Page 61 of Claimed By a Savage Scot
The admission stole her breath for a moment.
Dear Lord,when did this man become capable of unravelin’ me so completely with only a few quiet words?
She lowered her gaze briefly, suddenly shy beneath the weight of his attention. Then she looked back up at him through her lashes. “Truth be told,” she said, “Kenneth’s attention didnae trouble me nearly as much as yer silence did.”
Malcolm frowned slightly. “Me silence?”
“At supper.” She hesitated. “Ye barely looked at me half the evening.”
He stared at her as though she had said something utterly absurd. “Cat,” he said slowly, “if I looked at ye any more than I already was, every person in that hall would have kenned exactly what passed between us last night.”
Heat rushed violently into her cheeks. “Och.”
His mouth curved faintly at her embarrassment. “I was tryin’ tae behave like a respectable laird fer yer benefit.”
“Well, if that’s the truth then I’m sorry tae say it was a poor effort,” she murmured.
“Apparently so.”
They both smiled then, the tension between them easing into something softer. Warmer.
Malcolm stepped closer until only inches separated them. The flickering torchlight caught the flecks of gold in those deep brown of his eyes as he looked down at her.
“It wasnae easy, Cat,” he said quietly.
“What wasnae?”
“Watchin’ another man flirt with ye.” The raw honesty in his voice stole every clever reply from her mind. There was no arrogance in him now. No teasing charm.
Only truth.
Catriona’s heart squeezed painfully. She reached for his hand before she could stop herself, her fingers curling gently around his.
“Malcolm…”
His thumb brushed slowly across her knuckles, sending thrills chasing up and down her skin beneath her gown.
“I ken I’ve little right tae jealousy,” he said softly. “We’ve scarcely spoken of what happens next between us. But Christ, Cat…” He gave a quiet shake of his head. “The thought of another man courtin’ ye makes me half mad.”
“Only half? I’m disappointed,” she murmured as warmth bloomed through her so fiercely it almost frightened her. She watched his smile widen, thinking of all those years spent hidden away in the priory, living every day in fear of Torcall Sinclair finding her and carrying her off by force, a prize he had decided was his to claim.
And now, here stood a man, the most beautiful man in the world, looking at her as though losing her would wound him deeply.
She squeezed his hand gently. “There’s only one man I want lookin’ at me that way,” she whispered.
His gaze darkened instantly. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her right there in the corridor. Instead, Malcolmexhaled slowly, as though mastering himself was costing him an effort of will.
“We should part before I forget entirely that we’re standin’ in the middle of me castle where anyone could come upon us at any moment.”
A soft laugh escaped her. “A wise idea.”
“Aye.” Though he did not release her hand immediately. “I’ll see ye tomorrow, eh? Fer a whole new day of the pleasure of Kenneth’s company.”
“And Sorcha’s.” she said. “She’s very bonny.”
He shrugged, his gaze locked on hers. “I didnae notice.” He lifted her hand to his lips and, turning it over, placed a soft, lingering kiss on her palm before curling her fingers over the spot. Once again, heat lanced through her.
When he released her hand, she felt bereft. It was so hard to part from him, and she dearly wished to repeat the previous glorious night they had spent together. But with visitors in the castle they both knew without speaking the words that it was too risky. She had already resigned herself to sleeping alone that night. Not that they had done much sleeping.
