“I forget maself when I am with ye. I forget where I am and who I am.” He looked around the chamber, and his eyes settled on the huge bed that he knew his parents had always shared. “One day, God willing far in the future, this will be our chamber, and that will be our bed. I will make love to ye every night until we grow old and are sent to our maker. But until then, this is Da and Mama’s chamber. I canna dishonor them or ye by getting carried away.”
Callum hoped that Siùsan would understand. He looked into her eyes and saw admiration and perhaps even a little adoration there. He knew that she not only understood but approved of his choice. He felt proud that he had inspired such feelings in her when he so often felt like he had much to make up for. Siùsan stepped back and gathered up all the gowns into her arms, but before she could move, she felt the weight lifted away. Callum had his arms full and nodded to the shoes in the drawer then he turned to the door. He moved into the passageway without a word and made his way to the stairs. They passed by his door, but he purposely looked away. Siùsan knew which room belonged to each brother as she had been in each to make up the beds. She wondered why he looked away from his own room. A thought began to take root in her mind. She wondered if there was something, or more likely someone, in there that he did not want her to know about. She tried to shake the idea loose, but it was taking root. She watched as he neared the stairs leading to the floor with her chamber. She looked back at his door and thought that perhaps there was no one in there now, but there must have been someone who had been there that he did not want to think of or have her know about. Elizabeth. The single name came to rest in her mind as a deadweight. They continued up the stairs and through the passageway in silence. When they arrived at her door, she slipped past Callum and pushed the door handle down to open it. Rather than stepping in or aside to let him pass, she reached up for the bundle of gowns.
“Thank ye,” she said more briskly than she intended. Callum’s eyebrows shot up. He had heard her tone. She wanted to try to smile to soften her response but all she found she could do was lift one eyebrow in challenge. Callum looked positively confused. He had no idea what had made her mood swing so abruptly from passionate and appreciative to cold and dismissive.
“What is amiss, Siùsan?” He sounded genuinely confused.
“Naught, Callum. Perhaps there is something that ye need to attend to in yer chamber.” She spun around and kicked the door closed behind her. Callum stood stunned outside her door.
Bluidy hell. She is too observant by half. I tried so hard to not bring attention to the bluidy room that all I did was make it worse.
He turned back towards the stairs and moved down to the floor with his chamber. He took one look down the corridor and decided that his chamber was the last place he wanted to be. He needed another round in the lists and then a cool dunk in the loch. Had he not been so immersed in his own thoughts, once again, he might have seen what lurked in the shadows of a doorway down the passageway from Siùsan’s. A chamber that was supposed to be unoccupied as its former resident now had a croft of her own.
Chapter Twelve
Morning broke bright and sunny the next day.
Siùsan had come down to dinner the night before in one of the borrowed kirtles. It was a russet color that set off her flame colored locks beautifully. The gown fitted her like a second skin. Callum could not believe that it was the same gown that he could remember his mother wearing. His response to Siùsan was nowhere near maternal fondness. A shark spike of lust shot through him as he watched her walk to the dais. The gown was snug in all the right places and accented her large bust that had, up until this point, been his favorite little secret. Now every man in his clan knew that his betrothed had a body made for sin. He had almost growled when Magnus reached out to help her onto the dais. He was ready to smack Tavish when he moved out of her way, so she could get to her seat. He wanted to punch Alexander when he pulled out the chair for her without giving Callum, who was standing beside it, the chance. Each of his brothers simply crossed their arms and smirked. They knew that he was fuming with possessiveness and jealousy. The brothers had never seen him react in such a way to a woman, but they immediately recognized it for what it as. He was immensely territorial and easily provoked when it came to Siùsan, so they were doing their very best to get a rise out of him. However, the only person getting a rise out of him was Siùsan. His cock was standing at attention the entire meal. He could not sit still as he tried to find a more comfortable position. His sporran kept his secret, but it also weighed heavily against his sensitive skin that felt like it was on fire. He ached to feel her, any part of her, against him. His knee brushed against her several times. When she did not pull away the first time, he did it several more times until finally he simply pressed his leg to hers and dropped his hand to rest on her thigh. She surreptitiously ran her hand under his plaid and up to the middle of his thigh. She was turned away from him as she talked to his father. Her fingers danced along the inside of his thigh. He squeezed her thigh in response. He was close to bursting and making a fool of himself in front of his entire clan.
