A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

high-handedly. What do youdo when their edicts and the law are at odds with your personaldesires?”

“What did my countrymen doat Culloden? What hae yedone for the past sennight?” Hugh countered,making a fine, irrefutable point, much to Claire’s consternation.Everything she had done for the past week had walked a fine linebetween what was right and what was legal. “A man’s will is naealone in driving his reason. Reason itself is often a slave to hispassions.”

“You’re going to pull Hume into this? Yourbuddy Francois-Marie said that if a man did whatever his passionsled him to do then he was putting morality at risk.”

It was a springboardlaunching them into free will, and Hughlatched on to the topic happily; clearly it was a favorite of his,arguing against his old friend’s well-documented philosophies andsupporting individual freedoms and free will.

“So ye see, moraldistinctions between good and evil are nae derived from reason atall,” Hugh pointed out. “Besides, if we have nae free will and ourfate is already determined, why do we fight at all?”

“Hume again?” Claire sighed, wondering whenher argument had been lost. Not defeated but rather misplaced amidwhat had been a remarkably enjoyable—if somewhat off-topic—debate.Damn, she wanted more of these mad, outrageous, wonderful momentswith him. She reached up to caress his whisker-roughened cheek.“Ah, Hugh, I’m sure we could argue all this for days on end, butit’s past two in the morning, we’ve got the NSA closing in on us,I’m too tired to think straight anymore, and we haven’t even gottento Kant yet.”

“Kant?” Hugh asked. “Immanuel Kant? Thatpuppy?”

Claire stifled a laugh. “I’m not going thereright now, and I want to be well rested before we get toSartre.”

“Who is that?”

“Later.”

“Later?” he questioned with a smile,skimming his hand over her ribs and under the T-shirt she wore tocup her breast.

“Much later,” she said, taking a deep breathto fill his palm more fully. It was no use. The time had come fortruth. “Oh, Hugh, you do know that even if I did go with you toCanada, I cannot come to Scotland with you.”

His hand stilled on her breast. “I see.”

“No, you don’t. Danny was right.” Claireclutched his hand to her breast, refusing to let him pull away, andexplained to him all of the annoyingly logical points her brotherhad made. “I guess we both just thought that once we were out ofthe country it would all be over, but it won’t. If I go with you,Jameson will follow.”

“I will stay here then.”

Claire shook her head, though her heartached tenderly that he should even voice such a sacrifice. “Thenwhat? Live out of a suitcase for the rest of your life? Survive offof three pairs of jeans, a few T-shirts, a couple dress shirts anda sport coat for the rest of your life? It’s just like what I wassaying before. I am the danger now. You will never be free to liveyour own life as long as I’m around.”

“We will find another way.”

“Do you want to live the rest of your lifelooking over your shoulder?” She smoothed his hair back from hisforehead with a tender hand, meeting his gaze and reading there allthe resolve she had been trying to overcome still burningstrong.

“I will, if need be.”

He was never going to let it go. Ignoringthe dangers, he would have an answer for everything. If she had itin her, she would truly do what was best for him. There were anynumber of things she could say to force his abandonment. Thingsthat would have made him angry enough to leave. Things to make himhate her. She could convince him that she’d had enough of him andwas ready for him to go. But she couldn’t do it. Couldn’t cheapenwhat they had shared together. Claire sighed heavily. “Another wayit is, then.”

“Does that mean ye’ve given up this madnotion of me leaving ye behind?”

“It means you’ve worn me down until I’munwilling to fight with you anymore,” she allowed.

Bending his head to nuzzle her neck, Hughwhispered, “Will ye ne’er admit defeat, lass?”

“I will if and when I’m truly defeated.”

Hugh laughed softly at that, his warm breathteasing at her hair. No, Claire thought again. Not defeated, onlydisappointed over his stubborn refusal to see what was from herpoint of view reasonable, but it wasn’t unexpected and maybeinwardly she was a little thrilled that he didn’t want to let hergo any more than she wanted to be gotten rid of.

“Let me take care of ye for a change, lass,”Hugh said, brushing his lips against her hair. “Gi’ me a chance taefind a way.”

“I’ll give you a chance to kiss me,” Clairewhispered in lieu of a promise she couldn’t keep. “I mean, it’sbeen at least a couple of hours.”

“And that is too long?” he murmured as henuzzled her neck, but she could hear the smile in his words.

Claire rolled toward him, sliding her handover his back and downward over his taut backside. “Way toolong.”

Diving his fingers into the tangle of herhair, Hugh tipped her head back and brought his lips down on hersgently. They brushed and tugged playfully while his tongue strokedacross her teeth and the sensitive inside of her lip. The scruff ofhis whiskers grazing lightly against her tickled and teased, andClaire moaned softly, parting her lips and urging him to exploremore deeply as she slipped her tongue against his.

A husky groan echoed her impassioned sighand Hugh rolled her back, coming over her without breaking thekiss. Lean hips pressed between her thighs as he descended, lettingevery inch of his body surge across hers, letting Claire feel theweight and power of his body and the strength of his arousal as hethrust against her. His hard length ground against her core andClaire gasped, sharing the breath of astonishment with Hugh beforetheir lips met once more.

Sweeping her hands down his back andbuttocks, Claire lifted her legs high around his hips and urgedHugh even closer as their passion ignited and flared. Rough handsskimmed over her shoulder, pushing her bra strap down until herbreast was freed. Breaking the kiss, Hugh dipped his head lower,capturing her nipple between his lips while his hand slippedbeneath her to nimbly unclasp