Page 21 of Kilty Until Proven Innocent
“Aright,” he finally said, tossing the rag aside and arranging her skirts over her legs once more. He took hold of her waist and gently tugged her forward, until her arse reached the edge of the desk. “Where?”
With her palms on his chest, she tipped her head back to study him and named a place to meet. She’d take him to see the King and Queen, but he wouldn’t suspect, not ahead of time.
But with a quick nod, he dropped a kiss to her forehead.
“Ah, lass, ye do my auld heart good.”
There was that tone again, a bit of sorrow, a bit of regret. Brigit wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his kiss. “Ye dinnae feel so auld to me.”
A little huff of air against her hair, as if he might be laughing, then another kiss. His lips lingered atop her crown, and they stood like that for a long moment, wrapped around one another, reluctant to pull away.
Brigit lost count of how long they stood like that; she’d closed her eyes and could almost imagine herself drifting in and out of sleep, although upright. She could feel his slow and steady breath against her hair, hear his heart beating strongly.
Finally he stirred, but she was unwilling to let him go. “What are ye thinking of?”
He hummed. “Och, all sorts of things.” She thought that was going to be the end of it, but he hesitated, then admitted, “Today was…fun.”
Surprised, Brigit pulled away long enough to glance up at him. “Fun? Even though the stakes are so high?”
“Even so.”
She grinned. “I agree.”
His lips twisted a little wryly, and she pressed her cheek to his chest again. She felt the rumble of his voice deep in his chest as he spoke.
“I…have never had a partner like ye. On an investigation. We work well together.”
They did. “Like me?” she repeated. “A lover?”
He huffed what might’ve been a laugh. “Afemale. I…had a bad experience, and have no’ allowed myself to work with women. Or for women.”
Oh, the Queen wasn’t going to like that. But she needed to hear all the information possible, so Brigit pushed. “Tell me about it.” To be honest, she wanted to know forherself, not just for Her Majesty.
He hesitated, then took a deep breath as if preparing himself. “ ‘Twas one of my first assignments as a Hunter, a decade ago. I was young and cocky, and I was sent to escort a lady to a nunnery. Her family disapproved, and I admired her dedication to Christ.”
There was a twist in his tone, as if he were laughing at himself, that made Brigit say, “Was she?”
“Nay. Rebecca was…ambitious. She lied to her family, lied to me. Let me believe we had a chance at a future together.”
Sucking in an angry breath, Brigit straightened to frown up at him. “Ye loved her?”
A pause, then he shrugged, his expression carefully blank. “I thought I did. I thought she loved me too. By then I kenned she didnae really want to become a nun—she wouldnae have used me that way. She wanted power, and was planning on becoming an abbess at the least. She just needed me—and the King’s name—to get her away from her family.”
Brigit felt her nose curl in disgust. “There are some who will do aught for power. She sounds verra determined.”
He shrugged, but she tightened her hold so as not to lose contact with him. “When I left her at the nunnery, she told me I was a fool to trust her. To trustanywoman. She said a strong woman will do what needs to be done to better her life, since nae one else will do it for her.”
Frowning, Brigit shook her head, but the movement turned into a sigh and a shrug. “I guess…there’s some truth there, honestly. But no’ all women are like that.”
“Clearly.” He squeezed her, then dropped a kiss to her forehead. “Today taught me I’ve been wrong all these years. There are some women who no’ only I can trust, but I can partner with. Have ye ever considered a career in espionage, lass?”
The question was so ludicrous, Brigit felt a hopeless sort of chuckle bubbling up from her chest. “Me?” The word came out too quickly, too squeaky.
He’s going to learn the truth. He’ll ken ye’ve been hiding secrets all these months.
Aye, but…but let her have a few more hours of peace with him. Knowing his innocence, and him not knowing her guilt.
“I dinnae like this Rebecca of yers,” she finally muttered, dropping her forehead to his chest. “She’s ruined ye for the rest of us.”
