Page 56 of Taken By the Heartless Highlander
“I liked him. I thought he was different.”
“He is.”
Scott only scoffed. “He is just the same as Lucas.”
“Nay!” she said firmly. “Nay, he isnae.” She sighed, taking his hand as Scott dutifully picked up her medical bag and pulled it over his shoulder. “Lucas is a cruel man who doesnae care for anyone but himself. Laird MacAllen cares for his people, and no matter what ye believe his intentions towards me might be, he has cared for us. He dinnae have to help me, or ye and Daisy, but he did.”
Scott nodded, looking as though he was thinking about it carefully before responding.
“Alright. I suppose that is true. But I dinnae like the way he looks at ye.”
Keira paused,dinnae ask, ye shouldnae need to ken.
“And how is that?” she asked.
“Like ye belong to him,” Scott said unhappily, probably wishing to instill some fear with his words, but as they made their way slowly back to the castle, all she could feel was anticipation.
* * *
Scott was quiet and subdued on the rest of the journey, and Keira was not inclined to force the conversation to the topic at hand.
She knew he was right about many things, and that the correct course of action with Noah would be to distance herself from him, but she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to do it now.
She had never felt pleasure like that. It was as though he had opened up her world to a whole new plane of existence.
I have never felt so safe in all me life as I have in the last few days,she thought regretfully.Whenever he touches me I just want to forget anything else exists.
Scott left her at the door to her bed chamber with a dark look that she tried hard not to be annoyed by.
He was her brother, but he was acting like her father, and she did not care for it. She had been looking after herself and making her own decisions for nearly twenty-five years; she did not need him to tell her what to do now.
She opened the door, looking forward to ridding herself of her wet things. But she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Noah standing beside the fire, waiting for her.
He was still wet from the water of the loch, his hair a little fluffier than usual, his kilt sodden and damp.
She remembered her hand moving beneath it as she had touched him. He wore no underclothes; it was a heady feeling to know that if she chose to, she could reach out and do it again.
He stood up to his full height, looking uncertain as they stared at one another.
“We need to talk,” he said, walking past her and closing the door. She turned to ask him what he meant by that, only to find his huge arm leaning against the door above her, his body inches from her own, so powerful and strong she could barely breathe.
She looked up at him, seeing the same need in his eyes as she felt every time he was close to her, and she hurriedly moved to the fire. He did not follow. Both of them seemed to recognize that keeping some distance between them was wise.
The fire was welcoming, and it helped to warm her chilled skin.
“What did ye wish to say?” she asked, feeling worry settle in her gut as she looked at his stern expression.
“Yer brother is right,” he said finally. His jaw clenched as he said the words. “I am an honorable man, but I have nae treated ye in the way that ye deserve.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand before she could speak.
“What if we were to marry?”
Keira could only gape at him in response. “What?” she asked, her voice coming out as a croak. She could not believe that he would even think such a thing, let alone suggest it.
“Ye and yer siblings would be protected from those who are huntin’ ye. Ye would be safe.” He huffed a laugh, and it was a cynical sound. “Me council might even stop houndin’ me to take a bride.”
Keira felt something cold and unpleasant settle in her gut at the clinical nature of his words.
