Page 72 of Bound to a Scot
Burchard threw his blade down into the sand and spat. “I’m sure Laird MacLachlan appreciates yer concern, wife.”
With a darkly disgusted grumble, he stalked off, walking out of the practice yard. Laith gave them a lingering look, his eyes glittering with malice before he turned and hurried to catch up with his laird. Maddox was left standing there exchanging glances with Emmeline and Lorn, the tension in the air thicker than fog in the Highlands.
“What in the bleedin’ hell was that?” she asked.
“Trouble,” Lorn said. “’Twas trouble, lass.”
Maddox agreed with the man’s assessment but remained silent as he battled the dark feelings of unease that stole over him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“We shouldnae be out here,” Emmeline said with a quiver of fear in her voice. “This is madness, Maddox. Dae ye ken what will happen if we’re caught?”
“Burchard is out of the castle,” Maddox replied. “I watched him leave meself.”
“He could come back.”
“He was packed as if he willnae be back for a couple of days.”
Emmeline suppressed the shudder that passed through her, doing her best to quell her fear. She was torn between wanting this time alone with him and the terror that rushed through her as she pictured Burchard storming back and catching them together. Especially after the scene in the sparring yard earlier that day. Her husband had looked like he wanted to kill Maddox.Worse, he’d looked at the both of them like he knew what they had been up to.
When Maddox had slipped her a note earlier telling her to meet him at the spring, she knew it was the height of foolishness. But she couldn’t suppress her desire to see him. His presence brought her comfort, a sense of joy in her otherwise bleak and unhappy life. And she was powerless to deny herself the opportunity to be with him. She gave herself a small shake, doing her best to push away her unease and fear.
Emmeline looked out over the surface of the spring. It was as smooth as glass and tendrils of steam curled off the surface and rose into the darkened sky. Thick, dark clouds blotted out the moonlight, leaving the land around them bathed in shadow, and save for the soft call of the few nightbirds in the branches of the trees all around them, the world was silent. It was eerie yet beautiful.
“What are we doin’ out here?” she asked.
“I told ye I’d help ye get over yer fear of water, didnae I?”
She pulled a face. “Ye cannae be serious.”
“I’m very serious.”
She looked back at the water and imagined herself in it and shuddered. The fear inside her rose like a malevolent tide as she recalled nearly being drowned by the men outside the village. Asif sensing her fear, Maddox put a hand gently on her shoulder then lightly grasped her chin and turned her face to him.
“’Tis all right, lass,” he said. “Naethin’ is goin’ tae hurt ye. I promise.”
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, trying to find a sense of peace and comfort in his words. She couldn’t. But she did find it in his presence. In the warmth of his body and the strength of his arms. She opened her eyes again as a sickly, shaky smile touched her lips.
“All right,” she said.
“Good,” he replied. “Now, strip down.”
“I will nae.”
He grinned at her. “Are ye plannin’ on swimmin’ in that dress then?”
“Maddox.”
“’Tis nae like I’ve nae seen ye naked already,” he replied. “Trust me, Emmeline. Everythin’ is goin’ tae be fine.”
Her cheeks flushing and her body trembling, Emmeline couldn’t believe that she was actually doing as he’d asked and stripped out of her clothing. Maddox followed suit and her eyes fixed ontohis taut, toned body. The heat between her thighs flared as her belly churned and her body ached with desire. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away.
“All right,” Maddox said. “Are ye ready?”
“Nay. I’m nae.”
He chuckled and took her hand. Moving slowly, he guided her into the water. Her heart racing, Emmeline drew a deep, shuddering breath as the water rose past her ankles, then to her knees, then to the middle of her thighs. Maddox held onto her hand, slipping his other one down to her waist and guided her deeper still. As the water rose to the middle of her chest, she turned to him.
