His Wild Highland Lass Read Free

he would not dally with her any longer, as much as he enjoyed the closeness they now shared.
    Snagging her arm, he rose quickly to his feet, pulling her with him, then noticed Ward had dismounted and was holding her dirk and Ronan's own sword. Ward handed Ronan his sword, and he quickly sheathed it.
    "You looked to need a hand with the wee lassie."
    As if she were a bairn, when she had way too many curves for that. Or that Ronan couldn't have managed her all on his own.
    Getting in on the business, Alban dismounted and joined them. "Allow me to hold her while you mount." He grinned at Ward. "While our dear brother holds onto her weapon."
    Ronan had considered lifting her to his horse, but he could envision her seated upon it, kicking his horse's flanks, and leaving him behind.
    Ward shook his head. "I should have known why Alban took so long to dismount and join us. So that he could hold onto the lass."
    "Keep a tight hold on her." Ronan handed her over to Alban. "I suspect she is ready to bolt. Yet she would not get far." He said so only for her enlightenment in the event she truly thought she could escape him and his brothers.
    When Alban had her in hand, Ronan climbed onto his saddle and his brother handed the lass up to him.
    "My bundle is over there." She motioned to the leaves and Alban went to search for it.
    "I have got it."
    "Your name, lass?" Ronan tightened his hold on her and waited for his brothers to mount their horses.
    "Sorcha."
    Ronan considered her golden hair. Radiant. Her name suited her.
    "Coming, Ward, Alban?" Ronan tried not to enjoy feeling her against his body. Since the first contact he'd had with her, his body had only reacted even more. He headed back to the castle, her soft backside rubbing against his shaft that was growing by leaps and bounds.
    "I am no' traveling the way you are going," she said. "I will be late returning home and…and my clansmen will believe you have stolen my horse and taken me hostage. They will seek a swift revenge."
    He fought chuckling. "Really? Pray tell which way were you heading?" Ronan thought to humor her because the direction she had motioned to was not in the direction where the Chattan lands were.
    When she didn't say, he noticed Ward grinning, amused at the tale the lass had spun, but Ronan worried about the reason she was out here alone. "If you had a horse to begin with—"
    "You doubt my word?" Her words were sharp and antagonistic.
    "Lass, you couldna have traveled days without an escort, with or without a horse. 'Tis no' that I dinna believe you about the horse, only about the place that you have come from."
    ***
    Sorcha had the greatest urge to jump right down off Ronan's horse, but she knew if she didn't injure herself in doing so, she'd still never get far. And the effort would prove futile. She had wished that Ronan had put her on his saddle, and the other brother hadn't taken hold of her instead. She would have ridden off. She knew they still would have stopped her, but she desperately wanted to show these men, the laird, in particular, that he had no power over her. Even though, for now, he did.
    Her situation couldn't get any worse, she thought. The weather had been agreeable, sunny, and comfortable during the day, much cooler at night, but her brat had kept her warm. Her feet were sore from all the walking though. And she hated the men who had stolen her horse. Their talking had awakened her early yesterday before first light, and she had feared they'd find her hiding place. When they found Milis, they had searched for Sorcha for some time before they gave up and led her horse away.
    Sorcha was still thanking God they hadn't discovered her while she had been sleeping in a tree where she thought she'd be safe from four-legged and two-legged beasties. She had worried that someone might attempt to steal her horse if she happened to run across men like that, but she'd been lucky for a couple of days at least. And she'd had no other choice.
    She hated