Her body had warmed in ways she didn’t understand, and while he had touched her again when he had grabbed her in the carriage, she couldn’t forget the look in his eyes. He had looked at her lips again, as if he wanted to kiss her.
Her lips tingled now, and she lifted a hand to touch them.
She had never been kissed before, but she knew kissing Darragh would be nothing like the sweet kisses she had read about in novels. She knew that he would kiss her with the same brashness he had treated her with since they had met, that he would ruin her for everyone else.
How was she going to cope when they had so many days left to spend in such cramped quarters?
The only thing she could do was to ensure they didn’t touch again.
Aye, that is a good plan.
She would keep from touching him or looking into his beautiful green eyes. Surely, she could do that.
She moved away from the door and made quick work of removing her dress. The water was still hot when she stepped into it, but she didn’t spend as much time as she would have liked in the bath, knowing she only had a few hours to sleep. Her bed was gratefully soft, and sleep came easily.
The next morning came quicker than she had expected, but she didn’t dally. True to his word, Darragh tried to entertain her, but as the days went by, she found herself struggling to stay awake in the carriage. By the fifth day on the road, she slept most of the journey.
They had spent the nights in inns, which she knew were for her comfort, but they were short and made her feel sore.
On the final day of their trip, she tried hard to stay awake as they rode through more populated settlements, but the constant sway of the carriage along smooth roads eventually pulled her under again.
“Talia,” Darragh called softly, trying to wake the sleeping girl on his shoulder. “Talia, ye must wake up. We have arrived.”
She slept on, her lips slightly parted.
He eyed her lips and swallowed. He really had to rein in his lust whenever he stared at her lips. If she woke up now, she would no doubt scream at him for touching her. He ordinarily would not, but he had found it hard to ignore the odd angle her head was bent at.
He sighed and shook his head, moving carefully so he could step out of the carriage. They had arrived a few minutes earlier, and he had thought the stillness of the carriage would pull her out of sleep, but it seemed the journey had worn her down more than he had thought.
There were dark circles under her eyes, and her smooth complexion had turned pale as the days went on. He felt guilt for pushing her hard, but the quicker he got her to the castle, the quicker he could begin the search for a husband.
“Me Laird,” a familiar voice greeted him from behind. “Ye have returned. Were ye successful in yer mission?”
Darragh lifted her into his arms and turned to face Cohen, his man-at-arms, with a blank look.
“I see,” Cohen murmured, his eyes wide. “Did ye knock her out?”
“I didnae,” Darragh protested. “The lass is weary from the journey, which is why she slumbers so.”
Cohen breathed a sigh of relief.
If Darragh wasn’t so tired, he would have been offended that the man would think him capable of such violence.
They were first friends, then lads who had grown into men under his father’s training, and it had been an easy choice to make him his second in command once he had assumed the lairdship.
Cohen had seen him through his father’s death, and in the areas where Darragh was lacking, he was a valuable help. Seeing his uncanny ability to put people at ease, he was loved by everyone in the clan, but he balanced it well with his ability to strike fear in the hearts of even the boldest of men, which had them deferring to him without question.
Darragh was truly grateful for his friendship and loyalty.
“Are her chambers ready?” he asked.
“Aye,” Cohen answered. “Amber has been hoverin’ there since the morning. She wanted it to be perfect for the lady when she comes.”
Amber was Cohen’s wife and better half. She had been ecstatic to learn of Talia’s impending arrival and the possibility of a wedding taking place in the castle. She had even suggested that Darragh marry Talia himself, but he had been quick to dismiss such a notion. The woman was sweet, but she could be an overbearing romantic.
Now that Talia was here, she would no doubt latch onto her and try to force her romantic ideals on her. Darragh wouldn’t mind a friendship between the two, but he hoped Amber would at least get Talia to agree to marry, and quickly.
Darragh nodded and started towards the castle. He was impressed that Talia had not woken up despite the movement. If he doubted it before, he was sure of it now—she had grown up sheltered.
