Highlander's Rescue A Cree & Dawn Short Story (Cree & Dawn Short Stories Book 4) (8 page)

“Our child lives?” the King asked, looking to Dawn.

She nodded and rushed out of the room to return with a little wrapped bundle in her arms. She held the child out to the King.

“Alexander, I am pleased to present to you—your daughter,” Margaret said.

The King smiled at the tiny lass, sleeping contently in his arms. “She has red hair just like mine.” His expression turned serious. “I will see her well provided for and arrange a good marriage for her when the time comes.”

“I thank you for that, Alexander,” Margaret said, reaching out to rest her hand on his arm.

“And I thank you for this beautiful daughter.”

Dawn slipped away, her husband closing the door behind them as they left the room together.

The door was barely closed when Cree took his wife in his arms. “You did well, wife, but then I had faith that you would,” —he grinned— “but then you—”

Dawn waited to hear him tell her that she was stubborn.

“Have a caring heart and I would expect no less from you,” Cree finished and kissed her, a lingering kiss that left them both wanting more. He nibbled along her ear to whisper, “I cannot wait to get you alone in our bedchamber tonight, since our full day in bed will have to wait until the King leaves.”

Dawn frowned.

“I am disappointed as well.”

She shook her head, then quickly nodded.

“No, yes, which is it?” Cree asked.

Dawn circled her head with her finger.

“The King,” Cree said, “this is about the King?”

Dawn nodded and pointed at the room.

“Margaret too,” —annoyance sparked in his eyes— “damn, we must surrender our bedchamber to the King and Margaret for as long as they remain at the keep.”

Dawn nodded and pointed to Wintra’s room.

“Damn!” he said again. “Torr and Wintra will need the other bedchamber. The bedchambers that are left are far too small for us. I will not even fit the beds.”

Dawn pointed to each of them and with disappointment in her eyes, held up two fingers and spread them apart.”

Cree planted his face close to hers. “Do not dare suggest we sleep separate. That will not happen.”

Dawn shrugged.

His arm tightened around her waist. “We will share a bed tonight as we always do and I will make love to you as I do each night.”

She gestured several times before Cree understood.

“You think it will take a miracle?”

She nodded, smiled, and gestured slowly.

“You are confident I will perform a miracle, since I have already performed one.” He quickly asked, “What miracle is that?”

Dawn rested her hand to her chest, then rested it to her own.

“You think it is a miracle that I love you?” he asked, curling his hand around the back of her neck.

Dawn nodded, loving the warmth and strength of the way he held her firm and brought his lips closer to hers. “You have that wrong, dear wife. It is a miracle that
you
love the infamous Cree.”

Late that night.

Dawn stepped cautiously around the King’s soldiers, sleeping on the floor in the Great Hall, to get to Cree’s solar. She had been busy since their arrival home several hours ago and she was looking forward to finally being alone with her husband, if only there was a place for them to be alone.

She was not surprised to see Sloan in the room when she entered, talking with Cree. Sloan had arrived at Cross Hill keep just in time to help the King’s men finish off the mercenaries. When she had seen him, she had let him know how pleased she was that he had not kept them waiting.

The two men, more like brothers than friends, sat in the two chairs in front of the fireplace, their backs to her as she approached slowly. Sloan was doing all the talking while shaking his head at his own words.

“You are not seriously considering it, are you?” Sloan cast a quick glance at Cree, then answered his own question. “Of course you’re not. It would be foolish of you and everyone knows you are not a foolish man, everyone except Lucerne. She is gone for months and returns seeking permission to wed and expects you to grant it.” He kept shaking his head. “I refused her permission, as was my right, since my word was law in your absence. And I informed her that you would agree with me and forbid the union.” He turned his head to Cree. “You will refuse—but of course you will. She could not have found love so fast. That is what I told her and what does she say? She tells me it is none of my concern and she will speak with you upon your return.”

Dawn worried that Sloan’s head might dislodge from his neck, he was shaking it so much. And she could not help but smile.

Cree raised his arm, turning his hand and waving for her to take it. He had heard her enter and was eager for her to join him.

