Page 27 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
She pinned the bandage in place, and he rolled his shoulder experimentally. It felt much better than it had even half an hour before. Whatever ointment she had added to it had reduced the stinging, and his skin felt cool and clean beneath the fresh bandage.
“I could examine ye,” she said, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Images flooded his head of her hands on his skin, stroking him to find out what ailed him. He almost groaned aloud at the preoccupation of his mind.
“How long has this been goin’ on?” she asked.
“Six months.”
“Did anythin’ happen six months ago? A battle? A wound?”
“Nay.”
Keira seemed confused by his answer and leaned back, looking at his face with an intense stare.
“I’ll help ye, me laird; I owe ye as much for the life ye have given to me and me brother and sister.”
“If ye can manage to do that, I’ll give ye anythin’ ye want. I’ll be in yer debt.”
The pain he experienced was so intense some nights that he thought he might be close to blacking out. He could not imagine anyone being able to resolve it, but he could only hope.
As he turned to thank her, he found that their faces were only inches apart.
Her eyes watched him with the same intensity he was feeling. He could see every one of the beautiful freckles scattered across her slender nose. Those full lips were so close he could have brushed his own against them merely by moving forward less than an inch.
For a moment, madness engulfed his mind. One movement, and he could take her into his arms, cover her mouth with his own, taste her sweetness for the first time, feeling if her lips were as soft as they looked.
He would hold her body against his, push her down to the floor pressing his body against hers. Caress the swell of her breasts, tasting her skin, finally allowing himself the pleasure he had been denied for so long?—
He sucked in a breath, pulled away and stood up, cursing inwardly at what he had almost done.
She is yer healer. Ye cannae pursue this. Ye are a fool for bringin’ her here.
He grabbed his sword from the fireside and strode to the door, looking back at her startled expression but keeping his mind focused on the matter at hand.
“Come find me if ye think ye can be of any use.”
He opened the door and stalked out, closing it behind him as gently as he could, trying to shut out the room, the smell of her hair, and the very presence of this woman from his life.
CHAPTER12
“And did ye sleep alright?”Keira asked, pushing Daisy’s hair back from her face and stroking her cheek. The girl leaned up against her shoulder, her mouth drooping at the corners. Daisy did not do well with change.
“Aye, I slept better than I expected. I think there are rats in the walls.”
“Ye lucky thing,” Keira said playfully, “I only have mice in mine.”
Daisy giggled and Keira hugged her warmly as she told her to get up and get ready for breakfast.
As she left her sister’s room, she walked down the corridor a little way to her brother’s chambers and knocked. She was not surprised that the door opened to reveal Scott already dressed, his mop of red hair wet from a swift wash and his bright eyes friendly and happy.
She knew he would do well in the castle. Scott had already taken a liking to MacAllen. The laird was about as authoritative as she could imagine any man being. She knew he would be a good influence on her brother. She shuddered as she imagined how Scott might have turned out had Lucas remained in their lives.
“Did ye sleep?” she asked as she entered his room.
“Aye, very well. Ye?”
“Yes, like the dead.”
