satisfaction when his eyes popped open wide. She was about to say more when a bellow from across the courtyard halted most conversations and all activity.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing on top of that horse?” roared Craig from across the bailey.

  He had waited until the last possible moment before coming inside the castle walls to say good-bye to his brother and wife before they left for home. He knew Meriel would also be there giving her farewells, and had already prepared an excuse to leave as soon as his brother departed. After his barely successful attempt to restrain himself that morning, he had decided to minimize their time together until his attraction to her was once again under his complete control. But the moment he saw Hamish’s hands on her small waist, lifting her onto a horse, a wave of turbulent and indefinable emotion hit him full force.

  “Just what do you think you are doing?” Craig demanded again in a steely voice as he reached her side. He issued Hamish an icy glare and immediately his friend threw his hands up and took a step backward.

  Meriel, on the other hand, was not intimidated and had no inclination to retreat. “Do you really need me to answer? For I thought it was fairly obvious.”

  Meriel tossed her hair back so that the blond highlights in the tawny locks caught the sun. Craig knew it was a move she did to compose herself when really mad. Well, she could go ahead and be mad. He was furious too. It was her sister who got them into this mess and it was her idea to kiss like they had. She was the one who prematurely came to visit him when she should have known he was not ready to see her. And now she was letting Hamish, a known womanizer, touch her. Meriel was lucky he did not yank her off the horse and throttle her in front of everyone. “It most certainly was a real question, and I am waiting for an answer, Meriel.”

  His contemptuous tone only further sparked her anger. “Don’t bark at me, Craig McTiernay. I am not one of your men you can order about. And as far as what I’m doing, why, I am sitting on a horse.”

  She did not call him a fool, but all within hearing heard the implication. “And just where do you plan on going?”

  There was an edge to his voice, one that alarmed everyone around them but not her. With her chin, she pointed to the open portcullis. “Right out that gate, across a stretch of land and into your childhood home.”

  “You are not.”

  His voice, though quiet, had a ruthless, ominous quality, and Meriel could hear the crowd begin to whisper. She could only guess as to what they were saying. Who would have thought the most affable of the McTiernay warriors and Laird Schellden’s carefree daughter could raise their voices at one another, let alone fight? Another day when she was not so emotionally frazzled, Meriel might have cared. “Be careful,” she hissed, “or you will start rumors about us all over again. And I will not volunteer another chance for you to kiss me in order to quell them.”

  Watching the two argue, Conor was caught somewhere between shock and amusement. It was rare to see Craig emerge from his emotional shell where he protected himself with mirth and wit. Maybe Laurel was right. Maybe Craig did love Meriel. Nothing else explained his brother’s violent reaction.

  Laurel leaned over to him and whispered, “Is it po
ssible we sound like that when we quarrel?”

  Conor pulled back his chin in defiance of the possibility. “Nah, look around you, love. Everyone is watching them intently. Do our clansmen stare at us when we disagree?”

  Laurel bit her bottom lip as she considered his argument. He was correct. Though she was honest with herself enough to know that their “disagreements” were sometimes intense enough to be called arguments, no one ever paid them any attention regardless how heated they became. Relief filled her just as Craig bellowed out another barb.

  “You really expect me to believe you are actually leaving your home for any length of time?” Craig ground out as he examined Merry and the rest of the small group’s horses. There were no multitude of carriers crammed with sewing threads and materials. He pointed at the two sacks on the back of her horse. “I see none of your bulging bags hanging off the hind end of every horse.”

  “You should feel gratified that I am finally taking your advice and becoming less attached to my things. What was it you once said? Things cannot bring you happiness—only people.”

  He had actually said clothes could not bring him happiness, only a woman. He had been teasing her when he turned down her offer to make him a new leine and kilt. The idea of standing around like a female while she measured, poked, and prodded him was abhorrent, and he wanted to make sure that she never made the offer again. But for her to twist the meaning and use that remark meant they were on the verge of going too far. They had argued before, but never like this. He just knew he was not happy at the idea of her leaving. He felt as if his life had been turned upside down last night, and their fighting was making it worse.

  Craig gathered his composure and in a resigned yet gentle tone said, “The people you love and who love you are here. There is no need for you to leave. You need not be embarrassed.”

  Embarrassed? Meriel practically screamed in her head. He thought she was leaving because of embarrassment over their kiss? She had thought he felt something for her but was just unwilling to act on it. Now she was beginning to wonder if she had read him completely wrong. No man with any morsel of feelings for her could be so clueless.

  Meriel knew he was waiting for her to respond, believing that he was making her rethink her decision to go. If anything, his last argument just made it absolutely clear that she not only had to leave, but immediately.

  “I love my family, Craig,” she began calmly, removing any bitter anger from her tone. “But if I need to kiss someone to feel excitement, then that is a sign I should seek new experiences and interact with different people. It is time I break certain habits and build new ones. Don’t you ever need a change?”

  He had. But not in recent memory. For the past year, he had felt more settled and relaxed than ever, which was surprising because he had moved away from McTiernay Castle, the only home he had ever known. His life was finally becoming what he always wanted. He was commander of a large and powerful army, his brother was happy . . . life was good. He wanted no changes in it, and that Meriel did, rankled.

  After she left his cabin that morning, he had mentally replayed their conversation and her reaction repeatedly, and each time his conclusion remained unchanged. It was absurd to allow a single kiss to disrupt things between them when their situation was almost ideal. Meriel’s claim that she felt the same as he did had provided a measure of relief but did not completely quash his fears that their friendship might have been irrevocably altered. But how were they to resume their friendship and continue as before, if she left?

