“You should be scared of me, regardless,” Lily insisted as she moved from the window and walked over to her. She held her gaze for a long time, waiting for her to speak.
Lily’s choice to stay back was not because she intended to make any friends here. She was here to clear Duncan’s name because she owed it to him. He was a good man, of that she was certain. But Killian’s brother also deserved justice, and she would help him get that.
“Well, I am nae scared of ye. And, ye’re to join us for supper tonight. My brother asked me to tell ye.” Niamh’s eyes roamed over Lily’s face before she turned to leave the chamber.
“I will not be joining you for supper,” Lily announced to her before she made it out.
“My brother has ordered it.”
“I called a truce with your brother, Niamh… It does not mean I am ready to take orders from him. I shall stay here and eat in my chamber, or I shall not eat at all.”
The less time she spent with Killian the better.
Lily and Niamh exchanged tense looks before Niamh nodded and left the chamber. Alone now, Lily walked over to her bed, dropped on it, and released a deep breath.
When she closed her eyes, she thought of Killian again. His touch made her pulse skitter, and then, there was the way he looked at her all the time.
His fierce eyes and that hardness in his chin.
Killian probably did not know how much he affected her. She was doing her best to control her growing hunger for him,for his kiss.She had never craved anyone before. It was all very new to her.
And thrilling.
Lily rolled over to one side of her bed when another knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Niamh, I told you I do not…” she trailed off when the door opened and Killian stepped inside.
He shut the door, closed the gap between them with quick strides, and then his eyes roamed over the full length of her body.
“Ye told Niamh ye willnae be at supper,” he began as she rose to her feet. “I ordered that ye join us tonight, but ye disobeyed me.”
“Do you have nothing else to do as laird?” Lily asked instead of responding to his statement. “Why is it so important that I show up to supper?”
“Because I ordered it. When I have guests in me keep, we eat together.”
“But I am not your guest, am I?” Lily did not bother masking the light sarcasm in her voice. “I am a prisoner who is about to become your ally. That does not make me—”
“Ye’re stubborn,” he cut her off briskly, “and ye bother me, but I want ye at supper because we must discuss what is to be done about our common enemy. Twice, an attempt has been made to end my life since I met ye, and twice ye have fought by my side. That makes me want to trust ye, but I willnae trust ye until we discuss what to do next.”
“And we must discuss this at supper?” Lily challenged still, meeting his eyes relentlessly.
“Are ye avoidin’ eatin’ with me for some reason? I find that I must ken some things about my new ally, and supper is the best time to do that.”
Lily crossed her arms over her chest and kept her lips in a tight line. When neither of them said anything for the next long second, Killian sighed, combed his fingers through his hair, then closed his eyes.
“All right… ye win. Ye can have supper in yer bedchamber, and we can discuss this in my study after.”
In his study?
The thought of being alone with him in his study made her stiffen. Warning bells went off in her head, and she felt lightheaded because of the intense burst of energy that rushed through her.
“Will it only be the two of us?” Lily blurted out breathlessly before she could hold the words back, and her eyes widened.
There was no taking it back now because Killian’s lips twitched to one side, and his ravenous eyes locked on hers again. “Why? Ye dinnae want to be alone with me?”
He took another step towards her and paused when she backed away one step.
“That is not why I asked,” she lied and felt her cheeks burn.
