Maggie pretended to sleep on the way back to Scotland, but in reality, sleeping was the last thing she could do. Had Reed proposed to her? Or was he just saying they would marry because he was angry and wanted to throw around his power?
Either way, she had a problem. She was supposed to marry the baron and was already betrothed to him. The baron could provide for her and Duff in a way that Reed never could. Reed was naught more than a bandit. She couldn’t marry him because their lives would always be in danger. She’d worked hard to make sure Duff would never live through the turmoil she’d had to endure. She wanted a better life for him than the one she had. Reed couldn’t do that for them. But the baron could give her brother the wealth and security of a noble.
“Maggie, are you awake?” whispered Duff, poking her in the ribs. She opened her eyes, glancing at the sleeping men on deck before she answered.
“Aye, Duff. I am.”
“I couldn’t sleep either.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way to get back to England as soon as possible, I promise.”
“England? I don’t want to go back to England. I’m excited to be going to our homeland in Scotland. Now that the ship is headed there, we’ll finally be returning to our true home.”
“Nay!” She pushed up to a sitting position. “We are going back to England, so get that fool idea out of your head right now. I’m going to be married to the baron, and you’re going to be trained first as a page and then as a squire. Someday you might even be able to become a knight.”
“I don’t want to be a squire or a knight. I want to be a Highlander like Reed.”
Her gaze followed Duff’s to the side of the ship where Reed leaned against the rail staring out at the sea. The moonlight bathed over his red hair and burly body, making him look rugged and handsome. At one time, thinking about marrying him had made her feel excited and alive. Now it only frightened and confused her.
“We’re not staying in Scotland, I’m sorry.”
“I heard Reed say you two were supposed to be married at one time.”
“Well, we’re not anymore. I’m betrothed to an English baron now.”
“Weren’t you betrothed to Reed first?” asked the boy, making her heart jump. She wasn’t sure. She knew that they had planned to marry, but had their fathers made an alliance? Her father was dead now. So even if they had, the deal would be broken and no longer hold true.
“Try to get some sleep, Duff.” She pulled her little brother to her, resting her head atop his. “Everything will work out somehow.” She wasn’t sure what she was promising, but like a mother to a child, she tried to inspire confidence and hope in the boy. She needed to stay strong while in his presence, even if she felt weak, confused, and anxious inside. Her eyes went back to Reed standing at the rail. In his green plaid and with his sword at his side, he looked like a real Scot, even if he hadn’t a drop of Scottish blood in his body. He’d held steady to his Scottish upbringing his entire life, unlike his brothers who dressed and acted like the English. Reed wasn’t afraid to be different. He had a mind of his own and that was something she had always admired about him.
He’d questioned her ways and why she no longer acted or talked like a Scot. She thought she’d been doing it to secure the fates of both her brother and herself. But now she started to wonder if mayhap she was the one who didn’t know who she truly was. While Reed was an Englishman in Scot’s clothing, he’d embraced who he was since childhood. Aye, he was a Highlander, she realized, even if it was only true in his heart. She’d seen the way he fought. He held the courage of one of the fiercest men of the mountains. He would never change. She was sure of that. Now her only question was if she should change. She thought she had everything figured out. But after her little conversation with Reed, she wasn’t so sure.
Duff didn’t want to stay in England. As much as she’d tried to raise him as an Englishman, she could see the Scotsman in Duff longing to emerge. Was she wrong in the choices she made? She’d only been doing it to protect him. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the bulkhead, pulling her brother closer. Nay, she wasn’t wrong. And neither was she weak. She couldn’t let Reed shake her up and cause her to question her decisions ever again. She was English now, and so was Duff. A mere trip to Scotland wasn’t going to make her abandon everything she’d worked so hard for and surrender to being Scottish once again. Or was it?
* * *
The ship pulled into the Firth of Lorne the next morning. The firth connected to one of the only lochs that opened to the sea – Loch Linnhe. Reed hadn’t slept at all, staying awake to make sure the crew didn’t give Maggie or the boy any trouble.
