Killian glanced over Leah's shoulder, and a knot of unease tightened in his stomach. There lingering in the crowd, Killian spotted Fraser. Fraser crossed his arms, furrowing his brow. His gaze was direct. Killian wanted to let out a little chuckle. Seeing Fraser watching them with the intensity of a storm brewing was entertaining. Yet, the reason Fraser was even there as a witness irked him.
Killian knew Fraser harbored doubts about Leah and was convinced that the whispers of her being a spy were more than mere rumors. To Killian, however, it was an affront to her character, yet he understood Fraser's loyalty to the clan. Still, the weight of that scrutiny was suffocating, and it stained the joy of the moment he had envisioned.
"Killian?" Leah's voice broke through his thoughts, laced with concern. "Are ye well? Have ye had somethin' to eat that tasted funny recently?"
"Nay," he answered with a shake of his head that cleared the fog from his head. He blinked and focused on Leah's soft, pleasant face and steely gaze.
"Ye sure? Maybe ye were poisoned some other way."
"What makes ye think I've been poisoned?" Killian grumbled as he leaned closer.
"Where to start? The dress… the meal… the kiss." Leah let the last one slip through her clamped teeth. "Ye’re all over the place. Ye throw complements out like they're sweets and with yer other hand ye punish anyone who dares to take them."
"Ye daenae have a clue what it's like to be the laird," Killian said in hushed tones that forced Leah to lean in closer if she wanted to hear him.
"Nay, cannae say that I do. I do ken that ye told me to play a role and that is what I'm doin'. But ye’re makin' it very difficult to see the line," Leah confessed.
Killian wanted to reach out to comfort her, but the movement in the corner of his eye caused him to pause. Shifting his attention to the shadows, Killian found Fraser with his hand on his dirk at the ready. All Killian had to do was give the word, and Fraser would pounce.
"What are ye doin'?" Leah gasped as Killian snatched her by the wrist and forcefully placed her on his lap.
"Be still if ye want to live," Killian said, removing all emotion from his tone.
"This isnae funny."
"Aye, do ye see me laughin'?" he hissed as he curled his arms around her body. How he savored the floral scent swirling around her. It was as if she had taken a bath in a fairy pond and captivated him. "Now sit pretty and let them all see how happy ye are."
"Killian, I daenae ken what ye’re doin' but…"
"Ye're goin' to have to trust me on this," he whispered as he noticed her loose hair flowing over her shoulders, shrouding the skin of her neck.
"I trust ye as far as I can throw ye."
Killian couldn't deny her response made him want to laugh. Leah was smart and witty. The fact that he didn't intimidate her made her all the more alluring. How he wished he could stop time and keep her there on his lap.
"As well as ye should. But right now, I'm nae yer biggest threat."
"Ye see a threat?" Leah asked. He could hear the skepticism in her tone.
"Aye," Killian said as he hoisted her with ease from one position to another. Killian's attention shifted once again to the shadows and to Fraser. In the depths of the shadows, Killian could see Fraser's expression harden. Determination swelled within Killian as he turned back to Leah. Her sweet, innocent eyes bore into him. In her eyes, Killian could see the worry and the fear brewing, but she did not yet know what threatened her.
Killian pulled in a long, deep breath and brushed his fingers over her cheeks. How could Fraser ever see someone so beautiful as an enemy?
"Killian?"
"Leah," he began, his voice steadying, "there's somethin' I should tell ye."
Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of worry crossing her delicate features. "Aye, go on then."
He took a deep breath, his words heavy on his heart. "Fraser doesnae trust ye. He thinks ye’re a spy and willing to accuse the councilman who brought ye here as a conspirator. Now, as much as I would love to see that man get justice, I'll nae have innocent blood on me hands. That includes yers as well."
Leah's expression shifted, shadows of doubt creeping in. "But I've done nothin' to deserve that kind of suspicion. When ye asked me to play this part, ye never said anythin' about puttin' me life on the line."
"I ken," he replied, compensating for Leah's squirming. There was no doubt she struggled to get away from him. But he wasn't going to let her go so easily. Tightening his grip, he compensated for every wiggle and jolt Leah did.
"Let me go," she hissed as Killian only clung to her tighter.
"Nay," Killian growled in her ear. "We had a deal. And I promise nay harm would come to ye. Which is why ye’re goin' to take the food I'm about to offer ye, and eat it with utter pleasure. Do ye understand?"
