Chapter 1 #2
“Why dae ye nae try tae fight a man?” her protector said as he pulled Gunther up by his shirt and held him against the wall. “Ye seemed tae be lookin’ fer a fight, well here I am. Or would ye rather stay on yer arse against the wall ye coward?”
His voice was smooth and calm, which Mairi thought was in direct contrast to the rage of his actions, but the undertone was one of deadly intent.
This was a man who was used to battle. Her protector turned toward her and she gave a yell as she watched Gunther come up behind him trying to land a blow, but he didn’t stand much of a chance against the other man’s speed and strength.
“I dinnae think so.”
Mairi watched as he strode toward Gunther and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He tossed the vile man to the ground with as little effort as it would have taken her to throw a coverlet onto her bed.
He looks like fury incarnate…
His effortless strength stirred something in her. Gunther landed with a thud, and Mairi could see he was out cold.
She bent over in relief clutching her stomach, wincing from the pain in her wrist, but luckily, she was not harmed any more than that.
The scent of stale whisky was replaced by something woodsy and fresh.
She looked up to see her protector staring down at her, his eyes the most remarkable shade of icy blue.
And standing this close to her she was easily lost in their depths.
“Are ye alright, lass?” The man’s voice was even, but thick with… concern? Hardly the tone she would have expected, witnessing how he had just hurled another man across a yard like a sack of oats. She wasn’t sure why, but his sheer size and presence made the tension in her shoulders ease.
“Aye.” She rubbed her wrist where Gunther had held tight.
“Please, can I take a look?”
Before she could refuse because it was improper, his hand closed around hers. His fingers were large, the skin callused, but his touch was careful, almost reverent. He turned her wrist left and right, making sure she had suffered no cuts or bruises.
Now that he was standing so close, she caught the faint creases that lined the corners of his eyes, the kind that came from sun and time both.
He was surely ten years her elder, if not more, but he was all the same handsome.
His eyes were hard and searching. And now Mairi felt a lightness in her head for an entirely different reason.
“Ye could’ve been terribly hurt, lass.”
“’Tis naethin’, just a twinge. I appreciate yer aid, truly.” Mairi gently eased her hand from his grasp feeling out of control while his skin was on hers. “But ye’ve done more than enough. I can find me way. Ye can get back tae yer drink now, if ye wish.”
“Aye? Is that so?”
“I’ll be fine on me own.” She truly didn’t wish to keep the man any longer. The way he looked at her was doing something unfamiliar to her insides. And while she was grateful, she did not want to be any more of a burden.
The man arched a brow, his lips twitching with the faintest hint of amusement. “Fergive me then, I must have mistaken the part where ye nearly got dragged intae the alley by that drunken swine.”
Mairi straightened her spine, brushing the dust from her skirts in brisk strokes, more for the sake of composure than any real need.
Who daes this man think he is? Speaking tae me as if he means tae scold me.
Still… she hadn’t minded the way his hand had steadied hers. Which was daft, really. She did not know the man.
Shaking the thought off with a small breath, she said, “He caught me by surprise, that’s all. I could’ve handled him.”
Settling his weight against the stone wall, the man crossed his arms over his expansive chest, broader than any she had seen. Mairi, to her own dismay, noted the rise and fall of it. His gaze swept over her face with a wry glint. “I suppose next time, ye’ll battle him tae the ground yerself, then?”
“If it comes tae it,” she replied, lifting her chin.
“Saints preserve me. And here I thought I was rescuin’ a damsel in need.”
“A grateful one,” she countered and took a step closer to the tavern. “But nae helpless.”
His smile widened, and he gestured toward the door. “At least allow me tae treat ye tae a dram of cider. That way I’ll sleep better kennin’ ye didnae collapse from pride in the middle of the floor.”
Mairi hesitated, for she had half a mind to refuse to prove her point. But her knees wobbled slightly as she shifted her weight. With a reluctant breath, she gave a small nod.
The man stepped ahead of her, pushing open the tavern door.
Mairi squeezed past him and felt the warmth of his hand as it accidentally brushed her waist. She jumped back, and he gave her a smirk, guiding her toward the empty corner table where he had been sitting earlier.
Mairi noticed now that it was more secluded than the other tables and overlooked the whole tavern.
She glanced up at him, and he inclined his head.
“Sit here.”
There was no force in the command, but something about the way he spoke left little room for argument. Mairi sank onto the bench, her legs grateful for the support. The man lifted a hand to catch the eye of the serving lass, and in no time, he placed a warm clay cup between Mairi’s palms.
“Drink this.”
Willing her hands to steady as she put the cup to her lips, she sipped the sweet, warmed cider. Heat unfurled in her chest, steadying her somewhat. As she lowered the cup, her gaze found, unbidden, the man seated across from her.
“Thank ye again, ‘tis good.” She nodded, feeling the awkwardness of her words, but she supposed it was better than staring at the man in silence.
“It’ll help calm ye nerves.”
