Page 45 of Scot of Deception
And then she laughed, the sound bright and amused, and Blaine couldn’t help but do the same.
“Look at the state o’ us,” she said, holding her hands up only for her cloak to drip mud everywhere.
At least Blaine had gotten the worst of it by landing so roughly. Slowly, he pulled himself away from Kathleen and raised and lowered his leg experimentally, making sure that nothing was broken. It would surely bruise by the end of the day, and it was bound to ache for days, but as long as he could walk, then there would be no real trouble for him.
He was only glad Kathleen was unharmed. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to her while she was in his care.
With a groan, Blaine pushed himself up to his feet and stepped out of the puddle, making sure to keep his feet steady in case they threatened to slip again. Then, he offered his hand to Kathleen and pulled her out, helping her stand on solid ground once more.
“I think it’s time tae end the hunt fer us,” he said.
“Och aye,” said Kathleen. “I think we’re both in great need o’ a bath.”
In the end, though they were the pair that first showed the most promise, they returned to the group empty-handed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kathleen leaned back against the tub with a sigh, letting her body relax in the warm water. She had already scrubbed herself clean, making sure she got every bit of mud off her body and then patiently allowed two maids to help her with her hair, before she requested some clean, warm water for her to bathe for a while longer.
Never before had she been as dirty. Her clothes were practically ruined, though the maids had assured her they could get the stains out. Her hair had gotten matted at the back in mere minutes and had to be brushed repeatedly to get rid of the tangles, and she had had to thoroughly scrub under her nails to get them clean once more.
At least the clothes she had worn were hunting clothes; nothing she would miss if it turned out they were unsalvageable.
Closing her eyes, Kathleen let her shoulders drop and her body relax, luxuriating in the warmth. Her mind wandered to Fenella. She wondered what her friend was doing, if she was still plunged in the depths of her grief. Having so many familiar faces around her seemed to have lifted her spirits a little, but the reality of her fate hung heavy over her head and Kathleen’s concern bubbled inside her, she felt the need to see her and talk to her. It was still early after all.
That, in Kathleen’s mind, was the biggest issue with Fenella. Though she was quick to share her happiness and just as quick to share the pain of others, she never wished to burden her loved ones with her own.
There was a knock on the door. Kathleen heard a familiar voice call from the other side.
“Kathleen?” Blaine called. “May I enter?”
Kathleen was just about to tell Blaine to wait a moment while she exited the tub and dressed, but then thought better of it. Why should she make him wait? Why not let him come inside and see her like this, take this opportunity to tempt him and see what he would do? They hadn’t discussed anything about what had happened between them yet. Kathleen had no idea where they stood with each other after their coupling, and she didn’t know how to broach the subject.
Seeing his reaction seemed easier, less risky somehow.
“Come in,” she called, and the door opened to reveal him, his eyes going comically wide when he saw her. For a moment, he sputtered, then he quickly shut the door. But then he seemed to realize that he had done so he opened it again to retreat in a flurry of confusion.
“Wait!” Kathleen told him, making him stop dead in his tracks. “Ye can come in. I dinnae mind.”
“Ye’re… bathin’,” said Blaine with a small stutter. “I’ll leave ye tae it.”
“I’d rather ye didnae.”
Kathleen stared right at him, and Blaine stared back. She could almost see the cogs turning in his brain as he considered his options, and her heart beat loudly as she waited with baited breath to see what he would choose.
“I think I should go,” Blaine insisted, but he made no move to leave.
Kathleen drew in a deep breath and weighed her options such like he had done. She didn’t want him to leave. She could think of a hundred better things to do than watch him leave.
“Please,” she said, sitting up a little straighter so that the top of her breasts rested just above the waterline.
In the end, he closed the door again and he stayed inside.
“This is hardly proper,” he pointed out, but the corner of his mouth ticked up in amusement. Kathleen drew her bottom lip between her teeth, taking a deep breath so that her breasts peeked over the waterline, her nipples quickly hardening in the chill of the room.
“It’s naethin’ ye havenae seen afore,” she reminded him, watching as his gaze fell to her body, the water doing little to conceal her naked flesh.
Still, he didn’t move. He remained frozen by the door, entirely reluctant to make a move, and Kathleen didn’t know how to convince him.
