Wicked Laird: Brethren of Stone Book 2 Read online

  Eliza gave her a grin. “So was I. And now I’m a countess.”

  It was too much. Elle could trust Blair with her life. She was certain of that now. But her heart? She doubted it.

  Chapter Eight

  Blair sat around his family’s kitchen table. The kitchen was warm, full of life and laughter, and he relaxed back into his seat. Knowing his brother would help finance his business, he had a renewed sense that he could be successful, but it was nice to sit here with the people he loved.

  Eliza came in and Elle just behind her. He’d grown accustomed to Elle’s simple blouse and skirt. Now she wore one of Eliza’s gowns, which only made her more attractive. Pale green in color, it made her large green eyes look even bigger which in turn made her cheekbones more pronounced. Her strawberry blonde tresses had been twisted into a lovely, soft design about her head.

  As his gaze travelled down her length, the dress hugged every curve that he’d felt. The desire to trace each lovely line with his hand welled up in chest.

  She gave him a shy grin as she looked down at herself and he rose from his chair, taking the two steps to stand at her side. “Ye look lovely, lass.”

  “Thank ye,” she whispered. “Eliza was very kind.”

  He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her to the chair next to his. He was struck by how right it felt to have her next to him. To touch her like this.

  He shook his head. He was being a fool.

  Then again, Elle was nothing like Cordelia. She was sweet and kind. She worked hard. Looking back, Cordelia had wanted the most successful man she could find and she’d manipulated him in order to play on his sympathies. He’d been fresh off the loss of his parents and hoping to rescue her in a way no one could him.

  Elle? She had been fighting his help from the first. She wasn’t trying to get anything out of him.

  They all sat down to dinner and Blair noted that Ailean sat with his youngest brother and sister. He laughed and smiled, clearly enjoying himself.

  Leaning down to Elle, he whispered. “You and Ailean could stay here when I return to the Highlands.”

  Elle jerked her head toward him. Fear gleamed in her eyes. “And leave you to face Malcolm alone?”

  His brother and sister-in-law put their silverware down, and glanced at him, the silent question hanging in the thick air. “I won’t be alone. Will is coming with me and my brother is sending men as well.”

  She nibbled at her lip for a moment before straightening her shoulders. “I learned a long time ago not to run from my troubles. I’ll face him along with ye, whatever that means.”

  Blair’s heart swelled. “I appreciate what yer saying, but I’d rest better knowing ye were safe.”

  “She’s got her demons to face too,” Stone called from the head of the table. “But I agree the boy should remain here. We’ll start him in woodworking and shipbuilding. He can finish in the Highlands with you once this business is all settled, but for now, he can stay.”

  Blair turned to his brother, irritation bubbling at the intrusion. He should have discussed it with Elle later, with a more private conversation. Stone did not have authority in this matter to make judgments and cast rulings. “This isn’t fer ye to decide.”

  “Is it fer Elle?” Stone gave him a knowing smirk. “Elle, what did ye want tae do?”

  Elle looked at him, her eyebrows going up. “I can tell ye what I don’t want tae do. Get between brothers.”

  Everyone at the table laughed. “We’ll discuss it later,” Blair added.

  “Eliza can chaperone,” Stone said.

  “Chaperone what?” Blair nearly growled. His brother was, as usual, meddling in others’ affairs. He and Stone were about to have a problem.

  “Yer discussion with Elle. I can’t control what ye do up there in that wild country but here… Ye’ll act civilized.”

  Blair’s fist came down on the table. He needed to talk with Elle privately. “Elle is my employee for fe—“

  “No cursing,” Stone interrupted, smiling, his eyes dancing with merriment. He was normally as stony as his name so he must really have been enjoying giving Blair a hard time.

  Blair glowered. “I will make you pay for this.”

  “I’ve no doubt.” Stone tossed in. “But I remember when I was courting Eliza. You took it upon yerself to deliver a few hard lessons.”

