“Oh, fer God’s sake, I cannae dae it!” she huffed once more, wriggling so much that he thought she might get up and march away.
“Ye can.” He held her close. Her hips were so near to his now, he was terrified she’d feel his length pressing against her, but he couldn’t resist holding onto her for a minute more. “Let me show ye.” He bent his head nearer to hers, whispering in her ear. “If I was trying tae seduce ye, Ava, I’d talk tae ye like this.” He deepened his voice to something he knew she hadn’t heard from him before. “I’d whisper yer name softly, love. Tell ye all the things I’d want tae dae tae ye, the way I’d want tae make ye smile, the way I’d want tae please ye. Dae ye hear it in me voice? What I want tae dae tae ye?”
I’m getting carried away, damn it!
Yet he couldn’t stop himself, he bent his lips down to her neck, trailing his lips there but not quite kissing her. She had gone as stiff as a board, but she wasn’t pulling away.
“Ye’re too good at this act, Kai.” Her voice had turned tremulous.
“I’m just showing ye how it’s done.” He raised himself up on his elbow, so he could look down at her as she rolled onto her back. “Now, it’s yer turn.” He waited, smiling at her encouragingly.
“What if…” she paused, chewing her lip momentarily before inhaling as if to gather courage. “What if I was tae tell ye all the things I wanted ye tae dae tae me?”
That is the tone.
She had nailed the perfect voice. It was seductive, low, like a caressing whisper. It was beautiful and sensual and what she had said left Kai’s heart beating so hard he thought it might just break through his ribcage.
She doesnae mean it. Remember that.
Yet she was looking up at him without breaking the connection of their gazes. For one second, Kai thought about kissing her, of throwing caution to the wind and showing her just how he felt about her, then she looked down and the moment was gone.
“See? Ye’re an excellent learner.” He jumped to his feet and turned away. He adjusted his trews as much as he could, beingcareful to constantly keep his back to her so she couldn’t see what she had done to him. “We should be on our way quickly. We dinnae want the snow tae get much worse or it will slow our journey tae the castle even more.”
“Kai?” Ava called, but he had to leave. If he turned back, she would see everything she had done to him.
“I’ll check on the horse.” He marched out of the cave, with the memory of Ava’s words still echoing in his ears.
CHAPTER NINE
“We’re here,” Ava whispered, peering around Kai’s shoulder to look at Dunvegan Castle. The turrets, made of grey stone, reached tall into the sky atop the mound of stone and earth it had been built on centuries before. Some of the walls were crawling with ivy and creepers, the green and red leaves stark against the grey stones and the snowy white clouds in the sky.
The castle, it was alive with activity. A market had been set up on the lawn where the villagers had come to sell their wares, as soldiers marched up and down in tartan uniform and clan brooches, some practicing their maneuvers as others shopped. There was a general air of Yuletide about the place, with women selling mistletoe and holly boughs on their stalls, and others offering up pouches of cinnamon and other spices that they claimed to have traded with businessmen from Edinburgh.
“Yer family are getting ready fer Yuletide,” Ava observed as the horse trudged through the thin smattering of snow on the ground.
“Aye.” Kai’s one-word answer made Ava peer to look at his face. He’d not been the same since their lesson first thing that morning.
Why? It was a very good lesson…
The problem for Ava was that it had felt too real. When Kai had nearly kissed her on the neck, talking about things he wanted to do to her, for a minute she had felt like one of the many ladies he had taken to his bed. Far from hating it, she had actually loved it.
Nothing good comes from wanting Kai tae take me tae his bed. He would never really look at me like that.
Kai turned the horse through the market and up toward the portcullis which had been lowered. In the courtyard, maids were running back and forth with pine-laden boughs, ready for hanging in the great hall. There was a strong scent of cooked meat wafting from the kitchens and spices too. The staff’s children were running around, playing games with sticks, pretending they were swords. The whole atmosphere was happy, except for the man that rode in front of Ava.
“Ye’ve barely said a word today,” she whispered.
“I’m just deep in thought,” he explained as he pulled the horse to a stop. A young stable boy ran forward to take the reins as Kai jumped down. Ava turned to step down herself, but Kai was already offering up his hands again. Remembering what he had taught her in one of their lessons, she reached out to take his shoulders as he took hold of her waist. He lifted her fromthe saddle and very slowly, placed her on the ground. It was a testament to his strength that he made it last so long. Even when she was down, he didn’t release her but continued to look at her with that same serious expression he had been wearing all morning.
“Ye dinnae seem like yerself, Kai. What’s wrong?”
“Dinnae be worried about me.” He forced a smile.
“I dinnae need yer talent tae ken something is upsetting ye.”
“It will pass. Ye ken me.” He winked. “I always find a reason tae smile, dinnae I?”
She parted her lips to argue with him, well aware that they still hadn’t let go of one another when another voice shot across the pair of them.
