Page 51 of Highland Vows of Betrayal

“Oi.”

“I’m thirsty. Care to share?” He didn’t wait for her answer and sipped from the cup. “We’ve already shared much more.”

“And since then, ye…” she trailed off and took the cup again.

“I what?”

“Nothing.” She topped off the cup, and Noah waited for her to go on, wondering what had clearly upset her. “Ye met with the council, aye? Do they have any ideas who the attackers were?”

“Nae. There was a possible sighting in the village—a group of men dressed in cloaks acting furtively.” Noah’s comment made her hesitate, cup in hand. It allowed him to take it from her again and swallow the mead. “Any idea who yer chasers might be?”

“I told ye nae last night,” she reminded him.

“Ye might have had cause tae think of something since then.”

“I havenae.”

“Yer angry.”

“What was yer first clue?” Scarlett said sarcastically, trying to take the cup back. Rather than feeling anger, Noah just longed to be closer to her. He approached her, prompting her to turn up toward him, away from the cup they were sharing.

“I thought ye would have been glad. Most ladies would have been thrilled tae have escaped such a chase, spending an illicit night with a groom in a croft cottage—”

“Hey!”

“… and then return home unharmed.” Noah’s smile faded when she adjusted her stance and pointed to the bandage on her arm. “Relatively unharmed.”

“Relatively!” she spluttered.

“Ye needed distraction from the pain,” he noted, leaning toward her.

“Is that what ye call last night?” Her irritation riled him, but in a good way. He longed to satisfy himself, returning to the pleasure they partook of the night before.

I cannae do it now.

“I have a few descriptive words for it,” Noah said as his eyes drifted down her body.

“Noah.” She snapped her fingers in his face and he used the opportunity to snatch the mead cup and gulp its contents. “Noah!”

“I think I rather like it when ye say my name with such passion.”

She was silent and folded her arms across her chest, refusing to speak again.

“Ye tease me now,” he said, lowering the cup to the tray beside him. “Say my name like that again.”

“I will give ye nae such satisfaction.”

“Ah, satisfaction. That is just further teasing.” When he came close, she didn’t back away. Her eyes flitted down to his lips instead.

One kiss, aye, one reminder of what we felt last night.

He touched his lips to hers but barely tasted her. He tasted the spice and honey of the mead on her lips, then it was gone when a loud rap at the door prompted her to pull back.

“My laird! My laird, are ye here?” a voice called.

“Yer people want ye,” Scarlett said, her voice low. Despite the furrowed brow and the fact that she was still irritated with him, her hips were pressed against his and her hands found his waistcoat in their momentary kiss.

“Ah, tae stay another minute more,” he whispered against her lips. He caught the glimmer of a smile on her lips before the rap at the door sounded again and the smile vanished. “What is it?” Noah barked and released Scarlett, moving away from her.