Smiling, she kissed the top of his head. “I didnae believe ye, so of course I was angry when ye tied me up and carried me away from my home. E’en before Sir Fergus confirmed all ye had said, I had begun to believe at least some of it. I also felt sure that ye believed it all, and how could I fault ye when ye truly felt ye were keeping me safe.”
“I didnae do such a grand job of it, did I. The bastard got hold of ye.”
She shrugged. “And ye rescued me. What I was trying to say is that complete innocence didnae save me from ye. It or this, whatever it is, was there from the start.”
“Good. I was eager from the start, too.”
She giggled when he briskly nuzzled her breasts, but then sighed. “He is going to come here after me, isnae he?”
“I suspicion he will, aye. There is a heavy purse he is hungering for.”
“So I will be bringing trouble right to my uncle’s gates.”
“It has been there before.”
“Aye, but that wasnae my trouble.”
“And neither is this.” Artan raised himself up on his elbows and kissed her. “This is all about greed. Sir Fergus’s greed. Ye didnae ask to be betrothed to the fool. Nay, everyone involved in this is just tossing ye about to get what they want.”
“Ye do ken how to make a lass feel so much better about things,” she drawled.
Artan gave her an exaggerated grimace. “Sorry.”
“No need to be. It is just the truth.”
“Why do I have the feeling that, in some ways, ye have included me in that number.”
Cecily knew her face revealed the sudden guilt she felt. “I dinnae want to and I certainly dinnae think of ye as akin to them. ’Tis just that discovering I have been surrounded by lies and deceit for so long and didnae have the wit to see it has made me question everything.”
“As it should.” He smiled when she looked at him in surprise. “I take no insult, lass. ’Tis my own fault that I dinnae have your full trust. Nay, I am just made determined to see that ye come to trust me again.”
That should not make her nervous, Cecily told herself; then Artan kissed her and she found it hard to think. The fact that he could do that to her was one reason she knew she ought to be cautious. But as she wrapped her arms around him, she decided that in this there was some truth. He could no more hide his desire than she could, and although they were still new lovers, she had already learned that she had as much power over him as he did over her.
Chapter 15
Artan held Cecily closer, nuzzled her neck, and tried to ignore the banging on the bedchamber door. He had Cecily back where she belonged and he was eager for some morning delight. He slid his hand up her ribs and caressed her breast, grinning when she murmured huskily and rubbed her lovely backside against his groin. This was how a man should always greet the new day.
“Curse it, Artan!” yelled Bennet. “Get your arse out of bed! They are here!”
It took Artan a minute to understand the importance of that statement. Then, with a curse, he leaped out of bed and started to dress. A quick glance at the bed revealed that Cecily had already gotten out of bed and donned her shift. She looked pale and a little frightened and he tried to think of something comforting to say as he finished dressing.
“Does he have any Highlanders with him?” he asked Bennet, waiting until Cecily had her gown on before he opened the door.
“The MacIvors,” Bennet answered even as Artan opened the door.
Cursing softly, Artan buckled on his sword. When Cecily stepped up beside him, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her. The fact that Sir Fergus had ruined his morning pleasure only made Artan even more eager to kill the fool. He set Cecily away from him, saw the fear still lingering in her eyes, and lightly stroked her cheek with his fingers.
“The MacIvors are enemies of Angus’s?” she asked.
“Aye,” replied Artan, “but Sir Fergus willnae find them verra good allies. They dinnae truly hate Angus, ye ken, but they do covet Glascreag. I suspicion they think they might use these Lowlanders to help them get these lands.”
“They will soon find out they have made a verra poor choice,” said Bennet.
“Aye, that they will. Do ye ken who Crooked Cat is, lass?”
Cecily nodded, “Angus has introduced me to nearly everyone in the keep.”
“Go to her. She is the one who will be readying the women to do their part.”