  Blair remembered. Stone had refused to see that Eliza was the perfect woman for him. He’d knocked some sense into Stone when his brother was being hard-headed. Stone had refused to see that Eliza was the perfect woman for him. But Blair wasn’t. Nor was he courting. “It’s a completely different situation.”

  Stone raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak but never got the words out.

  “Enough, Stone,” Eliza called. “We’ve guests so this dinner will not come to blows.”

  “Do they sometimes?” Ailean asked from the other end of the table.

  “Oh, aye,” Delia replied. “Once I only picked up my plate just in time before Will crashed onto the table where Roderick had tossed him.”

  Ailean clapped. “Then I definitely want to stay.”

  Blair looked at Elle. She gripped the table with one of her hands as she stared at her brother. What was she thinking? Stone be damned. Blair would have a conversation with Elle tonight, just the two of them.

  Elle paced about her room in her nightrail, ignoring the twinging in her ankle. It had been a busy day and the bed in her guest room looked divine but her thoughts were too restless to sleep.

  She worried about Ailean. He’d never been apart from her and while she completely agreed he was safer here, they relied on one another.

  Which led to her next fear. She trusted Blair with her life, with Ailean’s as well, but he deserved better than her. He was a laird, brother to an earl. She, on the other hand, was as poor as she could be, ruined, with a prior fiancé who had burned Blair’s house to the ground. She was not the woman he should marry.

  If she cared for him, which she did, he’d be better off without her.

  Sighing, she walked toward the patio doors. Blair had said he wanted to speak with her but the whole evening had passed and he hadn’t said a word. Despite the crispness to the air, Elle decided she’d like a moment on the balcony to clear her head.

  Just as her hand reached for the knob a face appeared in the door.

  She held in her scream when she recognized Blair’s face.

  Throwing open the door, she stomped her foot, which was silly, because it hurt like anything. “You frightened me.”

  In response he gave her a wicked grin and stepped through the door. It brought him right next to her. “Once upon time I made habit of climbing trellises to greet ladies.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Did ye?” Tilting her head up, she assessed him. “Was the purpose to frighten women?”

  His eyes darkened as he grasped her waist. “No, love, the women I visited knew I was coming because they’d invited me.”

  She sucked in a breath, suddenly aware of what he was referencing. “Yer a rake.”

  “I was. Then I lost my parents and, soon after, met Cordelia.” He gently pulled her closer. “I’m not proud of the man I was but I want ye to ken what I was like before. We can’t move forward if ye don’t.”

  Elle swallowed. Stone had mentioned courting. Did he think Blair was courting her? Blair had denied it and she understood why. Disappointment lanced through her heart. He could marry nobility. “What are we moving toward?”

  “I need ye tae trust me. What we’re trying tae do, remove a hard man’s foothold in the community, we have to support each other.” Blair squeezed her, his forehead dropping to hers. “I ken I said ye can stay with Ailean. And, if ye want tae, ye can. But if ye leave with me, I’ll need yer help and yer trust.”

  “I trust you,” she whispered.

  Ever so gently he raised his forehead so that he might angle his lips to hers. Then, so gently, she almost didn’t feel it, he to
uched his mouth to hers. She drew in a breath and his scent filled her as he pressed closer.

  A tingling, deep inside, spread outward until her body hummed with an aching excitement. The hard press of his body against hers filled her with heat and as he kissed her again, she grabbed his biceps, wanting to feel more of his muscles.

  She’d wondered if being close to a man would frighten her but Blair had the opposite effect. He made her feel safe, warm, and soft.

  The kiss lasted long enough to make her forget everything else before he lifted his head. “I’ve told ye all my secrets.” He touched her cheek with his fingers tips. “Are ye gonna tell me any of yers?”

  She cocked her head to one side, still pressed against him. Elle didn’t want to talk but she would most certainly like to kiss him again. “Ye told me ye were a rake much like I told ye I was engaged to Malcolm. I don’t ken any of the details. What would ye do when ye climbed into these ladies’ rooms? Just kiss them?”

