Page 45 of When the Laird Claims
He was a man of his word. He had already told her that.
“I’ll have me man-at-arms start spreadin’ the rumors of our engagement tonight. I imagine that they will circulate quickly as I have been needin’ to take a wife for quite some time now,” Arran answered.
“Good. Yes… that’s good,” Victoria said stiffly, but he could tell that there was a great deal more that she wanted to say, seemingly biting her tongue.
She had been right the first time around. It was best to keep a distance, and yet he had allowed himself to be drawn in a second time all over again. He needed to stop setting himself up for failure.
“Sleep well,” Arran said.
“So, you donotwish to join me?” she asked in a very small voice, as though she had been bluffing before.
There was very little that he wanted to do more than go into that bedroom with her. He wanted to continue what they had already started outside in the warmth of her bed. He would have given almost anything to lose himself between her thighs once more.
But she was not his, and he needed to stop attempting to make her so.
So, his only answer was, “Goodnight.”
He turned, but even that was much more difficult than he wanted it to be, as he went back to his room alone, feeling far worse than he had when he had been avoiding her. Indeed, though he had won the sparring match, it rather felt like he was losing something far greater.
21
News of the engagement spread quickly.
Far more quickly than Victoria could have ever imagined. The congratulations started almost immediately. Some women in the great hall gave her dirtier looks than usual, but she tried to ignore them as best she could. She could hardly blame them when their Laird looked the way that he looked and conducted himself in the way that he did.
More interesting was seeing how quickly the obnoxious councilmen changed their tune, now that they believed she belonged to their Laird. No longer did they encroach upon her personal space. No longer did they make the snide comments under their breath when they walked past her. She had tried to ignore it before, because she knew that Arran was on her side about things like that, but now? It was more annoying than it had been before. She didn’t like feeling like property.
Not after the life she had lived before.
But Arran made it worth it. For the most part.
There was no denying that things between them were still tense after the other night. But, she also could not deny that she was very much looking forward to their next lesson. He was only speaking to her when eyes were on them, and it was driving her mad. Yet, she could not seem to figure out the best time to mention it to him. She wanted to ask. She wished to figure out how to broach the subject, but it felt wrong to ask Kristin about her brother.
A few days had passed before Arran spoke to her again. Too many near touches, too many moments where shecouldhave spoken to him, but her tongue kept her silent. But after dinner, she was about to leave for her rooms before night had completely fallen, when Arran placed a hand on her thigh to stop her. Possessive in a way that thrilled her, rather than frightened her, reminding her of their \”sparring match”.
“I think it is time for another lesson, what say ye?”
She blinked at him, tamping down any wilder thoughts. “You have not had a proper conversation with me in days, so why would I wish to do anything with you?”
Mercy help her when he looked up at her like that. She could feel her willpower become paper thin.
“Do ye nay longer wish to learn to defend yerself?”
“Is that the only reason that you wish to spend time with me? My Laird?” Victoria asked without tone.
She wanted nothing more than to have him disagree with her. She wanted him to pull her into his lap and tell her that it was all nonsense and that he was merely afraid, or that he was ready for them to proceed together after consideration. Even just a whisper of what he might like to do to her would have been enough.
Arran’s expression softened. But Kristin answered before he even had a chance to do so.
“What is this I hear about a lesson?” she asked as she bounced Ruby on her knee. “I would very much like to see that.”
Arran removed his hand from the top of Victoria’s thigh, careful not to touch her now that they had company watching them.
“I am tired,” Victoria started, and then shook her head, indicating that she did not wish to continue.
“An attacker will nae worry if ye are tired, lass,” Arran said.
He had a point. How could she say no to that?