They had returned to Scotland and things were hopefully going to go better. Or so he told himself. Now that he’d seen Maggie again after all these years, he started wondering how his life would be different if they had gotten married.
She looked even more beautiful then he remembered. Her ebony hair was longer, but her eyes were just as green. Her soft curves had felt alluring when he’d put his arm around her waist. She was a full-fledged woman beneath her clothes. The swells of her breasts also proved it. She’d matured. And she had taken on the role of Duff’s mother.
He glanced over to see Maggie stretching and yawning, then running a hand over Duff’s hair to straighten it. She’d grown up fast raising her brother. He’d forgotten about Duff since he’d been a baby the last time Reed saw him. Maggie would make an excellent mother someday. Mayhap she was a little overly protective, but he was sure she’d do a much better job of raising children than he ever could.
“What’s got ye lookin’ so somber this mornin’?” asked Gair coming to Reed’s side.
“I guess I’m just tired. Since Muck wouldna give up the cabin to Maggie, I stayed awake all night watchin’ over her and the boy.”
“I heard ye kent her since childhood,” said Gair. Gair wasn’t from the Douglas Clan and neither was Murray. During Burnt Candlemas, everyone escaped to the Highlands for safety and some stayed with the MacKeefes rather than to go back to the burnt remains of their village and the ones they loved.
“We’d planned on marryin’ someday,” Reed told Gair, his eyes focused on Maggie. Her long, black hair had become loose as she slept. She swept it over one shoulder and stood, straightening her gown.
“She’s a fine lookin’ lassie. Too bad she’s betrothed to an English baron.”
“I’m goin’ to change all that, Gair.”
“What do ye mean? Are ye plannin’ on marryin’ her?”
“I am.” He swallowed the lump in his throat.
“I dinna think she’ll have ye, Reed. I could tell by the way she kept movin’ away from ye when ye put yer arm around her.”
“Then I’ll force her to marry me.”
“Do ye think that is wise? And what about when the baron comes to collect his bride?”
“Och, I dinna want to think of that.” He dragged a hand through his hair and proceeded to scratch the stubble on his jaw as he considered the consequences.
“She’ll only get in the way when we go on our next raid. So will the boy. Did ye think of that, Reed?”
“Aye, that’s true. But dinna fash yerself about that. It may never happen.”
“Why no’? Losh me, dinna tell me ye are goin’ to stop raidin’? I thought ye said ye’d never be like yer brathairs.”
Reed shook the fool idea from his head. It had entered his head for a moment when he fantasized about having children with Maggie. What was the matter with him? Gair was right. He was weakening just like his brothers. Damn, he’d have to be more careful.
“Nay. That’s no’ goin’ to happen,” said Reed. “And as soon as we’re unloaded, I’m goin’ to start plannin’ my raid on Rook next.”
“For the next raid, we need to take the time to make sure we’ll be able to get in and out without any trouble. Ye acted a little too reckless when we went to Whitehaven. If we’d had been more prepared, we would have realized the baron and Rook and their men were inside the castle walls as well.”
“Aye, we’ll plan things out more next time,” he said, seeing Muck heading over to Maggie. Lucky was at the wheel. “What is that filthy bastard doin’?” He ran over to Maggie just as Muck reached out for her. He slapped his hand away and stepped in between them.
“What the hell was that for?” growled Muck.
“I warned ye to stay away from her. Now ye’ll have to deal with me, Muck.”
“I only came over to ask the boy if he wanted to go up in the lookout basket as we traveled down the firth.”
“Aye! I want to go up there,” said Duff, pointing up to the basket atop the main mast.
“Nay, Duff. It’s too dangerous,” said Maggie.
“If you want to see the great view, Boy, go now before we dock,” said Muck. “I’ve got to get back to the wheel. Lucky’s not that experienced docking the ship.” Muck headed up to the sterncastle to take the wheel from Lucky.
“I can’t wait,” said Duff, running over to the rigging.
“Nay! You’ll stay here.” Maggie reached out and pulled her brother back.
