Page 28 of Kilted Hate

“I’ll nae bite,” Domhnall said, turning his head but not fully looking at her.

“Well, of course you won’t,” she replied, jerking herself out of her stupor.

Concentrate, Katherine, for goodness sakes. The man is injured.

Placing one hand on his shoulder, and feeling the heat of his skin beneath her fingertips, she moved the wet cloth towards the cut lower down on his back. It wasn’t a deep cut, and already seeing the map of white lines across his body, both front and back, it was evident that Domhnall was well used to injuries. Still, he had saved her from a terrible fate.

With lightning speed…

Yes. There was that. It certainly wasn’t the first time he had moved in a way no normal man ought, and perhaps, now might be the perfect time to discuss it. At least it might distract her.

Really?

All right, that was too much to hope for, but if she could just get him to talk about something else, something that would take away from her current discomfort, it would be better than nothing at all.

“Tell me?—”

“What is in that list in yer book?” Domhnall said, speaking at exactly the same time.

As if the situation wasn’t already bad enough, Katherine could only gawk at his back as her face reddened even further.

“That’s… that’s none of your business,” she squeaked, wiping the blood around the small wound.

“Och, come on, Katherine. Ye ken I have already read it. I just cannae remember all ye have written on it.”

“You had no right to read it in the first place,” she said, feeling more embarrassed than she could ever remember feeling in her life.

“Well, I did, so it’s a little late fer all that. Come on. Tell me.”

Heaving a sigh, and realizing that there really was no point keeping it from him, given he had already invaded her personal belongings, she said, “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious.”

Again, Katherine hesitated, trying her upmost to concentrate on the job in front of her. Straightening his back, Domhnall shifted in the seat, his massive muscular mass moving under her light touch as he did so.

Maybe answering the question would settle her thumping heart. Clearly, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, her body was reacting in strange ways being so close to her future husband in such a state of undress. On the other, the embarrassment of that list was causing her cheeks to feel like the flames of a fire.

“Fine,” she said, eventually making a decision. “Sometimes, being a lady can be a little tiresome, if not downright boring. I decided, one day, that I wanted to inject a little excitement into my life. All men have their fun with no recompense. Why shouldn’t I?”

“Indeed.” Domhnall nodded.

“And thus,” she continued, “I made a list of things a lady in my position ought never to do.” The wound was now clean, and after tenderly drying the area surrounding it, Katherine took a step back. “Only, I was ordered to travel here and to be married before I got a chance to finish completing all the items. I’m sure you noted that some had been struck out.”

“I did.”

Without her having to say so, he deduced that she had finished seeing to him, and standing, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. He then turned to face her.

“Thank ye.”

“You are welcome.”

But in that moment, his expression conveyed sympathy as though he felt sorry for her in her predicament. It was unusual under the circumstances, but more than that, it was not an expression she was aware he had the capacity to convey.

“Anyway,” Katherine shrugged, “there is no time to finish it, so it doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?”

She turned and folded the wet towel, before bending to the floor and lifting the bowl of water. As she walked across the room, she heard Domhnall say, “How about a truce?”

Placing the bowl next to the jug on the dresser, Katherine turned to look at him.

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