Maisie lifted her chin, forcing herself to meet his stare. "And what if I refuse? Will ye carry me then, like some sack of grain? Ye've nay respect, Caiden. I'll nae be made to look a fool."
His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint sparking within them. "If I must carry ye, I will. Daenae test me, Maisie."
She took a step back, though her heart hammered with a thrill she could not deny. "Ye're a brute. A heartless brute, stormin' into a lady's chamber like this. If ye had a shred of courtesy, ye'd turn around and let me dress."
His gaze softened just enough to unsettle her, though his voice remained steady. "If I turned away, lass, ye'd flee. We both ken it. Ye're safer where I can see ye."
Maisie swallowed hard, her anger warring with the warmth that spread low in her belly at his nearness. "Safer?" she echoed, her voice hushed. "Or trapped?"
Caiden leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear, his tone rough but tinged with something she could not name. "Depends on what ye choose to call it, lass."
Maisie's fingers clutched tighter to her chemise, though her defiance flickered with heat she dared not show. "Ye'll drive me mad, Caiden," she whispered, the words escaping before she could stop them.
His mouth curved, slow and knowing. "Aye, Maisie. And mayhap ye'll drive me mad in turn, which is why we both need to cool off."
"Cool off? I daenae understand," she said.
"Daenae fash, lass," he said with a low chuckle, "nay one'll see ye; the whole keep sleeps." With a swift motion, he stripped hisleine from his shoulders and draped it over her, the rough fabric smelling faintly of smoke, heather, and him.
The garment hung heavy upon her, covering even the hem of her thin nightdress. She clutched the collar with her fingers, feeling both comforted and caged in the breadth of him left behind in the cloth.
She watched as Caiden's eyes gleamed with some mischievous secret as he led her out of the castle and down the beach, the moonlight catching on the waves that rolled like silver across the shore. The air was crisp, biting, and the sea whispered like a daring invitation.
He stopped at the water's edge and without a second thought began to undress. Her breath caught as his skin was bared, pale in the moon's glow, strong as stone yet moving with ease. In one careless laugh, he plunged into the dark waves, vanishing beneath with a splash.
Maisie pressed a hand to her lips, heat rising in her cheeks at the sight she had been forbidden all her life to behold. "Saints preserve me," she whispered, turning her face yet stealing another glance.
The water closed over him, and for a moment he was gone. Then he surfaced, hair slicked back, his grin wide and unrestrained, like a boy set free.
"Come in, lass!" he called, his voice echoing over the water. Maisie shook her head fiercely, clutching his leine tighter aboutherself, though her heart thudded with something wild she could not name.
She had been raised to keep her eyes down, her thoughts guarded, her body untouched by boldness. Yet here was a man who flung all that to the wind, bare and brazen, as if shame had no place in him. She told herself it was wicked to stare, but her gaze betrayed her, tracing the lines of muscle and the strength in his shoulders. Heat flushed through her, mingling with anger at her weakness, anger at the rules she suddenly longed to break.
Perhaps, she thought, the sea itself might wash such treachery away. She drew a breath, and with trembling hands slipped Caiden's leine from her shoulders. The night air rushed over her thin chemise, the fabric clinging already as dew touched the threads.
"If ye laugh at me, Laird McGibb, I'll never forgive ye," she muttered under her breath. Yet she stepped forward, heart leaping, and splashed into the surf.
The water was colder than she imagined, biting against her skin, but it stole her breath in a way that thrilled her. She gasped, then laughed despite herself, flinging wet hair from her eyes.
Caiden swam closer, his strokes strong and sure, his smile softened now that she had joined him.
"That's it, lass," he murmured, "the sea kens nay shame."
Maisie kicked her legs, the chemise swirling about her body, light as mist. Only when Caiden's gaze flicked downward did she realize with horror what the water had done.
The cloth clung near transparent against her, revealing what she would never dare reveal in daylight. Her taut peaks protruding under the fabric.
Her breath caught, and she turned, but before she could swim away, strong hands closed round her waist.
She let out a startled squeak, caught half in outrage, half in something else: lust. His grip was firm, grounding her as the waves lapped about them. Their eyes met, his burning with a fire that unsettled her to her very core.
Maisie gasped as the cool water lapped around her waist, but it was not the sea that stole her breath. It was Caiden's hand sliding over her hip, firm and claiming, pulling her closer until her body brushed against his. She felt the heat of his skin even in the cold waves, her heart thundering in her chest as though it might break free. His touch awakened something deep inside her, a fire she had long denied.
His fingers trailed up her side, grazing her ribs before settling against the curve of her breast, and Maisie trembled at the shock of it. The thin linen of her chemise clung to her, leaving her utterly exposed beneath his hungry gaze. When his thumb brushed across her breast, she bit down on a moan, her body arching instinctively toward his hand. Shame and desire warred within her, but desire held her fast.
She dared to raise her own hand, resting it on the hard plane of his chest, marveling at the slick strength of his muscles beneath her palm. The steady pound of his heart met her touch, and she traced down to his abdomen, each ridge and hollow sending sparks racing through her veins. Caiden bent his head, his breath hot against her ear as his hand skimmed down her back, urging her closer. Her skin tingled everywhere he touched, her body alive as never before.
The waves broke against them, but Maisie no longer felt the chill. She clutched at him, fingers sliding over his shoulders, her legs brushing his as he held her steady. Every caress burned deeper, and she surrendered to the fierce rush of passion that consumed her. For the first time, Maisie knew the freedom of wanting without fear, and it terrified and thrilled her all at once.