“Leave me alone, Maggie. The captain said I could go up there.” Duff headed back to the rigging. Reed could see there was going to be a problem and decided to step in.
“It’s no’ dangerous as long as ye hold on to the lines,” he told her.
“Since when are you an expert at sailing?” Maggie’s green eyes drilled into him. “I thought your brother was the pirate.”
“He was, but how hard can it be?” Reed chuckled. “It’s just like climbin’ a tree.”
“He’s not going.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Yes, I am.” Duff talked back to her.
“I’ll go with the boy,” said Reed. “That way he can have the thrill since it’ll probably be the only time in his life he’ll be aboard a ship as grand as the Sea Mirage.”
“I don’t know.” Maggie’s eyes roamed up the center mast. “It’s a long way up there and even longer on the way down should he fall.”
“I’m not going to fall, Maggie,” protested Duff. “You’re not my mother so stop acting like it.”
Reed knew that comment hurt Maggie. He saw it in her eyes.
“I willna let him fall, lassie, I promise.” Reed put one hand on the rigging. “We’ll just go up to the basket and come right back down.”
“Please, Maggie? You never let me do anything fun,” whined Duff.
Maggie didn’t want to agree, but she knew Duff was right. She’d been so frightened that something might happen to her brother that she’d kept him close to her at all times and wouldn’t let him do anything that seemed dangerous.
“Please, lassie. Trust me,” said Reed, giving her that look that she’d never been able to resist. Hadn’t his recklessness been what attracted her to him in the first place? She’d never liked anyone telling her what to do while growing up and had been a lot like Duff. He’d missed out on a normal childhood running in the fields of heather and diving off the cliffs into the loch. Mayhap if she let him climb to the basket and back, he’d be satisfied for a while and wouldn’t pressure her to let him do things like this again.
“Will you stay close to Reed and listen to him?” she asked her brother.
“Yes!” he answered. “Now can I go?”
“What do ye say, lass?” Reed stared at her with those mesmerizing blue eyes. She’d never be able to say no now.
“Just once to the top and then back down,” she finally agreed. “And no messing around. You hold onto the rigging with both hands, do you hear me?”
“I hear ye, but I usually only hang on with my feet,” answered Reed with a lopsided grin and a wink. “Come on, laddie; I’ll show ye Scotland like ye’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve never seen it, so I can’t wait.”
Reed instructed Duff how to hold on to the rigging, instructing the boy to climb ahead of him. He made a shield with his body in case Duff should slip. She held her breath and shaded her eyes from the sun as she watched the two of them climb the rigging together. They traveled higher and higher. Then a sharp breeze blew past and, from her position below, she could see right up Reed’s plaid.
“Oh, my!” she gasped and held her hand to her mouth.
“Ye’re givin’ the lady a show down here,” called out Reed’s friend, Gair, noticing the same thing.
“Who, me?” Reed called down to them.
“Well, it’s no’ the boy since he’s wearin’ britches,” shouted his other friend, Murray.
“Take a good look, lassie, because I’m probably the only Scot ye’ll ever see climbin’ the riggin’ in a plaid.” Reed leaned out, holding onto the rigging with one hand and lifting his plaid with the other, showing her his bare ass.
“Reed, ye fool, stop it. Ye’re no’ bein’ a good example to Duff.” Maggie hid her eyes with her hand, daring to peek out between her fingers. He had a very nice back end.
“It’s all right, Maggie. Look, I can do the same thing.” Duff held onto the rigging with one hand and slapped his butt with the other. The crew laughed, but Maggie didn’t think it was funny. Then the ship veered to starboard and, to her horror, Duff’s fingers slipped on the rigging. Maggie screamed and covered her eyes with her hand again. Her heart about beat from her chest.
“It’s all right, Reed has him,” Gair informed her.
Slowly, she peeked out from between her fingers to see Reed holding tightly to Duff’s arm. He pulled the boy back up and she saw him scolding him as he made sure Duff was, once again, secure.
“Dinna do such a reckless thing like that again,” snapped Reed.
“Why not? You did it,” protested Duff.
