by Nicole Locke
There could be only one reason his brother would send a woman to his bedroom. If she’d had any modesty left, she would have blushed with embarrassment, not with desire as she thought of their kiss.
Shaking her head to dispel the images, she replied, ‘Nae, I doona know your brother.’
He pursed his lips. ‘A neglect of my brother and of mine. If I had seen you serving downstairs, I would have stopped my drinking to be with you. Do you belong to your friend for tonight only?’
‘Nae! I just need—’
He grew angrier. ‘You belong to him for life? You are married!’
Her mistakes just got worse and worse! She was either a whore, a cheating wife or she could tell him she was a thief. He now stood too close for her to escape or to think clearly.
‘Nae, nae,’ Mairead said. ‘I am not married. You doona understand. I entered this room by mistake.’
A wolfish grin replaced his frown, but it did not erase the traces of anger furrowing his brow. It was as if he was angry, frustrated and filled with some fierce determination all at the same time.
‘I may be slowed by drink, lass. But there is nae mistake you entered my room. You have been conjured by my very dreams.’
Her gestures were restricted by his presence looming over her. ‘I will blame it on the drink, but you are not getting my meaning. I’m not supposed to be here. I didn’t mean to kiss you. You must let me go.’
He shook his head as if he just didn’t understand. ‘It was my clumsiness startling you. Please forgive me.’
Inclining his head, he continued, ‘My name is Caird. I’m here celebrating my sister’s wedding you see, and I’ve done a bit too much of that celebrating. It’s made me clumsy on my feet, and in my manners.’
He smiled. ‘Or maybe I’m clumsy because a bonnie lass...with curly hair...entered my room. But I promise if you lie with me on that there bed, I won’t be a clumsy lover.’
With the tips of his fingers, he started caressing her skin again. Behind her ear, down the cords of her neck, then across her shoulder, then up again to repeat.
Caird. He had a name. Not so much a stranger any more and his fingertips were doing strange things to her again.
‘If you lie with me, I promise to be the most skilled lover who has ever taken you.’ His voice was a low purr of pleasure. ‘My lovemaking won’t be fast. Urgent, aye. But I’ll take my time with you, lass. I’ll make sure my body moulds to yours so you won’t feel the chill of the night’s air.’
She could feel the roughened surface of his fingers, the heat from the palm of his hand. She felt naked under his gaze.
‘My hands will caress you. With heat, my tongue will taste your breasts. Ah, to see them, to feel how they’ll tighten.’
His words seared through her. She should have been shocked or at least offended by his intimate words. But instead she was captivated. Enticed.
‘I’ll make you crave my hands and my mouth as I stroke across your stomach.’ He flattened his hand until his entire palm slid low at the base of her throat. ‘Your legs will spread and my mouth and hands will move lower still.’
He must have loosened her ties or her thin gown was no barrier to his ministrations. He was pushing her gown down from her shoulders. The bodice loosened above her breasts and the sensation of the air’s coolness was nothing in comparison to the heat of his hands. She parted her lips to let in more air and didn’t mistake the look of triumph in his eyes.
What was she doing?
‘Nae!’ Swiping her arms to break his contact, she ran to the door and wrenched it open.
Chapter Three
Blindly, Mairead entered the hall and rammed into a man heading towards the stairs. The impact knocked the wind from her and threw her back against the wall.
The man’s cloak loosened and his hood fell. She saw his face and the flash of a silver dagger tucked into a belt around his waist.
‘You!’ she cried.
Turning suddenly, the man took a moment to register who she was. His surprise held him still.
She found her tongue. ‘You thief! You murderer. Give me my—’
‘What’s going on here?’
Caird entered the hall. His loose tunic just covered him, but didn’t hide the sword he carried.
Mairead blinked. Had he grabbed the sword before or after she cried out?
The man adjusted his cloak. His eyes turned calculating. With Caird here, she didn’t know what to do. If she made accusations, the questions would be numerous. Kissing Caird didn’t mean she trusted him. The dagger was too valuable.
