“Aye, of course,” Cicilia said, her heart aching a little as he moved away. She longed for him to return, to take her in his arms where she felt safe.
But he just smiled faintly at her and walked away.
“Alexander!” she called after him.
He turned his head only a little. “Aye, Cicilia?”
“Aecus fortuna iuvat,” she said. “Remember that.”
Fortune favors the kind. An’ ye are a kind man, Alexander MacKinnon, nae matter what ye want everyone else to think.
She saw a brief smile flicker across Alexander’s face before he looked away and began walking once more. “I will,” he assured her. “An’ I hope ye’re right.”
Nathair hadn’t been expecting to have to turn back halfway home. Still, he went without complaint after meeting Alexander’s messenger halfway along the road. He agreed that bringing Jeanie back to the castle as Cicilia’s lady’s maid, if she was willing, was an excellent idea.
I’ll admit it, she’s a bonny lass. Alexander keeps teasin’ me, but he’s right. I haven’ae been taken wi’ a lass so much in some time. Now if only he could see the same wi’ himself an’ Cicilia.
When he arrived three days later, Jeanie also thought it an excellent idea. After changing horses, she’d agreed to travel back with him directly. She rode with him the entire way back, her delicate arms around his waist, and the two chatted incessantly the whole week of the journey.
Nathair arrived back at Gallagher Castle with Jeanie thirteen days after the fire on O’Donnel farm, and six days after Cicilia and the twins had been installed at the castle. He was rewarded with excited squealing with happiness the second the O’Donnel children laid eyes on Jeanie.
Alexander was sitting next to him in the parlor, smiling widely as the women embraced, and the children excitedly chattered to their friend. “I dinnae tell them she was comin’. I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“Seems ye were right,” Nathair chuckled. “How has it been the last couple o’ weeks? Was the journey all right wi’ the bairns? An’ have they settled in well enough?”
“Aye,” Alexander agreed. “Thomeas was a bit reluctant at first. Ye ken how set he is in his ways.”
I’ll nae comment on the irony o’ that.
“An’ now?”
“Now he’s been a true gentleman. Cicilia even commented on how kind he’s been despite her givin’ him a hard time before when he visited the farm,” Alexander explained. He sounded pleased.
Nathair didn’t like the accomptant, but he knew that Alexander trusted him, and he knew that for all his faults, Thomeas was loyal. If Alexander had ordered him to treat Cicilia as a guest, then no doubt he was going out of his way to do just that.
“An’ how about yer journey?” Alexander asked with a slight tease in his tone. “I’m surprised that ye dinnae take a few, ahem, detours wi’ Miss McCaul.”
Nathair grinned. “I’m excellent at balancin’ many tasks at once, ye ken that,” he laughed. “What about ye an’ Cicilia?”
Alexander tilted his head. “What about us?”
Nathair blinked at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Och, Sandy. Ye’re hopeless.”
Alexander had seemed mystified, but Nathair refused to explain. He couldn’t tell if his friend really was dense, or he just didn’t feel like talking about it, but either way, Nathair would leave him to work it out on his own.
He greeted Cicilia and the twins, and then he and Alexander spent the rest of the day at work, leaving Jeanie to keep Cicilia company. There had been rumbles of unrest that Nathair had not yet been able to source, and so he and the Laird spent all day discussing how to prevent rioting or worse.
Ye’d think the people would be content. They’re one o’ the best cared-for clans in the land. I dinnae have the first notion o’ what could be rilin’ them up.
They were no closer to a solution after a day of work, but both felt better knowing their minds were together on the topic. Nathair barely saw Jeanie, or Cicilia for that matter, for the rest of the day.
He liked the girls, but it was pleasant to spend a day with his friend alone, even under the circumstances. And now that work was done, they sat together in Alexander’s room, drinking whiskey and chatting about nothing much at all, just like they had as youths.
There was a rapid knock at the door, and Nathair looked up in surprise. Whoever was knocking sounded urgent. Scared, even.
“Come in,” Alexander called, and the door opened to reveal a terrified-looking Cicilia, pale under her freckles. Her eyes were red, and her face damp, and her voice and hands both shook when she spoke.
“I…I’m sorry to interrupt but I…Alexander, there’s…” she tried, and then her tears started anew. Alexander was already on his feet, and she rushed into his arms while Nathair quietly closed the door behind her.
What in the devil’s name has happened now?
Once she’d caught herself, Alexander pressed her gently again to speak. Cicilia nodded and, still loosely held by Alexander, showed him a piece of paper.
Alexander removed one arm from her waist to take it and read it, and as Nathair watched, his friend’s eyes turned cold.
“What is this?” the Laird demanded. “Where did ye find this? Who’s handwritin’ is it?” His voice was angry. “Is it a match to the threat on the pig fence? Cicilia, have ye seen anybody suspicious?”
“Nay,” Cicilia replied in a shaking voice as Alexander handed Nathair the note. “Nay, it doesn’ae match, an’ I dinnae have a clue at all who could o’ written it. I went to bed after puttin’ the twins down to sleep tonight—Jeanie was still readin’ them a story, so I left her to it—and there it was on me pillow.”
