Page 40 of Rescued By the Highland Warrior
Moira nodded, relieved by the shift in focus. “Good. Ye’ll need tae keep it clean if ye dinnae want it infected.”
Roderick smirked, leaning back slightly. “Ye’re quite skilled at patchin’ folk up. Is that something the Triad taught ye, or did ye pick it up yerself?”
She shrugged. “A bit o’ both. When ye spend years surrounded by danger, ye learn tae stitch a wound or two. It’s either that or watch someone bleed out.”
“Impressive,” Roderick said, his smile sending a shiver down her spine. She liked it when he found her impressive, in fact she probably enjoyed it a little too much.
Roderick’s gaze lingered on her, his smirk fading into something quieter, something that sent her pulse racing. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about him the way she did, but deep down, something pulled her toward him—an urge she couldn’t quite silence. She still recalled the taste of him, and she wanted more.
Moira swallowed, forcing herself to break eye contact as she wrung out the cloth with more force than necessary. She dusted off her hands as she looked around the room.
“Now,” she said. “Solvin’ this case. How about we retrace yer faither’s steps? It will be wise tae follow his journey during the huntin’ trip, perhaps there is somethin’ tae discover there.”
Roderick nodded, thoughtfully.
“Of course, in an ideal world we’d be able tae find out who that figure was in the passageway. But that’ll tak’ more time, which I ken well is o’ the essence, so the huntin’ trip will be a good place tae start.”
“The only problem is,” Roderick said. “I dinnae ken where me faither went huntin’ exactly. So, it may be a little difficult tae retrace his steps.”
“Is there anythin’ ye might remember about his usual huntin’ trips, anythin’ he told ye when ye were a bairn, perhaps?”
“We dae have a huntin’ lodge,” he said. “Me faither didnae usually stay there when huntin’, but he did go when he wanted a little peace an’ quiet.”
“Perfect,” Moira replied, standing up from the bed. “Then that is exactly where we should go.”
“We’ll leave first thing in the mornin’.”
Moira nodded, standing there for a moment, for some reason reluctant to leave. Something felt good about the time she had spent with the Roderick in his chambers, a little too good. Now her walls were down, in the warm sanctuary of his bedroom, it was difficult for her to put on her mask and leave.
“Is there anythin’ else I can get fer ye Roderick?” She asked.
“Nay, thank ye. I’d urge ye tae get some rest.”
High chance of that,Moira thought.
"Aye, I’ll try.”
“Good night, Moira.”
“Goodnight,” she said, turning away despite her body urging her to stay.
As she made her way to her own chamber, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was changing. Something she couldn’t ignore.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Roderick woke with the sun streaming through his windows again. He had hardly gotten any sleep. All he could think of over and over again, was that kiss.
Once they he and Moira had returned to his chambers, he would have pushed for more had she not seemed so adamant about avoiding him. She acted as though it had simply been a mistake. An unintended consequence of the heat of the moment.
Roderick knew she was probably right, but that didn’t stop the yearnings, ones that were powerful enough to keep him from his sleep.
But despite his fatigue, he sprung to life, gathering his things for his and Moira’s trip.
He loved how much she had opened up to him the night before. He felt that he had gotten a glimpse into who she really was. There was an intimacy that was blooming between them, one that Roderick was finding increasingly impossible to ignore.
He had thought about it when she left his chambers, along with everything that she had said. What would happen when she went on her next mission? Roderick felt a strong internal conflict between avenging his father’s death, and Moira having to go away.
He did not want his people to starve, which they would if he didn’t find a solution for the crop shortages, and he needed to resolve this current conundrum quickly, so he could concentrate on solving that problem for his clan. But he also did not want her leaving once she solved the mystery of his father’s death, for some new, dangerous mission, one in which her survival was not assured.