“I’m Reed the Reckless. I’m supposed to be reckless. You’re no’.”
“I want a name, too,” she heard Duff saying before he climbed into the lookout basket.
“Ye’ll no’ like the name I give ye – Duff the Daft. Now pay attention to what ye’re doin’. Reed followed him into the basket. Maggie shaded her eyes, noticing the smile on Duff’s face as Reed pointed toward the mainland proudly, showing her brother Scotland. She didn’t take her eyes off of them until their feet were back on the deck.
“It was great, Maggie. You should go up there.” Duff ran over to her, seeming so happy and full of life. She’d never seen him like this before and it made her smile. She wanted her brother to be happy.
“Yer turn,” said Reed, hanging onto the rigging with one hand and holding out his other hand to her.
“Oh, no, I don’t think so,” she answered.
“Why not?” asked Duff excitedly. “Are you scared?”
“Of course not.”
“Then what’s yer reason? Ye ken I willna let ye fall,” said Reed, still holding out his hand. “I protected Duff, and I’ll do the same for ye.”
“Go on, Maggie. Reed is strong, he’ll protect you,” urged Duff.
“I know,” she answered. “I’m just . . . not dressed for it.” She held out the sides of her long gown to prove the point.
“Neither am I,” said Reed, holding out his plaid. “Come on, Maggie. For old time’s sake.”
She wasn’t sure what Reed meant by that, but he was giving her that sultry look again. She did trust him and wanted to be close to him. She couldn’t turn him away, neither did she want to right now.
“Nay, no wenches climbing the rigging,” shouted Muck from the sterncastle.
“She’s only a girl and won’t be able to climb,” said another of the pirates.
“I’ll bet ye a shillin’ she can do it,” said one of the Scots.
“I’ll bet you two shillings she can’t,” answered another pirate.
Before Maggie knew it, the crew gathered in a circle and she heard coins hitting the deck.
“Collect the bets, Boy,” said Lucky, taking off his hat and handing it to Duff.
“I sure will,” said Duff excitedly, getting down on his knees and scooping up the coins and throwing them into the hat.
“Ye’re no’ goin’ to disappoint everyone, are ye?” Reed raised a brow.
“I don’t need to prove that I can climb,” said Maggie, shaking her head. “I used to climb trees as a child and I could out-climb everyone, even you, Reed.”
“Aye, the Scottish Maggie could climb like a goat, but the English Maggie, I’m sure, couldna climb out of bed in the mornin’ without help.”
“That’s it!” Angrily, she picked up her skirts and headed over to Reed, still hanging from the rigging. “Get out of my way, ye Reckless Brute. I’ll race ye to the basket at the top.” She started climbing, not waiting for Reed. He didn’t think she was anything but a milksop since she’d been raised in England. Well, she would show that red-headed monkey that she was still the same Maggie, whether he believed it or not.
“Brute?” she heard him ask from behind her. She kept her eyes focused upward and climbed as fast as she could.
“Ye heard me,” she answered back, wishing her long skirts weren’t so cumbersome. “I’ll show ye that I’m still the same girl when I beat ye to the top.”
“Maggie, slow down,” said Reed, moving over so he climbed the rigging right behind her.
“Ye dinna need to stand behind me because I’m no’ goin’ to fall.” Her dander was up and she no longer cared about speaking or acting like an Englishwoman. She always liked a challenge, and she liked more than anything beating someone like Reed who liked to boast.
As they climbed higher, the ship swayed, and she gripped tighter to the lines that cut into her fair skin. This was a lot harder than she thought. They were only halfway to the top and she was starting to get dizzy.
“I’m climbin’ behind ye but no’ because I think ye’re goin’ to fall. I’m doin’ it because there’s a lot of randy men down there that are probably gettin’ hard lookin’ up yer skirts right now. I’m tryin’ to block their view.”
“What?” She stopped, now feeling stupid for falling for the bet. “Is that why they’re all bettin’? They only wanted me to climb up here to look up my skirts?”
“That’d be my guess,” said Reed with a chuckle.
