To Conquer a Scot (A Time Traveler’s Highland Love) Read online

  Her body sang, his body the instrument. He was large, with a thickness that left her full, aching, hot. Each thrust hit that special spot deep inside and she couldn’t get enough.

  Abby found her groove, her breathing rapid, and she soon let go of any inhibitions she might feel. Instead, she set out to enjoy him, to allow his body to bring her to ecstasy.

  She moaned, leaning back as an orgasm teased her. With her eyes closed, she felt Aedan’s hands come around to clasp her ass as he sat up. With his hands behind her, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down hard on his cock. It was enough to spike her over the edge and she came, her body convulsing, draining him of his seed as he joined her.

  Her orgasm seemed to go on deliciously long, and she stayed fused with him as the last tremor subsided from her body. She sighed, contentment making her bones weightless in his arms. “That never gets old,” she said, kissing his shoulder.

  He nuzzled her neck, kissing her softly beneath her ear. “Not when it’s with the right person.”

  Abby hugged him to her, the raw emotion of love that filled her at his words threatening to make her cry. “Why is it you always seem to know exactly what to say?”

  “Are they the right words, lass?”

  She smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “They so are. Every one.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Over the next few weeks, Aedan showed Abby the rest of his estate, his land and tenant farms. Scotland in this time, its raw beauty, was like nothing she’d ever experienced, and she was in love with it as much as she was in love with Aedan.

  Sleeping under the stars, with only a few of his guards, gave them plenty of time to enjoy the quiet and solitude the weeks afforded them. Having left Black Ben and Braxton, along with Gwen, in charge of Druiminn, Aedan had taken her away to recover from her injuries, both physical and mental, from Rory Kirk.

  With each passing day, the more time they spent in each other’s company, Abby became more sure of her heart. She’d fallen for him, absolutely and without doubt.

  To live in this time with the man she loved was a dream come true. Nothing had ever been so exciting in her life. Yes, it was hard, cold, and damp, but it was also wonderful and beautiful. Aedan warmed her soul, thawing any chill the Highland wind brought with it. He was caring, a loving lover, and adored his family. It was like he’d stepped out of a fairy tale.

  She watched him as he beckoned her into the small pond that they’d found on their return home to Druiminn. It’d been a couple of days since they’d bathed, and the day was surprisingly warm, but as she dipped her toe into the water, she gasped as the chill seeped into her skin.

  “It’s so cold! I’m not getting in there with you.” She stood at the edge, Aedan waist deep, grinning at her, a devilish light in his eyes.

  “Yes, ye are, now dinna make me come out and get ye, lass. I’m naked.”

  She bit her lip, the thought of what was beneath the surface warming her enough to dive in, but she wasn’t stupid. “Naked as a wee babe?”

  He laughed at her teasing.

  “Have I ever told ye how much I love it when ye talk to me in my accent.” He walked toward her. “Come now. I’ll keep ye warm.”

  Abby cringed as she pulled off her light shift and jumped in, pulling her legs up and cannon-balling Aedan. He may as well get as wet as she was.

  “Minx.” He went to grab her but she swam away.

  The water bit into her flesh, and she shivered. “Oh my God, it’s so cold. Please tell me that it does get warmer at some point during the year.”

  “Ye do know you’re in Scotland, no?”

  He pulled her against him, and she wrapped her legs about his hips, the hardness of him pressing against her core. Desire thrummed between them, Aedan’s hot, hooded gaze making her pulse race.

  “I’m pretty sure I know where I am.” She slid against him, smiling wickedly. She wrapped her arms loosely about his neck, watching him watch her with an intentness that she’d forever remember. “In fact, I really like my current location.”

  “Really,” he said, raising his brow. “Perhaps we ought to move ye south, north, and south again for the foreseeable future. Could be enjoyable.”

  Abby clasped the hair at the back of his nape and pulled it a little. “You’re so naughty. Whatever will I do with you?”

  “I could think of a lot of things.”

