Page 36 of Kilted Seduction
Worse, he had no doubt Lachlan would hear of it before the breakfast had passed, either through rumors or a report from one of his servants.
He heaved himself from the blankets, and stretched, pretending nonchalance while he thought. In the end, all he could think of was some of the things he’d heard the guards say, when they were quarreling with a wife or lover. “A proper gentleman doesnae tak’ the bed from a lady, even in the midst o’ an argument, nae even if he’s tired and technically her laird.”
“Dinnae act as if ye were bein’ gracious. Ye took the warmest o’ the blankets.” Thora sat up, awakened by their speech. She managed to adopt an irritated expression as she threw a pillow at his face. “I didnae make ye sleep on the floor. I only warned ye that ye’d lose yer manhood if ye touched me. Ye’re the one that decided ye’d rather brave the floor than risk that I’d mak’ good me word if ye were too restless at night.”
Aedan restrained a sigh of relief that she’d guessed at his ruse and managed to make it look convincing. Now all he had to do was play his part, and follow her lead. “Thora…”
“Och, leave me be, Aedan. I may nae bequiteso vexed with ye this morn, but dinnae think I wouldnae consider making good on me word even now.” The glare she gave him was convincing enough that Aedan almost wondered if it was real, and he’d done something to offend her in truth. Though if that was the case, he’d no idea what he might have done to earn her ire, especially after the events of the night.
“I was only attempting to be courteous…”
“Courteous? Is that what ye call gossiping with the other men about our relationship, and tellin’ tales about us at the supper table? Dinnae think I didnae see the looks they were giving me, nor hear the way they whispered. And then, fer ye tae suggest I’d only be vexed because I was on me moon cycle…”
Oh. He hadn’t even considered that. But he couldn’t let the excuse go to waste. “Well, what else was I supposed tae think when ye…”
The sound of fleeing footsteps and a closing door were clearly audible, even over their voices, as the maid made a hurried escape. Aedan stopped, listening in case she was returning, but the footsteps faded quickly away, and he heard no others coming toward their door.
No doubt the maid would be off to warn all her fellow servants about the argument, and the dangers of braving ‘Laird and Lady Cameron’s tempers’. That, or she’d gone to report their behavior straight to Lachlan Ross. Either was possible, but at least the ruse had bought them some time to head off Lachlan’s suspicions.
“Och, wonderful…” The soft, resigned exclamation drew his attention back to Thora. She was staring at the door with an expression of consternation on her face. Their eyes met, and she blushed. “I’m sorry… I didnae even think…”
Aedan shook his head. “’Tis all right. Ye did offer me the bed.” It was as much his fault as hers, that he’d been too tired and too ‘gentlemanly’ to suggest an alternative, or that they share. He wished he had thought of such things, but it was too late to do anything about it now. The damage had been done. “Dae ye think Lachlan Ross will believe what he’s likely tae hear?”
“I dinnae ken. He might accept it, or he might be suspicious and question us. We’ll have tae be ready fer either situation, I suppose.” Thora brushed her hair back from her face. “But sayin’ we quarreled… ‘twas quick thinkin’ on yer part, fer I was too startled tae think o’ any excuse.”
Aedan shrugged. “’Twas luck. I happened tae recall something I’d heard warriors in my castle talk about when they’d fought with their wives.” He recalled what else she’d accused him of saying. “On another matter… just tae be clear… are ye actually…”
Thora made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a muffled laugh, lips twitching in a small smile as she answered. “Nae at all. Me moon cycle doesnae enter that phase fer another seven-day at least. And even then, if we’re still here, me sister makes a tea that soothes the worst o’ it fer me.” To Aedan’s surprise, Thora blushed. “Tis like yer suggestion o’ quarreling. ‘Twas something I overheard said between one o’ me brothers in an argument, and it seemed a useful excuse.”
“From all I ken o’ the subject, it is.” Aedan shrugged. “I dinnae ken how the womenfolk talk o’ it, but every man born kens that a woman’s mood is changeable as the tides durin’ her time.”
It was awkward for Aedan to speak the words, or even think about the subject. It was some consolation, however, that Thora found it equally embarrassing, if the flush on her pale cheeks was anything to judge by.
After a moment, she sighed. “’Twill serve well enough fer any awkwardness. Even so, we dare nae be caught sleepin’ apart again.”
Aedan nodded. He hadn’t wanted to be the first to say it, but he’d been thinking much the same thing. One night, they might pass off as an argument. If they were caught again, however, it would elicit suspicion, especially since they claimed to be such close and passionate lovers.
Even worse if someone caughthimsleeping on the floor again. He was the Laird Cameron, and Thora was supposedly a simple village lass. Even with her supposed new status as Lady Cameron, she was still of lesser rank, and would be expected to act like it, as would he. And a laird would not be above dismissing a lady from his chambers, even if that lady was his wife - if there was strife between them.
A part of him was glad there’d be no more nights spent on cold stone and hard ground. The rest of him was more concerned with the consequences of sharing a bed with the beautiful, beguiling woman who’d proved far too skilled at getting past his guard.
Last night he’d told her more in that quiet, moonlit confidence than he ever admitted to most people, even Mac. And had theservants not interrupted them and brought them to their senses, he knew he would have kissed her. Not for an audience, or a ruse, but simply to kiss her and feel her in his arms.
He was almost equally certain that she would have let him, even encouraged him. She’d certainly responded favorably to his earlier touches. And therein lay the danger.
He’d sworn to keep his guard up around the enigmatic, beautiful lass that had walked into his castle and taken over his life, but the circumstances were making it increasingly difficult. The longer they spent together, the more he got to know about her, the more his resolve to avoid being entangled with her beyond what was strictly necessary wavered. He could blame it on the enforced intimacy of the ruse they’d agreed to enact to mask their true motives for coming to Ross Castle, but that didn’t alter the truth.
Aedan knew he was in danger of being permanently ensnared, heart and mind alike, by Thora MacTavish. Unfortunately, he had not the slightest idea what to do about it.
Thora followed Aedan down to the Great Hall for the morning meal with a feeling of trepidation building in her stomach. A part of it, she knew, was that they’d have to continue the ruse of both marriage and the ‘argument’ of the night before, and they had to make it believable.
Part of it was her awareness of her growing attraction to the man walking beside her. She’d never intended to have such feelings. Clan Cameron and Clan MacLeod were not allies, and until just under a fortnight ago, Aedan Cameron had been a stranger to her. Had it not been for her vision, she would never have dared approach him.
She’d never intended for their ruse of marriage to be anything more than a convenient trick to keep Lachlan Ross from guessing her real identity, or her real purpose. But with every day that passed, and every interaction they shared, she found herself drawing closer to Aedan, and she was terrified where it might lead.
Aedan had no idea who she truly was. He knew she wasn’t a simple village lass, but not what clan she came from. She feared what would happen when and if the truth was revealed to him. But the more they were bound, the more dire the consequences.
If he came to hate her now, it would hurt, but she knew she would recover. But if she gave him her heart, or accepted his before the truth was known? She wasn’t sure she could live with that heartbreak, whether she was its recipient or the cause of it. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to prevent them both from falling further, not without making Liard Ross suspicious.