  “Meriel, if you really want to go visit my brothers, I will take you. Merry is gentle, but you will still need help with her if you are ever going to make it.”

  “I didn’t ask for your assistance and I don’t want it,” she said. Her hazel eyes, normally warm and inviting, now regarded him coolly.

  Craig shook off the inclination to shiver. “Don’t be a fool,” he chastised softly. “You know you need help when riding.”

  Meriel arched a brow, daring to look affronted by his assertion, despite its accuracy. “Maybe—but not yours.”

  “And just who the bloody hell is going to put up with you?” he barked, raising his voice once again.

  Meriel waved her hand to her side. “Hamish is quite looking forward to the chance. Aren’t you, Hamish?” she asked, flashing him one of her most irresistible smiles.

  Hamish blinked. “I . . . uh . . . aye,” he answered, unable to disagree with her. He shifted his gaze to his horse and patted the thick mane. It was probably the first time he had ever wanted to put distance between him and an unattached beautiful woman, but how else was he to respond? He avoided looking at Craig. He did not want to get pulled into this argument, but a part of him was somewhat shocked by Meriel’s feisty demeanor. Normally she was so calm and demure that her personality bordered on dull.

  Craig’s eyes bounced between Hamish and Meriel. He considered the man a good friend, but Hamish was also notorious when it came to women—almost as bad as his younger brother Conan. And if Meriel had been anyone else, Craig might have felt the earnest pangs of jealousy. But she was not Hamish’s type, and, moreover, she was Laird Schellden’s daughter. Unless Hamish wanted to get married and be locked to the Schellden clan forever, Meriel could be with no safer guide.

  “Well then, now that I know that you won’t have to depend on the gruff nature of my eldest brother for support”—Craig grimaced at Conor—“I have no objection.”

  “Why, thank you for your permission. And here I thought I needed only my father’s.”

  Craig shot her a twisted smile. “You’ll be back in less than a fortnight.”

  “You think?”

  “I think you will be bored within hours of your arrival. This time, you will not have me or Raelynd to entertain you.”

  Meriel refused to allow the fear his words gave her register on her face. Instead, she broke into a disarming smile and said, “I will miss you too.” Then she gave a hard yank on the reins to get Merry to turn around. To her relief, after the third tug the horse finally obeyed and headed out the gate.

  Craig was right. Based on her last experience away from Caireoch, life at McTiernay Castle would be incredibly dull, and the realization almost made her change her mind. But Craig’s smug face kept her firmly on her mount. She did not know how difficult it would be, but she would find a way to be gone at least three weeks.

  Craig swallowed as he watched her practically strangle Merry. Despite his attempt at teaching her, the woman’s riding skills had not improved even a little bit. “Take care of her, Hamish,” he said wistfully.

  “I will, so don’t worry about your friend. You know you can trust me.”

  The rich baritone voice carried too much amusement for Craig’s comfort. He pivoted to look at Hamish to see if he was sincere or if he was mocking him, but it was too late. Hamish was already urging his mount forward to catch up with Meriel and help get her through the gatehouse and the village without mishap.

  “Are you sure you do not care for my sister?”

  Craig jumped. He had not seen Raelynd approach his side. “I’m positive!” he growled and stomped toward the kitchens. He was going directly to the buttery and get himself a drink. A large one.

  Aye, he cared for Meriel. And why shouldn’t he? They were friends. Best friends. She needed his companionship, his advice, and most of all his support. It would not be possible for her to stay away for very long.

  This was her home. This was his home. And a single kiss was not going to change that.

  Chapter 3

  Meriel glanced sideways to confirm it was Laurel who was coming to join her by the fire. The day’s journey had been exactly what Meriel had expected. Long and arduous. Merry had been inclined to follow the group and had not needed much direction or encouragement, to Meriel’s relief. Most of her time had been spent trying to stay upon the horse.

  Laurel sat down on the ground across from Meriel and stretched out her hands to warm them by the f
ire. The weather had been comfortable during the day, but both were used to being inside after the sun went down and found the night somewhat chilly. Luckily Conor and Hamish had wanted a cooked meal; otherwise it might have been difficult getting them to agree to build a fire.

  Laurel picked up a stick and poked the logs to rekindle the flames, as if she was searching for the right way to start the conversation. “Conor and Hamish are out taking care of the horses. I doubt they will return until they think we are asleep. Nothing frightens a man more than two women talking.”

  Meriel stifled a small sigh. She wanted to talk through her problems, but not with just anyone. She trusted Laurel, but Meriel was not interested in listening to any well-meaning advice—even if she could use some.

  Laurel tossed the burnt stick aside. “You look tired. I know that you are not used to riding, let alone being on horseback for most of the day.”

  Meriel shrugged her shoulders. “At least I knew what to expect this time. And Hamish helped some.” He had actually aided her quite a lot, and surprisingly, he had done it without any condescension. “I’m not sure what to think about him.” She paused and then looked at Laurel. “I’m beginning to think he flirts out of habit, not true interest. I wonder if the rumors of his exploits are simply that—rumors.”

  A bemused smile curved Laurel’s mouth. “Not many women can recognize Hamish for what he truly is. I am glad you agreed to come.”

  Meriel’s eyes momentarily widened at the memory. “Laird McTiernay did not seem so enthusiastic about the idea.”

  “Oh, Conor is just afraid that I’ll put you back in charge of the castle.”

  Meriel sat up straight, her hazel eyes boring into Laurel. “You wouldn’t.” She exhaled in a panic. That idea had never occurred to her.