Page 25 of Highlander’s Lesser Evil

“And how would you know that?” she shot back. “When you couldn’t even be bothered to come to bed and hold me.”

Lazily, he grabbed the cloth and soap and started scrubbing down his arms and chest. “Ye seemed to need some space,” he said calmly. “And I was about to retire to bed for a few hours when my guards alerted me of Jillian’s appearance. I did not wish to wake ye.”

“You have not gotten a full night of sleep since we were wed,” she accused softly.

“‘Tis not ye. I rarely sleep through the night.” Sometimes his father would succumb to a drunken rage in the early hours of the morning and barge into his room. It didn’t matter if Theo was to blame or had nothing to do with whatever made him mad; it was Theo who caught the brute end of Patrick’s anger.

Theo learned quickly to spend as little time as possible where his father might find him. He snuck away to empty guest wings, slept with sympathetic friends and servants. Once, he had tried to stay in his mother’s room, but she had simply handed him over to his father.

“Well, my tears were not for you last night.”

He arched an eyebrow. “So they were for yerself? Have ye come to regret yer decision?” Pausing his wash, he held his breath and realized that the answer meant more to him than he wanted to admit.

“No, of course not, although there is something odd about that letter. Jillian claims that Fletcher does not remember me and would never have sent for me.”

Since he already knew that, he stayed quiet. She started to pace, attempting to work out the puzzle. “Graeme is supposed to be hunting for a bride. I suppose it is possible that he decided one that had already been purchased would be an easy enough mark, but why the subterfuge? What was the plan? Escort me off Loch Moran and then marry me? What would be the point?”

“If that were the case, I would imagine he thought no one would protect ye once ye were off Loch Moran, and ye would agree to wed him.”

“Graeme is handsome and set to be the ruler of his clan. He has no need to force anyone to marry him. I simply don’t think he would go to such lengths for an unwilling bride.”

Theo didn’t like hearing that Gemma thought Graeme was handsome. Clearing his throat, he held out the soap. “Would ye wash my back, please?”

She hesitated for a moment but took the soap and walked around behind him. If she noticed his erection beneath the water, she didn’t say anything.

Just the thought of her was enough to arouse his desire. He’d never been with such a woman before.

“Does it matter?” he asked quietly as the cloth ran gently over his back. “Ye didnae agree to wed me because of Fletcher’s threat anyway. Ye agreed to wed me to build a bridge between the MacDougals and the people of Loch Moran.”

Her hands paused, and for a moment, he feared that she would figure out what had happened. Would she regret her decision if she learned she’d been tricked into it?

The washing continued in silence, and the air thickened around them. “The tub is big enough for two,” he said, his voice rougher than he intended.

“True, but the water is filthy from you.” Her voice shook just a little, but he heard the smile and relaxed. “I was afraid last night.”

“Afraid of me?”

“No. Of all the things that scare me, Theo MacDougal, you are not one of them. I hadn’t realized how vulnerable I would be during a moment like that.”

“You arenae scared of me, but ye doonae want to be vulnerable around me?”

The cloth moved up to his neck, and he relished in the sensations, not just of the warm water cleaning him but the idea that she was touching him. “This is the first time I have ever been fully naked around a lass,” he said thickly.

The cloth fell from him, and Gemma moved around to kneel by the tub next to him.

“The scars,” she said carefully.

“Aye, the scars.” It appeared that he didn’t need to tell her how he’d gotten them. His father did little to hide the abuse of his boy.

Seeing a faint pink scar running from his shoulder to his chest, she traced it with her fingers, and his stomach twisted. “This one looks new.”

“Aye. Some didnae approve of me taking over for my father. There were quite a few challenges, especially when I made changes in the guard.”

Gemma’s eyes widened in horror. “They were out to kill ye.”

“Gemma, ye should know that my father isnae sick.”

“What?” The implications slammed into her, and she straightened, taking a step back. “I thought he was on his deathbed. That is why the king granted you permission to take over.”