Hugh's brow furrowed, but he gestured for the servant to come forward. He muttered, "I didnae think he had anythin' else to say. Seems I was wrong. And seems he's callin' his own meetin's." His gaze drifted to Anna. "I hate to send ye away, but it seems I have some business to attend to. Perhaps ye should get settled in yer chambers."
She took in his posture, swallowing down the emotions and sensations that threatened to make themselves known. While she wanted to ask what was wrong, she realized that it likely wasn't her place to know.
If it's important, he'll tell me.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Staring into the fire, Anna couldn't ignore the feeling of unrest that settled in her bones. It wasn't unpleasant necessarily. It was the kind of restlessness that came from excitement. Though it kept her from sleeping. After tossing and turning for hours, her mind refusing to stop racing, she had forced herself in front of the hearth.
She'd never imagined being interrupted inthatkind of situation. It had been embarrassing, but that wasn't what had been bothering her. Despite the fact that her own pleasure had reached its climax, she hadn't done anything for Hugh. While he didn't ask, she found that she wanted to, even if she didn't quite know what she was doing.
In an attempt to clear her head, she reached for one of the books Hugh had brought her during their dinner. She was sure that it was an enjoyable story, but she couldn't seem to make herself process the words on the page. Instead, her mind was on the man in the chambers next to hers.
She could hear him pacing, his footsteps steady and measured. Occasionally, they would grow more muffled, as though he were stepping onto a carpet. He'd been moving around longer since he turned in over an hour ago. There was something on his mind, and she longed to know what it was.
And I want to know what comesnext. After what he did with his mouth.
She pressed her thighs together, huffing lightly. It was late, and ignoring it would be the proper thing to do. Even if they were married, was it not inappropriate for her to be driven by lust? What if she distracted Hugh from whatever he was thinking over?
Something dangerous in her mind asked if perhaps he needed the kind of distraction that she could provide.
With a quiet groan, Anna shut the book and set it aside. There was no use in pretending she'd be able to read it. Holding it simply created another distraction. She needed to sort her thoughts out, then act. Or… perhaps go to bed.
Forcing herself to her feet, she walked over to her bed and threw the blanket back. The mattress was firmer than she was used to, and the thought of climbing back in made her lip curl. She tossed the blanket back into place before turning away.
She acted on impulse, marching out of her room and into the hallway before she lost her nerve. The candles lighting the corridor cast pools of flickering orange light across the wornstones. It seemed as though the glow was guiding her closer to him, calling her to his space.
The floor chilled her toes with each step she took. Closing the distance between her chamber and his took both longer than she expected and went by too quickly for her to gather her thoughts. When she rested her palm against the smooth brass of the knob, she realized that she didn't have a plan for how to approach this.
She wondered if she should knock or if she'd earned the right to walk right in, considering she was his wife. That would involve Anna knowing what she was asking for, though. She didn't know how to navigate desire, but Hugh clearly did.
I'm sure that he'd welcome me if I came inside and offered to do something for him.
Giving herself the final push she needed, Anna attempted to open the door. The handle didn't turn at first, so she tightened her grip and tried again. Still, it didn't budge.
Her brow furrowed as she attempted to open the door one more time. She was weak, or perhaps Hugh's door was simply difficult to move. When she was sure that it wasn't a fault of her own, she tore her hand away as though the metal burned her.
Holding her hand close, she took a few steps away. Her racing mind suddenly stopped, centering on one thing. Everything else she'd been worrying over fell away.
What if he regrets his actions and wants to keep me away?
Anna swallowed against the tears and shuffled slowly back to her chambers, careful to keep her footsteps quiet. Now that she discovered he had locked his door, she didn't want him to know that she was awake as well. It would be best for both of them if she pretended that she'd never tried to reach out to him.
Once she returned to her own room, she closed and locked her door. The crackle of the fire was a welcome distraction, but she could still hear the sound of her husband walking around just a wall away. As she crossed the flooring, she did her best to ignore the pit in her stomach that only seemed to get heavier with each click of his boots against the stone.
"There's no reason for me to be so upset," she whispered to herself, settling beneath the covers. "Perhaps we simply moved too fast."
But even saying it out loud didn't convince her uncertain heart.
Ach, I need to get to me healer. I cannae work when me head is poundin' like this.
After spending half of the night pacing a hole into the bare stones of his chambers, Hugh managed to sleep for nearly three hours. It wasn't close to enough, but he didn't have the luxury of lying in bed all day. Besides, he knew that this hiding wasn'tbefitting of a man of his position. Even having the desire to do so felt incorrect.
Still, guilt ate at him as he prepared himself to face his daily duties. When he'd invited Anna for dinner yesterday afternoon, he'd intended for it to be just that. It was his job to ensure that she integrated smoothly into the castle and felt confident in her role as Lady McDonald.
He had analyzed each part of his behavior late into the night, and even now, he couldn't stop. Telling Anna that she was beautiful, he knew that he needed to do so. But pushing things further, using his mouth on her when it was obvious that she was completely untouched…
Cold realization washed over him. Anna likely wasn't ready for what he'd done. It wasn't as if she was in love with him. His actions may have scared her. If his goal was to keep her comfortable, he'd failed by behaving this way.
