Page 27 of Bride of the Merciless Laird
He snorted. “Nonsense. Yer teeth are chattering already. Dinnae be so headstrong.” He reached an arm around her waist, pulling her close so that she was protected by his cloak as they forged their way through the sudden blizzard-like conditions, across the cobbled courtyard toward the keep.
His proximity made her uncomfortably aware of his physical presence – the strength of the arm holding her, the warmth of his body against the freezing sleet, his breath in her hair. The sudden temptation to lean into him took her by surprise.
Once they were inside the shelter of the keep, she wheeled away from him, her cheeks burning.
He laughed softly at her discomfort. “Were ye always such a headstrong lass?”
She huffed. “Headstrong? Nay. ‘Tis ye who are willful in brushing aside me wishes.”
He chuckled again. “So ye’d rather let the sleet freeze ye than accept a courtesy?”
She lifted her chin. “If it’s ye placing yer hands on me wi’out me say-so, then freezing would be a pleasant choice.”
“In that case, lass, I shall remember yer words next time I catch ye soaked and shivering like a wet kitten, and I’ll leave ye be.”
At that moment Joseph, the seneschal appeared beside them.
“Me goodness,” he fussed. “Milady, ye are right soaked through.” He glanced at Ewan accusingly, as if to ask where his manners were when he should have sheltered the lady. “I shall see tae some hot water fer ye tae bathe and warm yerself at once, before ye catch yer death of cold.”
He hastened off, leaving Ewan looking at her nonplussed.
He mimicked Joseph’s voice. “Ye poor wee lass, being with that big beast, the laird, who should have sheltered ye properly under his cloak. Tsk. Tsk.” His generous mouth quirked in a grin.
She found it impossible not to laugh. “Touché,” she said lightly, before turning away and heading up the stairs to her chamber.
Tyra allowed herself to drift in the luxurious waters of the bath, filling her nostrils with the rose scented steam rising as she soaped herself. The aches in her shoulders slowly gave way, and she leaned back, for just a few moments in time allowing all the cares and worries she’d been harboring for so long simply slip away.
Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the rim of the copper tub, refusing to allow any of the bedeviling thoughts of her marriage to Ewan Mackenzie and the possible pursuit of her by Harris MacDonald, to spoil the moment of pleasure.
There was a creak as the door opened and quiet footsteps crossed the room. She barely registered the thought that someone had entered the room.
The maid had said she’d return for the wet clothing Tyra had strewn before the fire after she’d tugged them off, leaving her divinely naked.
The person who entered cleared their throat.
It was a man!
Her back was turned to the door so she could not see who it was and she dared not look, lest whoever it was could see her in her state of undress.
All the tension she’d so recently shed, soared back with full force into her tired muscles. She sat up, wishing she could reach the curtain that hid the tub and herself from view from the rest of the chamber.
“Who goes?” she said. Her voice came out more shrill than she intended, betraying the fright she was experiencing.
“’Tis Ewan Mackenzie, milady.”
She swiveled, seeking the linen towel waiting for her on the nearby stool. It too, was out of reach.
Sinking her now tingling nakedness beneath the water, she asked, shakily. “What in the name of all the saints are ye daeing in me chamber, Laird Ewan?”
“I beg yer pardon, Lady Tyra. I had nay intention of intruding. I knocked and when ye didnae answer I tiptoed in tae give ye the warm posset I’ve had the kitchen prepare fer ye.”
Hearing this, she was a tiny bit mollified. It seemed he had her comfort in mind and was not, entirely imposing his presence on her for no good reason.
“I am bathing, Laird Ewan. It is nae seemly fer ye tae be here.” Heat moved along her limbs, climbing to her cheeks.
Why was he still in the room?
He inhaled loudly, and she heard him bumping the little table. Goosebumps prickled her skin at his closeness and the thought he might gaze upon her unclad form.
