Page 37 of Married to her Kilted Enemy

“Ye fought well and sent that bastard off with his tail between his legs, Odhrán. I hate tae say I was right, but did I nae tell ye he’d come out into the open?” Tadgh put in with a grin.

“Aye, ye did, lad. But I have tae admit, I didnae expect it so soon. I wish I could believe it’ll end here, but ye heard his threats,” Odhrán said, accepting a dram of whisky from Maddison, who continued to fuss over him. “Dae me a favor, will ye, and make sure Rollo gets packed off soon, with or without his family?”

“Aye, we will,” the brothers chorused before taking their leave with Alana.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Maddison fetched a bowl of clean water and some clean wash rags and carried them over to the bed, placing them on the nightstand with the bandages and the little pot of salve. She got up on the bed and knelt next to Odhrán, concerned about how battered and tired he appeared. He also looked wonderfully handsome with his hair all tousled, and a big wave of affection for him washed over her.

“I’m gonnae clean yer wounds now, all right?” she told him, wetting a cloth and wringing it out over the bowl.

“Thank ye,” he said, his dark gray eyes on her as she took his injured arm and laid it in her lap, beginning to gently clean away the congealed blood. His touch sent a thrill through her that reminded her of their previous passionate encounter, and she felt her cheeks flushing.

“I feel terrible, Odhrán, because I think I should nae have said those things tae taunt Rollo. If I’d kept me mouth shut, the fight maybe would nae have happened,” she confessed as she worked, feeling truly contrite and finding it hard to meet his eyes. “Ye could have been seriously injured or even killed, and it would have been all me fault.”

“Well, ye can put that worry straight out of yer head. Ye ken the trouble I’ve had with Rollo all me life. His plans tae take me lairdship have been seriously upset by our marryin’, and me and Liam and Tadgh kent he would try something tae provoke me intae a fight. He’d like tae see me dead so he can take over here. That’s the whole reason he came. Ye heard him diggin’ at me all the time.”

Maddison nodded as she worked. “I’ve never met anyone so brazen. And when he looked at me… ugh!” She shivered. “He’s repulsive. He reminds me of yer faither,” she added, pushing away unpleasant memories.

Odhrán sighed. “Aye, two peas in a pod, those two. Rollo came here lookin’ fer a chance tae deliberately insult me, knowing I’d demand satisfaction. It was naethin’ tae dae with ye.”

I may have won today, but I reckon he’s nae finished with me yet.

“I’m glad tae hear ye say so, but it disnae change a thing. Ye could have been hurt, or even killed.”

“Are ye sayin’ ye were worried about me, Maddison?” he asked, quirking a brow. “That’s a big change from what ye told me this mornin’.”

Maddison felt heat flushing her cheeks. “That was… before the fight,” she said, burningly conscious it was not any sort of explanation.

“So, if ye think I’m close tae death ye suddenly care about me, is that it?”

“Oh, will ye stop askin’ questions?” she complained, feeling put on the spot. She wanted to tell him the truth about how she was feeling, but it was difficult to know how to start or even what words to use.

She hid her consternation by paying close attention to his wrist, turning it gently in her lap, making sure the wound was thoroughly clean before applying the salve and covering it with a bandage. “There, that’s that one done. What’s next?”

“This one here,” he replied, pushing aside the neck of his shirt to reveal a gash on his chest, just under his collar bone.

“Och, it does look rather deep.” Maddison frowned at it, pausing for a moment to collect herself as her heart fluttered strangely at the sight of his broad, tan chest with its covering of springy dark curls. The memory of running her hands over its expanse freely in the throes of ecstasy vividly came back to her. Slightly flustered, she smiled at Odhrán, feigning composure. “I’ll have that cleaned up in nae time,” she told him, rinsing out the cloth with fresh water before tending to the gash.

She leaned over him, resting one palm on his chest while she bathed the wound, feeling the heart beating beneath her hand under his warm skin, his gaze on her face. He said nothing, but his warm breath brushed her cheek, making her shiver. In a moment, she was covered in goosebumps, her whole body seemingly on alert at his proximity. She forced herself to complete the job and say brightly, “Which one next?”

“This one,” he said, lifting his chin slightly to indicate a bloody cut on the side of his neck about four inches long. Maddison leaned in to look. Odhrán’s breath moved a stray strand of her hair, for their faces were now only inches apart. Maddison trembled, her body tingling with mounting tension.

“Ach, that could have been so bad, Odhrán! Luckily, ’tis nae so deep, but ‘tis bleedin’ a lot,” she exclaimed, horrified by how vulnerable he had been under Rollo’s onslaught.

Odhrán chuckled wryly. “Well, I’m pretty sure Rollo’s got a few more injuries than me, so I’m nae complainin’. I reckon I got off lightly.”

“That’s nae the point,” she chided him, sitting up to fetch a clean cloth from the nightstand and wetting it, doing her best to concentrate on what she was doing. But it was getting increasingly more difficult with every second, for she was drawn to him. She leaned back over him, her hand resting lightly on his chest once more and began cleaning the wound.

“Would ye have been sad if Rollo had won? Are ye nae proud of me just a wee bit fer winnin’?” he asked.

How to answer? Was this the time she should tell him the truth as Tadgh had suggested?

“Aye, and aye, I am proud of ye, of course. But that disnae mean I forgive ye fer getting’ embroiled in a duel like that.” Odhrán’s boyish smile made her insides turn to water.

“So, ye dae care about me a wee bit.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I didnae want ye tae be seriously injured or killed, Odhrán!”

“Why so? Ye’ve told me many times how much ye hate me. Ye blow hot and cold. After the way ye acted this mornin’, ’tis hard fer me tae understand why ye’re suddenly bein’ so kind tae me.”