  “Why don’t you tell me, then?” Abby raised herself and slid slowly down his shaft. His member filled her completely, causing her need for him to flame with a fire that was never extinguished.

  His jaw clenched. “I want ye like this. I want ye on my bed, in my private chambers, on top of the heather on a grassy hill. I want to taste every inch of your body, to love, learn, and worship all there is to love about ye. I want to feel your mouth wrapped around me, loving me to completion. In fact, I want you to do that while I do the same to you.”

  Abby shut her eyes, as she continued to love him with her body. His dirty talk, the low timbre of his voice, the delicious accent was almost too much. She tightened her core about him, and he swore. “What else?” she asked.

  He swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbing against his throat. “I want to bend ye over, lift ye skirts, and take ye wherever we are and whenever I see ye. I want to touch ye, hear your sweet voice, and smell your beautiful scent, whenever I can.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes, and she kissed him. His soft lips meshed with hers with a ferocity that scared her. The emotions he pulled forth in her, what he made her feel, were terrifying yet liberating. He jerked her hard against him, one hand helping her ride his cock, while the other guided her mouth. The kiss deepened, turned hot, demanding.

  She broke the kiss, held on as he pushed her to orgasm quickly, taking her repeatedly. She loved it. When Aedan was like this, she glimpsed the hardened Highlander who made her quiver with need.

  Rough sex, raw and hard, was too addictive by far. With a growl, he too followed her to orgasm, her body clenching in exquisite aftershocks.

  His forehead was against hers, and he watched her as they both tried to calm their rapid breathing. “I mean every word I say, lass. What is the term you would use for a man in love with a woman? A modern expression, say?”

  She pushed some hair off his face, running her hands over his jaw as he placed her back on her feet. “That you’ve fallen for her. We still use the word love.” She laughed.

  He sobered, all mirth wiped from his visage. “Well then, I’ve fallen for ye, lass. I love ye. What say you?”

  “You have no idea how hot you are when you talk in my type of language.” She bit her lip. How lucky could one girl be? “I love you, too. Utterly besotted with you, actually. Aren’t we blessed?”

  “Very blessed,” he said, taking her lips again and showing her how blessed he was—in water and out.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The castle and the surrounding lands were a hive of activity. Abby strolled with Aedan toward a field at the northern side of the estate. The land this side of the castle was relatively flat and went for some miles uninterrupted by woodland.

  They walked side-by-side, the odd bumping of hands followed by heavy-lidded gazes that made her stomach clench. Somehow, in the last few weeks, Abby had started to call this land, this time, her home, and the future seemed so very far away—an impossibility that she’d no longer have to concern herself with.

  She smiled, contentment warming her soul. “It’s so beautiful here. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Scotland’s majestic splendor.”

  Aedan put an arm about her shoulder and pulled her against his side. “Aye. It has a way of needling into yer heart.”

  They stopped at the side of a wheat field, the tenant farmers hard at work with the start of the reaping. “Explain to me again how Lammas works?” A young boy ran past, giggling as an older lad chased him as if the hounds of hell were on their tails. Abby laughed and watched them disappear toward a small, shallow river.


  “It’s the first harvest festival for the year. All my tenant farmers will bring a loaf made from their new crops harvested during Lammastide.”

  The wind picked up, and the wheat made a dry rustling sound, its golden yellow color all but shouting it was ready for cutting. Abby caught the faint smell of Wheat Chex cereal and smiled, as it reminded her of home. “And what happens then?”

  “It’s blessed and broken into four bits and placed at each corner of our barn, to protect the garnered grain.”

  Abby looked up at Aedan and took in his features. They were relaxed, a slight smile tweaking his lips, completely serious. “And do you believe that the blessing actually works?”

  “Of course.” He pulled back a little affronted. “Don’t ye?”

  “Not at all.” She chuckled at his shocked expression. “Somehow, I can’t see how saying a prayer over wheat will stop it from going moldy, or sprouting, or whatever wheat does once it’s harvested. I think the elements or rodents are more likely the cause for any trouble you have with the crop and no wishing it away will change that.”

