Page 24 of The Mad Highlander
“To what?” the Laird asked with a sly smile. He felt himself being drawn to her lips again as his gaze dipped to her mouth.
“Well, I mean, ye must have some women who look at ye in certain ways, and if ye are the Laird of this castle, ye could have any of them ye wanted.”
The Laird stepped closer to her as he had done the previous night. “I ken what ye are askin’ me, and I cannae do anythin’ other than ask ye to trust me, and I ken that is easier said than done. Over time, ye will see that I am nae some monster who goes around beddin’ all the women I can find?—”
“I wasnae claimin’ that,” Iris assured. “I want to trust ye, but how can I when I dinnae ken ye? I ken yer maither and sister better than ye because I’ve spent more time with them. I ken ye are busy, but I still dinnae think that is a guid excuse.”
The Laird sighed. He did not like to be wrong, especially not in the face of a woman who had just arrived at the castle, but she spoke some sense.
“Ye make some guid points, but I am nae goin’ to halt me business because ye live here now. It’s nae only yer brother to deal with.”
The mention of her brother stopped any more vocal protests, and Iris struck a little before him and pursed her lips.
He hadn’t taken the time before, yet he couldn’t help but realize how beautiful Iris actually was. The gentle curve of her neck along with the delicate features and olive eyes made her far more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. Her thick black lashes kissed the tops of her cheeks every time she blinked.
Iris nodded now, gently rubbing her cheek against his palm.
“I do nae have a mistress, Iris. I brought ye here to be me wife, an’ I willnae stray from our bed for as long as we are married. I am a man of honor. Ye will be the only woman I touch.” His body was suddenly overcome by a demanding urge of desire toward her when she parted her lips.
She seemed to lean into him a little as her hip lightly brushed his.
Cayden realized that he could have had her then if he wanted to. Everything about her body from the hungry look in her eyes to the way she kept leaning into him let him know that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He knew for certain that he couldn’t have been reading the signs wrong when she leaned in closer and brought her hand up to her cheek, covering his fingers with hers.
The wave of warmth that suddenly engulfed his hand sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine.
Nae here.
He felt a gentle tugging at the back of his mind to treat her better. She had acted as if the kiss in the study had somehow not been right; he would need to read the situations more carefully if he was to show her that he intended to treat her with all the respect in the world. He gave her hand a final squeeze and took a step back, needing some distance between him in case things got out of control again.
Iris folded her arms over her waist and hugged her body defensively in the same manner he had seen her do over the course of their meeting. He wondered if it made her feel safe; it seemed to act as a form of comfort for her.
Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. “I have been remiss in my efforts of making ye feel at home. I promise to put some time aside each day so that we may spend more time together ’afore the handfasting ceremony.” His heart skittered in his chest when he saw the flicker of relief in her eyes.
“Aye, I would like that. Perhaps we could discuss the plan to save Ashton whenever ye discover anything new?” Her eyes filled with hope as she chewed the inside of her cheek.
“Aye, that can be arranged.” Cayden felt a strange sensation of longing that had little to do with his desire for her. A far-off longing that he hadn’t experienced before suddenly flittered deep within his chest.
Something had shifted between them, a strong feeling of something almost akin to understanding that made the atmosphere just a little lighter.
Noticing the dark that was beginning to set in around them, Cayden nodded in the direction that they had come. “We had better get back; the woods are nae safe at night, even for a feisty lass with piercing eyes,” he attempted to tease her.
A flicker of a smile spread over her lips as she came forward and joined him before they started to retrace their steps.
“There was something else that I wanted to say to ye.” Cayden cleared his throat as silence filled the air between them again.
Iris glanced up at him briefly before keeping her eyes rooted to the path once more.
“Yer brother will always be welcome here. What I mean to say is that once we have rescued him, he may stay at the castle for as long as he likes. I ken that he will more than likely want to remain with yer cousin, Tristan, but the doors to Castle O’Brien will always be open to him as kin.” Cayden resisted the urge to reach out and grab her hand when surprise flickered in her eyes once more.
“That is incredibly kind of ye, Me Laird. I have been so busy worrying about him now, that I didnae even think of us being apart once he’s back.” Her frown deepened, yet the tension seemed to leave her shoulders as her breathing eased.
“An’ please, call me Cayden; we are to be handfasted; there is nae need for ye to address me so formally.” He snuck a peak at her expression before looking ahead.
“Very well, Cayden it is then.” Her lips cracked into a genuine smile that tugged at his chest.
Warmth filled his chest as he suddenly felt proud of having put her at ease. A marriage seemed to be easier when the people involved at least liked one another. At least, that is what he had learned from watching his parents when he was a child. Hisfather had never shown his mother even an ounce of kindness, and she in turn had been miserable for years.
Perhaps I am nae like me faither.