Her eyes widened, and she sounded scared. “The twins! Ye dinnae think I’ve left them in danger?”
“Nay,” Nathair said. “If Jeanie’s wi’ them, they’re safe.”
Alexander nodded. “Nae body is fool enough to try somethin’ when half the castle is awake. Dinnae ye worry, Cicilia. We’ll get to the bottom o’ this, I swear it.”
Cicilia nodded, but then her face crumpled, and she started to cry once more. “I just wanted to run me faither’s farm,” she sobbed, and Alexander held her tight to his chest.
Nathair averted his eyes, suddenly feeling like an intruder. “I’ll go check on the bairns and Jeanie,” he said and left the room.
As he walked along the corridor, he looked at the note, and his blood ran cold. Whoever had left it, whether it be a lousy jape or a genuine threat, must be dealt with quickly.
“This is yer second warning. Give up the O’Donnel Farm now, or the third warning will be something worse than just a pig. I hope ye have sweet dreams, Miss Cicilia. Ye and yer little siblings both.”
Chapter 17
Astra Inclinant
The Stars Incline Us
Cicilia’s rest was, perhaps unsurprisingly, very broken over the hours after she lay down to try to sleep once more. Alexander had assured her that Nathair would comb the castle for the would-be assailant and that the best thing Cicilia could do for herself was to sleep.
So she’d headed back to her bedroom and lay in the large, plush bed, the down-feather pillows cushioning her like a cloud-given embrace. For all that they aided in her rest, though, she may as well have been laying on hard rocks.
Every time I close me eyes, I see the deid animals, the message on the fence, the blazin’ fire o’ me home. An’ whoever may be threatenin’ me is here.
She tossed and turned, trying to will herself to sleep, but the more she tried, the less she seemed capable. It was still pitch dark outside, no sign of the sun, when she eventually gave up and shot out of bed.
I’ll just go an’ check on the bairns. After that, I’ll be able to sleep.
She knew that was irrational—Jeanie was sleeping in the room adjoining the twins that night, and Cicilia knew that her friend would never let anything happen to them. But she felt so restless that she had to do s
omething. So she grabbed her dressing gown and house shoes, and covering up quickly, headed to the door of her room.
“Ow!” a voice yelled, and Cicilia screamed as her foot squished into something soft as she stepped outside.
She jumped back inside, ready to slam the door, her eyes darting to the groaning figure on the ground. Could she reach the fire-poker quickly enough to defend herself? Could she—?
“Alexander?” she asked, confused.
It was Alexander, rubbing his belly where she’d accidentally trodden on him. He had been lying on the floor, curled up like a puppy at her door.
Was he sleepin’ there?!
“Cicilia,” he groaned. “For such a wee lass, ye’ve got a heavy step.”
“What are ye doin’ outside me door like this?” she asked uncertainly. “Why in the world are ye sleepin’ on the floor?”
“I…” he said, getting to his feet and looking faintly embarrassed as he did so. “I was, er… Ye see, Cicilia, yer note may have given me a wee bit more o’ a fright than I initially wanted to let on. I really dinnae like the thought o’ leavin’ ye here all alone.”
Cicilia blinked. “An’…ye couldn’ae have assigned one o’ yer servants? Yer guards? Nathair?”
Alexander looked even more uncomfortable somehow. “Er, nay, nae really, I…” He took a breath, and then Cicilia was astounded as his words came out in a rush. “Dinnae ask me to explain meself, Cicilia, because I’m nae sure that I’m capable. I’ve kent ye for a couple weeks maybe, but somethin’ has happened in that time that I dinnae…I’ve never…”
Cicilia held out a hand. “Alexander? Do ye want to come inside, perhaps?”
He nodded, and she stepped aside, leading him in. She fetched them both a drink from the jug on her little table, and they sat together on her small couch, each wrapped in their own thoughts.
It was strange, Cicilia reflected, how much safer she felt just with his presence. Having him here, in such close proximity, made her feel sure that whoever was threatening her was far, far away. Being beside Alexander was like a wave of security she could not explain.
Speakin’ o’ explanations…
“Do ye want to continue?” Cicilia asked, sipping at her drink.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. “Continue?”
“Aye,” she pressed. “Ye were sayin’ somethin’, an’ I interrupted. Ye said that…somethin’ has happened?”
Alexander went quiet, drinking deep, and Cicilia started to suspect that he was never going to answer her. She even felt a little bad, wondering if putting him on the spot like this was at all polite. After all, she was supposed to be his guest!
“Alexander, it’s all right. Ye dinnae need to—”
“Cicilia,” he interrupted, and she fell silent instantly. There was a fierce spark in his blue eyes, and she found herself staring, hypnotized, as they talked. “What I was tryin’ to say is…ye’re one o’ the most maddenin’ people I ever met. Ye make nae sense, inside an’ out.”
