She continued to shoot the ones who battled it out, while scanning all of the men, looking for Ian. The men worked their gorgeous muscles as they swung their swords, tensing, parrying, and thrusting. Oh my heavens, the sight was dazzling.
Then she caught sight of Ian fighting Grant MacQuarrie. Sure. The pack leader of the MacNeills squaring off with the pack leader of the MacQuarries. She couldn’t get over the notion that her father had lied to her about them being human. What did he think? That once she learned they were wolves, she would hot-trot across the ocean to meet them? And date them, or something? Though if she’d known they looked this hot, she might have.
Colleen smiled slightly. Ian was angled more so that she could see his face, while now Grant’s back was to her. His shoulders were muscled and tanned, his legs the same—well-sculpted and sexy. The breeze ruffled his light brown hair, but she’d only managed to get a glimpse of his face and now she couldn’t see it.
Julia would be thrilled to get this video of her husband helping Grant to play this trick on Colleen. She and Julia had lost contact with each other over the last couple of years, both of their lives having been so hectic. Colleen still couldn’t believe that Julia had mated a Highland wolf, and she intended to see as much of Julia as she could while she lived here.
She noted that a few more men had stopped fighting and were watching her and grinning. She tried to concentrate on the men in combat and couldn’t help smiling herself. Impressive. Oiled to a fare-thee-well, they were trying to look like they’d been sweating for some time, which made their muscles all the more magnificent. She knew the shouted warning of her approach meant the men had just begun their fight when she arrived.
As Ian and Grant lunged and parried, she observed their impressive footwork, too. Every slicing blow sent a hint of unease through her, though, as she worried that the men would accidentally injure each other. She loved the way the wind whipped their kilts about. She caught a gorgeous shot of Grant’s very toned, hot ass. That would teach him to go without any briefs on a windy day! Maybe he thought she would be so shocked to see him naked beneath the kilt that she’d run off.
Not her.
She just hoped she wouldn’t catch too much of Ian’s exposed body parts as she continued to film the men in action. With a smile, she focused on Grant’s kilt, just in case it lifted again. She’d snap a couple of still shots this time.
A man approached her, but intent on her mission, she didn’t turn to face him. She took in a deep breath to smell his scent, like all wolves would do, sensing whether the other wolf was dangerous or interested. He was interested. He would check her out, too. Just a natural tendency among wolves.
“You, lass, must be Lady Colleen Playfair.”
Her skirt whipped around the Highlander’s bare legs, but he didn’t seem to mind.
She was indeed titled. The barony had passed down from generation to generation, though in America she had never been referred to as a baroness, so she wasn’t used to hearing anyone call her by that title.
“I am.” She wished he’d go away because now she had to divide her concentration between Grant and Ian and the man standing next to her. Even if the men had meant the training as a ruse, the two pack leaders seemed to have something to prove to their respective clans—if not to her.
“That’s my brother, Grant MacQuarrie. And the one he’s fighting is Ian MacNeill,” the Highlander said.
“Nice,” she said, not quite ready to reveal that she knew who the two men were.
“I’m Lachlan, Grant’s younger triplet brother. Glad to make your acquaintance.” His voice hinted at kindliness.
“Thanks. Nice to meet you.” She wondered then if Grant would be the only source of trouble here or if his brother sought to feign friendship, slip under her armor, and work on a way to get rid of her in a different manner. She didn’t trust him.
Arms folded across his muscled chest, Lachlan stood way too close to her.
“Did you get tired of fighting?” she asked with a hint of a smile.
“I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
She wanted to groan out loud at the cliché, but she managed a small smile instead. She imagined he loved to fight as much as any of the other Highlanders in the bailey today.
“You don’t want to film any others sparring?” Lachlan asked, sounding curious.
“I promised Ian’s wife, Julia, that I would film Ian if I could and email the recording to her later.”
Lachlan drew in an audible breath, and she couldn’t tell whether he was amused or worried. “You know Ian’s wife?”
She loved his reaction but hesitated to tell him the truth, still not sure if she should let the proverbial cat out of the bag…yet. Then she decided she would so she could see what happened when he told his brother Grant. “Yep. Good friends for years. I never expected her to end up living in Scotland, mated to Ian like that. When she learned I was coming here, she immediately contacted me. We intend to get together as soon as we can.”
“You know Julia MacNeill,” Lachlan said under his breath as if the truth was sinking in.
Did she ever. Girls’ all-night slumber parties—and she was game to have one with Julia and her new sisters-in-law and mother-in-law as soon as she could—cooking parties where they baked only the most decadent chocolate concoctions, movie night… You name it, they had a night for it. She fought the urge to laugh evilly.
“Did Julia happen to tell you her husband was coming here to spar with Grant and my kin today?”
“Yep.”
Lachlan burst out laughing. She smiled then. She couldn’t help herself. No way could Grant pull the black-faced Highland sheep’s wool over her wolf eyes.
Another man lowered his sword and glanced at Colleen and Lachlan. He motioned to his opponent that he was done, bowing his head slightly, and moved in Colleen’s direction. “I’m Enrick MacQuarrie, Grant’s middle brother, and you must be…?”
“Colleen,” she said, annoyed at the pretense, as if he wasn’t sure who she was. She was certain they didn’t let just anyone onto the castle grounds. “I’m enjoying the fighting. What a delightful…” She caught her breath as the wind swept Grant’s kilt upward again and she got another toned-butt view. Snap, snap. She took some hot shots that time. Omigod, if only she had such a gorgeous gluteus maximus. “Beautiful…show,” she finished. She was certain she wasn’t playing the game the way they had intended.