Even lunging for the dagger would be futile. She had no weapon with which to fight. At best she’d get hurt. At worst, killed.
Her plan of stealing the dagger and returning home was now impossible. Her hands were tied. By the look of the gleam in the man’s eyes, he had come to the same conclusion.
The man inclined his head; his lips a smirk. ‘Pardon, wench. I see you are already detained for this evening. I meant nae harm.’
‘What’s this!’ Caird indicated with his sword. ‘Is this your friend?’
Mairead didn’t even think. Caird seemed...uncontrolled. His stance widened, his tunic not covering the aggression and tightening of muscles in his legs. He looked like he was about to spring. Maybe she did have a weapon she could use. Her practised Buchanan lying would come in handy.
She nodded haughtily. ‘Aye, and now he leaves like a thief in the night.’
‘A thief?’ Caird looked at her closely. His eyes narrowed, his posture becoming even larger. ‘He’s ripped your gown!’
She looked down. Somewhere between Caird’s expert hands and the impact with the murderer, her well-worn gown had torn. Horrified, she frantically adjusted the thin strips of cloth covering her breasts. It was useless and she kept her hands across her chest.
The murderer sensed the change in the air and attempted to put up his hood. ‘I never touched the wench! This is all untoward; I bid you both goodnight.’
The swift whip of air was all she heard as Caird’s sword came up in front of the man. He could move, but only if he wanted to be cut in half.
‘She called you thief,’ Caird said. ‘Exactly what were you thieving?’
‘Nothing, the wench—’
‘Stop...calling her wench; she’s a lady compared to the likes of you.’
The man’s entire demeanour changed from umbrage to overly pleasing. He raised his hands, and shrugged his shoulders as if in defeat. ‘You are welcome to the lady. It was an accident. She bumped—’
‘It wasn’t an accident!’ she interrupted. Mairead wouldn’t let the man’s false humbleness ruin her only chance for retrieving the dagger. ‘This is the man I was to meet. But he saw me come from your room and in a rage he tore my gown!’
The man’s eyes widened in fright; if it wasn’t dark, she’d swear she saw sweat break over his brow. Even better, he looked guilty. Good, he should feel guilt. Especially since she was wishing him dead.
Caird’s sword sliced the cloak’s tie under the man’s chin. The cloak billowed to the ground, revealing her dagger and a sword strapped to his belt.
‘You need to apologise to the lady,’ Caird said.
‘But I didn’t—’
Another slight movement and this time the sword neatly slashed the man’s tunic. Right across his heart.
Mairead bit her lip to hide her reaction. Grief, desperation, anger...and now this?
Caird did everything she wished to do, but it wasn’t enough, not for what this man, this thief, had taken from her. She wanted to swipe the sword and slice the black heart of her brother’s killer.
The man’s eyes grew wide. There was no calculating gleam there now. His eyes darted to the sword, to Mairead and then to the staircase; his
right hand visibly twitched. Was it because he feared Caird? She hoped so.
Being half-undressed didn’t make Caird look vulnerable. In fact, his well-muscled, well-trained body looked more formidable than the sword he held. She couldn’t believe she had curled her body around the man as if he was safe. Right now, he looked anything but safe.
A flash of movement.
‘The stairs!’ she yelled.
Caird lunged, but the murderer wasn’t planning escape. He had the dagger in his hand and he swung it around. Moving his sword and body to the side, Caird pounded his great fist on the man’s head.
The murderer teetered on the edge of the stairs. Caird clutched the man’s shredded tunic. It tore and the murderer tumbled down the stairs like wet clothes in a river.
A door opened behind them and a tall lean man stepped out. His short dark hair was tousled, and a lock fell over his forehead. A recently healed scar ran the length of his left cheek and down across his bare chest. He looked menacing even as he carelessly leaned against the doorframe and looked pointedly at Caird, Mairead, then the man crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.