“Why didna ye stop me?” She reached out to hit him, losing her grip on the lines. Reed’s arms were around her instantly as he climbed higher and pushed his body up close to hers. She shivered and closed her eyes, realizing how foolish she’d been. She should never have let her pride get in the way of making decisions.
“We’re almost to the basket,” said Reed, his hot whisper in her ear making her tingle all over. “Did ye want me to carry ye on my back?” She liked the feel of his warm body pressed against hers. He smelled like the Highlands and also the sea. Memories flashed through her mind of being in his arms at the young age of nine. He’d goaded her then to get her in the position, and she’d fallen for it so quickly once again.
“Nay, I can do it.” She continued to climb and when they got to the basket, his arm wrapped around her waist. He lifted her up and placed her down gently inside. Then he put one leg over the side of the basket and squeezed his large body into the small space with her.
“Look, Maggie.” He pointed to the shore. “We’re home.”
Home. That word hit her hard. She turned her head and looked out over the water, seeing the bonnie green hills of the Highlands in the distance disappearing into white wisps of feathery clouds. The breeze against her face smelled sweet like heather and Reed’s red kite cried out in the sky overhead, leading the way.
“There’s the MacKeefe camp, between those hills.”
“Where? I don’t see it.”
“Right there.” With his body pressed up against hers, he took her chin in his hand and gently turned her face in the right direction.
“I don’t remember it being this beautiful,” she whispered.
“It’s a bonnie land,” said Reed. “The air is fresh, and the water is pristine. Ye can see all the way to Edinburgh from the top of Ben Nevis. I’ll take ye up the mountain if ye want. I have so much to show ye, Maggie. Ye and Duff are goin’ to love it here.”
“I never said I was staying.” She turned to look at him. Their faces were so close they almost touched.
“Ye havena given it a chance. Please, Maggie. Just give it a chance. For Duff. The boy deserves to ken where his ancestors came from, dinna ye agree?”
With the Highland air against her face and sun on her head, it was hard to deny the feeling of home calling to her. Her heart ached as she remembered how much she’d once loved this land. But her heart also ached to remember all that she’d lost on Scottish soil.
“I’m not sure,” she said, staring up into his blue orbs that seemed so alive and more vibrant in the sunshine as they reflected both the sky and the water. His face was tan from the elements and a rugged stubble of red whiskers protruded from his jaw. A little braid half-hidden under his long hair swung in the breeze.
The ship listed and, being up so high, it seemed like she was falling. She screamed and gripped on to Reed’s arms. Underneath her fingers, she felt his strong muscles right through his saffron leine. His arms closed around her protectively as he pulled her closer.
“Dinna worry, lassie, I’ve got ye.”
When she looked up again, she saw him staring at her mouth. He wanted to kiss her and she wanted the same thing. He bent over, bringing his face closer. Her eyes closed and she lifted her chin, her heart skipping in anticipation as his lips pressed up against hers.
For ten years she’d been wondering what Reed looked like as a man. She hadn’t even been sure he’d lived through Burnt Candlemas and that thought had terrified her. Whenever she’d thought of him, she pushed the thought from her mind. It had been easier that way. If she pretended he’d never existed, then she wouldn’t have to deal with the fact he might have been taken from her as well. But now he was back, alive and healthy and looking better than a man had the right to look. She thought she could resist him, but with his arms around her and his lips pressed up against hers, all her suppressed feelings came to the surface.
“Are ye cryin’?” He brushed a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.
“I guess I am.” Her bottom lip trembled. His finger gently traced the outline of her lips next, sending a spiral of delight through her body. His touch set her on fire.
“There’s no need to fear me. I’ll never do anythin’ to hurt ye, Maggie.” He covered her mouth with his again. This time, she kissed him with passion. Her fingers kneaded his muscles through his clothes and his fresh manly scent about drove her mad.
“I dinna fear ye, Reed. I crave ye,” she admitted, no longer ashamed to tell him her true feelings.
