Page 66 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
No one knew they were heading to the village tomorrow, so it was unlikely that they would face the culprit. Magnus and Ewan could handle the villagers, who were probably unarmed. Besides, very few would even be in possession of a horse, and they could always race away if needed.
Finally, Ewan nodded. “Everyone else has their orders for while we are gone. The castle and the borders will be guarded.”
“Good.”
One less thing for Magnus to worry about. All his attention could be focused on protecting Ciara and gathering the villagers’ support.
“We just need to remain alert tomorrow,” Ewan advised, echoing Magnus’s thoughts.
With a dark grin, Magnus said, “Aye, we need to be ready for anythin’.”
25
“Nearly there, lass,” Magnus said.
The morning after their shinty game—far too early, in her opinion—Ciara stood in front of the castle, a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders.
Magnus was readying their horses for their departure, but she was too cold and too tired to help with the preparations. Besides, with help from the servants and Ewan, he had it under control.
She grumbled a little but didn’t reply.
“Nae a mornin’ person, are ye?” he teased. Shooting him her best glare did nothing to deter him, though. “Although I’ve never seen ye up too late either.”
“I’m a day person,” she said primly.
His deep, rumbling laughter filled the morning air with something warm and light, and even Ciara found the corner of her lips quirking up in response.
“Some people just need a lot of sleep,” she added with a grumble.
“Aye, well, I’ll keep that in mind. I can think of a few mornin’ activities that might be worth losin’ a little sleep, though.” He winked.
Just like that, Ciara didn’t feel the cold at all. Heat rushed through her at his teasing words, and an image of a shirtless Magnus beside her and the early morning light streaming through her window formed, unbidden, in her mind.
She’d only ever seen him shirtless from the back, so a lot of it was her imagination, but she knew his front was just as muscled, all hard, taut abs and a chiseled chest. The few times they’d been pressed against each other, or when she’d laid her head on his chest, she could feel those muscles. She had just never seen them.
She pictured his rumpled hair, mussed from sleep and their nighttime activities, and somehow it made him even more handsome. She could imagine his light, gentle touches that would slowly bring her tired body to full alertness and then pleasure.
That would certainly be a better way to start the day. It might even make a morning person out of her…
Magnus was watching closely as she indulged that fantasy, and he looked half tempted to go back upstairs and make those images come true, but instead, he shook his head.
“Come on, lass. The horses are all saddled up. I’ll help ye up,” he said, beckoning her over.
She stepped closer to him, but even just being in his personal space made her flush again. Their near-kiss yesterday afternoon kept flashing in her mind. Since the night of the cèilidh, it was the closest they’d come to… well, anything. And Ciara was highly aware of her husband, by this point.
Carefully, he helped her mount her horse before very smoothly swinging himself up on his own mount.
When he looked back at her, she was already staring, too focused on the way his leg muscles had worked to lift him atop the horse. She cleared her throat and looked behind her. She told herself it was to make sure Ewan was with them, but Magnus’s smirk when she turned back around made it clear neither he, nor she, believed that.
“I think we are all ready to go,” she said.
Thankfully, Magnus just nodded, though he didn’t lose the smirk.
The pair of them took off together, with Ewan following closely behind. His presence was a stark reminder that protection might be required today, that not everyone there might be pleased to see their Laird and Lady.
Ciara cast a glance at Magnus, but she couldn’t see any hint of the lingering anxiety she felt over meeting more of their people. He rode calmly, his back ramrod straight.
It was nothing like his carefree attitude from yesterday, but he did not seem concerned. Ciara, on the other hand, was practically fraying the reins the way she was fiddling with them.
