Page 31 of Stealing a Kilted Heart

“May I walk ye back tae the cottage, Miss MacKenzie?”

Fia glanced between him and Bane, and Knox cursed under his breath. Of course, she already had a chaperone for the way back, though she didn’t need one, seeing as they were inside the castle walls.

“I must head out tae the forge anyway,” said Bane before Knox could come up with an excuse. Either it was a blessed coincidence or Bane was removing himself from the situation, which though reassuring, was confusing to Knox. “I’ll see ye later, Fia. Me laird.”

With a bow, Bane was gone and Fia was free to accept Knox’s company. He offered her his arm and a shiver ran down his spine when she took it, the light weight of it a comfort like no other.

The two of them walked in silence for a while in the courtyard, Knox taking the long way around just so that they could spend some more time together. The stars were bright that night; shining pinpricks of light pushing through the sparse clouds. The air was crisp and Knox was glad to have an excuse to hold Fia close, the two of them sharing their body heat. Once again, the silence that stretched between them was comfortable, nothing like the one they had shared on the way back from the lake.

Still, neither of them had mentioned that day. Knox didn’t know whether he should say something or let it fade from memory as much as he could, and so he refrained from bringing it up just in case. He doubted Fia would say anything on the matter anyway. Surely, it was even more uncomfortable for her, since she had been the one to endure his advances.

Then there was also the matter of Bane. Knox tried to hold his tongue; he really did. And yet, just as they were nearing the cottage, his jealousy got the better of him.

“Bane… surely, he must be meeting with a lass, right?” he asked, trying to be casual about it.

Fia shook her head. “Nay, he would have told me.”

Knox didn’t like that one bit, nor was it the answer he had been expecting. “Right, well, are ye certain it isnae because he is already in love with… another lassie?”

Fia looked at him with a small, confused frown. It took her a few moments to understand what it was he was trying to imply, but when she did, her eyes widened comically and she came to a sudden stop. Then, she hesitated, and Knox could almost see the gears in her head turning as she considered his question.

“He wouldnae,” she said, and though she sounded entirely convinced of it, Knox still wasn’t.

“How are ye so certain?” he insisted.

“Because… because he doesnae like lasses!”

Immediately, Fia clamped a hand over her mouth as though she was shocked by her own confession. Knox was shocked, too, and he stared at her in disbelief for a few moments, trying to sort out his thoughts as best as he could.

He doesnae like lasses? What does he like?

Lads?

“Och,” Knox said, the thought bouncing around in his mind again and again. He didn’t know what to make of it. He had heard of such cases, but he had never met someone like that before—someone who was attracted to the same gender. It came as a surprise to say the least, and now that he knew the truth, he had trouble coming up with the right thing to say.

Under any other circumstances, perhaps he would have been quick to judge, but Bane was a good man. And even he could admit it, after having spent the entire time he had known him being jealous of him. Besides, Fia adored him and if nothing else, he didn’t want to say anything that would offend her.

It was strange. It wasn’t something Knox had considered before, but he supposed it hardly changed anything. Bane was still Bane and the fact that he preferred the same sex only meant that Knox truly had no competition.

“Please, dinnae say anythin’ tae anyone,” Fia said, grabbing both of Knox’s hands and holding them in a bruising grip. “Promise me ye willnae, me laird. It could be dangerous fer him. An’ promise me ye willnae say anythin’ tae him either, fer he wouldnae forgive me fer it.”

Knox nodded immediately, carried away by Fia’s panic. “O’ course I willnae,” he promised. “His secret is safe with me, Fia. An’ please… call me Knox now.”

It felt right. He didn’t want this useless formality to separate them any longer.

“Knox,” Fia said quietly in the small space between them. It was only then that Knox realized how close they were to each other, sharing the same breath.

All he had to do to kiss her was bridge that small gap, press their lips together once more. He leaned closer and closer, slowly, giving her the time to pull away, but she stayed right where she was, waiting for him.

“Me laird! I’m so glad I found ye!”

A guard’s voice startled Knox and he and Fia pulled back from each other immediately, putting a great distance between them. The sudden cold made him shiver, his body already missing Fia’s warmth.

“There’s been another report,” said the guard. “Mr. MacLeod requests yer presence.”

With a sigh, Knox pinched the bridge of his nose. It couldn’t have been worse timing, but duty called and he couldn’t ignore it. It could be an important report. It could be something that would change the tide of the conflict, and his first duty was to the clan.

“Forgive me,” he told Fia. “I must tend tae this.”