Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
“Ihave lost me mind,” Marissa mumbled to herself, shaking her head.
Heat had rushed into her cheeks at the thought, feeling quite foolish that it had even dared to enter her mind at all.
Had she not just told Abigail a few hours ago that she had no delusions that she and Arthur would be a love match? They were marrying each other to solve their problems, that was all.
Freya looked up as Marissa approached, her smile widening.
“I’m goin’ to head to me chambers,” Marissa explained. “I have a big day tomorrow.”
“I’m surprised ye’re goin’ to bed so early,” Michael mused.
Before Marissa had a chance to answer, Freya chimed in, “He’s right. Normally, ye’d be dancin’ all night long and would just sleep in the carriage if ye had to. Is everythin’ all right with yer betrothed?”
“Aye,” Marissa sputtered.
It had been the one question that had not required her to lie all night. So she had no idea why it was making her so incredibly nervous. And yet her entire being felt jittery as she stumbled over her words.
“I simply dinnae want to sleep durin’ the ride tomorrow,” she continued hastily. “I would like to talk to him more. And I want to make a good impression when I get to his castle. I dinnae want everyone there to see me when I havenae had any sleep.”
Marissa was rambling, she knew that. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to stop.
“I want them to have full faith in me as the lady of their clan, and I cannae do that without a good night’s sleep. Ye ken how I get when I’m tired…” She let out a nervous chuckle.
Her brother-in-law and sister shared a concerned glance.
“Marissa,” Freya began delicately. “Are ye certain ye’re all right? Ye seem out of sorts.”
Marissa paused for the briefest of moments, drawing in a quick breath to steady herself.
I have to gather me wits. Otherwise, they’ll figure out that I’ve been lyin’ to them all night, and they’ll try to stop me from leavin’ tomorrow.
When she spoke again, she felt much more calm.
“I am simply tired,” she answered, sounding more sure than she had mere moments ago. “As I said, it is a big day for me tomorrow. Me whole life is about to change, ye ken.”
She gave them what she hoped was a convincing smile.
Freya and Michael regarded her for a moment before finally nodding.
Marissa had to stop herself from heaving a sigh of relief. She turned her back to them, facing the entrance of the hall, and her eyes quickly raked over the dance floor. She spotted Abigail and Cody dancing, still laughing in the carefree way they so often did when they were together.
And, as badly as she wanted to walk over to them and say goodnight, she knew that was not a good idea.
Talkin’ to them would only lead to more questions, and I am nae in a state to answer anythin’ else tonight.
So, Marissa decided she would not interrupt them.
“We’ll make sure that everyone is gathered downstairs in the mornin’ for the final goodbyes.”
Marissa had not yet moved away from the head table, and when her sister’s voice sounded from behind her, she glanced over her shoulder.
Freya had apparently been watching her. More than likely, she had interpreted her reluctance as worry about not getting to say goodbye.
It’s as good an excuse as any.
“Thank ye,” was all Marissa said.
She paused just long enough to give her sister a grateful smile, before darting around the table to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Michael gave her a reassuring pat on the back before she made her way through the hall toward where Arthur said he’d meet her.
It took a little while for her to get there. Even walking along the perimeter of the room was tough, as the long dining tables had been shoved out of the way for people to dance, and the tables and chairs were obstructing the walkway.
But when she finally stepped out of the dining hall and into the hallway, there he was.
Arthur was leaning against the stone wall, one foot kicked up and resting on the wall behind him as he waited for her. His grey eyes were alert, scanning the revelry in the massive room for any sign of her.
The moment his gaze found hers, he smirked.
“Took ye long enough,” he murmured.
Marissa shook her head. “It was like swimmin’ through sand, tryin’ to get through all those people.”
Pushing off the wall, Arthur fell into step beside her.
“This isnae me castle,” he said. “So, ye’ll have to lead the way. I’m simply here to protect ye.”
Marissa chuckled. “Ye ken ye dinnae have to protect me in me home.”
Her words didn’t stop her from walking forward, though. Because the truth was, she wanted him to walk her to her rooms. She wanted a few stolen moments with him in a space where she was comfortable before everything changed in the morning.
The sound of their footsteps echoed off the stone, and Marissa glanced sideways at him as they walked.
The firelight from the sconces that lit their way danced over his skin, painting it with a rich, golden glow. It was striking how handsome he was, now that he had cleaned up a bit.
And just imagine when we return to his castle, when he can take a proper bath and change his clothes. I’m sure he’ll be a sight then.
Her stomach fluttered, and she cleared her throat.
“What is it like?” she asked. When she saw the confused look on his face, she quickly added, “Yer castle. Me new home.”
Arthur shrugged one shoulder. “It’s a castle. Made of stone. Nothin’ to lose yer mind over.”
Marissa rolled her eyes. “That’s all ye can give me? Just that it’s made of stone?”