When she was done talking to his father and turned back to their shared trencher, he hissed in her ear, “lass.” She could hear the strain in his voice and divined an odd pleasure from knowing that she could tease him and arouse him in such a way. She had kept an eye on him. She had leaned back far enough in her chair that even as she talked with the Sinclair, she had been able to see in her peripheral vision what Callum was doing. He was either watching her or staring at their trencher or gulping down wine from their shared chalice. She could tell that he was miserable, but truth be told, she was suffering too. The feel of his leg against hers, the weight of his hand resting on her thigh, and the feel of his skin along her fingertips was making heat course through her body. As soon as they could make their excuses, they separately made their way out of the Great Hall. Siùsan claimed that she was ready to retire early and shortly after she left, Callum excused himself to the garderobe. Instead, they met in the passageway that led to the stairs down to the dungeon. As there was no one currently residing in the dungeon, it was one of the least frequented hallways in the entire castle. It had become a favorite meeting place for them. Callum hurried down the passageway until he could make out the faintest shape in the dark shadows. He reached out a hand and felt the soft material of Siùsan’s gown. He pulled it towards him and when her body collided with his, he pressed her backwards against the wall and pinned her there with his body. He growled savagely in her ear.
“What are ye trying to do to me?” He cupped her face and ran his thumbs over it to find her lips. Then he leaned in. She grabbed the back of his head and tangled her fingers into his hair and pulled gently. Their kiss was rough and hard. Siùsan moaned into his mouth as she reached down and pushed his sporran out of the way. She was becoming tired of it always keeping her from feeling the full length of his body and his arousal. They continued to kiss and run their hands over each other until they heard two guardsmen making their way towards them. They broke apart and Callum pushed her into the alcove in which she had been waiting. He pressed her back behind the tapestry that hid the entrance. She burrowed her head into his chest and felt his pounding heart. It raced as wildly as hers. He rested his chin upon the top of her head until the voices faded away. He was not ready to give up their privacy on the chance that the guardsmen would return.
“That gown looks far too good on ye.” He muttered.
“I beg yer pardon.” She ground out.
“Ye are a beautiful woman, and that is plain for any mon with even only one working eye to see, but that gown shows the entire world what had previously been ma secret. Every mon in this clan now kens that yer body is meant to bring a mon to his knees. I dinna much care for sharing that knowledge.”
“Yer’re jealous?”
“Aye,” he growled.
Siùsan could not help it. A laugh that turned into a giggle which turned into a snort erupted f
rom her.
“I dinna see how this is a laughing matter. I dinna like ma bride parading around for every mon in the Great Hall to drool over.”
“Ye are too kind. I appreciate being likened to a hamhock that the hounds will fight over.”
“Ye ken that isnae even close to what I mean.”
“For starters, I am yer betrothed but not yer bride. We havenae set a date nor even talked about it. Till then, I amnae anyone’s bride. Secondly, ye are the one who lent me this gown and told me that it would be the right size. Ye were correct. Thirdly, I dinnae have eyes for anyone else, and I was pleased to see that neither did ye.”
“Were ye testing me?” He pulled her against him.
“Nay. At least nae intentionally. I wanted to look nice for ye this evening since ye went to the trouble of arranging for me to borrow yer mother’s wardrobe. I still think ye were hiding something from me, but in the grand scheme of everything, that doesnae seem so important when I considered how kind ye have been to me. I wanted to make ye proud. I have never worn a kirtle or anything like this. I admit that ma pride was well served to see people notice and appreciate ma appearance, but ye were the only one I was trying to impress.”
