Page 27 of Scot of Desire
Bran turned away. Across the loch, he caught sight of a woman atop her horse with her dark hair wild behind her. It was Ilyssa, unmistakably so and at the sight of her his felt suddenly heated. Only, she was not alone. Behind her, racing to catch up on his own horse, was Cillian.
Ilyssa turned and dumped another bucket of hot water into the bath. She adjusted the belt on her dressing gown as she looked into the steaming depths of the copper bath placed in front of the stone fireplace. This was what she needed. It would wash away the dirt of the day and hopefully, the memory of the way Cillian had constantly tried to rile her about Bran.
He suspects there’s something between us.
Ilyssa loosened the belt on her dressing gown and walked around the bathtub, trailing her fingers through the depths.
“This cannae go on,” she whispered to herself, though she was uncertain if she was talking about the impending marriage, or the way she and Bran were dancing around each other.
When she returned to the castle, streaking far ahead of Cillian, she had raced into the building to avoid speaking to him. She had searched for Bran, going to the library and the garden, but had been unable to find him. When Cillian had eventually reached the castle, she had gone up to her bedchamber to hide, not wanting to risk the chance of seeing him.
I pray me braither is right. I pray he can get me out of this.
Sighing loudly, she turned to face the bath and slipped the dressing gown down her shoulders, preparing to get into it. Shehad just pulled the cloth down to her elbows when she heard the door behind her click.
In surprise, she looked over her shoulder, expecting Catreena to be the one marching into her chamber, yet she was very wrong.
A man’s heavy tread followed into the room, his boots clomping across the floorboards. He practically slammed the door shut behind him, his body tense and furious, then he zeroed in on Ilyssa.
For an interminable second, one that was elongated and never seemed to end, Ilyssa stared back at Bran, her bare back exposed to him.
Then his eyes shot down to where he could undoubtedly see the curve of her rear peeking above the dressing gown and the sides of her breasts. When he didn’t look away, the tense silence suddenly broke.
He has never looked at me quite in that way before.
He continued to look, showing no sign of averting his gaze.
“Bran!” Ilyssa shouted and pulled the dressing gown sharply over her shoulders again, just as Bran turned away, running his hands through his hair. “What are ye doing in here?” she cried.
CHAPTER NINE
“Ilyssa, I –”
“Bran!” she screamed at him again.
Bran turned on the spot, his whole body feeling as if it was raging with fire as he turned to look at her again. Her body was now covered in the thickened material of the dressing gown, but he couldn’t remove the image from his mind.
The curves, the smooth skin, the roundness of her rear and the hint of breast he had seen. Even her slender, elegant back was driving him mad. He shook his head, looking away from her again as she continued to shout at him.
“Ye dinnae knock, ye just barge in here as if it is yer own chamber. What on earth dae ye think ye are doing?”
“I came tae speak tae ye.”
“Aye? Speak then!” She railed, fastening the dressing gown together with frantic hands. “A second later and ye would have found me completely bare in this bathtub.”
At her words, he turned sharply back to look at her. She seemed to realize the sexual tension at the same time, for she baulked and took a step back.
“Bran… ye should go.” She pointed at the door. “Go, now.”
Yet he didn’t. He remained firmly where he was with his feet rooted down to the ground. Her lips slowly parted as if in understanding as he refused to move.
“How much did ye exactly see?” she asked, her voice breathless. He cocked an eyebrow, and she wailed turning away. “Och, Bran!” she hissed. “Why did ye nae knock?”
“Because I had tae see ye.” He glanced at the door, praying it would remain firmly closed as he walked toward her. She walked around the bathtub, and they ended up in a strange cat and mouse game around the copper bath. “Ye went riding with Cillian? Aye?”
“Aye, what of it?” she asked.
“Alone?”