Who is he?
Mairi didn’t recognize him, not that it was a surprise.
It had been years since she’d last attended one of these gatherings and socialized with people outside her kin.
Her brothers had tried to coax her out over the seasons, but joy, especially in crowded places, had started to feel like something meant for other people.
She had only agreed to go this time because it was her sister-in-law Isolde’s first public appearance as Lady of Clan Cameron, after her wedding to her oldest brother, Struan.
It had mattered that Mairi be there to support her family.
She’d told herself she could manage it, and for the first hour or so, she’d even believed it.
But now? Now she found herself seated beside a stranger with hands rough as old rope and shoulders broad enough to block out half the tavern light.
“So, tell me,” he said, voice low and deliberate, “dae ye make a habit of wanderin’ intae taverns and ensnarin’ men with that bonny smile of yers?”
Is he… flirting?
“It’s actually me first time in a place like this,” she answered, lifting the cup to her lips to steady herself. “And I cannae say I’m eager tae return.” She drained the drink and met his eyes—only to find them already fixed on her, unblinking.
“A lass like ye shouldnae be wanderin’ about alone,” he said, catching her eyes with the full weight of his. Before she could ask what exactly he meant by a lass like her, he added, “I’ll be back in a moment.”
He stood, and Mairi’s gaze followed him as he strode toward the serving lass.
He strode back to the table, with a cup in his hands, sliding one over to her again and keeping the other for himself as he stared down at her.
Taking the seat beside her, the bench creaked beneath his weight. He drunk and set his cup down with a thud on the table between them, the scent of something stronger than cider rising from it.
“I guess I needed a bit as well,” he laughed.
Mairi stared at the half-empty cup in her hands, then took another sip. More for something to do than for thirst.
“I’ll have them bring ye another, if ye like.”
Mairi shook her head. “One is plenty. I dinnae make a habit of sittin’ in taverns with men I dinnae ken.”
“Then I’m honored.”
That earned from her the barest flicker of a smile.
“And perhaps I ought tae change that and introduce meself.” He leaned forward just slightly, resting his forearms on the table. “Alec,” he said simply, offering his name as if it was a courtesy.
Mairi’s breath caught, unexpectedly. The sound of his voice saying his own name stirred something low and warm in her belly.
It suits him, firm and without pretense, but not unkind.
“I… I should return tae me kin,” she said and rose slowly already turning toward the door.
Across from her, the man stood as well, unhurried and solid, and they walked together outside of the tavern. She could see Struan and Isolde laughing in the distance and just before she said goodbye, Alec reached out, his hand curling gently around hers.
The touch stopped her as surely as the stone wall, stealing the breath from her lungs.
Heat sparked up her arm at the contact, and for a moment she forgot entirely what she meant to say. Her gaze flew to his, wide and uncertain, and when she found his blue piercing eyes, her chest felt too tight for air.
“I mean only tae see ye safely returned,” he said, his voice low. “Just in case that filthy brute tries tae follow ye.”
“We’re nae far from the festival square, and I can actually see me kin from here. I’ll manage,” she said, her voice low, unconsciously matching his. But her words betrayed her. She made no move to step back, her body refusing to obey the part of her that knew she should.
She swallowed, then added, softer, “But… thank ye, Alec. Fer steppin’ in. I—fer a moment, I truly thought that man was going tae dae the things he threatened. Tae kiss me. And worse.”
His jaw ticked, and something cold flickered through his gaze before he mastered it. “Nay thanks are necessary, lass.”
He leaned in, not touching her, but close enough that the air seemed to tighten around them. The sounds of the street, the festival, even her own thoughts faded to silence.
“I am curious tae ken though…” His voice dropped further. “Have ye ever been kissed?”
“Nay,” she breathed before she could consider her answer.
What am I daeing?! What a foolish thing tae confess tae a stranger.
“I would think ye might want tae be?” He inched closer—but not enough to steal the moment. There was still space between them, just enough for her to walk away if she wished.
But she didn’t.
Without realizing what she was doing, whether it was the way he had shown her protection and kindness or the warmth of the cider, Mairi found herself leaning up toward him in response.
His lips touched hers with the barest hint of pressure, and Mairi let out a small sigh. His hand rose to cup her cheek, the warmth of his palm deepening the slow-burning heat curling through her chest.
She had never been this bold. Realizing what she was doing she pulled back looking into his eyes and seeing that same heat she felt low in her belly.
“I need tae leave,” she whispered, breaking the fragile connection between them before it could turn into something her body wasn’t ready to refuse.
What if someone saw them?
What if me braither did?
He’d be furious and righteous and it would be impossible to explain it to him.
“Aye,” Alec said, voice rougher now. “Best go before I dae something we both might regret.”
She gathered herself with a breath, then turned and stepped back into the swell of festival noise and torchlight. She could not help but feel the weight of his gaze following her until she reached her brother and forced a smile, pretending that night had been anything but extraordinary.