Page 65 of The Highlander Steals a Virgin
“Ye as well,” she murmured.
He didn’t reach for her or close the distance between them or kiss her as she had hoped he’d do. He just smirked and walked back down the hall, toward the door just beside hers.
She slipped inside, her heart thudding.
The fire in her hearth burned low, but Nina had clearly been there. The bed was turned down, basin refreshed, and the air smelled faintly of roses.
Amara undressed in silence, moving slowly. Anything to stop her mind from spinning.
She climbed into bed and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.
She waited.
And waited.
When an hour passed and still no sound came from beyond her door, she got up. Tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear against the thick oak.
Nothing.
Not even the creak of his door.
She exhaled and returned to bed.
Not ten minutes later, she was up again. Her bare feet padding across the rug, nightgown whispering at her ankles, and she pressed her ear to the door again.
He’s right next door… and yet… he’s nae comin’.
Feeling foolish, she gave up.
She slipped back under the blankets, curled into the corner of the bed like a child, and let herself ache.
Amara ached not just for his touch, but for what it had meant. She knew very well, plain as the nose on her face, she couldn’t leave him.
19
The scent hit her before her eyes even opened.
Chamomile.
Had I fallen asleep? What time was it?
For a moment, Amara thought she was dreaming.
She opened her eyes and sat up slowly. A soft blue light crept through the edges of the curtains.
There, beside the hearth, a silver tray waited. Steam curled from the teapot. Slices of honeyed bannock sat next to a small dish of softened butter.
She rose, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. It was only then that she noticed the note folded beneath the teacup.
The handwriting was bold and slanted.Busy today. Explore as you wish, lass. See you at supper. – R
Amara read it three times over.
She pressed the edge of the note to her lips, half-smiling. It wasn’t poetic. It wasn’t even particularly warm. But it was, in a way, and it was thoughtful, in a way as well.
He wanted her here. He wanted her to stay.
She bit into the bannock and let the warmth melt across her tongue. Her chest filled with something dangerously close to joy.
