Then, before she knew what she was doing, she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
He breathed in sharply at the touch of her lips to his. There was a split second, an instant where she was afraid that he wasgoing to turn away, to reject her. Then his arms came around her waist, strong and warm, and he pulled her against himself, hard.
The kiss deepened, the tip of his tongue slipping along her lower lip. The movement sent shivers down Una’s spine. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, feeling the warmth of his skin through his thin, damp shirt.
Abruptly, she found herself lifted off her feet and set down neatly on the stone bench. Struan pulled back, his eyes hazy with desire. Una’s chest constricted, an insistent feeling ofwantthumping in her chest.
“Curious, eh?” he whispered.
Her breath trembled. “Something like that, aye.”
Struan grinned. It was a wide, proper smile, without a hint of mischief or malice, and it lit up his face so beautifully that Una could not even formulate a thought. That was just as well, as a small voice in the back of her mind screamed, “What are you doing?”over and over, but the desire sitting heavily in her gut would not let her listen.
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to the soft skin at the side of her neck, right where her pulse thrummed under the skin. She could smell soap, a faint undertone of sweat, and something else, something sweet and savory all at once.
Lavender,Una thought dizzily.
Chapter 12
Missed Chances
Unsurprisingly, Struan couldn’t sleep. He stared up at the dark ceiling, dappled with moonlight, until the moonlight turned to dawn, and the icy dawn light turned to golden sunlight. His eyes burned. He needed sleep, he knewthat, but at the moment, sleep simply wouldn’t come.
Images flashed before his eyes. Images of Una, gasping in his ear, her arms wrapped tight around his shoulders, her body pressed against his.
What have I done?
He shouldn’t have touched her. That was for certain. He shouldn’t have teased her, kissed her, done any of it. They’d say that he’d seduced her if it all came out.
Struan briefly closed his eyes. No, he hadn’t seduced her. She’d seducedhimwithout even trying. It was like he was a fish on the line, caught body and soul. It wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t meant for it to happen.
Getting Una on my side was meant to make it easier for me to do my duty, not harder. I’d have done better to pay her no mind at all.
Well, it was too late now. That thought would have to join the ranks of missed chances in Struan’s life, all the times he could have made things a little different but did not and regretted it later.
He sat upright slowly and stiffly, blinking in the morning light. He’d learned that his new guards wouldn’t come and wake him in the mornings. He could lie in bed all day if he wanted to. After the debacle yesterday, they’d refused to spar with him anymore. Perhaps they’d gotten into trouble for hitting him.
Wincing, Struan lifted his fingers to his sore lip, blood crusted around it. He couldn’t even remember which of the guards had delivered that blow. Did it matter? None of them would speak to him or even meet his eye.
He almost missed Spots, Spaniel, and Chewer.
Almost.
He dressed and washed quickly, then hammered on the door to his cell. Itwasstill a cell, even if he’d been allowed a few extra pieces of furniture. There was a writing desk and stool in the corner—but no parchment or ink—and a soft chair pushed up against the window. He had a proper washstand now, instead of just a basin.
They’re gifts for turning traitor,Struan thought grimly.
The door opened, revealing one of his blank-faced guards. The man lifted his eyebrows questioningly.
“I’d like to go for a walk,” Struan said.
“Where to?”
“I haven’t thought about it. Where would ye like me to go?”
The guard didn’t seem to like this question. He blinked, then scowled, and said nothing. Struan sighed inwardly.
“So, can I go?”