  His eyebrows went up but a low groan rumbled in his chest. “Elle, don’t tempt a man beyond what he can stand.”

  “If yer trying to scare me, it isn’t working. Which is surprising, but I’m not afraid of ye.” She told the truth there and she looked deep into his eyes so that he knew it was true.

  “Why would ye be scared of any man?” Blair cupped her face in his hand as she tried to look away.

  There was nothing to do but give him some part of her story. “Malcolm tried to kiss me once. It was nothing like what we just did. It was hard and cruel and though I was afraid of him, I pulled away.” She took a deep breath, willing her voice to keep working.

  “Why were you afraid of him? What did he do when you pulled away?” Blair’s arms tightened.

  Gently she reached behind her and loosened his grasp so that she could step away. “I was afraid because he makes everyone afraid of him eventually. I didn’t respond to threats so he used other measures. She turned her back to him just as a tear slipped down her cheek. Slowly, she pulled up her night rail.

  “Elle,” he started.

  She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “You wanted to know.”

  He winced and she turned away again. These scars were the reminder of what had happened the last time she’d put her life into another’s hands.

  The fabric skimmed past her knees and she pulled higher, she heard him suck in his breath. “Bloody hell,” he growled.

  The tears fell faster. “This was my punishment for pulling away. When I didn’t allow him to kiss me, he used a riding crop on the back of my legs.”

  The scars had dulled, but they were still visible. Tiny pink lines that crossed one another. It had been the final straw for her.

  “I’ll kill him with my own hands.” Blair’s voice was low, but it was also a deep menacing baritone.

  She still couldn’t look at him. “It was only a few days before the wedding. We’d moved most of our belongings into his home already. After he left, Ailean went to get the doctor.”

  Blair sucked in his breath. “Was it after that when he threatened Dr. Brown?”

  “Yes, and when I refused to take the carriage to the wedding. He tried to force me but I used my father’s shotgun to convince him I wasn’t coming.” Elle straightened her shoulders then, remembering her own strength. It had been one of the most frightening moments of her life. Even worse than when he’d hit her. “When he realized he couldn’t strong arm me and not even the sheriff could be persuaded to force a woman to the altar, he set about blackmailing instead. You know the rest. I’d rather starve then return to a life with him.”

  He still had most of her belongings. Her fists clenched around the fabric of her skirt. Not that they mattered but a few were keepsakes from her parents. She’d no opportunity to leave and no chance of making a life if she’d stayed.

  She looked over her shoulder again. She’d had no chance until Blair. He’d kept them safe, he was giving her brother a future and her a way to earn a living if she wanted it. Despite all that had happened to her, how could she not trust him?

  As their eyes met, he moved toward her. Holding his hands in her own, he gently loosened her fingers from the fabric so that it fell back around her ankles. “He’ll never hurt you again. I swear it.”

  Her breath came in short gasps as she tried to control her emotions. “Blair. Don’t worry about me. You’ve done enough for me. Take care of yerself. I’m worried fer ye. It’s not that he’s stronger, it’s that’s he’s black to the soul and wearing righteousness like a cloak.”

  Quicker than she could understand what was happening, Blair turned her and lifted her in his arms. “Ye’ve been so strong, Elle. I’m proud of ye. But it’s time to rely on others. I don’t like it either but I’m gonna follow my own advice and take some help from my brothers. McKenzie may be mean, but the Albans are carved of stone.”

  Her heart swelled in her chest. “Okay,” she answered. “If ye can take help, I can.”

  He carried her to the bed and a fluttering started deep in her belly as she wondered what he intended to do. To her surprise, she wasn’t frightened. In fact, she was excited. But as his lips grazed her forehead, he pulled back the covers, set her down, and then tucked her into the bed. “Good,” he said.

