Chapter 4
His chest was still heaving slightly with exertion, although his expression remained stoic. He glanced over at Katie, who was still wide-eyed, struggling to process what had just happened. Blood stained the grass, and the silence that followed the violence felt suffocatingly heavy.
Katie took a hesitant step forward, her gaze darting from the fallen bandits to Aiden. “Thank you,” she managed, though her voice wavered. Her mind was racing, trying to find the words to make sense of the situation. “Why… why did you think the attack wasn’t random?”
Aiden sheathed his sword, his eyes narrowing as he considered her question. “A man like me has many enemies, lass. The kind that willnae hesitate to strike when they see an opportunity.” He looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Scared?”
Katie nodded, unable to hide the trembling in her hands. “I suppose… I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
He stepped closer, his tone shifting to something almost teasing. “Mayhap that’s why I need a fake betrothed,” he said.
But his attempt at lightening the mood fell flat, as Katie blinked in surprise and then quickly shook her head.
“I’m not afraid of you!” she exclaimed, her voice sharp.
As the thrill from the fight began to wear off, she suddenly felt lightheaded. Her vision blurred, and she swayed on her feet.
Before she could collapse, Aiden caught her in his strong arms. He held her close, his grip firm yet oddly gentle. “Easy, lass,” he whispered, his voice a soothing rumble. “Ye shouldnae worry. Whoever threatens me betrothed, real or nae, dies.”
Katie looked up at him, her heart pounding for reasons that had little to do with the danger they had just faced. His face was close, too close, and she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. The intensity in his eyes made her shiver, but not from fear.
She tried to gather her thoughts, but they were scattered. “I… I don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Aiden’s gaze softened, and he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “What’s there to understand, Katie? I made a deal with ye, and I keep me word. But for now, we need to get ye somewhere safe.”
Katie’s head was spinning, the events of the day catching up to her all at once. The tension in her body eased slightly as she leaned into his strength and a sense of security wrapped around her like a cloak.
“Where will we go?” she asked, her voice small, almost childlike.
“There’s a nearby inn,” Aiden said, his tone decisive. “We’ll spend the night there. Ye need rest, and I need to make sure ye’re out of harm’s way.”
Katie looked up at him, a quivering desperation building inside. “But… what about—”
“Shhh,” Aiden interrupted gently. “We’ll talk more in the mornin’. For now, let me take care of ye.”
He led her back to the carriage, his arm still wrapped protectively around her waist. Katie didn’t protest, too exhausted and overwhelmed to argue.
As they rode in silence, the weight of everything that had happened settled down upon her and made it hard to breathe.
Katie’s head was still spinning as Aiden led her into the small inn.
The wooden structure was modest, with a thatched roof and walls that leaned slightly inward as if burdened by the weight of the years.
A fire crackled in the hearth of the common room, casting warm, flickering light over the stone floor.
The scent of roasting meat and fresh bread lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy smell of the rain-soaked village outside.
The inn itself was nestled within a small village, more a cluster of houses than a town, with a single cobbled street that wound its way north toward the mountains.
Katie could see the dark outlines of the mist-shrouded peaks in the distance.
Aiden’s presence was commanding as they approached the innkeeper, and Katie couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over her.
The chaos of the attack had left her shaken, but Aiden’s steady hand on her back, guiding her inside, made her feel safe in a way she hadn’t expected.
She was grateful for his protection, even if his brusque manner left her unsure of his intentions.
“There’s only one room left,” the innkeeper informed them with an apologetic shrug. “The bed’s big enough for two, but ‘tis all we’ve got.”
Katie’s heart skipped a beat. Sharing a room, let alone a bed, with Aiden was scandalous, but they had little choice. She cast a glance at Aiden, who nodded in acceptance, his face unreadable.
“Lead the way,” Aiden instructed.
The innkeeper quickly guided them up a narrow staircase to a small, dimly lit room at the end of the hall.
The room was simple—a large bed pushed against one wall, a small window overlooking the village square, and a washbasin on a rickety wooden table.
The bed was covered with a thick, woolen blanket, and the air was thick with the scent of lavender and old wood.
Aiden helped Katie onto the bed, his hands gentle yet firm. “Ye need to rest,” he said, his deep voice resonating in the quiet room.
Katie nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over her.
Her thoughts were still jumbled into a blend of fear, confusion, and something else—something she didn’t want to acknowledge.
As Aiden turned his back to her, she caught a glimpse of him pulling his shirt over his head.
Her breath hitched as she saw the broad expanse of his back, crisscrossed with scars, the muscles rippling under his skin as he moved.
A wicked thought flitted through her mind, unbidden and unwanted.
What would it be like to run her hands down his back, to trace the lines of those scars, to feel the strength beneath them?
She quickly averted her eyes, ashamed of the direction her thoughts had taken.
This was not what she needed to be thinking about, especially now.
He didn’t want a wife, he had said as much, and she couldn’t allow herself to forget that.
“Get some sleep,” Aiden said, his voice a low rumble as he tossed a blanket on the floor, clearly intending to sleep there.
Katie hesitated, guilt gnawing at her. After everything he had done for her, could she really let him sleep on the hard, cold floor?
She looked at the bed, realizing there was enough room for both of them.
The thought made her stomach flutter with nervousness, but it also felt wrong to leave him there after he had saved her life.
“There’s… there’s enough room for both of us,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aiden looked at her, his expression unreadable for a moment, before he shook his head. “Nay, lass. Ye need the bed more than me.”
“But you saved me,” she insisted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I can’t just let you sleep on the floor.”
Aiden’s gaze softened, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something warmer, something almost tender in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
“Dinnae worry about me,” he said gruffly. “I’ve slept in worse places than this.”
