Read Online Highland Vengeance by Saydee Bennett - Free Book Online Page B

headed
outside to retrieve her horse.
    Camden took a deep breath as he
followed her out the door. Olivia was already not anything as he
expected her to be and nothing like what he knew of a normal
English woman. The laird had a feeling that his men were going to
be pleased as well. He would much rather have a feisty temptress
riding with him than a whiny bore.
    Olivia waited in the enclosed courtyard
for the stableman to bring her horse. She was grateful she had come
to the king’s castle with her favorite steed. Garrison had given
her several horses over the years as gifts and she had trained each
one the same. This one horse in particular, was a large stallion
that was as fearless as she was. Olivia was anxious to see the look
on Camden’s face when he saw her mount.
    The laird found his new bride waiting
for him with a curious expression on her face. He was not sure why
but she seemed a bit arrogant as she stood there and watched him
coming towards her. Olivia was still stunned at the sight of how
large he was compared to the other men around. Lord, he was a
handsome man she thought, and from the way he walked, she could
tell he was a powerful laird. Everyone looked at him as if he was a
ferocious savage but she knew a gentle side to the man.
    It was still slightly dark outside and
the morning air was extremely cold. Camden wore his plaid and he
carried another one in his arms. When he came up to Olivia, the
laird began draping the muted colored plaid around her while
carefully making the pleats. She did not move while he finished
what seemed like a small ceremony, of placing the important symbol
on her. Olivia knew how respected the plaid was and she thought the
soft blue and gold colors were beautiful.
    She looked into his eyes and then
images of the night they had spent together made her blush. The new
bride felt physically close to him last night but now she felt
bonded as her husband shared his sacred plaid with her. Olivia felt
a warmth move over her body and she was not sure if it was from the
plaid or from the look he gave her but either way she was grateful.
The countess saw her horse being brought out from behind where
Camden stood and then he turned to see what she was looking at. He
wondered whose beautiful black stallion that was as the stableman
brought it closer.
    Olivia stepped away from her husband
and then took the reins of her horse. She looked at Camden just
before she gracefully threw herself into the saddle without any
effort. She always used a man’s saddle and found a woman’s
sidesaddle to be a huge hindrance. Olivia looked at Camden’s
stunned face and she broke into a large grin.
    He stared with his mouth open at the
woman on the giant horse because he had never seen such a sight.
Camden wasn’t sure what amazed him more, Olivia being that woman on
the horse or the way her face lit up when she smiled. The stable
master brought the laird’s horse out right behind Olivia’s. Camden
was shocked to see that his mount was about the same size as hers
and then he grinned at his new wife.
    “ You have won this round
wife and you were right, I am surprised,” he said mounting his own
horse. “You may keep your horse in the Highlands. In fact, I am
quite jealous of the beast.”
    “ What are you jealous of?
Your stallion is just as wonderful,” she said curiously.
    He moved his mount close to her and
said softly. “I am jealous that he gets to have you straddle him
like that all day.”
    Olivia was speechless and she blushed
while the Highland laird nudged his horse forward. She followed
quickly behind trying to get the thoughts she was having out of her
mind. Olivia was shocked, of course, by what he said but she was
more interested in the way he said it. She assumed he must have
been pleased with her last night and God knows he certainly pleased
her.
    The two rode briskly through the frigid
air across the drawbridge and far from the city walls. They had
been riding at an even pace for almost