“I believe Agnes would like it if ye put her to bed,” he said finally, loath to end their time together but knowing that if they sat like this any longer, he might push her past her point of comfort. “Ye should leave as well.”
“Ye’re correct,” Katherine agreed softly, letting her hand fall away from her ale.
She rose slowly, each one of her movements looking painfully deliberate. As she made her way toward the door, her shoes clicked against the stone and echoed in the mostly empty hall. He watched, surprised when she stopped at the doors, turning around to look at him once more.
“Me Laird,” she said, a strange mix of formality and familiarity. A savage, unwelcome desire to grab hold of her and pull her close overtook him. “Yer voice is captivatin’. I do hope that ye’ll sing for us again.” She paused once more, visibly weighing her next words. He squeezed his hands tighter at his sides, his knuckles straining against the pressure. “Or if ye willnae sing for everyone, I hope that ye’ll sing again for me.”
Even though she turned around quickly, he could see that a deep blush was blooming over her cheeks. She was out of the hall before he could say anything else, the doors swinging shut behind her. For a long moment, Liam did nothing but stare at the place she’d been standing only moments before.
When he regained his senses, he turned his focus to her cup. It was still almost full with only a few sips gone. On the rim, he noticed the marks her lips had left. Seeing it was tempting, a reminder of how much he craved the warm feel of her mouth against his.
Before he allowed himself to think too hard about his next move, he took hold of the glass. As if he were holding a sacred artifact, he brought the mug to his lips. Slowly, he took a long drag from the place where Katherine had been drinking.
Then, he set the glass aside, sighing to himself. It felt almost unfair to keep the gap he’d dug between them in place. He needed to do something to start bridging it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The castle was quiet and peaceful as Katherine walked back to her chambers. She had come to accept that they would never share a room. Even if her and Liam’s connection felt impossibly warmer, the chambers seemed like a line he wouldn’t be willing to cross.
I’m nae goin’ to ask for anythin’ more. I am happy with what he’s been givin’ me.
She knew that wasn’t completely true, but she had been given so much more than she had ever imagined she could have. It felt almost greedy to want anything more. She had a warm place to rest her head, more food than she could ever eat, and the quiet life that she hadn’t imagined she’d ever be allowed to experience.
“Perhaps I am simply an insatiable woman,” she said to the ground as she walked through the halls that had become familiar to her. “I am given one thing, and I cannae seem to stop meself from askin’ for more.”
She wondered if her view, her insatiable wishes, were a symptom of going so long without. If it hadn’t been for growing up without a mother or without basic necessities, would she be able to be satisfied here? Would she be able to accept Liam’s decree that this marriage would be devoid of the love that she so desperately craved?
Nay, I daenae think so. I believe that I have always wanted this. I wanted me husband to love me rather than see me as a partner in duty.
Katherine paused her walk, taking a moment to recenter herself. Her mind had been a mess today. Now that her illness had run its course and was no longer draining her energy, her mind had the fuel it needed to overthink and demand more than she was able to give.
Taking another deep breath, she continued on her journey. Once she was alone in her room, she would be able to push the thoughts aside. Or, at the very least, she would be able to handle the crisis in her mind in private.
When she rounded the corner, turning down the corridor to her quarters, there was a figure standing at the end of the passageway. She hesitated at first, afraid that someone had broken into the castle. Since she’d arrived, she had rarely seen anyone in these parts.
Her initial fear subsided, and then she was able to make out who the figure was. Liam. Standing there. Right outside the door ofher chambers. The chambers that were meant to belong to both of them.
“What...” she began as her feet carried her toward him as though they were guided purely by muscle memory.
Neither of them spoke as she closed the short distance between them. He seemed to be observing her every move, his gaze feeling like a fire spreading through her limbs. It wasn’t until she stopped in front of him that she finally attempted to speak once more.
“Were ye waitin’ for me?” she asked, the words coming out much softer than she intended. “Or were ye simply guardin’ me door?”
Liam was quiet, looking down at her with an expression that she couldn’t quite read. There was heat simmering in his irises. His red hair was pushed back, almost as if he’d been running his hands through it either because of nerves or frustration. She wasn’t able to tell which. She had never seen this look on him before.
He looks the same as he did before he kissed me, but… he doesnae look as haunted. It’s like he’s…
And saints knew that she was ready to accept him.
* * *
Liam noticed the slightest hint of teasing when Katherine spoke. It surprised him and made him hesitate. He wasn’t sure if he was annoyed or amused.
Both. It is always both with this woman.
“Ye speak too freely,” he said finally, moving in closer.
He couldn’t seem to stay away from her. Whenever she was near, his body would respond to the heat radiating from her, much like a cat chasing a beam of sunlight. He didn’t understand how he managed to resist her for so long, and now that he wasn’t pretending he didn’t desire her, it became even harder to stay out of her orbit.
