Page 34 of Claimed By a Savage Scot
Yet at the same time, the urge to crush her in his arms, plunder her mouth, taste her tongue on his, could not be denied.
And the hunger only kept growing. He could not stop wanting her. And until she was gone from his keep, he knew it would only get harder to keep away from her.
He unwrapped his tartanbreacanfrom about his shoulders and tossed it over the back of the chair, then unbuckled his sword belt and placed it by the door. He heeled off his boots and put them neatly next to his weapons. Eager for a dram, a good wash, and then to at least try to sleep, he padded across the thick rug, going further into the room, leaving a trail of clothing as he went.
Suddenly, he paused and sniffed the air, catching the faint scent of hyacinth. His brows rose. Catriona had never been in his chamber, so he knew he must be imagining it. Still, it was discouraging to his resolve when his cock stirred at the mere thought of Catriona.
Dismissing the waft of hyacinth as a pleasant fantasy, the product of his suppressed lustful thoughts, he was about to strip off his trews when a small, barely audible noise behind him had him whirling around, his body attuned for danger.
It was all he could do not to visibly start.
She was standing but a few feet away, staring at him with wide green eyes, her cheeks flushed pink, lips slightly open.
“Catriona?”
The vision of her then burned into his brain, unforgettable. Alarm bells rang in his mind, while warmth spread through his body. In the moonlight, she was more enchantingly alluring than ever. He barely noticed the bundle she held in her arms in front of her, like a shield.
The air seemed to sizzle between them in the silence as they stood motionless, staring at each other for several long moments. There was no doubt she was real and not a figment of his fevered imagination because he could feel her eyes moving over him as if she were touching him, raising goosebumps on his skin.
Her cheeks were so bright they looked to be burning, which prompted him to wonder if she was feverish. Only then did he realize he was half-naked, his hand still resting at the fastening of his trews.
Why was she look so shocked? He vividly recalled stripping off his wet clothing after carrying her across the swollen river on his shoulder. Which only made him remember the slickness of her soft thighs beneath his hands, her breast rubbing against his ear. His groin twitched.
A voice in his head started up—Dinnae betray Duncan, send her away now, she’s dangerous!
But the tempting thought of that soft bare skin lingered, and the memory of her outrage as he had carried her over the water sent a flicker of amusement shooting through him. The voice in his head was stifled, like the smile that rose to his lips.
He put his hands on his hips, cocking his head questioningly at her, drinking her in.
“Well. This is a surprise,” he said, watching her closely as she made a visible effort to pull herself together, lifting her chin, pressing her lips together. But her cheeks still flamed, telling him how flustered she was. The urge to tease her seized him.
“Aye, I-I apologize fer intrudin’—” she began hesitantly, looking contrite.
Assuming a forbidding expression, he cut in, “Apologies are all well and good, but it begs the question, what are ye daein’ in me chambers while I’m nae here?”
Her mouth fell open. “Och, nay, I …only came tae—” she began, so earnestly aghast, he almost burst out laughing. She stopped speaking when he took a step closer to her, the familiar little line forming between her brows.
“So? I’m still waitin’ fer an explanation,” he said, thinking how adorable she looked, how much he wanted to sweep her up and kiss her breathless.
“I knocked, but when?—”
“Ye knocked. Well, that’s a start, I suppose. But when what?” he enquired, lifting a brow, enjoying her obvious discomfiture.
“Then, when I looked in and saw ye were nae here, I thought I’d just slip in and?—”
“Just slip in, is it? Och, what were ye plannin’, Catriona?”
To his greater amusement, anger flashed in her lovely eyes. “I was just bringin’ ye yer cloak, Malcolm Gordon, what are ye suggesting!”
Feeling a sense of satisfaction for having riled her in such a predictable fashion, he said with mock dubiousness, “Well, lass, I’m only sayin’ what I see. Ye creepin’ intae me quarters behind me back. Can ye blame me fer bein’ suspicious about yer motives when all ye can dae is stare at me like that?”
“I’m nae starin’, ye great fool! I’m offended! Ye could have the decency tae cover yersel’ when there’s a lady in the room, but I already ken ye have nay sense of decorum,” she protested vehemently.
“I dinnae need decorum tae strip off in me own chambers, especially when I dinnae ken someone has sneaked in. In fact, I’ve a mind tae loose me trews as well, as is me right.” He made to unfasten his trews, just managing to suppress his laughter.
Catriona shrieked. “Dinnae ye dare!” she cried.
“Why, lass, dinnae pretend such modesty. ’Tis naethin’ ye havenae seen before, is it?” he asked, puffing out his chest, making the muscles twitch.