“Ye succeeded in every way.” He gently kissed her cheek. “I am sorry that I was such a bear. I have never felt so incensed from jealousy. It was all consuming.”
“I ken. I ken that all too well.”
“Ah, mo ionmhas. I wish that I could make this easier for ye. I am so sorry.”
“I ken ye are.” She brushed her fingers over his cheeks in the dark. She felt the stubble on his jawline and then paused. What he had called her finally registered.
“Do ye really think of me as a treasure?”
“Aye. One that is mine and only mine.” He leaned forward and nipped at her neck. She leaned her head away to give him more access. Their conversation ended as they came together for another searing kiss. When voices passed by them again, they pulled apart.
“We are tempting fate. We shall be found out if we stay here any longer.”
“Aye. Ye leave first, Siùsan. I would watch to be sure ye are safe.” With that and a pat on the backside, Siùsan made her way to the servants’ stairs. Callum followed a short distance behind and watched as she climbed to the third floor.
Now that Siùsan felt more comfortable in her borrowed wardrobe, she chose a pale blue day dress and brushed back her hair. She left her chamber and met Callum on the floor with the family’s chambers. They joined hands as they made their way below stairs to break their fast. They had just reached the bottom of the stairs when Siùsan heard her name called out. The voice was keenly familiar. She looked up to see the last person she expected to be at the Sinclair keep.
“Robert?” She broke away from Callum and rushed across the floor. She wanted to know what he was doing there before he said anything that would upset the balance that she and Callum were working hard to develop. Before she could stop him, he pulled her into a tight hug. She felt his hands rest on the top of her hips with his fingers dangerously close to her backside. She felt a wave of terror as she remembered Callum’s reaction the night before just to other men looking at her. She could only imagine what he was about to do.
Quickly, she pushed against Robert’s chest and took the largest step back that she could, but he refused to completely let go. He held her waist at arm’s length.
“How are ye, mo ghràidh?” He boomed. Siùsan could have slapped him.
“I amnae yer darling. I amnae anything to ye.” She hissed. For a heartbeat, she had been excited to see someone familiar. She had known Robert her entire life, but bitter memories came crashing down on her as he tried to embarrass her in front of the Sinclairs.
She stepped back again, and he was forced to drop his hold unless he was willing to tug at her like a ragdoll. She spun around in time to see Callum storming towards them. The look of murderous rage matched what she had seen the night she arrived, and Sean attacked her. She stepped forward and tried to stop him. She pressed her hands against his chest.
“Callum,” she whispered. “Callum, please. Stop.”
He looked down at her briefly, but she was not sure that he even saw her. He was gentle but firm when he pushed her aside.
“Who comes into ma father’s keep and calls ma betrothed his darling?” Callum ground out between his teeth.
“Yer betrothed? Nay. That is not so as she was pre-contracted to me,” Robert scoffed.
Callum lurched forward, but a small hand on his arm stopped him. He looked down to see that now Siùsan was as angry as him, and he was relieved to see it was not directed at him but at this interloper.
“Ye may have asked me to marry ye, and I may have said aye, but we were never contracted to wed. Ma father refused ye, and ye only asked after he announced ma betrothal to Lord Callum. If ye dinna remember the details, I can surely remind ye. Of it all.” She ground out the last of it between clenched teeth. “I am well and truly betrothed to Lord Callum and couldnae be more pleased with ma father’s choice. He picked vera well.” She stepped back so that she could lean into Callum’s broad chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his hands over her belly. If everyone did not know better, it might have looked like he was protecting her womb, but instead he was staking his claim for all to see. There was not a doubt left who Siùsan Mackenzie belonged to. She placed her hands over the top of his and laced her fingers with his.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Elizabeth watching it all. The hatred and anger oozed out of her and radiated. If Siùsan was not already so distracted with Robert’s arrival, she might have flinched. She watched as Elizabeth emerged from the shadows and moved herself closer to Robert. It did not take much for Robert to catch sight of her and to allow his eyes to drink her in. His gaze returned to Siùsan and Callum, but it was clear that his attention had shifted.
