It seemed to be bursting out of him, finding every crack that it could as it demanded to make itself known.
“I ken,” she said, modulating her tone carefully, “but I am nae a stranger to what ye’re feelin’.”
For a long, terrible moment, she thought that he’d pick her up and physically remove her. Instead, he glared down the line of his nose at her. Somehow, he grew even taller. His entire being radiated a kind of fury that scared her. Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound almost deafening to her own eardrums.
“Leave,” he ordered, his voice practically a growl. The room seemed to shake with the force of his command. “Now.”
Katherine didn’t flinch at the sound. The anger needed to come out. If she had to be the one to absorb it, she would. He wouldn’thurt her. And even if he did, she was glad to be the person absorbing the blow.
“Ye can let it out,” she said, keeping her tone soft and even. She was careful not to sound condescending or pitying. She wouldn’t let him see any of her fright. “Let it out.”
* * *
Liam’s muscles tensed as Katherine took another slow step toward him. He wasn’t sure if she was brave or reckless, but it was likely a mix of both. When she paused just an inch away, he concluded she must not care much about her safety.
“Daenae,” he said through gritted teeth. “Daenae ye dare.”
Her gaze didn’t leave his, and it was so infuriatingly soft that the anger in his chest flared with indignity. It wasn’t directed at her, though. If anything, the complicated knot of thoughts in his mind became even more entangled. His misplaced fury wrapped around the ball of emotions like barbs. They would ensnare anyone who tried to touch them.
Katherine didn’t listen, her fingers slowly reaching out to brush against his bicep, unafraid of getting pricked. He was so taken aback by the gentle touch that he didn’t pull away, the storm in his mind going blissfully quiet for a beat. Even when she pressed her palm against him, the heat of it radiating into his skin through his doublet, he stiffened further.
“Let it all out,” she repeated, apparently taking his stillness as an invitation to wrap her arms around him. “Ye have permission.”
Liam almost laughed, the gesture and her words making him feel hysterical. The way she moved, pressing herself solidly against him, letting him feel the steady rise and fall of her chest, was an overwhelming juxtaposition to the storm inside. Yet she was telling him to unleash that anger.
If I let it out, I’ll burn the Highlands. I’ll set the sea ablaze. There willnae be any survivors.
Suddenly, like a flash of lightning across the night sky, a rush of awareness shot through him. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her head back roughly and forcing her to face him. Every part of his body burned, and she only fueled the fire.
Katherine’s eyes widened, her throat working as she swallowed sharply. She winced, a subtle hitch of her breath the only evidence that she was affected. In response, his palm clenched tighter.
“Let it all out?” he demanded, only loosening his grip when a choked noise left the back of her throat. He’d pushed too far. “What could ye possibly ken about a loss like this?”
Her face remained unchanging, no fear nor disgust. Even the pain he expected her to show wasn’t there. Instead, her lips parted slightly, her mouth opening before closing again, either with words she hadn’t yet spoken or an unconscious response to being so close to him.
His gaze fixed on those pretty pink lips that were way too close. The air around them hummed with something intoxicating. His mind reeled, her scent so vivid. It blanked out everything else. She cleared every other thought from his mind.
If she would like me to let it all out, then that’s exactly what I will do.
His lips crashed into hers, claiming her with a sweeping slide of his tongue, the gesture desperate in its execution. Katherine squeaked in his arms before she responded with more pressure. It was a surprised exploration, as if her body were reacting to him without conscious thought. As he growled, he tried pulling her in closer, his fingers tightening in her hair and his hand finding the curve of her elbow. Before Liam could bring her fully against him, her hands found his chest, and she pushed away with surprising strength.
“Nay,” she said, pulling in long, ragged breaths. She put several inches between the two of them, jerking her head back to dislodge his hand. His fingers went limp at her defiance, her rejection. “Ye need to grieve. This isnae what I meant.”
The force of her palms and her movements was a shock, enough to knock him out of the spell her proximity had cast on him. Anger and frustration returned even stronger than before, but this time it was more focused on himself than anyone else.
“Get out!” he roared, putting even more space between them. His touch was the reason he’d lost his first wife, the reason she had suffered so greatly. He wouldn’t repeat that mistake again.He pointed at the door. “I willnae touch ye again. Icannaetouch ye again. I swore it to meself, I took a vow, and I willnae break it because of ye.”
Katherine stood, wide-eyed and frozen in place. Lady Agnes’ final words echoed in his head. He knew, though, that if he were going to keep his promise and look after Agnes and Katherine, he needed to maintain the distance.
It is the only way I can keep them safe. Wantin’ her nearby is serves only me own wretched desires.
“Leave!” he yelled, his voice rising in volume. If this wing of the castle had more inhabitants, he might have been concerned about waking them. “Now!”
Katherine finally snapped out of her stupor. She took several steps back, keeping her gaze fixed on him as if she were afraid he might lash out physically once more. Then, she turned on her heel and ran away. He followed her, grabbing the door and slamming it shut, making sure the latch clicked into place.
Pressing his forehead against the solid wood, Liam shut his eyes so tightly that stars bloomed against his lids. He sucked air into his lungs, breathing out Katherine’s presence with each exhale. When he felt less like he was going to rip the castle apart stone by stone, he stood up straight once more.
His quarters were a wreck, a glass broken in the corner, the book he’d thrown just before Katherine walked in lying open. With aharsh sigh, he set to work clearing the worst of the destruction, and as he did, he cursed Katherine for following him.
