Page 83 of A Dangerous Highland Affair

“An’?” Neacal asked, wishing the perfume from Teasag’s body was not so distracting. Unruly thoughts of pressing her up against the wall and smothering her in kisses pushed their way into his mind.

In an instant, Neacal was burning, but his mind was demanding attention. Tentatively, he listened to her.

“An’ we found that, in each case, Marcas was the one to benefit from their death,” said Teasag, excitedly. “Look…”

She passed the scrappy paper towards him. Quickly, Teasag told him their findings.

“Wheesht…!” said Neacal. “An’ poor auld Duncan, too. Everyone liked him… “

“Aye,” said Gaie, screwing up her brow. She looked tired this morning, the long night’s deliberations taking its toll on her usually fresh complexion. “An’ his silver sgian dubh has ne’er been found… some are saying it was looted by whoever did the murder…”

Neacal’s eyes clouded over. He drummed his fingers heavily against the table, thinking.

“Right,” said Neacal, his thumbs pressing in deeply to his temples. Inside, he felt the blood whooshing around his head.

“So, um, ye alright about things?” Teasag asked, her fragile voice piercing the silence.

“Och, aye, braw,” said Neacal, a little snippily. “I’ve just been framed for murder by a cold-hearted killer, what could be better!”

Then, he checked himself. “Sorry,” he added, reaching his hand over to stroke Teasag’s hair. Suddenly, he just didn’t care about anything else except being with this amazing woman.

The tingle of Teasag’s touch danced around Neacal’s body. She brought her head back, extending it out towards him on the chair. All he wanted was for her to touch him again and to lose himself in her sensual kiss.

Hoping that Gaie would take the hint and disappear, Neacal glanced saucily at Teasag, and beneath the heavy wooden table, his leg intercepted hers, rubbing it up and down with the tip of his foot.

A huge and delicious shiver ran all the way down his spine, making his stomach ache with pleasure. He wanted her so badly.

But instead of going, Gaie looked over toward him and said. “We need a plan. It’s nae safe ye being here anymore.”

Neacal looked up, shocked.

“I mean, now we ken what Marcas is capable of, who kens what he might do…,” she said, looking to Teasag for support.

Teasag looked at Neacal earnestly. “Gaie’s right, Neacal,” she said. “It’s just a matter o’ time afore he finds ye…, we need a plan, a hiding place…”

But Neacal shook his head. He had come to a decision.

“Nae,” he said flatly.

Teasag looked unsettled. Clearly, this was something she had not been expecting. “Nae, nae to what, staying at Lorcal’s?”

“Nae to it all, nae to hiding any longer,” Neacal said, feeling the blood heat in his veins. It had taken a little time, but finally, a surge of rage blasted through his soul.

Gaie looked at him, troubled. “Where will ye go, then?”

“Yer nae leaving toon wi’out me,” said Teasag, scraping her chair and moving closer towards him. She took his arm.

The sensation of her touch weaved its magic through Neacal. Her body was warm and yielding, and he could almost taste her through her simple embrace. He couldn't break the spell of her touch, but somehow, he did it.

“Nae, I’m nae going anywhere,” he said, as both Gaie and Teasag stared.

“Why should I? I havenae done anything wrong, I’m nae a killer, an’ Marcas kens that… noo it’s aboot time everyone else kent it too…”

Neacal stood up, pulling away from Teasag’s touch. He glanced at her fondly but stood firm.

In front of him, Gaie was gaping like a landed fish. “But what do ye mean?” she asked, open-mouthed.

“I mean, it’s about time I paid Marcas a visit,” he said, reaching down for his well-worn dagger. Pulling it out to inspect the tip, he heard Teasag gasp.