“Robert, why are ye really here?”
“Yer father wanted me to check on yer wellbeing. He kens how close we are.” The innuendo was not lost on anyone certainly least of which was Callum.
“Well, we were raised like brother and sister. I ken it wasnae easy for ye to offer up yer freedom to marry me, but luckily it wasna necessary. Please, come and join us as ye break yer fast.” She reached out and gestured towards the tables where people stared agog during this unexpected morning entertainment. Siùsan remained in the safety of Callum’s arms until she saw Robert take a seat with his back to them. She spun around in Callum’s arms and tugged his sleeve.
“Quickly, I must tell ye all. I dinna trust him for a moment.”
Callum stared down at her for a moment as though she had sprouted a second head. He had not anticipated that she would be asking him if she could volunteer an explanation. He nodded, and they quietly moved out of the Great Hall to his father’s study. He opened the door and ushered her in, closing the door behind him. Again, Siùsan spun around, but this time she pinned Callum to the door. She rose up on her tiptoes and pulled at his leine. When he leaned forward she tunneled her fingers into his hair and pressed her lips to his. She nipped and bit and suckled his lips. She had caught on quickly to the art of kissing and enjoyed it. Callum picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He walked to a chair in front of the fire and sat down. She straddled him as the chair was wide enough for her to sit comfortably.
“Callum, I dinna trust Robert at all. He is lying about why he is here. I ken ma father didna send him to check on me. When ma father announced that he was considering a betrothal for me, I was shocked. He had never mentioned anything about seeing me married. I didna ken that he had even thought about it. I feared that he was going to arrange a marriage to an auld mon or a mon who might mistreat me. I ran to tell Robert. I was telling the truth when I said that we grew up like brother and sister. I have kenned him ma entire life. I told him that ma father planned to marry me off and that I feared who it might be to. He offered to marry me, and I said aye. I didna want to marry him and ha
d never considered it before that moment but it seemed like the safest option. Back then, I trusted him. I thought I was making a good choice. That evening, I saw Robert step out after the evening meal. I followed him because I wanted to learn when he planned to ask ma father for ma hand. I saw him walk to the stables. I followed him and entered the darkened stables just a little behind him. I heard voices and followed them. I was stunned to see him with one of the village lasses. She was completely naked, and he was kneeling behind her. I saw him toss up his plaid and grab her hips. I couldnae bring maself to watch aught more but what he said as I started to slide away made me stop and stay. He told her that he would marry the dumb sow, meaning me, and move her into the keep as his leman the moment I announced I was carrying his bairn. While they waited for me to get with child, they could continue to meet at her parents’ croft or there at the stables. I was just about to walk away when he said one more thing that made me turn from disgust to fear. He said so vera clearly, ‘I just have to wait until that bastard dies and then I will be laird. If not by title, then by deed as neither of those little brats is old enough to lead. They might never lead.’ I could not believe it. This mon that I had kenned forever was horrid. I was shocked and hurt. I tiptoed out of the stable and ran straight to ma room. I didna care who ma father married me off to after that. I just kenned it could never be to Robert. I didna want him to harm ma brothers. The next morning, I told ma father that I would be ready to leave as soon as he had the betrothal secured. Robert was in the Great Hall when I announced it. I havenae spoken to him since then. I avoided him until I left. He asked to be part of the escort, but even ma father didna trust him around me as Robert had tried to convince ma father to let him marry me instead. It was within a week that I left to come here. I dinna ken why he is really here, but I can promise ye it is not at ma father’s request.”
His Bonnie Highland Temptation (The Clan Sinclair Book 2) Page 10
