“Finn, no.” She grabbed his arm, staying his forward motion even as Jamie pushed the girl aside, who tumbled to the floor with a shriek, tangling in her skirts and landing with her bare arse pointed up for the world to see.
Erica closed her eyes. Counted to ten.
Jamie was saying something, but she could make no sense of the words. What was there to say anyway? He’d made clear his appetites from the moment she’d arrived, and it was she who had been the fool. What manner of castle was this to hold such debauchery and licentious behavior? Yet even she was not immune to the effect, for when her hand closed around Finn’s forearm to draw him back away from what would surely be a disaster, she wondered at what it would be like to experience such an act with a man so sure, so strong as he.
“Finn, I wish to go to my room,” she said into the chaos, ignoring betrothed and girl alike, turning to go as though neither of these things was important enough to hold her attention for more than a moment.
“Erica!” It was Jamie, not repentant but irritated in his tone, even angry.
Beside her, Finn stiffened again. In a moment, she would not be able to hold him back.
“Please, Finn.”
With a sharp nod, he opened the door behind them and ushered her through.
He returned her to her room without saying a word. Whatever went on in his mind was reflected only dimly in the storm waging in his eyes. Would he insist on taking her home after such a scene? Shouldsheinsist on taking her home?
Or should she stay and see this through?
“My lady.”
They’d stopped walking. To Erica’s surprise, they stood outside her own door. For a long moment, she stared up at him, wanting to ask him what to do next, as her mind was too much in a whirl for her to figure things out. Only the words died upon her lips when she realized how close they stood.
She swallowed hard, struggling to find the words to say…what exactly? In the end, she settled on gratitude, it being the safest of the discordant thoughts which clamored for her attention.
“I appreciate your wanting to fight for me,” she said finally, and he grimaced, his face twisting in remembered anger.
“It’s nae right to be doing that out in the open.”
“I am not married to him yet,” Erica reminded him, a thought which had occurred to her belatedly. After all, he had made the suggestion she keep him company. Was it only fair he found someone else more willing when she’d turned him down?
As if sensing her thoughts, Finn growled suddenly. “A proper man would nae dishonor his betrothed so. I ought to have—”
“Nay. ’Twould have gone badly for ye. Ye are a guest in Buchanan Castle, Finn,” she reminded him, placing a hand upon his arm as she had downstairs. “I am not as shocked as I thought I would be. He gave me fair warning of where his appetites lay last night.”
“The man is a fool. There is nary a lady within this castle who could hold a candle to you.” Finn lifted one hand to touch the loose curl of hair that hung over her shoulder, the silken strands slipping through his fingers. His eyes had gone dark, filled with something which was no longer anger but almost as dangerous. He cupped her cheek in his palm.
Erica’s breath caught in her throat. “Finn.”
It wasn’t a protest, nor permission, but something in between. He bent his head, and as his lips descended, all she could think was how different this was from the kiss Jamie had forced upon her in the garden, how much she wanted this one.
Only he straightened suddenly and stepped back with a soft curse, as though her lips had burned his, though they’d never even touched.
“Nay.” His voice was hoarse, his eyes taking on a haunted look that tore at her heart. “I should nae be kissing a maiden after such a shock.”
“Finn.” How differently she said the word from how she had a while ago.
Anguished, the name became a cry as he turned and left her there, almost running by the time he reached the stairs. As though the very idea of kissing her was so abhorrent it was worth fleeing from.
It was no wonder her betrothed sought pleasure in the arms of another woman.
