Page 38 of Wedded to the Twisted Highlander
The Laird didn’t hesitate. In a flash, he closed the gap between them. His lips collided with hers with a fervor that stole her senses and wit.
The world around them faded and left only a warm tingle that spread from the core of her being.
As the Laird’s fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck, Astrid froze. Becoming hyper-aware of everything, she opened her eyes to find him gripping her skirts. Inch by inch, he pulled them up till they were bunched around her hips.
“Nay, ye go too far,” she said, gasping for air.
The bliss that she swam in felt more like a tar pit determined to drown her.
“What’s wrong?” the Laird asked.
Shaking her head, she pushed him back to the doorway.
“Ye need to go,” she said. “Ye need to leave now. I’ll nae do this. I cannae.”
“Astrid, what is wrong? Just talk to me,” the Laird tried as she gave a final push and shoved him back into his chambers. Confusion flashed across his face as she slammed the door shut and bolted it.
That was way too close…
Astrid moved to the bed and plopped down, burying her face in her hands. Her body felt like a traitor, a wild thing that she could no longer trust when she was around the Laird. He pushed every button and tempted her in every manner. If she was going to protect Melody, then she couldn’t let her guard down, not even for the charming Laird McFair.
I cannae let meself get that close again. Far too much is at stake, and I willnae lose her. I cannae.
13
Thomas sat in the chair by the fireplace, his eyes fixed on the door connecting his room to Astrid’s. A smirk played at the corners of his lips as the flames cast long shadows over the stone walls of his chamber. The warmth of the dying embers was a stark contrast to the tumult in his heart.
He had spent the night staring at that door. It was the one place he was certain he’d spot Astrid if she decided to barge into his room once again.
He stared at the door in anticipation, waiting for her to burst through it once again. His mind was a turbulent whirlpool of desire and confusion. The memory of her bold entrance lingered and ignited a thrill he had not felt in years.
But the question was, would she dare to do it again? Would she come rushing through that door once again like the temptress that she was?
That tantalizing thought haunted him for hours, stirring a restlessness in his soul.
Just as the quiet of the night settled around him like a heavy cloak, the creak of a door interrupted his reverie.
His heart rate quickened as hope spurted out of him like a geyser. For one brief moment, the world stopped, and he felt a precious sliver of hope. Yet, as quickly as that hope rose within him, it vanished as he recognized the familiar figures of his servants. They entered the bedchambers as quietly as phantoms.
Had Thomas not known any better, he would have thought the castle was haunted.
“Och, ye’re awake. We had thought…” one of the servants said as he noticed that Thomas was not in his bed but in the chair near the fireplace. “to find ye still indecent.”
“Laird McFair,” his man-at-arms’ gravelly voice broke through the peacefulness of the dawn.
Thomas rolled his eyes the moment he heard Duncan behind him.
“Duncan, what unpleasant news have ye brought me today?” he asked, slipping into his familiar role.
Duncan rolled his shoulders back and stood like the sentinel he was. “Ye make it sound as if it’s me fault that these things happen while we are sleepin’.”
“And sometimes I often wonder if ye dinnae go out of yer way to make things happen just so ye dinnae lose yer position.”
“Me Laird, I served yer faither, and I have served ye faithfully, have I nae? Then why threaten me?”
“I dinnae think anything threatens ye, Duncan. But since God never gave ye a sense of humor, why do ye nae just tell me what we’re doin’ today?”
“Archery,” Duncan answered. “We’ll be bringin’ the troops to work on their archery skills. We’ve got a good wind comin’ from the south that should give us a decent challenge. Trainin’ begins in a few minutes. In fact, I’m certain the lads will get a kick out of ye showin’ up before them. But we cannae do that unless ye get a move on.”
