Torcall walked his cousin out, and sadness filled his heart. Why had he allowed Rannoch to get under his skin? But what else could he have done? It may have been an insult to turn down a fight with Rannoch. He sighed again. But it would have been much better than getting into a fight with him. With a deep sigh, he left Rannoch to himself and walked to his chamber.
* * *
Torcall awoke after a short midday nap. It was uncharacteristic of him to sleep in the noon, but he had been exhausted for some reason. If he had been so tired, he wondered about Ceana. Her name brought a smile to his face, and yet, the look that followed after was not sweet. Torcall didn’t understand her. No other woman made him experience so many conflicting emotions in such a short range of time. When he had become of age to be a man, he had approached maturity with vengeance going after several lasses. He didn’t take anything that was not given. However, the women were crazy about him. He was a handsome man to look at, and very few of them turned him down.
Consequently, he was no novice at love-making. The few women who had turned him down didn’t do it because they didn’t fancy him. Rather, it was because his reputation had preceded him.
“Celestine!” he jogged up to the pretty auburn-haired woman.
He saw her eyes flicker mildly and her cheeks redden, causing him to grin hiddenly. She fancied him.
“Hello, Torcall,” she said to him. They began to talk more steadily than they ever had. Progress was being made. He would ask her to the feast.
“I believe ye had a good night’s rest.”
“Aye. And ye?”
“I did.”
“Really?” she asked him. Her tone was strongly unbelieving, but Torcall brushed it aside.
“Aye.”
She said nothing more, and Torcall decided to ask. “I was wondering if ye would accompany me to the feast tomorrow night.” He said and put in his best smile for good measure.
“Nay.”
Torcall wasn’t sure he had heard right. “Nay?”
“Aye.”
“Why?”
“Did ye go drinking at the whore house last night?” it was obvious that asking the question was embarrassing for her as her cheeks reddened. However, she was upset enough to ignore her discomfort and ask.
Torcall said nothing.
“Well?” she glared at him.
“Aye,” he said, never one to believe in deceit.
She reddened even further. However, it was from anger.
“You ass!” she fumed and slapped him across the cheek.
Torcall put a hand to his cheek in shock. There were several people around, and although they weren’t so close to hear their conversation, the slap would have attracted them.
“Stay away from me,” she said to him and stormed out.
Years later, Torcall was finally able to grin at the memory. It seemed like a long time ago in the distant past. Celestine was nothing like Ceana. Unwillingly, the memories of their time together came to him. The night had gone on splendidly until it hadn’t. He had kissed her, and it had been even better than he had ever imagined. Her lips were made for kissing. For some reason, he had wanted to- expected to be her first. However, she didn’t kiss like a newbie. He wondered who had kissed her before him. The unfamiliar jealousy that he had never had to feel prior to her settled in again.
He had held her in his arms and had died ten times over. She had been soft all around, fitting his arms better than he had ever imagined anything else could. Her smile had been enough to make up for every preparation that had gone into the night. He didn’t know how he was ever supposed to cope in her presence again. His hands would crave for her skin and for her touch while his lips would claim her lips. Never had a kiss made him want a woman so. Once upon a time, he would have gone after other women to satisfy his lust for her, but he knew without a doubt that it wouldn’t suffice. He wanted her and her alone.
He knew exactly what he would do to her if she magically appeared. Her moan. He wanted to pleasure her until he was all that she knew. Any memories of any other men before him would be erased. Again and again, he would make her call out his name. Her legs would wrap themselves around his body, and she would beg him not to leave her. He would look into her eyes, and at that moment, he would know without a doubt that he wanted no one else.
The sudden knock at the door interrupted his fantasies. With a frustrated sigh, he realized that he was aroused again. He groaned to himself.
“Who knocks?”