  “Perhaps you’d like to tell me what you really think.”

  Abby laughed at his teasing, wrapping her arms about his waist. “Just because I don’t believe the prayer will work doesn’t mean I won’t be standing beside you, hoping it does.”

  He leaned down, taking her lips in a kiss. Abby leaned into him, pulling him close. The continued sound of sickles chopping through wheat stems sounded around them. She ran her hand over his shirt, the smoothness at odds to his woolen kilt. “Do you think it’ll be a good harvest?”

  Aedan nodded, turning them toward the castle. “I do. There was plenty of rain in the season followed by good growth periods. The harvest should be enough to keep all of those involved happy.”

  They walked for a little while in silence, before something that had been bothering her for the past few days niggled to the point she had to ask. “I have a question that’s not related to farming, but I don’t want to alert you to anything, as I’m not sure if you’ve noticed like I have.” They continued toward the large grey edifice of Druiminn Castle, but Abby could feel his curious gaze.

  “Out with it, lass.”

  She placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, the wind coming straight at them in this direction. “Well, I wanted to know if there was anything ever between Gwen and Ben. Sometimes, the way he looks at her…”

  “How does he look at her?” Aedan pulled them to a stop, his easy-going manner now replaced with that of a protective brother.

  “You are not going to declare war on your friend. So behave yourself. Gwen is a grown woman, well and truly old enough to make decisions for herself.” A muscle in his jaw worked, and Abby ran her finger over it. He glared, and she smiled.

  “He looks at her sometimes how you look at me, and it made me wonder if they’d had a past.”

  Aedan seemed to think on it, a slight frown between his brows. “’Tis possible, I suppose. We have known each other since childhood, but Ben’s never mentioned anything, and Gwen is in love with Braxton.”

  “I know she is, I’m not disputing that, but I wondered.” Abby stopped them beside a slow flowing river, watching as the water trickled over stones, green moss swaying beneath the surface. “We should set him up with someone. Maybe’s he’s lonely now that all of his friends are marrying, finding the person they want to be with forever, he’s becoming nostalgic.”

  He lifted her chin with one finger, smiling down at her. “You’re too kind-hearted, and I love ye for it. As for Ben, and whether he wishes to be saddled with a woman, I’m not certain. I’m sure whatever ye picked up on between Gwen and him was affection that stemmed from familiarity and duty. Nothing more.”

  “Perhaps.” Abby shrugged, not buying that for a moment. There was history there, but for whatever reason, Gwen wasn’t as enamoured of Ben as he was of her. It didn’t mean that Ben couldn’t find love elsewhere. He had to meet the right woman. “I was just curious… I promise I’ll leave him alone.”

  “Trust me when I tell ye, he’s more than busy with the lasses. He doesn’t need any help.” Aedan smiled. “Behave, wench, or I’ll be forced into actions that ye may not approve of.”

  Abby leaned into him, sliding her hand over the front of his kilt. Whenever they were together like this, all she wanted to do was consume him. Touch him, bathe in his love, wonder that he doted on her. He was becoming a very addictive man to be around.

  She stroked his manhood. His eyes darkened with desire, his hand coming around her back and holding her against him. “There aren’t many things I wouldn’t approve from you, Aedan MacLeod. Do your worst.”

  “You try my resolve.” His breathing hitched when she covered him with her hand, pulling, teasing his hardened flesh that she craved.

  “Do not threaten me with things that I’d enjoy. And certainly do not tease me where we cannot act on our desire.”

  “There is no one about.” Abby looked up at the castle walls and didn’t spy any men on the battlements, nor were there any loitering on the outside of the castle walls.

  He nipped her earlobe, kissing his way down her neck. Taking her hand away from him, he lifted her slightly against his chest, undulating against her sex. Abby gasped, fire replacing the blood running through her veins.

  “Behave, lass.”

  Abby laughed and stepped away, pulling him toward the castle. “You know, you shouldn’t—” her words trailed off when she saw Ben and Gwen down by the river, seemingly in some sort of argument.

