Capturing A Highland Knight Read Online Free PDF Page B

under this man without waking him?   Who was he?  She did not remember having an assignation with anyone.  All of her father’s men were afraid to approach her.  Not only because her father was fierce, but because of her own temper.  She could be just as fierce as her father.  And she hadn’t felt anything besides sisterly love toward any of them.
    She decided to try to slide from under the man. He seemed to be sleeping deeply.  He was laying mostly on her right side, so she moved her free left leg toward the edge of the bed.  Her foot found the edge so she hooked her ankle over as leverage.  Then she reached with her left hand and gripped the edge.  As gently as she could, and as much as her strength allowed, she tried to pull herself from under the man.  Although she pulled with all of her might, she did not feel like she had moved an inch.  The man seemed to weigh a ton, and she could not budge. 
    She stopped and regrouped.  There had to be a way to move him so that she could get up.  Planting her left foot on the mattress, she decided to try to slide him off of her by lifting from the bed.  She put her hand against his shoulder.  That was a mistake, because she was instantly distracted by his smooth skin and muscles.  She shook herself to come back to reality. 
    Putting her mind to it, she pushed up with her hips as she pushed his shoulder with her hand.  At first she did not think it was working, but after a moment she realized that he was more on the bed than on her.  She pushed again and was finally free.  She lay for a moment catching her breath.  She looked toward the man.  His breathing was still even and he hadn’t stirred. 
    She rolled to her side and gently left the bed.  On a gasp, she realized she was naked.  She stayed crouched on the floor until she was sure that he hadn’t awakened.  When she heard no movement, she stood up.  As soon as she did, she felt very light-headed.  She quickly clutched the table that was beside the bed to steady herself.  She put her hand over her face and took slow breaths.  That helped some, but she still felt wobbly.
    Once she felt a little steadier, she looked around for something to cover up with.  In the dying light, she saw what looked like her shift lying on the floor.  She bent down and retrieved it, then slipped it over her head.  She walked over to the fireplace to stoke the embers on the fire and added a log.
                  “Eilidh, come back to bed,” she heard a deep voice say. 
                  Annabelle jumped.  She looked toward the bed.  She hadn’t heard any movement from it.  Who was Eilidh?  She slowly turned away from the fireplace and bumped into a wall of solid chest.  She put her hand out to brace herself.  Her hand connected will smooth skin and hard muscle.  She quickly drew it back and gasped.  In doing that, she stumbled back and found herself wrapped in strong arms.
    Derek had awakened and reached for Eilidh and found her place empty.  He had lain still to clear some of the grogginess from his head.  His head slightly pounded.  He really had drunk more than he should have.  He heard Eilidh over by the fireplace and slipped out of the bed to fetch her.
    He remembered the force of their lovemaking earlier and found that he wanted to repeat it.  She was so warm and soft in his arms.
                  “Come.  Back to bed with ye,” he said pulling her back to the bed.
                  She stiffened in his arms.
                  “Who are ye?  And why are ye in my bed?” she asked him, pulling away. 
                  Derek stiffened.  Eilidh’s voice was different.  He looked down at her, but her face was in shadow.  The glow from the fire was behind her.
    “Ye ken who I am, Eilidh.  Come back to bed,” he said again in confusion.  He vowed to cut back on the ale. 
                  “Who is Eilidh? Who are