Page 42 of Captured By the Highland Devil
Letting her slide the bottle away, Ruben asked, “And why do ye think so?”
Sitting, Norah said, “She finally kens the truth about the war, aye?”
“Aye,” Ruben sighed, taking another sip of his wine. “And to compound her shock, the very cousin was she was assured was dead is the castle’s new smithy. He’s been livin’ here all the while, holding his secrets with him.”
Norah looked out the window. “I ken what that’s like, feelin’ yer whole life suddenly shift from under ye.”
Leaning over to rest his elbows on the table, Ruben asked, “Do ye think ye’d like to talk to her, Norah? I think the lass needs a friend around her and so do ye.”
Her eyes widened. “Do ye think that is best?”
“I do,” Ruben said, while sitting back. “Maybe on the morrow when most of the shock has worn off.”
“Speakin’ of yer wife,” Norah looked around. “T’is almost a quarter to midnight. Why are ye here broodin’ instead of being with her?”
Drumming his fingers on the table, Ruben admitted, “Ye might nae believe this, but I am nae sure how to address the situation. I daenae ken what state of mind she will be in when I return, and I daenae want to aggravate her more.”
“Well, I daenae think ye will find out if ye stay here.” Norah said. “If I were in her position, I’d feel vulnerable and I’d want the company of me husband with me.”
Cocking his head to the right, Ruben’s lips flickered into a semblance of a smile. “And when did ye get so wise, sister of mine?”
Norah stood. “Rumor has it that me brother is one of the sensible men around these parts,” she smiled. “Ye could say I got it from him.”
Chuckling, Ruben took the last sip from the cup and then stood as well. Leaving for his rooms, he gently eased the door in and stepped inside. Besides the think rays of moonlight and the dying fire, the room was dark, not so dark he would not make out the form on his bed.
Gruffly, he pulled open the trunk at the foot of his bed and withdrew an extra pile of furs before gentling his actions to place them snugly about her while her eyes remained closed.
Paige was curled up like a child, hugging a pillow to her cheek as he eased into the bed beside her, so close that they were only a breath away.
Her eyes were closed but he knew she was awake; the lass was a light sleeper. “I ken ye’re awake, Paige,” he said. “Ye can open yer eyes now. Yer mock sleep is very sound, lass but ye cannae fool me.”
At that, she did open her eyes, “Why did ye put me in yer bed instead of mine?”
Turning onto his back, Ruben said. “I felt it was the right thing to do.” He then gruffly added, “Yer hair is quite bothersome as it goes everywhere but aside from that, sharin’ a bed with ye is nae at all unpleasant.”
After a beat of silence, Ruben reached for her and pulled her onto him, she came easily and rested her temple on his chest.
“Thank ye,” she whispered.
“It’s all right,” he said. “Ye can let it out, Paige. Ye’ve been betrayed by a fool who dinnae realize the truth would come out eventually.”
She was crying now, and couldn’t make the tears stop. When she did, she could not stop her voice from quavering. The tears tightened her throat and made her body shudder.
A crying woman was not something Ruben encountered frequently, and when he did, he took pains to avoid them. Now, he forced himself to stay.
“Och lass,” he grunted, “When this is done, ye’ll realize yer father did ye a service. He showed ye how deceptive an untrustworthy he is.”
When Paige did speak, her words were hitched. “I—I wished I had known all this. I—” she swallowed. “I would have nae been so nasty to ye.”
He kept massaging her neck. “Ye couldnae have known. Yer father made sure to keep ye and yer maither blind to it all.”
“Still,” she whispered. “Ye’ve been so welcomin’ to me... and I daenae want to be ungrateful anymore. Thank ye for...everythin’.”
She gazed up at him with wide eyes, hesitant, timid almost.
If he kissed her now, while she appeared as if she might welcome it, everything would change. Everything. His chest tightened, a new fear sitting heavily there. He could not, in good faith, push the boundaries of the tentative trust he’d earned so quickly. Not when she was so vulnerable and needed safety over everything else.
Sitting up, he said, “I need to change me shirt, but I will be right with ye.”
