Tilly had railed at Kieran, throwing accusations at him that had not helped his already overwhelming guilt. She blamed him for Bailey’s capture, that much she had made incredibly obvious. She had demanded that Kieran do everything within his power to bring Bailey back safely, but he knew it was not that simple.
To give his allegiance to Lord Stone would be to deny every promise he had ever made to himself, his clan, and all of his allies in the Highlands. Kieran’s sense of pride and dignity insisted that he maintain his position, that he not buckle under the weight of fear and the manacles of rage.
He needed to maintain a clear mind and not act rashly or impulsively.
It was at a point where he needed to take all things into consideration; any other form of planning would only worsen the situation more than it already had. Lord Stone was no army officer, but he had a cunning mind. His cruelty was only heightened by this fact; the man had no conscience, no sympathy, and no interest in developing either of those traits.
And Vivien had to live with him, in that castle, day in and day out.
Kieran had a newfound respect for her strength. He could not understand how she had endured almost a full year of that man’s arrogance, cruelty, and derisive nature. She was an incredible woman who deserved nothing less than the absolute best a man could offer her. Instead, she was married to the worst kind of man that walked the earth, in Kieran’s opinion.
A man so weak, so selfish, that he put all blame on her shoulders, knowing full well that she was not the one to blame for his own shortcomings in any way, shape, or form.
And yet, Vivien only showed Kieran kindness, empathy, and understanding. She wanted what was best for him; she gave willingly and without question. She had put herself into a dangerous situation helping him, but she refused to stop.
There was nothing more attractive to Kieran than a woman with a will of her own. Vivien had a will unlike anything he had ever seen.
Kieran snapped himself back to the moment he was in, his arms wrapped around Vivien. She was safe, for now, he thought to himself. It was all he could do not to drag her to his rooms and keep her locked in his castle until Stone took his last breath.
He wanted nothing more than to protect her from anything and everything that could possibly hurt her – especially Reginald Stone.
“I missed you,” she whispered against his chest, her arms tightly wound around his waist. Kieran inhaled the scent of her hair, honeysuckles and sunshine, as he kissed the top of her head.
“I ken the feeling; it has been too long.” He sighed as she tilted her face upwards, looking at him through her eyelashes. A jolt of need shot to his groin, causing him to grow harder with the need to be inside Vivien.
Kieran looked around them quickly; there weren’t many people around. Most had gone home for the evening already. Deeming it safe, he kissed her, his tongue delving the depths of her mouth, their tongues gliding over each other. Vivien moaned against his mouth as he caressed her bottom under her traveling cloak. The woman was a vixen; every move she made, every tiny moan, every touch of her skin against his sent fire through Kieran’s veins.
He needed to feel himself filling her again; his mind and his manhood would not rest properly until he had tasted her again.
* * *
Kieran led Vivien through the castle to his private chambers. She was breathless with anticipation and the thrill of the freedom of leaving Stone Castle without a backward glance.
“I am so sorry about Bailey,” Vivien murmured, once they were firmly ensconced in Kieran’s bedroom. A fire burned in the hearth, casting shadows against the walls. There was no other light in the room; they sat on the floor in front of the fire, Vivien’s back against Kieran’s chest, his broad, strong arms wrapped around her. He had been peppering kisses along the curve of her neck, nibbling at her earlobe. Vivien could barely concentrate, but she would not have forgiven herself if she did not try to apologize for a situation that should never have happened.
“It isnae for ye tae apologize, Sassenach,” he replied, planting a kiss on her cheek, “I just wish I ken if he is well or even alive.”
“He’s alive,” Vivien said, twisting in his arms to look up at him through her eyelashes. The flickering shadows across his face cast parts into darkness, others in stark contrast in the light. Kieran was breathtakingly beautiful to Vivien, his strong jawline thrown into relief against the soft lines of his gentle eyes.
“How dae ye ken that?” he asked, his tone changing from desolate to excited in seconds.
Vivien smiled up at him, “I go see him at least once a day, sometimes more if I can get away with it. When I cannot, Helen goes for me. After I found out that Reginald had a prisoner, I had to find out who it was. I needed to be sure it was not you. I could not bear the thought…” she trailed off, remembering the panic that had threatened to engulf her. She swallowed past the lump in her throat.
“Ye see him?” Kieran smiled broadly, kissing her on the lips.
“Of course. Helen and I have been taking food down to the dungeon for him. They don’t feed the prisoners very well; I’m sure you’re familiar with that. But he has a big stomach for such a small man.” Vivien could not help but laugh at that.
Kieran joined her, chuckling deep in his belly, “Aye, that’s Bailey all right. The man is a bottomless pit when it comes tae food.”
“He certainly is. He is surviving, Kieran. He is keeping faith that we will get him out of there. He is in good spirits, as much as he can be under the circumstances. I promise I will keep an eye on him for as long as he is there.”
“Thank ye, my sweet Sassenach,” Vivien looked up at Kieran, lifting her hand to stroke his cheek.
“It is nothing to thank me for. Although,” she pursed her lips, pretending to be deep in thought, “You could repay me if you really wanted to.”
“Oh? An’ how will I dae that?” Kieran asked, eyebrows raised, a smile playing across his lips.
“I’m sure you will figure it out,” Vivien replied, pulling Kieran closer, claiming his mouth with her own.
