All Chapters of The Forbidden Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Padraig sat behind his young wife as she dangled her bare feet over the edge of the rock face into the water. Pin by pin he took the braid out of her hair and let the dark waves flow down her back. She liked her hair up. He liked it down. She would get used to the feel of it. Already she wasn't protesting that he was undoing it.He ran his fingers through the soft waves and brought it to his nose, jasmine. She always smelled like jasmine. The scent of her had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. He pulled the hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck as he wrapped his arm around her and cupped her breast in his palm. “I’m going to lay you out under that tree over there and lick you from your ears down to your toes.” Eliana shivered in his arms. They had coupled twice already this day, and still, he craved her. The way her body moved when he was inside her drove him wild like no other woman ever had.“Do you think we will feel like this every day Paddy or is it only tod

Eliana looked around the hall and sighed. It had been so long since her family had visited that she did not remember this castle at all. When they had come for the old Laird's funeral they had stayed outside, and two years ago when she had run here to wed Paddy and stay with him, they’d stayed in a croft for a night of privacy. Had the keep always looked so empty? She remembered feasts with more sweets than she was permitted at home. There had been music and games here too. Had there been decorations? More furniture? She couldn't recall having even looked to see. Perhaps it was her view of it that had changed now that she was grown. Or perhaps because today was not a day of celebration. This keep was clean enough and in good shape, but it did not look like the grande hall of a wealthy clan. Perhaps they simply did not waste coin on frivolous finery the way her father had wont to do. If her parent’s home had been more simply decorated, would her father have been able to keep his taxes

Padraig watched from the tower as his brothers rode off towards the northeast with the emissary and the king’s guard. He clenched his jaw and scowled as they disappeared over the rise. Worry and guilt were starting to eat away at him as he began to focus in on what this meant for Griogair. He himself finally had all he had ever wanted. Lia was his legally wedded wife, and the MacInnis clan was his to run. Alasdair and Mairead would be happy as well. If word had been sent that her husband had died, Dair probably would have gone to her before the man had been put in the ground. With this contract the two clans were roughly the same size, so Dair would do well. Gair however... If the clan was a poor one or the Sinclair lass was not to his liking, Paddy didn’t know how he and Dair could ever repay their brother for this risk he had taken to ensure they were happy.With the entire group out of sight, Paddy went back into the tower and took the stairs down to his chambers where he had left

As the sound of the pipe music picked up into a lively song Paddy looked around at the hastily prepared feast and smiled. The clan had certainly done their best to pull things together in a short time. The hall smelled wonderful, the tables were strewn with early spring flowers, and they had managed to create many wonderful dishes. At first, he had taken some ribbing from his man at arms, one of the few who called him Paddy. The man had said the same as Lia, that he should call him Gair from now on. All in all, though, the clan was happy for him. Only a few knew of their older handfasts, but most knew of the one two years ago so they were happy that he finally had the woman he loved. They honestly seemed to be trying to make his wife welcome, too. Though for some reason no one maid seemed to be caring for Lia. Every time he turned around it was a different one heading up the stairs. Perhaps that was normal though, he couldn’t remember how many maids had tended to any of his stepmothers