His lips quirked before he burst out laughing. When he was done, he pretended to wipe his very green eyes and asked, ‘Need any help?’
‘You took your sweet time, Malcolm,’ Caird said.
Malcolm shrugged. ‘I was occupied. You left me with two of them.’ He pointed to Mairead. ‘Who’s this?’
Caird frowned.
Malcolm laughed again. ‘How about that down there?’
‘I doona know about that either.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly kept yourself entertained.’
Giggling floated out of Malcolm’s room and he closed the door.
Mairead desperately wanted to run down the stairs, grab the dagger and escape. But now there were two of them. She must keep lying.
Trying her best to look worried for the murderer, she asked, ‘Shouldn’t we see if he is dead?’
Caird’s eyes narrowed on her. To avoid his stare, she looked down the stairs and bit her lip.
‘I’ll go.’ Malcolm’s mouth lifted at the corners. ‘Out of the three of us, it seems I’m the only one decently clothed.’
Mairead snatched her hands to her breasts again. She’d forgotten about her gown.
Malcolm went down the steps and checked the inert body. ‘Not dead,’ he whispered up.
Her immediate relief surprised her. She’d thought she wanted him dead.
Malcolm ripped the torn tunic and tied the murderer’s arms behind him. He then searched the man’s pouch and boots before he ran up the stairs. ‘His pouch held a few coins, but nae seal or any identification.’ He pulled his hand from behind his back. ‘He did have this in his hand.’
Malcolm held Mairead’s dagger. The rubies winked.
She tried not to gasp, but part of the sound escaped. Caird’s eyes went to hers briefly and she quickly lowered her gaze. Now what was she supposed to do? Say the dagger was hers, and that she’d be on her way? They wouldn’t believe her. She’d have to stay quiet.
Caird took the dagger, his fingers caressing the decorative handle. When he looked again at Mairead, his eyes were no longer soft from desire or drink. Instead, they were as cold as the dagger in his hands.
‘The man’s clothes are too poor for such a fine piece,’ he said.
‘I agree,’ Malcolm replied. ‘Most likely it is stolen.’
Caird nodded. ‘Aye, a thief.’
Was it her imagination, or did Caird emphasise the word thief? Feigning nonchalance, she fiddled with her bodice.
‘Doona harm the man,’ Caird said. ‘Leave him his coins and sword, and take him outside the town’s gates. Preferably further than that.’
‘Off the land?’
‘I wouldn’t burden you that distance.’
Malcolm nodded his head towards his room. ‘I’ll grieve enough for leaving those two.’
Caird shook his head. ‘Do you think of anything else?’
‘Aye, food.’
Caird hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something more.
Malcolm lifted his eyebrow. ‘Worried for me again, Brother?’
Caird huffed and shook his head. ‘I’ll keep this dagger. I must think. See that he continues away from our land.’
A groan and movement from below caught their attention.
Malcolm ran down the steps and roughly pulled the murderer to his feet. The man stumbled, clearly not ready to rise.
‘’Ere, now, where’s my sword?’
‘You’ll get it soon enough,’ Malcolm replied.
The man acted resigned, but then in a struggle, he wrenched his arm free. ‘The dagger. Where is it?’
‘Here,’ Caird called out.
Malcolm resumed his hold and the man struggled to remain upright. ‘The dagger’s mine,’ he argued. ‘Surely you wouldn’t take that. A man’s got to have some defence.’
Mairead stayed silent and dug her fingers into her bodice. She glared all her hatred at him. She’d never forgive or forget what he did.
‘You have the sword,’ Caird replied. ‘The dagger’s not yours.’
The man tugged uselessly to free his arm. ‘I’ve got to have the dagger. Take my pouch, take my sword, but the dagger holds sentimental value to me.’
‘Nae.’
The man stopped his pleading, his movements frantic now. Anger and fear flashed in his eyes as he pierced them on Mairead.
