It was a chill night. The mists crept up from the lowlands to slip silently over trimmed and manicured grounds. Catherine peered through the open doors of her bedroom to the attached balcony. She watched as the gray wisps of the night mists slowly converged on the ancient stones of the castle. Fear fluttered in her chest as she listened for footsteps in the hallway outside her apartment. Hearing no sound, she continued to dress while nervously biting on her lower lip. Cathrine knew that her father, the Earl of Caithness, would not be at all pleased if he knew of her plans of a midnight ride with a landless rogue.
Suddenly she detected the jingle and creak of leather, tack and the soft slow measured thud of hooves on the close cropped grass of the gardens below. She eased out onto the balcony and peered over the ornately carved stone retaining rail into the darkness.
Her eyes strained to pick out the source of the sound but all that could be seen in the wane moonlight where the shadows of the trees met clipped and shaped hedges within the cloaking mists.
Like wraiths, the rider and huge dark destrier slowly materialized out of the swirling mist. The dark cowl of his cloak concealed his features but the confident manner in which he sat the horse and the flash of leg beneath the kilt fashioned in the MacGregor tartan confirmed that this was who she awaited.
The rider stopped below the balcony, stood in the stirrups and reached up.
She swung a leg over the rail and found footing. Carefully, she lowered herself slowly into his strong hands. The horse whinnied softly as she alit sidesaddle in front of the rider.
His arms wrapped about her and pulled her close. Slate gray eyes twinkled brightly under the cowl as he leaned down to kiss her softly, tenderly. He tapped his heels lightly against the beast’s flanks and used his knees to guide the horse as they made their way quietly from the gardens and toward the back gates.
They turned onto the smooth wide road that led up to the castle and Catherine felt his arm tighten about her as he took the reins tightly in the other.
Another tap in the flanks and the huge horse fairly leapt into motion, huge hooves pounded and dug for purchase. As they thundered through the gates she noticed a distinct lack of guards.
She was only offered a moment to ponder as they flashed through the open gates and into the farmlands beyond the castle grounds. The smell of freshly turned earth and spring flowers teased her senses as the wind whipped through her hair. Settling back against his chest and enveloped in his embrace, she became accustomed to the horse’s rolling gate as they galloped through the night.
Her heart began to pound in her chest as fear began to rise again. The mists thickened and obscured sight to a matter of yards yet they hurtled along at breakneck speed. She glanced up and noted the firm set of his jaw as his slate gray eyes flicked back and forth as though watching for unseen danger. She looked forward again over the horse’s flying mane and bobbing neck amazed that the animal itself seemed to know no fear in its headlong rush.
Still frightened she felt some modicum of comfort as she felt his chest pressed against her and his protective arm about her. Time seemed to lose all meaning as they flew through the mists like angels traversing the night skies. She began to notice dark shapes flash past and realized that they had entered a wood.
The mists slowly dissipated till they were little more than an undulating carpet covering the ground like a cold gray blanket. The scent of the forest came to her like a caressing hand, pine, the smell of ferns and mulch moldering on the forest floor, muffling the sound of the horse’s thudding hooves.
Eyes glowed in the shadows, flickering in and out of view every so often to cause her to shiver with uncertainty. She knew that wolves were known to haunt the forests around her father’s castle. Many a night she had lain awake listening to their heartbreaking song. There always seemed to be one howl, different from the rest and alone, never with a pack. That howl never failed to send a shiver to her very soul.
His arm tightened about her as he applied pressure to the reigns slowing the horse from a gallop to a canter, trot and finally a walk.
The huge war-horse snorted its displeasure at having its freedom to run curtailed and shook its massive head like a petulant child.
Catherine became aware of a sound. A soft rumble at first that increased to a roar as they got closer, the darkness kept the source of the rumble a secret.
Suddenly they came out of the sylvan forest and onto a moss covered cliff top, a dark loch expanded away below them. The roaring sound came from a waterfall rushing from the cliff face down and to the right to disappear into a white frothing spray far below.
He slipped from the back of the big war-horse then reached up and grasped her by her tiny waist as he eased her to the ground.
The horse whickered softly, walked to the edge of the trees and casually began to munch at the sweet spring grass.
Catherine stood, eyes glistening; staring wide eyed at the vista before her. The highlands, jagged and dark framed by the light of a full moonlit. The huge loch and the sound of the waterfall combined to create a wondrous otherworldly feel.
With a panache and bravado he whirled the dark cloak from his shoulders and laid it out upon the soft emerald green carpet of moss and motioned for her to sit. His eyes twinkled brightly as he slowly dropped to one knee next to her.
She gasped and shivered as she felt the heat of his breath and the softness of his lips brush lightly against the side of ivory skinned neck. Turning, she looked into his eyes and detected something wild lurking deep within. She leaned forward slightly anticipating, wanting, needing to feel his lips upon hers.
His arms slipped about her to pull her tightly to him as his lips covered hers, kissing her deeply, passionately.
A hand drifted up under her luxurious auburn tresses to gently cradle her supple neck while the other lightly caressed her blushing cheek tenderly. His kiss seemed like a spark that set off a forest fire of emotion within her. The heat flared in her chest and between her thighs causing her to press and roll them tightly together in a vain effort to assuage the desire washing through her.
As his lips devoured hers and his soft tongue began to explore, she felt her slick essence begin to flow and dampen the silk and lace of her undergarments. She closed her eyes and melted into his embrace. She wanted him to take her, ravish her, now.
His hand dropped from her cheek to the laces of her bodice, flicking quickly and with dexterity as she felt them loosen and slowly drawn open to expose the smooth milky white perfumed flesh trapped within.
The cool night air rushed in to caress the gentle curve of her exposed breasts with the light touch of a lover’s hand. She raised a trembling hand to run her fingers through his dark locks as his head dropped down and began raining hot kisses across her heaving breasts. Her head dropped back in ecstasy as his lips found the tender straining nipple standing proudly at the center of her breast and began to suck, grazing it with sharp teeth.
The horse snorted loudly stirring her from the pleasure she was experiencing.
Catherine’s lashes fluttered as she struggled to open her hazel eyes. Suddenly they shot open wide in shock, a scream frozen in her throat as she saw the club, wielded by a shabbily dressed man, streak down to connect with a sickening thud on the back of her lover’s head.
