Chapter 26 #2
He carried her to his bed and dropped her onto it. She bounced up and down, still grinning. Her eyes went to the fire and Rua, who was chasing rabbits in his dreams as he gently snuffled in front of the flames.
She sighed. “I think I’d kill for a bath right now.”
He held up a finger. “Say nay more.”
He crossed to the corner of the room and pulled a cord. “I told them that we might need it tonight,” he said.
“That’s good because I know Betsy’s fast asleep by now,” Lilliana said, lounging on the bed.
Soon, the door opened, and two maids came in.
“Would ye draw us a bath?” Kayden asked.
The maids busied themselves behind a screen, pouring water and making sure it was the right temperature.
“Help me with my buttons,” Lilliana murmured, not wanting them to hear.
She stood in front of Kayden, his knuckles brushing against her spine as he unbuttoned her gown. She had to work very hard not to shiver. It was still quite new to feel his touch on her bare skin.
The maids left with a word of thanks and goodnight from them both, and then Kayden leaned over her shoulder in inquiry. “Do ye want me to join ye?”
She shivered. “Do you think we can both fit?”
He took her hand and led her forward. “I daenae see why nae if ye daenae mind me being close.”
The fire in the bathing chamber cast a warm glow over the ancient stone walls, shadows dancing between tapestries and carved shelves. A copper tub, deep and gleaming, filled with steaming water, sat waiting, its surface fragrant with sprigs of heather and lavender.
“That’s a nice touch.” Lilliana perched on the edge, dipping a toe in and savoring the heat.
Kayden knelt beside her, eyes mischievous. “If ye linger for too long, the water will cool.” He grinned, reaching for her hand.
She let him lower her into the water. The warmth embraced them both as he settled in behind her, broad shoulders sinking beneath the scented water as she nestled between his legs.
Lilliana giggled as he splashed the water lightly, droplets catching in her hair. “You’re incorrigible,” she whispered, her voice soft in the hush of the deep night.
He smiled, brushing a damp curl from her cheek. “Aye, but ye’re here to keep me in line.”
They relaxed into each other, laughter and quiet conversation echoing off the ancient stone walls, the world beyond the chamber forgotten for a while.
Suddenly, Lilliana giggled softly.
Kayden dipped his head, an eyebrow raised in inquiry. “What’s tickled yer funny bone?” he asked with a grin.
She shrugged. “It’s just… you and I, sitting in this bathtub together, naked…” She shook her head. “It’s not something I would have imagined even last week.”
He chuckled, nodding his head. “Did ye imagine we would bathe with our clothes on?”
She huffed, splashing him with water even as he laughed.
Finally, he sighed. “It’s true, though.” He tilted his head to the side, looking pensive. “I cannae even remember why I objected so much to touching ye.”
She huffed wryly. “You didn’t so much object as avoid me at all costs.”
“I wasnae avoidi—”
“You were,” she interrupted, reaching up to wrap a wet hand around his neck and tilting her head back to look at him. “The door between our chambers was like a border I could not cross. Heavily guarded and impenetrable.”
He threw back his head and roared with laughter. “Is that how ye felt? I didnae ken. It wasnae deliberate.” He shook his head, still smiling as she settled back against him.
They were quiet for a while.
“And then at the end, you just…” She waved her hand in an extravagant gesture. “… let me in. And now we are cuddled up in the bath.”
He smiled, running his finger up and down her spine. “It wasnae that simple,” he said, which was the nearest he’d come to talking about what happened in the clearing. “But aye, we are. Ye feel good in me arms, do ye ken?”
She wiggled her backside, noting his sharp intake of breath with a smile. “I do. You’ve told me often enough this week.” She pursed her lips, thinking about it. “Or rather, I do, but it’s still a wonder to me what spectacular things our bodies can do to each other.”
He huffed in amusement.
“Do you know what I feared the most?” she asked.
He shook his head. “What did ye fear?”
“The bleeding.” She craned her neck to look up at him again. “Betsy told me there was bleeding involved, and I just…” She shrugged.
He barked a laugh. “Did ye think ye were going to be led like a lamb to the slaughter?”
She shrugged self-deprecatingly. “I didn’t know, did I?”
He cocked his head so he could meet her eyes. “And now that ye do?”
“Well…” She bit her lip in thought, and he wrapped his arms around her belly, pulling her tighter against him as the water splashed against the side of the tub. “I think that I have hardly breached the surface of what… could happen.”
She blushed fiercely from head to toe, dipping her head shyly to avoid looking at him.
He pressed a kiss to her hair before squeezing her against him. “I suspect we havenae explored the depths of what our love could be either,” he whispered, hot breath fanning the shell of her ear and making her shiver.
She giggled, kicking her feet gently. “I’m suddenly not tired anymore.”
“Ah…” He stared down at her, a glint in his eyes. “Are ye trying to tell me something, mo shùilean donn?” he asked softly.
She looked at him from beneath her lashes. “What do you think?”
“I think that the water is cooling and the bed is very comfortable.” He grinned as he tightened his hold on her and pulled them both to their feet.