Page 47 of Kilted Seduction
Aedan blinked. “Somethin’ I can dae fer ye lass?”
“Och, nay me laird. ‘Twas more I was thinkin’ o’ what I might dae fer ye...”
The wench had the audacity to twine an arm around his neck and press close to him with Thora standing in the same room. “A dance, perhaps, me laird? And then some movement o’ a… different nature?” She smiled coyly and toyed with his collar.
Aedan stiffened, all his good humor gone in a heartbeat. “Nay, thank ye.”
“And why nae?”
“’Tis nae me desire. And even were it otherwise, I’m new-wed, and me wife is with me.” He couldn’t help wondering if she was overly bold or had over-indulged in wine. Or maybe someone had made her speak to him?
“And what o’ it? Ye’re a laird. Ye can have wife and lover both if ye wish. Besides, is yer wife nae wounded? Surely, she cannae attend tae yer needs properly. I could help ye with that.”
If she’d offered a seven-day ago, he might have been tempted. Now though, he felt nothing but contempt, and utter refusal. “Nay. Thank ye.”
“But, me laird… Ahh!”
The wench yelped as cold water splashed across her face and bosom. The musicians stuttered to a halt as all eyes turned to face them. And no wonder.
Not two feet away, Thora stood holding an empty water goblet, her eyes sharp and brilliant with an anger that took his breath away, even as it made him brace for the coming attack.
“Get yer hands off me husband, ye brazen hussy. And ye…” The glare transferred to him. “Is this how ye’d repay my feelings fer ye? By letting another woman act as if she had the right tae touch ye in such a familiar manner?”
Before he could reply, she threw the goblet at his feet, then turned and stalked away through the crowd.
For a moment, he was too startled to move. They’d been growing closer, and he could no longer deny that, but she seemed far angrier than their relationship should allow, if she wasn’t acting the part. Unless…
Is she jealous? We’ve barely kent each other a fortnight!
Aedan shrugged off the wench’s arm and hurried after Thora. He ignored the stares and the whispers that followed him.
Something was going on, and something more was troubling Thora. He’d promised he’d trust her intuition, or her gift, or whatever drove her to act in unusual ways. If this was the result of another premonition, he needed to know.
Thora could feel tears stinging her eyes as she hurried from the Great Hall and toward the room she and Aedan shared. She refused to let them fall.
She knew she was being foolish. She had no real claim to Aedan. Their ‘marriage’ was a ruse, and they’d promised nothing to each other, save mutual assistance in thwarting the disaster that Lachlan Ross’s machinations might bring. She had no right to be angry with Aedan for how the woman in the hall had been draping herself over him, like a cat in heat.
A few shared kisses - half of them solely for the purposes of keeping up their pretenses - and a night of kindness did notmake an obligation. And even if it had, there were lairds aplenty who had lovers and mistresses. Aye, and ladies who slept with men other than their husbands.
She knew all that, and yet, it did nothing to stop or to soothe the burning swirl of jealousy and rage that filled her gut. Especially after hearing the lairds and their ladies discussing Aedan, while she was getting them some refreshments. Both her heart and her pride had been wounded when she turned to see what they were whispering about.
She reached the sanctuary of their rooms and shut the door behind her, before moving to stoke the fire in the hearth. The maids who would normally attend to such tasks were busy with the Yule feast, and of course none of them would expect the guests to have returned to their rooms so early.
She knew she should freshen up, then return and make her excuses. She had plenty of reasons she could use, including the blow to her head, and the bruise that no amount of paints and powders would have been able to conceal.
And yet, the idea of seeing another woman pursuing Aedan, dancing with him, flirting with him… it had made her stomach churn so violently she had feared she was going to be sick.
The door swung open, and Aedan stepped into the room. Thora felt her stomach clench as he shut the door behind him. “Why are ye here?”
“Why would I nae be? Me wife left the festivities in a temper.” Aedan tipped his head. “Another warning?”
Thora felt a wave of exasperation.
“It has naething tae dae with that. I meant what I said in the Great Hall, and that’s all there was tae it.” It felt like admitting a weakness, but she couldn’t help it. It was what she felt. “I didnae like seein’ another woman bein’ so forward with ye. Nor seein’ ye act as if there was naething wrong with it and hearing the other guests whispering about it.”
“I told her I wasnae interested. That I was wed. What more did ye want?” Aedan scowled.
“Fer ye tae act like it wasnae duty that made ye refuse!” She hadn’t known that was what she felt until the words came ripping out of her, but it was the truth. “I wanted ye tae refuse because ye wantedme, nae because ye’re playin’ the part o’ honorable laird and husband.”
