Aiden’s arms tightened around her as if he did not wish to let her go.
I daenae want to let him go either,she thought with a slow shiver.
Then, with a ragged sigh as if he were waking from a long reverie, Aiden crossed the room to where the bed waited, piled high with blankets and furs. He gently lowered her onto it and took a step back.
For a moment, they eyed each other.
Is he as breathless as I am? Is his heart hammering in his chest in the same way mine is?
Abruptly, he turned away, his face giving away nothing.
“I’ll get ye some wine,” he said gruffly.
She cleared her throat. “I’d rather have whiskey.”
He gave a short chuckle, shaking his head. “Of course ye would. And we must stop doing this, by the way.”
“Stop doing what? It isnae deliberate, ye ken,” she countered. “I am naetryingto get killed.”
“Are ye sure? One might think ye did, the way ye showed up at me castle when ye kent there would be trouble. Because that’s why ye are here, isnae it? Ye kent they were coming.”
She reddened, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. “Well, aye, but?—”
“But nothing,” he cut her off.
Back turned, he poured two large glasses of whiskey. Taking a long sip of one, he handed her the other. She took a sip herself, rolling the liquid over her tongue thoughtfully.
“This isnae mine,” she remarked, raising her eyebrows.
He chuckled. “I drink other whiskies besides yers, lass. This one is imported. It’s Irish. What think ye?”
“I think that the flavor is good. Smoke and a wee hint of sea salt. It needs more body, though.”
“Ye daenae think that more body would overwhelm the delicate flavors?”
“Nay,” she responded evenly, meeting his eyes. “I daenae.”
He gave her a slow grin. “So I see. Tell me, then. Why did ye rush here when ye kent a mob was on its way?”
She sighed, glancing away. “I thought I might… that I could…”
“Warn me?”
Hannah took a long moment before answering, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Aye,” she said at last. “I came to warn ye. But ye already kent.”
He nodded, leaning against the bedpost. “There’s nae much that goes on in the Highlands these days without me hearing about it. That’s what lairds do, ye ken. They send spies everywhere, then settle back to listen to all the tittle-tattle. Most of it is rubbish, but this particular titbit came in handy for me. We only had a few minutes’ warning, however, before the mob was nearly at the gates. It was a close-run thing.”
“Oh,” Hannah muttered, feeling a little foolish. “I came to help, but I only made matters worse.”
“Nonsense,” he responded brusquely, draining his glass. “Nobody was hurt much. Except, of course, for a few men who deserved it.”
“We could call this me fourth visit,” she suggested, perking up.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Ye brought nay whiskey.”
“Nae true. Some of me workers brought whiskey. They threw several bottles at ye.”
He pursed his lips as if trying not to laugh. “An interesting way of looking at it. Who told ye about this, by the way? About the mob.”
