The Highlander's Secret(41)

Alan smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead, saying, “My sweet Jain, nothing could ever change the way I feel fer ye.”

Jain laughed through a gargled sob and wiped away some tears with the sleeve of her tunic. “What do we do now?”

He chuckled and said, “Well, I’ve been thinking about that a lot actually. I spoke with yer da last night after the meeting.”

“Aye, he told me.”

“Did he also tell ye that I asked fer yer hand?”

“He did.”

“In fact, what he said was I had permission to ask, but that I’d have to win yer heart myself.”

Jain laughed, growing ever closer. Alan reached out and placed his other hand on the curve of her waist. “Aye, that sounds like him.”

“Ye should ken then, Jain, that I take it as a challenge. I will never be happy until I’m sure yer heart is mine and ye consent to be my wife.”

Her breathing grew ragged as he came in closer and she could feel his heady scent envelope her completely. “Alan Gillies, my heart already belonged to ye before ye even asked.”

A glorious smile broke out across his face. He looked her in the eyes and said, “Does that mean what I think?”

“That depends. Are ye asking me?”

His brown eyes were smoldering as he cradled her face in his hands. “Jain, ye’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I never want to spend a single day without ye. It would be my greatest honor and privilege if ye would agree to marry me. Would ye have me as yer husband?”

Jain’s heart was beating wildly. She nodded weakly, saying, “Aye, I would take ye fer my husband, Alan Gillies. Ye’re everything I ever wanted. I cannae imagine a better life than the one I would spend next to ye as yer wife.”

Her breath caught as they came together slowly, easing into one another. His lips were on her suddenly, gently parted when they kissed. Jain closed her eyes and leaned into it, easing her hands up around his neck and knotting them in Alan’s hair.

Alan groaned into her mouth and slid one of his hands down along the length of her body, pressing himself against her. Their kisses became more passionate and the two of them made their way over to a tree, hitching her skirts up on her thigh.

“Oh, Jain…” he breathed out raggedly. “I love ye so much.”

Jain couldn’t even respond even though she wanted to. Her head was reeling from the feel of his skin against her and the elated sighs that escaped her lips. Everything else was gone, it was only him.

His lips trailed down her neck and across Jain’s collarbone, peppering her skin with kisses. She rolled her head back to give him better access and ran her fingers across his back. All Jain could think about was how she wanted more. Even with his hands and body pressed against her, it still didn’t feel like enough.

“Alan,” she gasped. “Alan, I love ye.”

The minute she said the words his lips came back to her, kissing her on the mouth. His hands wrapped around her body. She met his enthusiasm with equal vigor and it brought a smile to her face thinking that this man would be her husband.

Distracted as they were, Jain would have surely gotten carried away with herself and been lost in the ecstasy had not a horn blared out noisily in the distance. Reluctantly, Alan pulled away from her and they both turned to where the sound had come from. Her lips still burned from the searing heat of his kisses when a rider came galloping up the path. They watched him continue on the road towards Elign, with his banner held high. Jain knew the rider would be headed for the keep, where her father and Uncle Keenan would be engaged with the village council.

“I think it’s the MacLeod’s,” she murmured. “We have to get to the keep.”

Alan took her by the hand and they ran on the path behind him. They both knew that if Clan MacLeod was requesting aid then something terrible must have happened. Her heart raced with fear, running away fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t even have time to relish the bliss of their moment before the cruel reality set in.

Their feet pounded against the earth, passing through the village gate. People who had already seen the rider were coming out of their cottages and flooding the streets ahead. Jain had to get to her father in the keep and find out what had happened. Alan seemed to understand the depths of her concern and pushed his way through the crowd to give Jain clearer passage.

When they reached the stone steps at the top of the hill, the rider’s horse was still outside. Alan and Jain glanced at one another before they rushed inside. Down the hall she could hear the Laird talking with him and her panic rose. He glanced up when they came inside and stood with the other council members to come and greet them.

“Uncle Keenan? What’s happened?”

He sighed. “Jain, ye shouldn’t be in here.”

“Please,” she begged him. “We saw the rider on the hills outside.”

Laird Gordon glanced over at Eamon and huffed in exasperation. “The MacLeod’s have been attacked. Two villages in the last week and another this morning. We cannae wait any longer, I’m taking the warriors to defend our border and lend aid to the fallen villages.”

Her eyes grew wide at the confirmation.

“Let me go with ye,” Alan pleaded. “I can fight, ye ken I’d be useful with a sword.”

Keenan nodded. “Aye, that ye would. I appreciate yer help. Duncan, go and collect the warriors at the gate. Bring horses and any weapons we can find.”