She took hold of his hand and he tugged her around in front of him and onto his lap. He nuzzled her neck once she settled comfortably, and whispered, “I have missed you.”

Dawn patted her chest to let him know she felt the same, then pointed to Sloan, still talking.

“He has been in love with a shrew and refuses to acknowledge it,” Cree explained.

“I am not in love with Lucerne, and she is no longer the shrew she once was,” Sloan snapped.

“Then I will wed her to the man of her choice.”

Sloan jumped out of his chair. “You cannot be serious. You know nothing of this man. He could be deceiving her and using her for his own ill gains. You cannot simply hand her over to him without knowing anything about him.”

“You are right,” Cree agreed. “Therefore, you will find out everything you can about the man Lucerne claims to love and who intends to ask me for permission to wed her.”

Sloan stopped shaking his head. “I will find out everything and you will see for yourself that he is not a good choice for her and refuse permission.”

“And if this man should prove decent and trustworthy, then I will grant the couple permission to wed.”

“We shall see,” Sloan said and left the room without bidding the couple goodnight.

“I wonder how long it will take him to realize he loves Lucerne,” Cree said with a laugh and pressed a quick kiss to his wife’s lips. “Everyone is settled for the night?”

Dawn exaggerated a silent sigh.

“You are glad it is all done,” he said and she nodded, “as am I. Elsa informed me that Wintra and little Shand do well as does the da.” He laughed. “Torr was asleep when I went to bid my sister good-night. You would think he had delivered the bairn.” His expression turned more serious. “I am pleased that my sister and her family are safe under my roof tonight.”

Dawn agreed with a nod. The ordeal was done. Wintra and her baby were finally out of harm’s way.

Cree smiled again. “Elsa made it known to King Alexander that if it had not been for your fast thinking and brave actions that Margaret and his daughter would not have survived. The King is indebted to you and he reminded me of it several times. You have a strong friend in the King.”

Dawn gestured quickly.

Cree laughed. “Aye, the King compliments on one hand and complains with the other. The bedchamber is too small for him and I agreed with him. He is sending the material in the spring to start the construction of our new keep and ordered me to make our bedchamber larger in case he wishes to visit us again, under different circumstances of course.”

Dawn raised her hand to her mouth to cover her yawn.

“You are tired. It has been an exhausting two days for you.”

She patted his chest.

“I am bigger and stronger, therefore, I do not grow as tired as you.”

Another yawn stopped her from disagreeing and she laid her head on his chest, feeling the toll of the long, hard day catching up with her.

“You need a bed to sleep in.”

Dawn raised her head to nod and shake.

Cree grinned. “You want the bed, but not the sleep.”

She nodded slowly and went to smile, but a yawn stole it away. She clasped her hands together and rested them to her cheek, then shook her head and shrugged.

Cree spoke her concern aloud. “There is no place for us to sleep.”

She nodded and sighed, her shoulders slumping.

“Have you no faith in me?” he asked curtly, but with a smile.

Dawn threw her arms wide.

“Always!  That is better, wife.” He slipped her off his lap after a quick kiss and grabbed two cloaks draped over a chair. He slipped one on, before placing the other on Dawn.

She was ready to follow him out the door, curious of where he was taking her, when he scooped her up in his arms.

“You are too tired to walk, I am not.” He carried her through the Great Hall and a grunt or groan was occasionally heard as he stepped on someone.

Dawn turned her face up to the dark night sky as soon as Cree stepped outside. The cold air stung her face and she was surprised to see how clear the sky was, not a single cloud covered the slim, crescent-shaped moon. She looked to see where they were headed and a smile grew to capture her whole face.

Cree stopped a few feet from the cottage that Dawn had once occupied and now belonged to Sloan.

Dawn turned questioning eyes on him.

“I kicked Sloan out for the night,” Cree said.

Dawn gasped and shook her head.

Cree laughed. “He offered the cottage to us.”

Dawn smiled and rested her head on Cree’s shoulder as he walked to the front door. It was a place that held memories, more good than bad. It was the place where she realized she loved Cree more than ever and did not want to live without him. It was the place where she realized he truly loved her and it was the place where their twins were conceived.

