Page 21 of In Bed with a Scot

His desire for her only served to further fuel his anger at her, and at himself. “There are other ways tae nae feel pain. Ye did nae have tae lie tae get a man in tae yer bed.”

“I did nae lie tae ye. Ye did nae ask if I was married,” she pointed out. “I did nae lie tae ye a single time. I have spoken nothing but the truth tae ye from the moment that we met.”

She was right and Madden knew it. The problem was, if he admitted it and let his anger go, there would be nothing to keep him from taking her to his bed again.

Nothing but a cruel, angry husband, that is.

“Ye should go and change yer dress. Ye dinnae want people tae see ye in that state. Some men might get the wrong idea about what ye are offering.”

Isabelle’s eyes shifted down to the bodice of her gown where her nipples stood erect for all to see. The sight of it caused Madden’s body to tighten and Isabelle’s eyes were drawn by the movement. “Ye dinnae want people tae see ye in that state either,” she motioned with her chin towards his erect member. “They will be certain tae get the wrong idea about what we are doing.” She arose to move past him, but he stopped her with a hand to her arm.

“What are we doing?” he asked, his heart beating faster with the nearness of her warmth.

“We are doing nothing,” she breathed, her pulse visibly fluttering in her throat.

Madden reached out to touch the sensitive flesh. “Soft as a butterfly’s wing,” he whispered.

“Are ye trying tae provoke me?” she breathed in accusation.

“It is ye who is provoking me.” Madden felt himself moving towards her as if another person had taken over his body. Try as he might to resist her, he could not. He was drawn to her as a moth was drawn to the flame of a candle on a dark night. Isabelle backed away until her back thumped against the wall of the room. Madden stood before her taking in the sight of her breasts heaving with every breath. Memories of the night that they had shared flashed through his mind, clouding his judgement with the intensity of his desire.

“I have done naught,” Isabelle protested, shaking her head in denial.

“I have seen ye naked and writhing beneath me, crying out me name in ecstasy as ye surrendered yer body tae mine. I would nae say that that is nothing. Would ye?”

Isabelle blushed crimson. “How dare ye tae speak tae me in such a fashion! Just because I chose tae share me bed with ye in a moment of weakness, does nae give ye the right tae speak tae me in such a brazen manner. I will nae allow ye tae disrespect me so in me braither’s house.” She paused for a moment to catch her breath. “And I did nae cry out yer name in ecstasy.” She met his eyes daring him to challenge her on the matter.

“Shall I remind ye?” He asked, moving forward to cup her breast with his palm and run his thumb over her protruding nipple.

Isabelle reared back and slapped him hard across the face. “Go tae Hell, Madden Kinnaird!” Shoving him backwards, she stormed past him and out of the door.

“It would appear that I am already there,” he murmured to her retreating back, taking his dignity with her.

“Me wife’s braither has refused our request fer the full amount of funds needed,” Bain informed Athol, his second in command. He was shaking with fury at the disrespect that he had been shown. “Had I kenned that he would be so tight fisted, I would nae have wed her.”

“Can ye nae use the lass against him? Can she nae convince him tae give us the money?”

Bain shook his head. “She claims that there is nothing that she can dae. She says that her braither would never dae anything that would cause the Clan MacKay tae suffer harm. Nor would she. Threatening her with a beating did nae change her mind.”

“Perhaps more than a threat is needed,” Athol suggested.

“Aye, perhaps, but giving her a proper thrashing while under her braither’s roof is nae going tae be easy and she kens it. She has been bolder since our arrival. I may need tae take her tae hand.”

“She is yer wife. They cannae deny ye yer rights as her husband.”

“Aye, ye ken that, but her braither will nae see it that way. I would nae put it past the man tae try and kill me over it.”

Athol snorted. “He may try, but he is nae likely tae succeed at it.” He caressed the knife at his side with affection. “If he lays a hand on ye, I will slit his throat afore he has time tae call out fer his dead whore of a maither.”

“This would never have happened if Ella had wed me as I wished.”

“It was her loss. Ye are better fer being rid of the likes of Rory and Ella MacKay.”

Bain shook his head. “At least Ella could have produced me an heir, something that her barren bitch of a daughter has failed tae dae.”

“Tae bad ye cannae rid yerself of her.”

Bain shook his head. “She is more valuable alive, but only if I can get her braither tae pay up.”