“I like it when ye talk like a Scot. It makes me randy.” He kissed her again and, this time, his tongue shot out to trace her lips. It took her by surprise. When she opened her mouth to say something, his tongue slipped inside. Heat spiraled in her core and, daringly, her tongue sparred with his in a lover’s duel. His hands slid around her backside and he pulled her closer so that her breasts were pressed up against him.
“Ye like this, I can tell.”
“How can ye tell?” she asked him.
“I feel the hard pebbles of yer nipples against my chest.” With that, he squeezed her bottom end in his palms, causing a tingling of sensation at the juncture of her thighs.
She heard the cheering of the men below and daringly looked over the edge of the basket to realize everyone was watching their every move.
“Maggie, what are you doing up there so long?” shouted Duff.
She felt the flush of her cheeks and pushed out of Reed’s arms, feeling very embarrassed. She’d been so taken by him that she’d put on a show for the rest of the ship. And worst of all, Duff was watching. Her movement was too sudden and she lost her balance. His arms were around her once again.
“Ye’ve proven yer point, now let’s get down from here before ye break yer neck.”
She looked down from the top of the mast and her head dizzied. Her stomach clenched and she knew there was no way she’d be able to climb back down. After his kiss, her knees were buckling. She’d have to stay up here until she regained her senses.
“You go on. I’ll come down later. I can’t climb back down right now.”
“We’re goin’ to dock and there is no way I’d ever leave ye up here alone. Straddle yer legs around me and hold on with yer hands around my neck.”
“What?” It sounded sexual. For a moment, she thought he was suggesting they make love up in the lookout basket.
“I’m goin’ to carry ye down to the deck.”
“Carry me? Nay.”
“Just do it, lassie.” He hoisted her up to sit on the edge of the basket. She gasped and threw her arms around his neck to keep from falling. “Now the legs,” he told her, using his hands to push her gown upwards. The feel of his hands running over her bare skin left her dry in the mouth. “Straddle me,” he told her and, willingly, she obeyed. “Now hang on tight,” he said, climbing over the edge of the basket.
“Reed, I’m afraid,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed.
“Dinna be, I promise I willna drop ye.”
“I trust ye,” she said, talking again like a Scot. She was too rattled to think of speaking like an Englishwoman right now. With her legs straddling his waist, he started down the rigging, with her body between his and the lines.
“Umph,” he mumbled as they descended.
“What’s the matter?” Her eyes shot open. “Is somethin’ wrong?”
“Nay, it’s verra right.” His face pressed up to her bosom. “I rather like this position. We’ll have to try it sometime when everyone is no’ watchin’ us.”
“Reed Douglas, if I wasna so scared we’d fall to our death, I’d slap ye right now for a comment like that. It’s no way to talk to a lady.”
The deep timbre of his laugh reverberated against her chest. She squeezed him tightly with her legs, not daring to look down. “Dinna talk to me about bein’ a lady when yer skirts are lifted and ye’re squeezing me between yer thighs. Och, if ye keep that up, I’m goin’ to want to roger ye at the rail.”
“There’s that pirate talk again,” she said, feeling a new hardness beneath his plaid pushing up against her. She was glad when they got to the deck. She quickly released him and straightened her skirts. She kept her spine straight and tried to conduct herself like a lady. Even if it was a little too late. At least she’d only been seen by pirates and unrefined Scots. Perhaps it didn’t matter.
“So who won?” asked Duff, once they hit the ground.
“She climbed the riggin’, but had to be carried back down,” said Gair.
“I want my money back,” shouted one of the pirate crew.
“Give it all back, Duff,” Reed said with a nod. “Nobody won.”
Duff went to divvy up the money, but Maggie couldn’t help overhearing Gair talking to Reed.
“By the way yer plaid is protrudin’, I’d say ye won.” Gair chuckled.
“On the contrary, this should prove to ye that Maggie was the winner,” he answered.
Maggie smiled as Reed excused himself and disappeared. She knew how hot and bothered he was because she felt the same way. At least it wasn’t as easy to tell with a woman. Part of her was ashamed by her actions, but another part of her felt happier than she’d been in the last ten years.