yet firm, his mouth traveled over hers and her blood began to pump harder. His tongue probed at her lips and she parted them. Both began the lover's dance, tongue s twisting, palms sliding over each other 's body , while moving in circles in an attempt to sway into the natural rhythm of their heartbeats.
Jamie raised his head and peered down at her, a slight curve to his lips. "I've come for Victoria. I must take my sister back to England, as I am prepared to depart as soon as I return to port. "
A louder crash sounded, followed by Victoria's clear voice. "Stop this instant, you are going to kill each other."
" Torrie ?" Jamie rounded her and rushed from the room, with Cailyn on his heels.
Jamie sprinted up the stairs and stopped abruptly at the scene inside the sitting room. Furniture lay askew, drapery torn. The room was in shambles, thanks to the two panting men sprawled on the floor side-by-side, each with a woman sitting on top of hi m .
Dugan remained by the window with his arms crossed over his chest. He scowled at Jami e .
Victoria looked up expectantly. "Jamie, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait at port for me to come to you." She pushed her disheveled hair away from her face and smiled up at him. "The brothers were fighting, I think they've finally tired out," she told him, as if it were an everyday occurrence.
At Jamie's lack of response, Victoria scrambled to her feet, and the man on whose chest she 'd sat got up with her. She dashed over and hugged Jamie.
Over his sister's head, Jamie glanced at Cailyn. Calum cleared his throat and pinned her with a hard stare from where he lay.
The laird took his wife by the waist and hoisted her off. He then came to his feet, wiping blood from his cut lip with the back of his hand. "Captain Westcott." He met Jamie's questioning stare with nonchalance. "It seems I am forced to welcome you to Somerset Keep as a member of the family. Conor and Victoria were married last night."
"What?" Jamie looked from the laird to Victoria, who rushed back to the large man's side, and lastly to Conor, who now stood with an arm possessively around Victoria’s waist.
Jamie flew at the Scot with a loud growl and fists swinging.
Dugan let out a shrill whistle and the men stopped fighting, although Cailyn noticed that Conor had not put up much of a fight.
Dugan gave the men a bored look. "I believe the laird wishes to speak to you both."
Jamie released the cloth of Conor's tunic and lowered his arms.
"Very well," Conor replied, motioning for Jamie to exit before him. Jamie snorted his displeasure and moved ahead.
Moments later, the men retired to the study, while the women remained.
"It's all my fault." Victoria paced the now-destroyed sitting room while the women waited for the men. "Jamie is so angry." Her sister-in-law blew out a breath. "What a mess."
Cailyn nodded in agreement. "Calum is as angry, if not more. Nonetheless, there isn't anything that can be done about it now. You are married to Conor, and both of them will have to accept it."
Victoria went to the doorway and scowled toward the study. "It’s been nearly an hour. What can they possibly be discussing that would take so long?"
"Well, for starters, your money. Decisions have to be made about your estate in England and such," Cailyn replied. "There is much they have to agree upon, which I assume with those men, it is like enticing a boar out of a thicket."
"Right." Victoria sat. "And what of you and Jamie? What transpired between you? I noticed he struggles to keep his eyes off you."
"I'm sure it is your imagination." Cailyn stood. "I will go see about the evening meal."
****
That night Jamie lay on the large bed and stared up at the ceiling. Things had definitely not gone as he'd planned. Victoria married to a McDougall , of all things he least expected was this. Much had to be agreed upon, so he'd remain. But foremost he had to avoid time alone with Cailyn. She was a
Jamie raised his head and peered down at her, a slight curve to his lips. "I've come for Victoria. I must take my sister back to England, as I am prepared to depart as soon as I return to port. "
A louder crash sounded, followed by Victoria's clear voice. "Stop this instant, you are going to kill each other."
" Torrie ?" Jamie rounded her and rushed from the room, with Cailyn on his heels.
Jamie sprinted up the stairs and stopped abruptly at the scene inside the sitting room. Furniture lay askew, drapery torn. The room was in shambles, thanks to the two panting men sprawled on the floor side-by-side, each with a woman sitting on top of hi m .
Dugan remained by the window with his arms crossed over his chest. He scowled at Jami e .
Victoria looked up expectantly. "Jamie, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to wait at port for me to come to you." She pushed her disheveled hair away from her face and smiled up at him. "The brothers were fighting, I think they've finally tired out," she told him, as if it were an everyday occurrence.
At Jamie's lack of response, Victoria scrambled to her feet, and the man on whose chest she 'd sat got up with her. She dashed over and hugged Jamie.
Over his sister's head, Jamie glanced at Cailyn. Calum cleared his throat and pinned her with a hard stare from where he lay.
The laird took his wife by the waist and hoisted her off. He then came to his feet, wiping blood from his cut lip with the back of his hand. "Captain Westcott." He met Jamie's questioning stare with nonchalance. "It seems I am forced to welcome you to Somerset Keep as a member of the family. Conor and Victoria were married last night."
"What?" Jamie looked from the laird to Victoria, who rushed back to the large man's side, and lastly to Conor, who now stood with an arm possessively around Victoria’s waist.
Jamie flew at the Scot with a loud growl and fists swinging.
Dugan let out a shrill whistle and the men stopped fighting, although Cailyn noticed that Conor had not put up much of a fight.
Dugan gave the men a bored look. "I believe the laird wishes to speak to you both."
Jamie released the cloth of Conor's tunic and lowered his arms.
"Very well," Conor replied, motioning for Jamie to exit before him. Jamie snorted his displeasure and moved ahead.
Moments later, the men retired to the study, while the women remained.
"It's all my fault." Victoria paced the now-destroyed sitting room while the women waited for the men. "Jamie is so angry." Her sister-in-law blew out a breath. "What a mess."
Cailyn nodded in agreement. "Calum is as angry, if not more. Nonetheless, there isn't anything that can be done about it now. You are married to Conor, and both of them will have to accept it."
Victoria went to the doorway and scowled toward the study. "It’s been nearly an hour. What can they possibly be discussing that would take so long?"
"Well, for starters, your money. Decisions have to be made about your estate in England and such," Cailyn replied. "There is much they have to agree upon, which I assume with those men, it is like enticing a boar out of a thicket."
"Right." Victoria sat. "And what of you and Jamie? What transpired between you? I noticed he struggles to keep his eyes off you."
"I'm sure it is your imagination." Cailyn stood. "I will go see about the evening meal."
****
That night Jamie lay on the large bed and stared up at the ceiling. Things had definitely not gone as he'd planned. Victoria married to a McDougall , of all things he least expected was this. Much had to be agreed upon, so he'd remain. But foremost he had to avoid time alone with Cailyn. She was a
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