Page 32 of Secrets of a Kilted Seduction

CHAPTER TWELVE

Tadhg thought for a moment, and while he was doing so, he absently picked up her teacup and drank from it.

“Hey, are ye stealin’ me tea?” Alana complained with a small laugh.

Tadhg looked down at the delicate cup in his hand. “Aye, it seems I am.” He realized he had just touched his lips to the rim where she had been drinking. The intimacy of it sent a tiny thrill running through him; it was almost like kissing her. As close as I’m likely tae get anyhow, he thought, taking another sip and then replacing the cup on the table.

“I like tae imagine us bein’ very happily married. We’d be one of those couples ye see holding hands and laughin’ together, even though they’ve been wed fer donkey’s years. D’ye ken the kind I mean?”

She leaned her chin on her hand, gave a half smile, and nodded. “Aye, I ken the kind.”

“We’d never run out of things tae say tae each other because we’d just love bein’ in each other’s company.”

“I suppose I’d laugh at all yer jokes,” she said, faintly mocking.

“Aye, of course. That’s obligatory. And I’d keep tellin’ ye how clever ye are and how beautiful ye look and how much I love ye.” He winked at her. “That’s the easy part because ’tis naethin’ but the truth.” He was encouraged when that drew another small laugh.

“We’d have a nice wee house, and I’d plant ye a lovely garden, with all yer favorite flowers and plants in it.”

“And an herb garden, fer me medicines,” she said.

“Naturally. That goes without sayin’.” He paused to admire her for a moment, finding inspiration in the curve of her cheek and the brightness of her eyes. “In the summer, we’d go down tae the loch and take all our clothes off and swim together in the sunshine.”

That was taking a risk, he knew, and he half expected her to slap him again. But to his pleasant surprise, she only chuckled. “I might have kent gettin’ naked would be in there somewhere.”

He raised his eyebrows. “But of course. Why else would I have married such a beauty? Since ’tis but imagination, I figure I may as well enjoy mesel’.”

“I suppose ye think ye’ll get round me with all these compliments.”

“Is it workin’?”

She snorted with laughter this time, looking more relaxed than he had seen her in a long time. He ached to hold her but held himself back. He did not want to do anything that would make her leave.

“So, I suggest we should reminisce over such romantic times at dinner, where everyone can hear us,” he said. “And I’ll be sure tae tell everyone how proud I am of me wife and how I worship the ground she walks on.”

“Now, ye’re goin’ too far.”

“Nay, because that way, they’ll see how much in love we are and start believin’ we’re truly wed.”

“And I suppose I have tae go around tellin’ everyone what a wonderful man ye are and an ideal husband.”

“That would help, but if ye really want tae make an impression then ye’d best throw in a remark or two about what a beast I am between the sheets. They’ll love that.”

“Tadhg, stop! Ye really are goin’ too far with this,” she told him, batting at his arm. But she could not help smiling, so he caught her hand and brought it to his lips.

“I havenae gone far enough,” he told her, his voice husky. He kept his eyes on hers and dared to press his lips to her knuckles, thinking she would pull away any second. But she just kept on looking at him, letting him kiss her hand. He moved almost imperceptibly closer, peppering the hand with tiny kisses.

“All day long, whatever we were doin’, we’d be a cuddlin’ and kissin’ because we wouldnae be able tae keep our hands off each other.”

“It sounds exhaustin’,” she observed wryly, not moving her hand from his. He continued to press his advantage with small, delicate kisses that crept subtly up to her wrist.

“People would always be pointin’ at us and sayin’, “Look at those two. What a proper pair of lovebirds.”

“They’d probably complain we were makin’ a spectacle of ourselves and chase us away.”

“D’ye mind?” he said with mock umbrage. “This is me fantasy and ye’re spoilin’ it.”

She laughed softly and, if he was not imagining it, drew a little closer to him. He noticed her eyes had turned dark, and her hair glittered with red tints from the fire. When she ran the tip of her tongue around her lips, the familiar desire stirred in his belly.