Page 13 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
He was ready to push up her skirts, push aside his kilt, and take her right there in the corridor…and judging from her panting, she was as ready for it as he was.
But a sound in the distance caught his attention and he cursed himself for allowing his guard to fall so easily. Struggling to control his breathing, he pulled away as the footsteps came closer.
Brigit blinked up at him and a part of him wanted to crow smugly that she seemed so disoriented, soneedy. His kiss had done that, affected her the way she’d affected him!
But he had a job to do, an investigation which might very well save his life.
“The bolt, lass,” he managed to gasp, knowing ‘twas still squeezed between them. “I need…”
“Aye?” She rocked her hips forward, pressing her warmth into his cock, and he groaned again, knowing how wet she’d be for him. “What do ye need?”
“I need…” He licked his lips, trying to focus as the interloper approached. “I need to learn where it came from. I need to visit the smiths.”
She blinked, then blinked again, and blew out a breath which sounded like disappointment. Then she slid down him, supporting herself on the stones behind, and swallowed.
“Let us start with the castle armorer then. He might have some answers.”
Slowly, Drummond’s smile grew as he stepped back and offered her his hand. “The armorer. Brilliant.” And ‘twas the truth; he would’ve trotted all over the city, interviewing smiths, but her idea was to eliminate the worst possibility first, and he respected it.
Brigit finished adjusting her clothing, then tucked the bolt into the ties at her waist. He respected that she wanted to keep it close, because she clearly wasn’t certain about this.
Och, she was certain enough about thekissing, he knew, but not about his innocence. And he respected that, too, because he was a man who didn’t trust easily. In fact, he was beginning to suspect that Brigit was the first woman in a very long time whom he could trust.
“Shall we?” she asked haughtily, weaving her fingers through his.
And Drummond cherished the spike ofhopein his chest.
Mayhap ye’ll get to keep yer head after all, laddie.
If only he could give his heart to Brigit.
Chapter 3
“Dinnae give up hope,lass. We still have a few more guards to interview.”
Drummond’s soothing assurance jerked Brigit’s attention from the list of names at which she’d been staring. She forced a carefree smile.
“Of course! Just because we’ve gone through ninety percent of them and they can all produce their crossbows means naught! For certes these last men will be the guilty parties!”
He snorted at her overly optimistic tone, as she’d intended, but in truth, shewasbeginning to lose hope—
Hope? Nay, keep yer story straight. Ye dinnae actually hope he’ll find a guilty man here, do ye?
Sighing, Brigit pinched the bridge of her nose and straightened, stretching her back.
Her idea to visit the royal armorer had been a good one, of course. The man had immediately identified the bolt as coming from his supply, and, not for the first time, Brigit had wished she’d thought to take the crossbow as well, to have him identify it.
She’d beencertainthat having Drummond present the bolt to the armorer would elicit some sort of response from one or the other. But instead, both had acted as if they’d never seen the damned thing before. The armorer confirmed these bolts had been issued to the guards and royal men-at-arms instead of thrusting himself to his feet, pointing at Drum, and yellingAha! Back for more weapons with which to murder the King, eh, fellow conspirator?
Sometimes the bad guys were so inconsiderate.
But…was Drummond a bad guy?
The plan had been so simple; show him the bolt, allow him to incriminate himself, drag him to the Queen to confess. But Drummond had beenhappyto see the bolt, not frightened. Excited, even. Once she explained what ‘twas, he’d seen it as a chance to clear his name!
Something an innocent man would do.
When he’d asked to see the location of the trap, Brigit had purposefully taken him to an area of the corridor very much like where the ambush had been set, but about a dozen feet away. Drum hadn’t shown any indication he knew ‘twas the incorrect spot, and instead gone over the stones with a careful eye, looking for the same minutiae Brigit herself would have.