Her lip twitched. “Flatterin’,” she said ironically.
“Oh, dinnae tease me. Ye ken what I mean. An’ yet…an’ yet the thought o’ anythin’ happenin’ to ye, it drives me up the wall,” he told her. His expression was open, earnest, as he said, “I’ve nae been so angry in me life as I was when ye showed me that accursed note. I couldn’ae send anyone else to guard yer room because I couldn’ae stand the thought o’ somethin’ happenin’ without me kennin’ about it.”
What is he sayin’? I’ve never seen him so passionate!
Cicilia’s pulse quickened, and she felt unable to look away from the intense look on his face, unable to break his gaze. “Ye were tryin’ to protect me?”
“Best I can,” Alexander agreed. “I dinnae understand what I feel about ye, but I ken I cannae let anythin’ happen to ye. Ye’re good, an’ kind, an’ smart, an’…”
“Alexander…” Cicilia started. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say. Did she want to thank him? Berate him? She honestly didn’t know for sure.
He swallowed. “When…when ye kissed me in the stables, Cicilia, whether I like to admit it or nae, it changed somethin’ in me. It changed somethin’ in us both.”
A wave of heat rippled from her head to her toes at those words, lighting up parts of her body she hadn’t known existed until now. She could hear a note of need buried just below the surface, and it filled her with a longing she barely understood.
“Aye,” she whispered. “An’ I’ve been waitin’ ever since for ye to do it again.”
He didn’t need any more invitation, and his lips met hers in a hurried crash. Cicilia’s hands were in his hair in a second, pulling him closer even as his hands tightened around her waist.
The passion from the kiss ignited precisely as if the previous one had never ended, and they were lost in each other in moments, their lips and tongues and hands exploring everywhere they could.
Eventually, they surfaced for air, and Alexander was looking at her with those vulnerable wide eyes. “I…Cicilia, I dinnae come here for that,” he said roughly, though the throbbing in his voice suggested otherwise. “I swear to ye, I just wanted to keep ye safe.”
“I ken,” she replied throatily. “An’ that’s why I’m nae gonnae stop. Laird, I dinnae like the idea o’ yer esteemed self sleepin’ on the cold hard floor alone. Mayhap ye’d like to share me bed on this night?”
It was with some satisfaction that Cicilia saw Alexander’s pupils dilate, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he gulped, and the unmistakable desire mixed with the shock in his eyes.
“Cicilia,” he said quietly. She could tell he was trying to be calm, but it sounded almost like a groan. “Ye dinnae owe me that. I would never ask ye to—”
“I ken,” she said softly. She stood up, offering her hand, and he accepted it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet like a man spellbound. Ηe was so much taller than she, but as she led him across the room, he may as well have been an obedient doll.
They reached the bed, and she shoved very lightly at his chest. He fell back as though she’d pushed him hard, his knees buckling under him as he sprawled on the bed and stared up at her.
Her heart was beating so fast that she could hear it in her ears, but she ignored it as she began to take off her nightgown, slowly but with confidence, ready for him to see—and needing to see in return. Her clothes pooled to the floor, and Alexander’s breath stuttered as he took in the sight of her.
I dinnae ken I could have that effect on a man. It’s certainly havin’ an effect on me.
The crisp air caressing her skin felt like a gentle embrace as she moved forward and began to undo Alexander’s clothing, too. Without a word, he shifted to help her—but she wouldn’t let him get up, not yet.
When he was naked, she stood back to survey her prize for a moment. She had seen nude men before, a mistaken glance at a farmhand stripping down a little too publicly. This, though, was like nothing she’d ever experienced.
She moved closer so that she stood before him and said in a voice that was shy and full of wonder, “May I—may I touch ye?”
He nodded without speaking, and she leaned over, her hand starting at his hair and trailing downward. His familiar face felt warm under her hands, and as she ran her fingertips down his neck to touch his now-exposed collarbone, she felt a shiver go through him. She shivered, too, in response.
“It feels good?” she asked.
“Aye,” he muttered, his eyes closed.
Next, his arms, muscled and toned but not bulky, the kind of arms she longed to lose herself in. His chest, hairy but neat, and when her fingers tangled in the curls there, she felt hard muscle underneath. His belly was taut, his abdominal muscles each showing individually for her to explore.
Down, down, she trailed her hands and eyes, focusing on the V of his hips, and then she was looking at his member. It was rock hard, and bigger than she’d expected, a kind of thickness to it that both intimidated her and fi
lled her with desire. She touched it lightly and heard him gasp.
“Cicilia,” he groaned. “Kiss me.”
She toyed with his hardness a little longer, but soon it was too much for her to bear, as well, and she clambered on top of him on the bed, lowering her lips to his. As they kissed, his hands found her breasts, and each touch was like a flaming bolt through her, sending jolts through her body from her chest directly to her groin.
She moaned, and one of his hands tightened on her breast while the other moved to her buttocks, caressing her naked backside like it was the world’s grandest treasure. Cicilia gasped, her lips coming away from his for just a moment.
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