The dog yapped when she stood on his foot, cowering beneath her before running off again.
“Damn,” she swore under her breath, cursing the dog as she stumbled and corrected herself. She was just about to walk in the other direction when Iain’s voice drifted to her.
“Mistress moves like a bairn in a storm,” he muttered disapprovingly. “And the town’s eyes are sharp tonight.”
Embarrassment crept up the back of her neck as she froze. Had she been making a fool of herself all evening? Thinking that she had been almost invisible in the crowd, yet they had instantly seen where she was. She quickly hurried off in the opposite direction, spotting a line of trees that she knew would guide her back to the castle.
The voices began to fade in the distance, along with the crackling of the fire, as she caught her breath.
I cannae believe I did that.
She felt like a fool for stumbling so early in the evening. Had Callum not warned her that all eyes would be on her? She slipped the cloak from her shoulders and loosened the ribbon in her hair, shaking her curls loose as the ceilidh faded from view.
“Callum!” she suddenly gasped, coming to a stop and feeling her heart almost jump from her chest.
His eyes darkened again as he glared at her, his shoulders just as squared and strong as the trees behind him.
Looking behind her, Eleanor realized that they were all alone.
“Just where do ye think ye are goin’?” he growled in a dangerous voice.
“Back to the castle,” she replied irritably, turning back to him. It irked her how silently he had moved and how she had not even noticed that she had been followed again.
“By yerself?” he continued, glaring at her.
“Aye, I didnae want to bother anyone.” She breathed a little harder, feeling the effects of his presence so close to her again.
“So ye chose to place yer life in danger instead? As if I daenae have enough to worry about with yer brother and me own life at stake,” he snapped as his body tensed.
Eleanor almost took a step back as she narrowed her eyes at him. “I daenae need yer protection. Ye were the one who chose to follow me. Ye are worse than Bran!” She balled her fists at her sides, ready to take her leave.
“Daenae compare me to a hound, lass, nae matter how strong and loyal he may be…” His voice was as cold as ice as he closed the few steps between them and once again towered above her. “Ye have nay business being out here on yer own. Ye should nae have been lurkin’ around either.”
“I have a moral obligation to find out where me brother is. And for the record, I was gatherin’ information, and nae lurkin’!” Anger coiled along with a hint of fear in the pit of her stomach. What if he had been right? It had been foolish of her to wander off on her own with so much going on around them.
Moving quicker than a flash, Callum gripped her wrist, stepping even closer until their bodies were touching. His grip was strong and firm, yet she refused to back down.
Her breasts were pressing against the top of his pectoral muscles when he tilted his head to the side, leaning closer as if he were going to kiss her.
Nae this time.
Her defiance kicked in despite the pounding of her heart and the racing of her pulse. She angled her head toward his, her lips parting in a welcoming gesture. He had been teasing her in the study before they had shared a moment, but she would not allow him to get away with it again.
Her eyes flickered shut as she leaned closer, yet a cold rush suddenly made her open them again.
Callum stood a few steps away from her, his chest heaving with every breath as if he had been running.
“How could ye be so cruel!” Embarrassment finally made her snap. “Do ye spend yer days teasin’ maidens with almost kisses?” She balled her fists at her sides, feeling the sting of her emotions across her face.
It was his turn to raise his voice as he walked toward her, forcing her to take a few steps back until she was almost against a tree. “Ye think me cruel, lass? Wait until ye find out how many peoplewant me dead. I spend every day worryin’ about me clan, and ye have the gall to call me cruel?”
“I wouldnae have to call ye cruel if ye would act one way all the time! How am I supposed to act like yer bride if we cannae stand to be in the same room together!” Her breathing suddenly deepened again when she saw the intensity in his gaze.
“Ye are such an infuriatin’ lass!” he growled, forcing her back against the tree as he placed one hand above her head and looked down at her.
Eleanor’s pulse began to hum in her ears as her heart raced faster than a horse’s hooves. His body was pressing into hers, and she needed to know what it meant. “I wouldnae call ye cruel if ye would just explain what it is ye are thinkin’.”
Callum leaned closer, his eyes flashing dangerously as his lips drew closer to hers. “Ye want to ken what I am thinkin’, lass?” he asked in a harsh whisper.