  “What’s wrong?” Aedan came to stand beside her, and she pointed out what had caught her attention.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?”

  “With those two? It could be anything and nothing at all.”

  Abby didn’t think it was, but then why would they be arguing if they didn’t have anything to discuss. “It’s a little odd. You should ask them. Gwen could be up to something like bringing someone else through time for someone else she wants to matchmake.”

  Aedan laughed. “‘They’ve argued for as long as I can remember. If one said the grass was green, the other would say it was blue. ’Tis how they are. Come, I need ye.”

  The deep sound of his voice and his words, which could only mean one thing, sent her body into overdrive. She was turning into a horny, insatiable woman and she loved it. “What for?” she teased, grinning up at him.

  He raised one rakish eyebrow, and her legs turned to jelly. As usual. “What do ye think?”

  “Well, I don’t know. It could be anything…” He kissed her, putting a stop to her prattle, and all thoughts of Gwen and what she was doing with Ben flew out of her mind. In fact, Aedan kept her occupied for the remainder of the day with little thought other than themselves.

  ...

  Lammas came and went and so, too, did the day of Gwen’s wedding. Scotland had pulled out all the stops to ensure the day dawned without a cloud in the sky, and no sign of forthcoming weather. Abigail was certain her future sister-in-law’s life would follow a clear and sunny disposition, as well.

  The morning had passed in a rush of bathing, eating, laughing, and joy over her friend’s forthcoming nuptials with Braxton. Gwen’s chamber servant had fixed the bride’s hair in plaits with an assortment of ribbons and flowers threaded throughout.

  The gown was tartan in the family colors of red and blue. With long sleeves and a low square neckline, the dress reminded Abby of the sort she’d seen in princess books, but without the silk. There was no veil, only a train that fell from the lower back and made from one solid color of emerald green. Gwen looked beautiful and from the smile she offered to Braxton when she came to stand beside him for the ceremony, she was a woman in love, filled with hope for the future.

  The wedding took place in the castle church. It was a simple building made of stone, with slate tiles covered with green moss. Graves sat scattered about its exterior in a chaotic order, not lined up in an orderly fa
shion, as they were in her time. Abby looked about, trying to see if she could spot where Aedan’s parents lay, but couldn’t find them. Inside the building was a simple room with a large stained glass window at one end and an altar made of stone, not marble.

  Abby sat in the front pew. The coarse wooden seat could use a cushion or two and Abby shifted about, trying to find a comfortable position. She gave up when the church started to fill with guests and the groom himself.

  Light sprinkled in through the stained glass window, casting colored shadows on the aisle. The church doors opened and Gwen, on the arm of her brother, walked toward Braxton. Abby took in Aedan and could clearly read his face. He was like an open book that screamed pride and love. Abby smiled at them, her eyes welling up with tears and she quickly searched for a handkerchief.

  The service was to-the-point and quick, the priest not taking the opportunity for a lengthy scripture because the church was full of congregants. It seemed no sooner were promises made and the exchange of rings performed, along with the handfasting, that it was over.

  Abby took Aedan’s hand and smiled up at him as the priest announced the husband may kiss his bride. He squeezed hers in return and lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss against her palm. Abby’s heart beat out a fluttering tattoo at the heavy lidded gaze he assailed upon her. Just a look or touch and she was lost.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, Abby looked back toward the happy couple. Weddings had always made her emotional, even if she’d been a plus one and hadn’t even known the couple, she’d never failed to cry, and it seemed that today was no different.

  Gwen and Braxton kissed and the guests cheered, standing and clapping to mark the end of the ceremony. A piper, standing to the side of the church, started a lively tune and led the newly married couple outside. Aedan stood, pulling her beside him to follow them. “That was so beautiful. I’m so glad I was here to see it.” She stood on the steps of the church and watched as the newly handfasted couple made their way toward the castle, the tenant farmers, clansmen, servants alike, shouting out congratulations as they made their way along the grassy path.