Cree set her on her feet in the room beyond the curtain, the room they had spent much time in making love. She looked around, her eyes widening at the freshly dressed bed.

“I had Flanna see to changing the bedding.”

Dawn smiled and let her cloak slip off her shoulders. All her garments followed quickly and she stood in front of him naked as she had done so many times in this room.

Cree went to her and ran his hand gently over her breasts. “You are beautiful.”

She tugged at his garments and he disposed of them with haste.

Dawn rested her hand on his hard chest and let it drift down along his stomach and just as she was about to take hold of him, she yawned wide and long.

Cree scooped her up and laid her on the bed, slipping in beside her, and pulled the blankets over them.

Dawn was eager to make love with him, fearing sleep would claim her much too soon and deprive her of the pleasure. She sighed inwardly when Cree eased her on her side and drew her back to rest against him. She sighed even harder when his arm slipped over her hip and his hand caressed her stomach. She could not wait for his hand to move lower and his fingers to dip between her legs.

His hand stilled and she waited to see what he would do. Nothing. His hand remained still. Then she heard light snoring in her ear. Had he fallen asleep? She turned her head and from the corner of her eye, she saw that his eyes were closed and his light snoring grew louder in her ear.

He had fallen asleep.

She got annoyed. He had never fallen asleep while making love to her. She had been waiting to make love with him since they had arrived home. The thought of what awaited her as she had helped settle her guests had got her through the strenuous night. And what does her husband do? Disappoint her.

She pursed her lips.
Bigger and stronger?
She would let him know tomorrow who the stronger one was. Guilt struck her. He had been in battle today. Of course, he was more tired than her.

Her brow suddenly wrinkled.
More tired than her.
Cree had more stamina than several of his warriors put together.

He was pretending to be asleep.

She turned around slowly and settled herself against her husband and lay there quiet for a moment. Then she let her hand drift down between them to take hold of him and she was not surprised to find him more than aroused.

As she stroked and teased him, her smile grew along with him and she knew it would not be long—

“Damnit, Dawn, you’re too tired for this,” he snapped, grabbing her hand.

She pulled it free and sat up. She went to gesture and the look of concern and love on his face stopped her. God, but she loved him, and he most certainly loved her if he would sacrifice a night of lovemaking so that she could rest.

She smiled at him, tapped his chest, then tapped hers.

“I know you want me. I want you. We always want each other, but you are—”

She slipped over him to show him that she wasn’t
that
tired, and his arm coiled around her waist and with one twist he was on top of her.

“Now, wife, let’s see how tired you truly are?”

THE END

Not really! Look for more Cree & Dawn adventures coming your way!

I took some liberty with history for this story. King Alexander II did have a bastard daughter by his mistress and a marriage was arranged for her. I’d like to think that King Alexander would have bravely rescued the woman he loved and his child. At least, in my version of history he did.

Series Books

Highlander Trilogy

Highlander Unchained

Forbidden Highlander

Highlander’s Captive

Highlander’s True Love
A Cree & Dawn Short Story #1

Highlander’s Promise
A Cree & Dawn Short Story #2

Highlander’s Winter Tale
A Cree & Dawn Short Story #3

Highlander’s Rescue
A Cree and Dawn Short Story #4

Macinnes Sisters Trilogy

The Highlander’s Stolen Heart

Highlander’s Rebellious Love

Highlander The Dark Dragon

To see a listing of all Donna’s available books and purchase links go to her Bookshelf on her website at
www.donnafletcher.com/

Donna Fletcher is a
USA Today
bestselling author of historical and paranormal romances. Her books are sold worldwide. She started her career selling short stories and winning reader contests. She soon expanded her writing to her love of romance novels and sold her first book SAN FRANCISCO SURRENDER the year she became president of New Jersey Romance Writers.

Drop by Donna’s website
www.donnafletcher.com/
where you can learn more about her, peruse her bookshelf, sign up for her Book Alerts, and read her blog where she keeps her readers updated on what’s next.