Page 26 of The Curse of McMillan Castle
He sighed, shook his head, and moved his hand to his hair as if he meant to run his hand through it, but stopped when he remembered it was pulled back.
“Nae, lass. I must ask ye a question for I fear I may lose me sanity if I doona do so. But I fear I already ken the answer, and no part of me wishes to hear ye say it.”
I couldn’t begin to imagine any question that should’ve made him so nervous.
“Okay…ask it then.”
“Do ye care for me, lass?”
I frowned at him, as I tried to think back on anything I’d done or said that might make him think otherwise.
“Yes, Duncan. I do. I wouldn’t have come to dinner if I didn’t.”
He sighed, clearly frustrated.
“But the acceptance of me invitation was intended to spare me feelings, aye? Ye doona care for me as I do ye. Ye doona want a suitor.”
Ah. That was it then—the reason behind the disappointment that had washed over his face earlier in the evening.
I smiled and walked toward him as he stood awkwardly in front of me. When I reached him, I placed my hands on his chest. I took no small amount of delight from the way his breath caught in response to my touch.
“Duncan…I’m really not that nice of a person. I’ve never been good at doing anything to spare anyone’s feelings. Clearly, you misunderstood me, so let me make it incredibly clear to you now. I wouldn’t have come to dinner if I didn’t like you. I wouldn’t have spent so much time trying to make my hair look nice if I didn’t care for you. And Duncan, while I’m not sure if I want a suitor, I am getting more and more sure by the second that I do want you.”
He drew in a raspy breath as he stared down at me in the moonlight. “Aye?”
I nodded. “Aye.”
His arms came around me quickly then, lifting me towards him as his lips found mine. He kissed me thoroughly, all of it intensified by the closeness of our bodies before pulling back and smiling at me.
“I told ye before that I was no good at this.”
I laughed as he lowered me back down to the ground. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I quite enjoyed it.”
He took my hand as we resumed our walk back to the castle.
“I doona mean the kiss, lass. ’Tis only, if no’ for Isobel, I would’ve left this night certain ye dinna care for me. Ye would no’ have seen me again.”
No wonder it had taken him so long to get his coat.
“She spoke to you upstairs, then?”
“Aye.”
“Then, I will have to give her my own thanks tomorrow, as well.”
Duncan kissed me three more times before we made it to the back entrance of the castle.
When we arrived, I gave him one last kiss and reached for the door handle before he stopped me by placing a hand on the door.
“Can I see ye on the morrow, lass? Mayhap we can meet midday and go for a walk in the sunshine?”
“I would love that.”
Beaming from ear to ear, I stepped inside to find Kenna standing just inside the doorway.
Clearly she’d been waiting for me.
The giddiness from the moment drained from me as I looked at her.
