Claiming the Highlander Read Free Page B

Never knew why.”
    “Must have been your charming personality,” Sin said dryly.
    Ewan threw his hands up and stepped in front of Braden. “Do you mind? I’d like to stay on the point.” He glared meaningfully first at Lochlan, then at Sin.
    “Seize the moment,” Lochlan said.
    “Thank you.” Ewan placed a hand on each of Braden’s shoulders so as to savor his reaction. “Anyway, Maggie, whether she has buck teeth or not”—he glared at Lochlan in warning, before turning back to face Braden—“has led all the lasses into hiding.”
    Braden’s frown deepened. “Hiding from what?”
    “From us wicked, lustful men.”
    Braden stared blankly at Ewan as the full, horrific impact of the words dawned on him. “Surely you jest.”
    Braden looked to Lochlan for verification. “He jests?”
    “Nay,” Lochlan sighed. “He’s telling the truth. It seems the women have decided that I must put a stop to the feud against the MacDouglas or else they’ll serve us no more.”
    “In
any
capacity,” Ewan added for effect.
    Braden’s face actually paled as he stepped away from Ewan. He reached out and grabbed a handful of Sin’s cloak. “By Satan’s hairy toes, Sin, it appears I’ve died and gone to hell.”
    Sin snorted. “Guess again, little brother. ‘Tis too cold here to be hell.”
    Braden shook his head in disbelief, then a dark look came over him as he faced Lochlan. “All right,
laird
, what did you do to the women to get them so riled?”
    “Me?” Lochlan asked, stunned by Braden’s assumption that he had done anything to thewomen. “I did nothing. Why, I’ve tried everything I can think of to make them see reason. I’ve threatened and cajoled. Hell, I even tried seducing Maggie myself, but—”
    Braden’s derisive snort interrupted him. “Well, there’s half your problem. I can assure you, ordering a woman to lift her skirts isn’t the way to get her into your bed.”
    Lochlan felt his jaw drop in indignation. “I beg your pardon, I have more subtlety than that.”
    “The devil you do. You forget, I’ve seen your clumsy attempts at seduction firsthand.”
    “Clumsy? Why, I’ve had more women than you, you whelp.”
    Braden cocked one arrogant, taunting brow.
    “Well,” Lochlan conceded after reflecting on the matter for a second. He doubted if a Saracen sheikh with a harem could claim more women than Braden. “Maybe not more than you, but certainly more than Ewan.”
    “That’s not saying much,” Braden inserted. “My left boot has had more women than Ewan.”
    “Hey, now,” Ewan snarled. “You’d best be keeping your insults directed at the brother who tolerates you. I’ll not take kindly to such.”
    Ignoring him, Braden draped an arm over Lochlan’s shoulders and pulled him close, as if about to impart some great secret. “Now, listen to me, my dearest brother who tolerates me. You are laird to a powerful clan. ‘Tis not your feeble attemptsthat seduce women so much as your title and fair face.”
    “My what?” Lochlan asked, offended by his condescending tone.
    “‘Tis true,” Braden continued. “There’s not a woman among them who wouldn’t love to lay claim to a night with a laird. Is that not right, Sin?”
    “Why ask me? Am I a woman to know these things?”
    “Well …” Braden paused.
    Whatever thought he had, he must have reconsidered, for he quickly returned to Lochlan. “As I was saying, your title and face are all you need.”
    “Aye, well, neither impressed Maggie. She dispatched me in record time. At this point, she’s left me with no alternative that I can see. If they aren’t out by midday tomorrow, I’m leading a raiding party against the kirk and dragging them out by force.”
    Braden released him. “You don’t want to be doing that. They’re women, Lochlan.
Our
women.”
    “You think I don’t know that? Our mother is in there with them. But what choice do I have?”
    A speculative look came over Braden’s face. Lochlan could