page37 (1/2)
“When you left, I was sleeping”
“Aye, but you had a s about me”
“As aday”
“Tell ested
“You really want to hear my complaints?” she asked, amazed
His nod was all the encouragement she needed, and she sat up and proceeded to tell hi “First, Ra and look at face after face as more of his followers came inside Then when I still hadn’t found the dom come to look at more faces He was too busy to speak to Christen on my behalf,” she added “And Brisbane had already coed her iving Ramsey until noon tomorrow to order Christen to co to take matters into my own hands”
She took a deep breath and then continued “I finally id at the lake, but it was already close to supperti news”
“What was her news?” he asked
“She asked a friend to follow Brisbane to find out where Christen lives, but the friend didn’t return to the holding Bridgid thinks he forgot”
Brodick stood up and stretched Gillian watched the muscles across his shoulders flex and was taken aback by the sheer ht of his body Then he removed his belt and stripped out of his clothes, and she proether Her husband was so incredibly beautiful
“So you thought that if you knehere Christen lived, you would sio to her?”
He waited a long minute for her to answer, then repeated the question
“Yes,” she staht”
“Christen’s a MacPherson and now part of the Sinclair clan”
“I realize that”
“Ramsey’s her laird and you shouldn’t interfere Let him handle this He promised you he’d force her to see you”
He dropped to the bed on his sto her to the floor
Though he was loath to admit it, he was exhausted
“Ramsey promised me he’d talk to her today, but he didn’t”
With a loud yawn, he said, “He’s a busy man, Gillian”
“I know he is People are constantly hounding him with problems, and the women here won’t leave him alone They make up all sorts of petty worries just so they can talk to him It must drive him to distraction Still, he promised me, Brodick, and he has until noon tomorrow to speak to Christen”
He didn’t want her to stop talking because he loved the husky sound of her voice
“What else happened today?”
“I hid frohed, and she had to wait until he’d stopped to ask, “Did you perchance have an opportunity to speak to him?”
“Yes,” he replied “He had a hell of a hangover”
“Raot him drunk on purpose, didn’t he?”
“Laggan was already well on his way, but Ramsey helped”
“That’s a sin,” she decided “Why did he do it?”
“Because he’s oing to take you to my bed”
She put her hand on his shoulder, noticed how tense he was, and began to rub his own up, straddled his hips, and used both hands to work the tension out of him
“Daood”
She was also feeling relaxed, and she realized it was because she had shared her day with Brodick “What did you do today?”
“I went home”
“But you toldway from here”
“I rode hard,” he said “But it was past sunset by the tiot back”
“What did you do at home?”
“Settled a few problems,” he said
She remembered another bit of news to share with hiid told me today?”
“What’s that?”
“A woman tried to sneak into Raht So she went in after her, and the sinful wo toyou know”
Grinning, he said, “No, tell me”
“Seduce Raid threw her out and made quite a scene Now she’s furious with her laird because he bluntly told her he had invited the wo into his bedrooid’s made up her mind to leave”
“And where will she go?”
“We discussed that very probleht a candle for Gideon’s father and another one for Raatory”
The heat of her thighs pressed against his was starting to interfere with his ability to concentrate “Why would you light a candle for Gideon’s father? You don’t know the man”
“Because the poor id heard Faudron tell Ra why Gideon has been delayed Faudron and Anthony will share the commander’s duties until he returns”
“You’ve got a good heart, lass”
“Wouldn’t you light a candle for ?”
“Do not talk about such things I would not let you die,” he said vehemently
She leaned down and kissed his shoulder “I told Bridgid she could come and live with the Buchanans She tried to hide her reaction to estion, but it was obvious she was horrified by the idea Isn’t that peculiar?”
“It would be a difficult adjustment for her Ramsey treats his followers like children I don’t”
“I won’t have a difficult adjustment”
“Yes, you will”
“No, I won’t, because you’ll be there I don’t care where I live or how I live as long as you are by my side”
He was humbled by her faith and love “Now that I’es,” he remarked
“Such as?”
“You’ll probably want a home”
“You don’t have a home now?”
“No”
“Where do you sleep?” she asked, trying not to sound appalled
“On the ground I much prefer it to a soft bed”
“But what do you do when it rains?”
Her voice sounded strained, and he knew she was having difficulty staying cal his shoulders now; they were pounding them
“I get wet”
She began to pray he wasn’t serious “What about your followers? Do they also sleep outside?”
“Soes like this one with their women”
“Why doesn’t their laird?”
“I’ve had no need for one”
“You do now I don’t want to sleep outside”
“You will sleep with me”
“Yes, but I want a home”
“Like Ramsey’s?” he asked
“No,” she answered “It doesn’t have to be grand One just like this cottage would be nice”
She stopped rubbing his shoulders and traced a crescent-shaped scar below his right shoulder “How did you get this?”
“I don’t reo”
“It ray line, noticed his ain Then she stretched out on top of him and put her head down on his shoulder
He groaned “You’re killing me, Gillian”
“Am I too heavy for you?”
“That isn’t what Ito make love to you, and I know you’re te
nder”
The heat radiating from his body warmed her “Not so very tender,” she whispered “And you weren’t worried about that during the night”
“Then you reh it”
She kneas teasing her “Yes, I did sleep through it It must have been a dream that made me scream”
“Aye, you were screa over the memory “I made you burn, didn’t I?”
“Hoould I knoas asleep”
She began to stroke his ar the feel of him “You’re so hard,” she whispered
She was farher, but he was pleased by her boldness and curiosity
“Brodick?”
“Yes?”