Katie bit her lip, torn between propriety and her growing sense of indebtedness to him. She was too tired to argue further, but as she lay down on the bed, her thoughts kept returning to the man who had saved her, who was now lying just a few feet away, keeping watch over her.
The room was dimly lit by the embers in the small fireplace, the shadows dancing on the walls as the night deepened.
Katie lay on the bed, her mind racing with thoughts she had never entertained before.
She could feel Aiden’s presence on the floor a few feet away.
The silence between them was thick, almost tangible, and the only sound was the crackling of the fire and the occasional creak of the old inn’s wooden beams.
She shivered slightly, not entirely from the cold, but from the lingering tension in the room.
The events of the day had taken a toll on her, and the reality of her situation was starting to sink in.
She was far from home, with a man she barely knew, and yet she felt a strange sense of safety with him—a safety that was both comforting and unsettling.
Katie pulled the blanket tighter around herself, trying to ignore the chill that seemed to seep through the thin walls of the inn. But no matter how much she wrapped herself up, the cold persisted. She knew what she had to do, even if it felt scandalous.
“Aiden?” she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
He grunted in response, letting her know he was still awake.
“I’m cold,” she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. “We should at least share the blanket… and if you won’t get into the bed, I’ll come down to the floor with you.”
There was a pause, and she could almost feel him weighing her words. Finally, he sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. “Ye’re a stubborn lass, are ye nae?” he muttered as he stood up from the floor.
Katie’s heart fluttered as she heard the rustle of blankets and the creak of the bed as Aiden climbed in beside her.
The mattress dipped under his weight, and she immediately felt the warmth radiating from his body.
It was a stark contrast to the cold that had been biting at her moments ago.
She hadn’t realized just how cold she was until his warmth began to seep into her.
Lying so close to him, under the same blanket, was something she had never experienced before. She could feel the heat of his body, the steady rise and fall of his chest, and it was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Katie had never been this close to a man before, and the sensation was entirely new to her. Her thoughts wandered to her friends, wondering if they had felt this same mix of emotions—this heady combination of fear, excitement, and something else she couldn’t quite name.
The minutes ticked by as the silence between them grew heavier. She wondered if Aiden had fallen asleep, for his breathing was slow and even, but she couldn’t stop herself from whispering, “Are you asleep?”
“Nay,” came his gruff reply, startling her slightly.
Katie hesitated, biting her lip before she gathered the courage to ask, “Why don’t you want a wife?”
There was a beat of silence, and she thought he might ignore her question altogether. But then he spoke, his voice low and hard. “That’s none of yer business.”
She turned to face him, feeling a pang of disappointment at his curt response. “I’ve always dreamed of marrying,” she confessed softly, “but I don’t want someone who just wants me for my dowry.”
Her words seemed to strike a nerve. Aiden suddenly pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed, crossing the room in long, agitated strides. He stood by the window, his back to her, his hands tightly gripping the windowsill. The tension in his posture was unmistakable.
Katie hesitated for a moment before she slid out of bed and followed him. She reached out tentatively, placing a hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice gentle but laced with concern.
Aiden turned to face her, and before she could react, he pulled her close, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes burned with an intensity that took her breath away.
“Regardless of whether ‘tis real or fake,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, “I willnae have me betrothed talkin’ about other men. Is that clear?”
The words sent a shiver down her spine, not of fear, but of something far more primal. The possessiveness in his tone and the raw emotion in his gaze were so intense that she found herself unable to look away.
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Aiden’s gaze softened slightly, but the tension between them was still thick and charged. His eyes dropped to her lips, and she witnessed the moment when his resolve began to crack. Without thinking, she tilted her head up, her lips parting ever so slightly in invitation.
It was all the encouragement he needed.
With a low, guttural sound, Aiden closed the distance between them, his lips crashing down on hers with a fierceness that stole her breath away.
The kiss was heated, desperate, and full of a need that neither of them fully understood.
Katie felt herself melting against him, her hands clutching at his shirt as though she might drown if she let go.
His arms went around her waist, gripping her backside fiercely, making her gasp against his lips.
Then she felt his tongue gently teasing her, parting her lips until it plunged into her mouth, desperately tasting her.
He smelled of burning wood and pine, and the feel of his facial hair only stirred her passion for him.
Her hands explored the collar of his shirt as their tongues fought for supremacy, feeling the warmth of his neck and the downy hairs there.
As they kissed, his hands slid up the curves of her body.
He pulled away abruptly and began kissing her exposed neck, his tongue darting across her flesh.
She whimpered as his hands caressed the swell of her breasts.
He was all she could feel, all she could sense, and it made her desperate for more.
He continued to fan the flames of her desire, flicking his tongue over her collar before capturing her lips yet again.
The world around them ceased to exist. There was only the two of them, lost in the intensity of the moment, in the fire that had been building from the embers between them since the moment they met.
Just as abruptly as it started, their fervent passion subsided, and his warmth disappeared, his hands releasing her. It was cold now, and she could sense that he was suddenly cross. His soft, bright eyes had turned hard, and his posture mirrored his testiness.
“Get some sleep,” he ordered, turning away from her.
“I… I’m sorry…”
“Stop temptin’ me, and ye’ll have nothin’ to be sorry for,” he snapped at her, shaking his head and turning away. “Get some sleep.”
Before she could respond, before she could defend herself and point out that he had initiated their kiss, he disappeared. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him and took the warmth and passion they had shared with it.
How can he be so contrary? So heartless? He knows I’m a stranger here, yet he treats me no better than a servant. What did I expect? What could I expect? He is a man of action, yet as immovable as stone and as bitter as salt. Why did I want him so desperately?