Page 22 of Highland Prince of Darkness

May was lost in her thoughts as she tried to not think about the times that she had spent with Iain when he had made her incredibly happy. She thought of how he was the only one that she had ever wanted to be with, and even though she had accepted that she would never see him again, it still hadn’t changed deep down. May thought about him and realized that she was losing herself in these thoughts, but it was so hard not to think about Iain after the kiss. It had been a small glimmer of hope that the man she loved was still in there, and he didn't need to be so callous with her after all.

“Well, why doesn’t May show him around today? I’m sure that the two of them have probably thought about this before, but it would be good for them to get out.”

“What’s that, father?” May asked, as she snapped back into the conversation.

“I was just saying that the two of ye should ride up into the glen. There’s the lovely vantage point that ye love taking me to, I think that Iain would like to see it?” Alistair suggested.

“Ah, I’m sure that he’s seen it before,” May brushed it off.

“I dinnae think that I have,” Iain cut in.

She wasn’t sure why he was trying to spend time with her. She thought that if anything, he would have been against it.

“Well then, why don’t ye both ride out some time, and ye can show it to him, May?”

“Aye, it would be good for ye both,” Bruce nodded.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Father,” May nodded and smiled reluctantly.

She thought of the other activities that lay ahead of them during the day. During the days before the wedding, they were going to be expected to be seen together for most of the time. May winced as she thought about it.

After breakfast, May and Iain were scheduled to attend a special church service at the chapel within the castle. May could already feel tiredness settling into her bones, the day had barely begun and she already felt fatigued at the thought of the public affairs they had to attend.

She arrived at the chapel and quickly found the dark-haired man that was managing to be both a dream and a nightmare for her. May sucked in a shallow breath and took her place at his side in the front pew.

Her arm brushed against his and she couldn’t help but feel as though the contact was causing a spark to rush up her arm. She tried to ignore it as the service began. Iain seemed to act as though nothing had happened, but May couldn’t help wondering if he felt it too.

She let her arm brush a couple more times, but he still wasn’t showing any sign of feeling the same strange intensity. May bit her lip and continued to look forward with her hands clasped in her lap.

May noticed that while they were in public, Iain never smiled. He was curt and cutting with people, and even with her, he was harsh. That day in the chapel was no different, his face was unchanged by the close proximity of their bodies as they sat next to one another. Even his body didn’t flinch as hers did whenever they got too close.

She felt as though the service lasted a small eternity. May liked to think that she was a good Christian, however, that morning she found it incredibly difficult to focus.

“I think that we should talk about last night,” Iain muttered under his breath as the service was drawing to a close.

“What is there to talk about?”

“Well, we were shouting at one another, and I dinnae feel as though we managed to resolve anything,” Iain explained, as people started to stand up and the service ended.

May was shocked that he had completely avoided the subject of the kiss, but May knew that she should have expected it. Whatever it had meant, it evidently hadn’t been part of his plan for the evening.

“Ah, I see,” May nodded, “Well, we are to be married, and then ye’ll be able to tell me what I can and cannae dae, but until then…”

May smirked as Iain was clearly infuriated by her comment. He clenched his fist and sat in silence as she rose from her seat and joined the line that was slowly leaving the chapel. She could feel his presence behind him and felt the strange and tempting urge within her body to embrace him. It was as though her body, now that it had had a taste, was craving more of the fearsome laird behind her. May tried to shake off the urges that were rushing through her, but the subject of Iain had taken up a permanent space in her mind.