‘You stupid wench. It wasn’t me who did it. If you—’ The man tried to butt his head against Malcolm, but Malcolm cuffed him on the jaw and the man slumped heavily in his arms.
‘I may have wanted to hear the end of that sentence,’ Caird said drily.
Malcolm shrugged. ‘His head must have still been ringing.’
Caird looked at the dagger again. Mairead did, too.
‘Take him away,’ Caird demanded.
‘Nae, wait!’ Mairead said. ‘Shouldn’t we wait until he wakes to see what he was going to say?’
‘Too late. I’m missing my sleep,’ Caird said.
Oh, but she needed to hear what the man was going to say. It had all happened so fast when Ailbert was killed. She had only seen the one man running away. This man. Had there been another? If this man was only a thief, then who was the murderer?
‘But he should at least be awake for his journey,’ she argued.
‘I think not,’ Caird replied. ‘I ask my brother too much as it is. An unconscious burden will be easier for him.’
Malcolm’s door flew open and two dishevelled women came out. They clutched one piece of bed linen and each other with equal amounts of clumsiness. ‘Malcolm,’ one of them trilled. ‘Malcolm, come back. Where are you?’
‘Oh!’ The brunette stopped so suddenly the red-haired one stumbled and lost her share of the linen covering her naked body.
‘Look at this one here, Annie.’ The brunette pointed to Caird.
‘Oooh, now he’s a triumph,’ slurred the redhead, trying in vain to reach for the corner of the linen. She curled her lips at Caird. ‘Come with us, pretty.’
Caird, clothed only in his tunic, lightly held his sword to his side. He was covered, but barely. Mairead’s anger switched from Malcolm for hitting the thief to Caird for having no modesty. Did he intend to parade around for all the women of Scotland and why did she even care?
‘The man you want is downstairs,’ Caird began, ‘and, as you can see, I’m well taken care of by a friend of yours.’
Mairead wanted to punch him in the stomach.
‘Oh, she’s nae friend of ours,’ said the brunette.
‘Never seen her before in my life,’ said the redhead. ‘Malcolm’s downstairs?’
‘La
sses!’ Malcolm cried jovially.
They stumbled towards the stairs.
Caird didn’t watch the women, he watched Mairead. From the look in his eyes, he wasn’t surprised the two women didn’t know her.
She was right in thinking he was too intelligent. If she wasn’t careful, he would link her trespass in his room with the dagger and the thief.
But she couldn’t just leave. Caird had the dagger. So how was she to get it and keep his mind from making the correct assumptions? The only way she knew how.
Mairead dropped her hands from her gown. His eyes flickered to her chest. But they didn’t stay there.
Instead his eyes narrowed, his cheeks hollowed and his lips pressed tight together.
‘Get in my room,’ he said.
Chapter Four
Mairead mostly prided herself on her impulsiveness, but right now she felt no pride. Right now she was in danger. Especially when she had no plan and there was a well-armed, vexed stranger following behind her and closing the door.
Her anger and fury had disappeared and her legs didn’t feel as if they would hold her much longer.
In the dark and quiet room, she could almost hear his mind making connections between her and the thief.
If it wasn’t for her family, she’d have run. They needed the money that dagger represented. Not that her mother and sisters knew about their predicament, but Ailbert had known. Ailbert had... Oh, she didn’t want to think about him. Not now. There was no time.
She had to choose: humiliate herself here, or in front of her entire clan. She’d prefer to do it here.
Straightening what was left of the top of her gown, she took a candle and walked to the fireplace. The fire was dim, but enough to light the wick.
‘Not now.’
‘I was just lighting it. It’s dark.’
‘We doona need light to sleep.’
But she did. She needed the light to see if his expression matched the biting tone of voice. Setting the unlit candle by the table, she turned towards him.
He had rested the sword by the bedside and was right behind her. Quickly, he took his tunic off. ‘Here.’ He gestured with the tunic.