  “I want ye to ken, that whatever you want of me, I’ll give to ye.” Elle reached up and touched his cheek, letting her fingers trail down the masculine stubble. “Not because it’s a debt but because…” Why? Because she cared about him. Anything he needed or wanted, she’d give.

  “Thank ye, Elle.” He kissed her one last time, his lips lingering over hers before he was gone.

  She stared at the balcony doors for a long time wishing he was back in the room. Whatever else she wished, she wanted Blair to know that no one else had ever given her so much hope. But it wasn’t for her to say, it would only strengthen whatever bond was growing between them at a time when she should let him go.

  Chapter Nine

  Blair left the following day with significantly more resources than he’d arrived with. As his family and Ailean waved goodbye, Blair winced inwardly. Hopefully the next time he saw them, he was triumphant and not defeated and running scared. It wasn’t that the man he faced frightened him, but his influence would be difficult to break.

  Three ships followed. Not only would they be the beginning of his fleet but they held lumber and men. They’d also serve as housing because his had been burned to the ground.

  It was problematic, of course. Without docks, they’d have to anchor in the harbor and the men would have to row in and out every day, but there were little other option other than erecting barracks, so it would have to do.

  Elle stood next to him as they sailed north once again.

  Her strawberry blonde hair fluttered in the wind and he captured a curl and let it slip through his fingers.

  She turned and her eyes were tender as she placed a hand on his chest. Her touch made his insides thrum with desire. “What is it ye need from me?”

  Where to start. He needed her pressed up against him. He knew that for certain. He wanted to know all that had happened between her and Malcolm. It wouldn’t change anything between them but it would help him to understand how best to help her. But more and more, he thought he might need her to marry him. Not just because she was a woman in need but because they needed each other. “What do ye mean?”

  “With Malcolm. Ye said ye’d need my help.”

  Bringing his hands about her waist, he slid up her back. “I’ll need ye to help me hire men from the village. They don’t ken me, but they do ye. Ye’ll ken who to ask and who I can trust.”

  “I can do that.” Elle looked out over the water. “What if no one will work fer ye?”

  “We’ll get workers from the next village or the next. He’ll lose his influence far more quickly if we can hire people from this area, but either way, I’ll make enough money that he can’t hurt us.” Blair squeezed her tighter.

  Elle nibbled her lip. “I h
ope so,” she said, then leaned her head into the crook of his arm.

  She’d never done it before and it pulled at something deep within him: that need to protect her. Gathering her close, he kissed the top of her head.

  “How is yer foot?” He needed to change the subject because he could not fall in love this time. The situation was already bad enough.

  “Much better, thank ye. Almost done healing.” She lifted up her chin to look at him then. “Will we return to the cottage?”

  He shook his head. “No, we’ll stay on the boats. We’re safer here.”

  She nodded. “I never thought I’d live on a boat.”

  “It’ll feel more like a home then ye think.” Blair hoped she didn’t regret her decision to accept his help. He had upended her life. Much as he hadn’t intended to help and he’d taken a risk by offering it, Elle had even more to lose than he did. Her wounds were far worse. “Why don’t we have dinner together tonight?”

  “I’d like that.” She nodded.

  Blair stepped away. He’d figure out where they stood after McKenzie had been dealt with.

  Elle wondered if this dinner was wise.

  She considered cancelling. He stirred feelings in her that were best left alone. Even if she was to help him, she should keep her distance. It was safer. But the truth was, without Ailean, she was a little lost. And, in Blair’s company, a great many of her worries disappeared.

  Elle made her way down the hall to his cabin. Reaching the door, she lifted her hand to knock, set it down again, and then finally raised it, to give two good knocks on the door. The sound echoed through the hall, she’d hit the door too firmly.

  Blair opened it, and quirked his brow. “I thought you were the captain.”

  “Why, are you expecting him as well?” her shoulders sagged as her breath rushed out. Relieved, yet disappointed at the same time. She wanted to be with Blair but it would be better if someone else was in their company.