“You had no right to demand that I be your protector,” he began. “In front of my family and kin, no less.”
“You’re the one I trust the most. And as I told you before, I’ll reward you for your time.” She went to add peat to the fire, feeling suddenly nervous about his proximity. Not to mention the anger she’d aroused in him.
“I want nothing from you, Celeste,” he said. “Except for you to leave.”
Her skin tightened at his words, and she turned back to him. “If you wanted me to leave, then why did you bring me here?”
He had no answer for that. In the darkness between them, she waited to see what he would do. Her heart began beating faster as he stood on the far side of the hut.
Hot-tempered, Dougal was not a man who would be manipulated by anyone, though that was not her intention. The air between them was heated with anger and something indefinable. Something that made her blood race against her skin. She took a tentative step forward, sensing that there was far more that he’d held back.
“Why, Dougal?”
Another step. She froze when he closed the distance. “Choose another protector, Lady Eiloch.”
“Don’t call me that again. My name is Celeste.” Her voice came out in the barest whisper.
When he reached up to her face, her skin erupted in gooseflesh. Slowly, he grazed her cheek with his knuckles, until his hand came beneath her chin. “I don’t know what it is you want . . . Celeste.” He breathed her name as if it were a curse. “But I’ll not let you use me again. If it’s a hired sword you want, then find someone else.”
She pressed his hand away, shocked at how hot his skin was. Though she only grazed the edge of his palm, in her mind the vision spun of his rough palms upon her bare flesh. Of what it would be like to lie beneath a man such as this.
“And if it’s not a hired sword I want?” she whispered, wondering what had possessed her to be so daring.
He moved in so fast, she had no time to realize what she’d done. Her back was pressed to the wall, his hard body against hers.
If she continued to push him, she would get what she wanted. But it would not be a calm night of surrender. This man would claim her body, ravaging her with his mouth and hands.
The very thought made her go liquid inside, her body rising to his.
“Will you guard me?” she asked. “Just for a little while?” Against her hips, she felt his hard erection, and the firm pressure kindled her own desire to be taken.
“And who will keep you safe from me?” he demanded. His dark eyes stared into hers before he stepped back and guided her toward the door. “Go back to the castle. Before I take something you’re not offering.”
Chapter Four
Dougal didn’t sleep that night. His body ached for a release only she could grant him. Inwardly, he damned Celeste for coming here. Never before had any woman tempted him this much. He wanted to take her, to spend the night exploring her delicate skin while her hair fell down to her hips.
God above, she tempted him. But he would never lower his pride to ask. He’d seen the look of dismay on her face when she’d viewed his simple home. She didn’t want a man like him, who had only a tiny plot of land and a thatched hut to call his own. His only valued possession was the mare, and he spent more time with Ivory than his own family.
She was far above him, like a princess . . . and he was the lowly servant. Perhaps that was what she wanted. A man to serve her.
He was no woman’s slave. Never would be.
His hands dug into the sleeping pallet, and he rolled onto his stomach, trying to suppress the painful aching in his groin. He would tell Celeste no and find someone else to escort her from Glen Arrin. And when he did, his brothers’ wives would berate him for it. He’d never hear an end to their chattering, for they believed that a man was only happy when he had a wife.
He wouldn’t argue that he’d be glad of a wife at this moment, someone to ease the sexual frustration in him. Although he’d had a few women over the years, he’d done his best to avoid them, ever since Celeste had gone.
It was nearly dawn, and he rose and dressed. Outside, the spring air held a chill, and he rubbed his hands together for warmth. The gray sky held streaks of rose, and he walked silently toward the stables.
Ivory was waiting for him, and he fed her and walked with her in circles, praising her when she obeyed. Today, he intended to try placing a saddle on her back, and he waited until she was calm before attempting it. Though she didn’t like the weight, he rewarded her when she remained steady, allowing him to secure it.
“Good morn to you,” came the voice of Laren MacKinloch. Dougal glanced over and Laren held out a bundle of food. “I thought you might be hungry.”
He kept his grip on the lead and brought the mare over as he greeted his brother’s wife. She gave him leftover food from the feasting last night, cold mutton and oat cakes. The repast was welcome, but he knew she was here to convince him to go with Lady Eiloch.
When she continued to remain silent, he handed her back the bundle and asked, “Well? Aren’t you going to convince me that I’ll dishonor the MacKinloch name if I don’t go with her?”
To his surprise, she shook her head. “I came to ask what you wanted. If you want me to find someone else to escort her, I will. Despite last night, Robbie would do it.”
