Page 26 of In Bed with her Highland Foe

“Dae ye nae trust me with yer secrets?”

“I trust ye more than any other in this castle, but some things, they dinnae cross me lips. Never.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. She seemed almost entranced, hanging on his every word.

Does she care fer me?

He slipped one of his fingers between their hands, getting nearer to that handhold he dreamt of, encasing her fingers in his. She didn’t respond and gave no sign of having noticed what he had done at all.

“Some secrets ye and I willnae share, will we?” she murmured sadly. Abruptly, she released his hand and turned to face the fire.

He sighed, finding his palm now cold without her. He raised his hand and scratched the stubble at his jaw, with his eyes dancing across the curve of her neck as she watched the fire. The curls of her hair were trying their best to escape her updo and some tendrils teased the back of her neck. He could have swept that hair aside, kissed the nape of her pretty neck to show her what he felt.

He'd always been a man of action after all, rather than of words. He leaned forward an inch, and if she noticed his movement, she gave no sign of it.

“Kyven?” he whispered.

“Aye?”

The door opened and Gilchrist pressed himself back against the chair. Kyven leaned away too, so violently that she was in danger of falling off the chair. Gilchrist reached forward, catching her arm before she could do so, but she shrugged her arm out of his grasp when Aaden made himself seen in the doorway.

“Ah, there ye two are. I should have kenned from the number of hours ye spend in this room together.”

“Dae me a favor, Aaden,” Kyven said, standing from the stool and moving closer to the fireplace. She leaned upon the mantelpiece, practically turning her back on Gilchrist now. “Dinnae make such jests whilst Laird Shay is here. He may nae see them with the same humor ye dae.”

“That ye keep company with a man quite alone?” Aaden chuckled.

“Aaden,” Gilchrist muttered warningly.

“Aye, aye, I ken.” Aaden walked further into the room and held up his hands in innocence. “Besides, Laird Shay is much more bothered now about the alignment of his nose than where ye are, me lady.”

Gilchrist was hardly surprised. A man like Shay was much more preoccupied with himself than anyone else.

“I promise I have come tae disturb ye with good reason. Captain, tomorrow we must go intae town on an errand, so we will need someone tae care of that cat of yers.”

Gilchrist blinked.

For a second, he was certain he had fallen asleep and was having some mad dream.

A cat? Why would Aaden speak of a cat?

“Ye have a cat?” Kyven turned to face Gilchrist.

He parted his lips to say, ‘nay,’ but before he could, Aaden spoke over him.

“He has taken on a little kitten. Mischievous thing, I have little liking for it,” Aaden said with a heavy sigh, folding his arms. “Ye should see him. Besotted over the little thing.”

“Aaden –” Gilchrist stood abruptly, marching across the room toward him.

“Ah, have I revealed yer little secret?” Aaden laughed loudly and clapped him on the shoulder, cutting him off before he could say anymore. “I forgot. Ye dinnae want tae be seen as anything but a hardened soldier, dae ye?”

“Aaden,” Gilchrist muttered again, even more darkly and dangerously before.

When on earth did I take in a bloody cat?

Gilchrist had never had a pet in his life. In his brother’s castle, there were dogs, but none had belonged to him. They’d also used dogs in battle, and he had a strong connection with his horse, but that was that. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had petted a cat, if he ever had.

“Forgive me fer embarrassing ye, me friend,” Aaden continued to laugh.

“Ye have a kitten?” Kyven asked, stepping away from the fireplace with sudden excitement in her face.