Reluctantly releasing her, he searched her face. Her dark eyes revealed her own arousal. “I will find a quiet place for us.”
She nodded, as if so overwhelmed with her own need she was unable to speak and his pulse quickened.
The heavy air around them crackled with anticipation, the thunder in the distance like a promise of what was to come.
“Darragh!” Terrence called from atop his mount, two other men close behind him. “They’ve found something that looks like blood.”
Darragh shook his head to clear it, then answered brusquely, “Here?”
“They’ve asked if ye could come to take a look.”
Brighit tensed beside him, her face a mask of terror, and he was reminded that she was still hiding something from him. Despite her brave front, mayhap she was shaken by all this talk of the murdered man.
“I will be back anon.” He halted his instinct to kiss her on the lips, instead opting for her cheek. “Will ye be fine alone?”
He smiled at the way she pulled back, looking very near to outraged. Before she could start in on him, he withdrew his own dagger from his side and placed its hilt in her hand. “In case there’s any trouble.”
Brighit’s fierce appearance softened into open adoration and his throat tightened. That was the look he would prefer to see on his wife.
“I will be back. Keep the fire burning.” He followed behind the other men, already looking forward to returning to his lover’s arms. If given the right persuasion, she would trust him—he felt certain of it.
Chapter 13
Brighit hugged her knees close and stared into the fire. Why was Seigine here? What game was he playing? The air was thick, saturated from the impending rains and clogged with suspicion. The clouds overhead lumbered across the sky to block out the stars. She tightened her grip on the mantle, hoping it would warm a chill that had little to do with the cold.
“Mmm. That was quite a show.” Seigine came toward her from the darkness. “My guess is that ye have said nothing about yer dagger being buried in my brother. I am glad ye have waited until we could talk again.”
She jumped up, struggling to appear calm. “I did not murder him. I was defending myself.”
“Tsk. Tsk. Is that what ye will claim?”
“’Tis the truth and well ye know it.”
He shook his head, his lips compressing as if considering a great dilemma. “A wild lad taking on a seasoned warrior twice his size? Who would believe such a tale? Certainly ye snuck up on him.” He quirked a brow, and her body tightened with outrage. She would have liked to slap that smug look right off his face.
“Ye will lie outright and say it was a sneak attack?” She guffawed. “No one would believe that of me.”
Seigine did not answer. He simply watched her—his stare so long and intense, fear tingled down her spine. “Well?”
“Ye are most desirable when ye are defiant.”
That was not the answer she had expected. When he moved closer to her, she instinctively backed away.
“Is this the game ye will play, little one?”
“Ye are a horse’s arse.” She threw the words at him without thinking through what he might do, but he moved swiftly for such a large man, twisting her arm up behind her, the pain excruciating.
Through tight lips, he asked, “Did ye learn nothing from yer encounter with my brother?”
Brighit tried to maintain the space between their bodies, but he roughly yanked her closer, painfully flattening her breasts against him.
“I am not a man to be taunted.” His gaze roamed over her face before landing on her lips. “Kiss me.”
“I will not.”
With the slightest movement, he bent her arm further up. White-hot pain shot through her upper body while his lips moved ever closer. Demanding. She closed her eyes to block him out. He jerked her forward, crushing her lips to his. Then he released her just as quickly, and the pain was gone. She caught herself before she fell, gingerly testing her shoulder and arm for damage. When he turned away, she wiped the feel of him from her lips.
“Am I not as pleasing to ye as yer new husband?”
