“It’s for yer safety,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. This was easier, her being angry with him. It was much better than the aura of anxious anticipation that had been hanging offof her since the ceremony. “For yer protection and Agnes’. Once I ensure the lands are secured, I will return.”
“So me first night as yer wife is goin’ to be spent all on me own?” she demanded, her chin jutting forward in defiance. “I’m nay sure what I was expectin’, but it wasnae this. We were just married, and now ye’re leavin’? I daenae understand!”
That’s a dangerous look on ye, lass, but abandonment is much safer for ye. It will keep ye alive.
“Ye will stay here, within the walls of me grounds while I’m away,” he said, taking a short step forward. He stood up straighter, pulling his shoulders back and watching her down the length of his nose. “I expect ye to obey.”
“I have nay other choice but to obey,” she said, jutting her chin forward as she smiled wryly. “I’m to forget everythin’ else but obedience. Is that nay what ye asked of me?”
“Aye,” he replied, taking another step closer to her. There was a pull to her that was almost magnetic, something he just couldn’t resist. It was easier to indulge in small doses than to use all of his self-control to stay on the other side of the room. “Then why are ye nae obeyin’ now?”
“Perhaps I cannae,” she said, her response surprising even herself. Then, as if encouraged by her admission, she continued. There was a spark in her bright green eyes as she said, “Maybe I am nae meant to be broken like ye told me at the auction.”
He was even closer to her now, the distance between them nearly gone. He hadn’t even realized that he’d moved in this close. She didn’t shy away from him now, encouraged by her own boldness.
Her confidence in the castle had grown, and that did nothing to keep his mind off of her. He knew that he’d be thinking about this interaction for the rest of the evening. It would still be playing in his head for weeks to come.
“Perhaps,” she continued when he said nothing else, “I cannae imagine meself livin’ without love.”
Liam scoffed, unfolding his arms from his chest and pulling his shoulders back. “I’ve already told ye that ye arenae goin’ to find that here, Katherine. It’s time for ye to leave yer imagination and come to reality. Ye are doin’ yerself nae favors in tryin’ to change this arrangement.”
A fire lit in her eyes as she stepped closer, bringing the two of them almost chest to chest. Her voice was a wildfire but firm when she said, “Ye should ken that ye can rule lands far and wide, but ye cannae rule me spirit.”
He almost told her that there was nothing that he couldn’t rule, but she flooded all of his senses. Rosewater wafted around them, the scent thick from her hair and pulse points. She was only a breath away.
“I have told ye nay to get so close to me, Katherine,” Liam said, feeling the warmth of her. His hands lifted, tightened, and unclenched at his sides. “Yet ye daenae listen.”
Her nose twitched, an unconscious and defiant gesture. In an instant, his composure snapped. His palms came up to cup her cheeks, and with precise strength, he brought their lips together. Even though his movements were careful and controlled, he felt anything but.
Katherine inhaled sharply, but she didn’t pull away. As her hands gripped his elbows, she returned the pressure. But where she was hesitant, Liam was hungry.
His tongue swiped along the seam of her mouth. A little whimper slipped out between them. It only made him feel more untethered.
She tasted just as sweet as she smelled, all sugared tea and apples. The sensation of her so close, her body pressed against his, was intoxicating. One of his hands trailed down her side, lingering on the tantalizing curve of her hip.
With a growl, he tilted her head to the side. She gasped, her lips parting and practically inviting him in. He didn’t think as he took the opening, staking his claim on her mouth. His tongue brushed into her mouth, pressing against hers. He drank her in as if she were water, inhaling her as if she were air. She pushed against him, and he could feel the rise of her breasts through the thin fabric of her nightgown.
“Nay,” he said, breaking away from her abruptly. He took two steps back, reinstating the distance between them. “Nay, we willnae.”
Katherine’s eyes fluttered open, her lips still parted. As her chest rose and fell, she looked as though she were trying to figure out what had just transpired. She was more tempting than sin, and every second that he stood in front of her tested the resolve he’d so abruptly slammed back into place.
“Ye will stay on these grounds while I am away,” he said sharply, turning away from her. “Daenae disobey me.”
The only way she’s safe is if she stays far away from me.
Chapter Thirteen
“Icannae believe ye’re right back to givin’ wee Agnes her lessons,” Tilly said as she walked beside Katherine through the corridors. She sounded almost let down. “I was certain that we’d have a ceilidh to celebrate. A weddin’ is an excitin’ occasion.”
“Aye, it is,” Katherine agreed, unable to focus on anything. Her mind had been scrambled since the morning of the ceremony. “But it’s me responsibility to educate Agnes. And Laird MacDougal said there was somethin’ that he had to take care of.”
The kiss from the night before and Liam’s immediate departure plagued her. She could still feel the press of his lips against hers. The phantom touch of his palm down her torso hadn’t gone away. And, worst of all, was the sinking pit that only became deeper with each passing moment.
Perhaps if I hadnae been so honest, he wouldn’t have been tryin’ to avoid me so fiercely.
“Well, perhaps he just doesnae want to draw attention,” Tilly said, sounding more like she was thinking out loud than looking to Katherine for an explanation. With a soft noise from the back of her throat, she continued, “The clan is quite powerful. I ken that there are plenty of enemies from the past. I’m sure he’s worried about that.”
Katherine hummed, gazing ahead without really noticing her surroundings. She tried to shake off the lingering warmth and the growing unease. They were almost at Agnes’s room, and she knew she couldn’t let the girl see any signs of something going wrong.
