Page 18 of In Bed with a Highland Brute

“Can ye blame me after a kiss like that?”

Her question rooted him to the spot. He paused with the wine and met her gaze, seeing those bright blue orbs were restless.

“Ye were supposed tae just kiss me, nae tae kiss me… in that way.”

“What way?”

“With passion!”

“That isnae a passionate kiss, Eloise,” he said, chuckling beneath his breath. “Believe me, I can show ye a passionate kiss some time, but it is something much more intense than that.” Her lips parted in a sort of wonder. Unsure what more to say to her, he lifted her goblet and pressed it into her grasp, urging her to move again. “What kisses have ye shared before that ye think a kiss like that passionate?”

“Ye ken my job,” she whispered, turning her gaze down to her cup. “I never sold myself, but certain performances required the occasional kiss tae complete an illusion.”

“Then I am sorry indeed. Have ye never had a true kiss? One where ye and the lover were caught up in the moment?” He smiled, expecting there to be one obvious answer, yet she turned away and stared at the room, hurriedly sipping from her goblet. “Wait, Eloise, have ye nae?”

“Let us nae talk of this anymore.”

“Hard tae imagine,” he muttered.

“What?”

“That nae man would have kissed ye by now fer a reason other than tae complete an illusion,” he said with a shrug.

“I could have mistaken that for a compliment, Murdoch,” she said, with the smallest of smiles. “After yer insults all day, it is welcome relief.”

“I am nae so bad.”

“Are ye nae?”

He couldn’t answer her. They simply stared at one another as they lifted their goblets to their lips again.

Eloise walked away from the dancers and moved to the door, waiting for Murdoch to follow her. They had completed their illusion well for the night, staying by one another’s side and talking. She asked him a lot about his life in this castle, but his answers had been evasive. He mostly freely spoke of his father and his brother, saying little about himself at all.

Now, Eloise was tired and needed to retire for the night. She caught his eye and hesitated by the door, knowing she would have to wait for him to follow her as they appeared to be sharing a room. He nodded from a distance, showing he had seen her signal, then he returned to the conversation he was having.

Eloise’s brows knitted together as she watched him. He was talking intently with a young woman who she abruptly recognized. It was Harper’s maid, the dark-haired woman who had been standing with Harper earlier that evening. She kept trailing her finger in a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her updo and she smiled sweetly at Murdoch. When she giggled and placed her hand to Murdoch’s arm, Eloise’s stomach tightened into a knot.

Uncertain why it angered her so, she no longer waited by the door but moved toward him, circling the groups that stood and chatted in the room. When she reached his side, he didn’t appear to notice her presence at first, for he was far too busy staring at the maid.

The closer Eloise moved, the more she saw just how beautiful the maid was. Those eyes were rather near together and large. There was such depth and darkness in them that she had a bewildering sort of attraction that Eloise supposed many men liked. She laughed once more at something he said, placing her hand on Murdoch’s arm again.

“Murdoch?” Eloise caught his attention as she stood beside him.

“Ah, if you would excuse me, Beatrice.” Murdoch bowed his head to her.

The maid’s dark eyes shot to Eloise, with so much strength in them that Eloise nearly flinched. She fidgeted instead with the skirt of her gown, tearing her gaze away from the beautiful maid. As if it was an old habit, Murdoch laid a hand across her back and steered her away, moving with her to the door.

“I was coming. Believe me after the long ride today, I will be happy tae retire fer the night.”

“Ye think I come tae yer side out of impatience?” She waited until they were out of the door then brushed his hand off her sharply. Looking around, she checked no one else was nearby. “Ye and I are supposed tae be creating an illusion of being in love.”

“Aye?” He walked away from her, heading for the stairs.

“And yet ye stare at that beautiful maid with yer jaw practically on the floor.” At her words, he halted halfway up the stairs and turned back to face her. “See? Just in that way.” His jaw had slackened once more.

“Are ye angry, Eloise? I could have sworn that was a tone of jealousy in yer voice.”

“Jealous? Pah!” She laughed and walked up the stairs, halting a few steps above him so that she was now at his head height. “I am warning ye merely that if ye want yer trick tae work, ye shall have tae pretend as if nae other here has taken yer liking but me. Dae ye think ye can dae that?”