Page 12 of Claimed Highland Brides

“I can look after mysel’!” she snapped at him and then sniffed, her eyes still red. It detracted from the effect she was trying to have upon him. He bit his lip so as not to laugh.

“O’course ye can. But yer uncle charged me wi’ yer care. I take that very seriously.”

Fiona sighed, looking away. Suddenly she was very tired, feeling as if her feet would not hold her up. Shuffling over to the bed, she sat down hard with a sigh of relief. “Please gang. I wish tae remove my shoon.”

Immediately he was bending over her. “I can help ye wi’ tha’.”

“Nae! Gang away. I dinnae need ye.”

“Aye, ye do!” He grabbed her leg and began to unlace her boots as she squirmed on the bed.

“Stop!” She tried to pull her foot out of his hands but his hold on her ankle was firm and unyielding.

“Just a few more moments and ye’ll be free of them,” he breathed, most of his attention on unlacing her ties. Fiona did not want him to see her bare feet. Her heart began to speed up again, and she was overtaken by the notion that if he saw her feet, he would know her secret. He would know what the seer said. Fear overwhelmed her and she began to fight in earnest. Her foot kicked out, catching him on the chin.

He made a surprised sound before falling backward and hitting his head on the wooden floor with an audible thunk.

Fiona screamed, scrambling off the bed and diving to the floor as if to belatedly break his fall. “Oh my god, are ye alrigh’? I’m sorry! I dinnae mean tae kick ye.” Her hands scrambled over his face, trying to see where he was hurt. She ran her fingers through his hair and down his jaw in fear, and then she realized he was shaking.

“Daividh?” she whispered breathlessly. “Are ye having paroxysms?”

Suddenly he opened his mouth wide, shouting with laughter. “I-I’m f-fine,” he said amid fits of laughter. “Oh heavens, ye ha-have a stro-stong kick, mo chridhe.”

She sat back on her heel, crossed her arms, and glared at him. “Ye’re laughing at me?”

“Nae, nae…” he wheezed, his face red. “I wouldnae do tha’.”

She reached out without thinking and smacked him on the chest, gasping right after and covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. At least the smack stopped his laughter as he gaped at her in surprise, then he threw back his head and laughed even harder.

As abruptly as her fear had taken her over, she was filled with anger. She lunged for him and he caught her. Before she knew it, they were rolling about on the floor, his hand in her hair while she tried to scratch his face.

“Stop!” He was still laughing even as he said it. That only spurred her to higher levels of violence and she leaned forward, intent on biting his cheek. Suddenly he turned his head and placed his mouth on hers.

She froze and he took advantage of that to thrust his tongue in her mouth, his hand pulling her closer by her hair. Everything whited out and before she knew it, she was giving as good as she got.