Page 31 of Scot of Seduction

CHAPTER TWELVE

Catreena leapt up off Tad. Grunting a little at her absence, he had to adjust the bedclothes across his hips. Having Catreena so close had made him as hard as stone again.

“Come,” Catreena said, racing toward the door.

“Cat. Cat, where are ye going?” he called after her, intent on having her back. She reached for the door, looked back, and winked, then flung the door open.

Tad could have growled at her for leaving him so fast. All he wanted was for her to stay, for the two of them to be in his bed all night. Strangely, he would have been happy just to sleep, as they had done that night at the inn. All he wanted was her company, her scent, the knowledge that Catreena was beside him.

“I came tae see how ye are,” Callum’s voice sounded as he stepped into the room.

“Then I’ll leave him tae yer care,” Catreena said swiftly and darted from the room. “Goodnight tae ye both.” Then she was gone, leaving Tad staring jealously after her.

“Shall we talk?” Callum suggested and moved into the room. Apparently finding Tad’s bandage was a little ruffled, he adjusted it for him.

“Thank ye,” Tad said woodenly. He looked at Callum as his friend and advisor sat beside him, his gut twisting with a strange mix of feelings. The jealousy towards Callum was still there, though he knew it was mad after what Catreena had shared with him that afternoon on this very bed.

“The scouts will come tae yer council meeting tomorrow,” Callum said with an easy smile. “They have news fer us, about who started the fire.”

“Good.” Tad nodded, holding a hand over his suddenly sore shoulder. “Callum, there is something ye need tae ken. It’s about…” He trailed off, his eyes moving to the door through which Catreena had not long left.

“Catreena?” Callum suggested. “Well, I suspected I was wrong tae ask tae see her more in the first place.” He chuckled. “Have ye two spoken at last then? Will ye court?”

Tad jerked his head around and stared at Callum in alarm.

“Ye kenned?” Tad said in amazement. “I barely understand this meself. How could ye possibly ken?”

“I’m yer advisor.” Callum shrugged humbly. “It’s me job tae ken everything about ye and the way ye think. I’ve kenned ye fer so long, I ken how ye think and what ye’re going tae dae, sometimes even before ye dae.” He laughed. “Ye make a good pair, Tad. She’ll certainly make a fierce lady of the clan, but kenning ye, ye wouldnae have it any other way, would ye?”

Tad laughed with him, stunned at the words. He was right. Catreena would make one hell of a Lady of the MacBeans.

“Her braithers may never allow it,” he said, the laughter suddenly dying on his tongue.

“Maybe nae, but if it is any consolation, I am sure she is in love with ye.”

Love?

Tad hadn’t thought of it in those words before. All he’d thought of was this pull, this draw, this all-consuming need to be near Catreena and for no other man to take her but him.

Is that what she feels fer me? What she felt today on this bed?

“Every time I have seen her this last week, she has been more concerned with asking where ye are than spending time with me.” Callum smiled with the words. “Ye ask me, me friend, I think ye have a very devoted woman there.”

“If only her braithers would let me anywhere near her.”

“Are ye sure about this?” Bran asked as Tad dismissed the council meeting. Callum sat on his other side as most of the men filtered out of the room. “Sending most of the men away.”

“It has tae be done,” Tad said in a low tone. “Bran, what else can I dae? We now ken it was Cillian’s soldiers, as we feared.” He glanced briefly at the men now following the councilors out of the room. The mix of soldiers and spies were disappearing fast, their heads bowed with purpose. They had unmistakably seen who had started the fire. “Cillian’s men will attack all the villages, kenning his vicious nature. We need tae station men everywhere.”

“It will leave the castle less protected,” Bran said, slumping down into the other chair beside him.

“We are here. There are plenty of soldiers here too.” Tad leveled a firm gaze at his friend. “Trust me, Bran. Nothing will happen tae ye or our families here.”

Bran nodded, but he looked uneasy. It wasn’t long after that he left, muttering something about going to find Ilyssa. Tad waited until Callum had parted too, talking about checking on the scouts. Once he was alone, Tad snatched up the note from his pocket which he had written that morning.

He checked the wording another time. It was for Catreena, asking her to come and meet him in the old healer’s rooms. The healer, now retired, once dominated one turret of this castle. He created rooms full of herbs and medicines, some so powerful that one or two people had whispered about the possibility of sorcery. Tad was sure Catreena would love seeing that place.

He stood, leaving the council and the matter of politics behind as he tracked down a maid to deliver his message.