She nodded, accepting this in silence. He sounded weary, as if the weight of the lairdship had settled around his shoulders once more. She longed to be back in that hut with him, the storm cutting them off from the world.
She found herself dropping back a little, allowing Snip to trail behind Arrow so she could watch the way his body swayed with the movement of the horse, his shirt pulling tight over his broad shoulders, his plaid hanging loose across his chest and across his knees. Only a short time ago, that strong, powerful body had been atop her, giving her the most amazing pleasure. She felt her cheeks heat and her stomach tighten.
“Ye are staring, lass.”
She blinked. Cailean was looking at her over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised in amusement.
“I am not,” she retorted. “Youwere watching me.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “I was. I canna seem to help it.”
Her cheeks heated even further, the warmth spiralling all the way down through her belly and to the spot between her legs.
“See anything you like?” she said in a teasing voice.
“Aye, something I like very much,” Cailean breathed. His eyes shone with desire and something else, something more than just lust,something… deeper.
Rose pulled her gaze away and concentrated on guiding her horse. They rode in silence, a deep companionable silence, but all the way back she found herself glancing at him. She couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him. Each time, she found him looking back at her and the two of them would break into stupid grins, like a couple of moonstruck teenagers.
This wasnotsupposed to be happening. Falling for the man she’d come to help was not part of the plan.
Is that what this is?she thought.Is that why I can’t seem to breathe when he looks at me? Is that why I’m craving his touch so much? Is that it? Am I falling for him?
She had no answers. She only knew that she didn’t want this journey to end. She didn’t want to reach Dun Mallach. She wanted it to remain just her and Cailean. Forever, if possible.
They did not hurry back, and the sun was sinking towards the horizon when they reached the keep. Rose felt her stomach sink as it came into view and from the slight slumping of Cailean’s shoulders, she guessed he felt the same.
The gates were standing open and as they rode closer, a group of people came running out towards them. Rose made out Maggie among them.
Cailean pulled his horse to a halt, suddenly alert. “What is this?” he muttered.
The group hurried up to them. “My laird! Rose!” Maggie cried. “Thank the gods ye’ve returned. Ye must come now! Quickly!”
A shot of alarm went through her at Maggie’s urgent tone. Cailean’s hands tightened on the reins.
“What is it?” he demanded. “What’s happened?”
Maggie wrung her hands. Her skin was pale, her hair coming loose of the normally meticulous braid she tied it in.
“It happened so quickly!” she cried. “There was nothing we could do!”
Cailean’s nostrils flared. His skin paled. “What’s happened? Answer me, woman!”
“It’s Catriona!” Maggie wailed. “She’s contracted the sickness!”
*
It was allCailean could do to remain upright as he tore through the keep towards Catriona’s room. He felt like the world was tilting beneath him and blackness roared at the edge of his vision, threatening to send him crashing to his knees.
No. Oh God, please no!
Terror like he’d never known clutched his heart with icy fingers, making it difficult to think, to breathe, to function. Dimly, he was aware of Rose and Maggie sprinting along behind him, but this was a distant awareness.
He raced up the stairs two at a time and burst through the door to Catriona’s room so hard he sent it smashing back against the wall. Sister Beatrice rose from where she’d been sitting by the bed. She looked as pale and worried as Maggie.
“My laird—”
Cailean’s eyes flew to the bed.
