Page 10 of In the Highlander's Bed

Where the devil was she going? There was nothing surrounding the school but woods—She was running away.

The moment he had the thought, he knew it to be true. The question now was where was she running to, or to whom? Young girls didn’t take off on their own. There had to be a secret lover waiting in the forest. He knew that if she reached him, he would lose his best opportunity to reclaim the sword.

Gordon stood and took off after her. Although he ran like a lame bear, his longer legs outpaced her before she reached the treeline.

This side of the house was dark and deserted, so there was no one to shout out when Gordon tackled Constance around the waist just as she was turning to see if he’d followed. He fell on top of her, his body weight pinning her down. For a second the air was knocked out of them both, but Gordon was taking no chances. He slapped his palm over her lips.

“Don’t,” he warned. “Not one word.”

She put up a struggle, hitting him again and again with her bundle.

These blows were not as mortal as the first had been, and he easily fended them off, yanking her bundle out of her hand.

“What do you have in here?” he snapped, shaking the bundle so the knot came loose. The contents spilled out, clothes, shoes, money—“A book?” he said in disbelief. “You almost neutered me with a book?” He tossed it aside and came to his feet, bringing her up with him. She twisted her arm and pulled, bending this way and that, trying to escape. He held fast. “Miss Constance, I don’t know where you were running off to but you are mine now—”

Gordon broke off as he realized she held a knife in her other hand. Moonlight glinted off a blade sharp enough to skin a rabbit.

She slashed out at him. He registered her movement in time to jump back, just barely keeping his hold on her. He grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the knife and used plain, brute strength to force her fingers to drop it.

He kicked it aside. With an angry sound, she lunged for it, but he yanked her back.

Her carefully coiffured hair now tumbled down around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright with fury. She attempted to kick out but he whipped her around to hold her firmly.

“Where did you keep that knife, lass? Do you have other weapons?” He made no apology as he subdued her with one arm while his other hand ran along the contours of her body in a quick search.

His purpose was the sexless one of survival, and yet he was aware of her womanly curves.Too aware.He went hard, a reassurance that she, thankfully, hadn’t gelded him…however, she also felt the movement.

She drew a sharp breath.

He could feel the pounding of her heart. Her breasts were tight and full from their struggles. The curve of her buttocks nestled his hardness.

This was more dangerous than her attack.

Colster would want the girl back with her virginity intact. Still, it had been a long time since Gordon had felt this strong a need. He had a strong, almost overwhelming urge to bury himself to the hilt inside Constance Cameron. The sooner he handed her off for someone else to take care of, the better—

A sharp elbow in his side brought him back to attention.

In God’s name—The girl had the strength of ten men when she decided to use it. Gordon lost his hold and she took off running—this timetowardthe house.

He cursed his own male nature and ran after her. Once again he caught her handily. She opened her mouth to scream but this time he didn’t waste time on niceties. He pulled a kerchief from Robbie’s coat pocket and stuffed it in her mouth.

Miss Constance almost gagged, and he didn’tblame her. He heaved her over his shoulder and started walking toward the woods. She tried to buck herself off his shoulder, to free an arm and hit him, but Gordon wasn’t letting go of her again.

He no longer feared a lover was close at hand to save her. Whoever she’d been running off to meet couldn’t have witnessed him manhandling her and stood by. He either wasn’t there or he was a coward.

Gordon reached the shelter of the forest, then gave her a good, hard smack on her rear. “Stop it,” he whispered furiously. “You will only make this more difficult for yourself.”

Her response was to shove her hip at his head. He ended that nonsense by resettling her on his shoulder so her head hung even farther downward.

As he moved in the direction of the horses, Thomas and Robbie fell in by his side.

Thomas’s eyes glittered with savage amusement. “Enjoying yourself?” he said.

Gordon dumped Miss Constance into the giant’s arms. “You carry her,” he ordered. “Did you see her attempt to gut me?” He should have known. They probably had a good laugh at his expense.

“With that wee knife?” Thomas asked. “Aye,we watched a good bit of it. We would have helped but you appeared to be having a good time.” Miss Constance was finding it harder to free herself from the giant. Thomas’s arms were longer and he proudly used his superior height and strength. “You are out of practice with the ladies, Gordon. If you are having trouble with a wee lass—”

His words were cut short as Miss Constance freed her hand and smacked his chin with the heel of it.