“Well, what else is there to tell ye? I’m nae goin’ to write sonnets about me home. That’s yer job.”
She paused for a moment, considering her words. “What else did ye learn from me letters?”
They turned a corner. Her rooms were not far now—definitely not far enough for them to have a full conversation. But that didn’t stop her from pressing on.
“I ken that ye have siblings,” he answered honestly. “And that ye are a writer.”
“Anythin’ else?” she asked.
Arthur just shrugged.
She wanted to argue with him. She wanted to demand that he tell her everything else.
“Well,” Marissa continued, reluctant to end their conversation, “if ye willnae tell me what ye learned about me, mayhap I can learn about ye. Tell me about yer family. Do ye have any siblings I’ll meet tomorrow? Any cousins or anythin’ that I need to be aware of?”
“Ye’ll meet me braither and me sister,” Arthur grunted. “They both live at the castle.”
Marissa paused, certain that he would go into greater detail. But he didn’t.
She opened her mouth to fire off more questions, more things that she wanted to know about the siblings she would meet the next day. However, they had arrived at the door to her chambers.
“These are me rooms,” she said with a sigh, pointing to the beautifully carved oak door. “Ye got me here safely.”
“Ye ken ye’re goin’ to have to get used to that, right?” he asked.
Marissa turned to glance at him. Something was smoldering in the depths of his grey eyes—something she couldn’t put her finger on. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her stomach fluttered.
I should go into me chambers right now. I should thank him for walkin’ me to me rooms and I should go inside.
But she did not.
“What do ye mean?” she asked, her voice coming out a bit shaky.
“Protectin’ ye,” Arthur answered simply.
He took a step forward. There was very little space between them now.
Just like when they were dancing, she could feel the heat rolling off his massive body. She could smell him. And more than anything, she wanted to be able to touch him.
The air between them was charged, as if they were standing in the middle of a field the moment before lightning struck. Everything around her felt like it was about to spark, her skin tingling with a need to touch and be touched.
“I told ye, ye dinnae need to do that,” she answered.
Her voice was rough, betraying the desire coursing through her. Her throat was thick with it, her fingertips aching to reach out and caress him. His grey eyes, lit with the rage of a storm, darkened for a moment before he moved.
Arthur reached forward. His large hands fell onto each hip as he stepped into her, closing the final few inches between them.
“I will always protect what’s mine,” he growled, before his lips crashed down onto hers.
Marissa had never done this before. She had never felt the all-consuming presence of a man this closely before. Even when they had been dancing, their bodies pressed together, it had not been like what she was experiencing at that moment.
Never in a thousand years had she thought that it would feel like this.
His mouth moved against hers, and something instinctual within her knew that she should reciprocate it. His tongue darted out, pressing against her lips, begging for entry.
Without hesitation, Marissa parted her lips for him. His tongue swept into her mouth, dancing with her own.
A soft moan sounded, and it took a few seconds for Marissa to realize that it had come from her. But she didn’t care. There was no part of her that wanted to hide her desire from this man.
She wanted to lose herself in it, give herself over entirely to it. Her hands rose, grasping at his back. She could feel the muscles of his broad shoulders beneath the fabric of his shirt, could feel the way they flexed beneath her palms as he pulled her more tightly against him.
One of his hands came up, fisting in her short curls.
Another moan of pleasure sounded low in her throat. Need like she had never known before coursed through her.
Arthur took several steps forward, and Marissa followed suit, allowing him to guide her. Her back crashed into her door, pressing him even more firmly against her body.
Fisting her hands into the fabric of his shirt, she tugged at it. She felt like a woman possessed, clawing at his clothes as her mouth moved against his.
He never once broke their kiss. He released his grip on her hair, and his hands started trailing over her body. She felt the pressure of them roving over her shoulders, down her back, around her sides, coming up to cup her backside.
If this is the feelin’ I’ve heard the maids titter about, I ken why they were so excited now.
Abruptly, Arthur broke their kiss. His arms stayed wrapped around her.
They were both panting, their breaths mingling in the space between them as Marissa fought to get her heart rate under control. Her lips were swollen from the force of their kiss. And, as she turned her gaze upward, his grey eyes were ablaze with desire as he regarded her.
“Ye want more,” he murmured.
His words sent a feeling that she couldn’t name racing through her. It was dark and delicious, and her body arched into him of its own accord.
He chuckled, and she felt the rumble of it deep within her bones.
“Dinnae worry, lass.” Arthur’s words were liquid honey, dripping over her and making her feel alive under the weight of his sweet touch. “There’ll come a time, sooner than ye think, where ye’ll be beggin’ for it.”
He leaned forward, pressing one more hard kiss to her lips, and then he was gone, striding down the hallway in the direction of his rooms.
She recalled for a moment that he’d said she’d have to tell him how to get there. But she hadn’t.
Still, he walked down the corridor and turned to the right, just as she would have instructed him to.
Almost as if he’d known the way the entire time.