Page 30 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
She couldn’t tell if he was amused that she was seeking out the Laird, or was waiting for the Laird to kick her out.
Mustering her courage, Emma pushed aside all her doubts and fears and peered through the crack in the door. The flickering light from the lantern illuminated the heavy door of his bedchambers.
She hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath to steady herself, and then softly knocked on the door. Every nerve tingled with anticipation. The silence that followed seemed to echo her vulnerabilities, amplifying her fear of the unknown.
The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of candlelight inviting her in. She gently pushed it open, revealing a room illuminated by the soft, flickering glow of numerous candles. The warm light danced around the chamber, casting a golden hue on its rugged stone walls. As she stepped inside, her gaze fell on the sight before her, causing her heart to flutter uncontrollably.
Hunter was in the tub, his eyes closed in relaxation. His muscular chest was partly visible above the waterline, the candlelight accentuating the contours and ridges of his well-built torso. Her eyes lingered a moment longer than they should have, and she felt a rush of shock and confusion at her thoughts and daring. Her heart pounded against her chest as she shook her head.
I shouldnae have come here.
With her cheeks flushing in the warm glow of the candles, she quickly turned around to leave. But before she could escape, she heard a deep, resonant voice behind her—a voice that sent a chill down her spine.
“Ye shouldnae have come here, lass.” The deep, husky tone resonated in the quiet room, echoing her fear and uncertainty.
She froze in her tracks, every fiber of her being alert and focused on that voice—on Hunter. His words lingered in the air like a warning, a challenge, and a lament all at once. Suddenly, she understood the smirk on Archie’s face and why he was watching her so intently.
Emma steeled herself, pushing away the shock and replacing it with a quiet determination. She turned around, steadying her gaze to meet his.
“I apologize. The door wasnae completely closed, and I…” she said, her voice holding an air of defiance.
“And that gives ye the right to sneak up on me?” His response was mocking and laced with amusement. It was clear he was toying with her, but she refused to be intimidated.
“I… I wasnae sneakin’ up on ye,” she answered quickly, trying hard not to focus on the beads of water clinging to his bare chest. Or the fact he was soaking in the hot tub, steam rising around his nakedness.
“Why have ye come to me bedchambers?” he asked, arching an eyebrow as she glanced away, hoping he hadn’t noticed how long she’d been staring at his bare skin.
“I came to apologize for dinner. I didnae mean to make ye so upset,” she quickly explained as her eyes remained locked on the grains of wood under her feet.
The sloshing of water caught her attention, and she briefly glanced at Hunter. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment upon catching him stepping out of the tub. Hastily, she closed her eyes as her body tingled. She longed to flee the room as her inner voice taunted her.
I shouldnae have come here.
“Let me get this straight,” he said, his voice not nearly as distant as before.
Emma dared to steal a peek through her lashes and found Hunter grabbing a cloth to cover himself.
“Ye came to me chambers, disturbed me peace to apologize for dinner? Ye’re lucky ye werenae met with steel to yer neck, walkin’ in unannounced.”
Emma nodded her head but said nothing as her world filled with darkness, and only then did she realize how foolish she’d been to seek him out.
“I didnae walk in unannounced. I knocked. But I swear that I’ll remember to be louder the next time, as the Laird so wishes,” she said, surprising herself with her audacity.
“Ye call that a knock?” he asked.
Emma dared to open her eyes. She breathed out slowly as she watched him pull open a window, allowing the steam from the room to escape.
“Aye, I do, when the door is opened the way it was.”
Hunter leaned against the window frame, his face unreadable. He folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head as his gaze narrowed.
“Ye can close the door, if ye wish,” Hunter said.
Emma swallowed hard as she wondered if this was her moment to escape. She started for the door and pulled it open enough to slip through.
“Ye came here to speak wit’ me and now ye flee? Do ye have nothin’ to say?” Hunter’s question startled her.
She’d come with several things she wanted to tell him, yet being in his presence fogged up her mind, much like the steam had done his room.
