Chapter 8
“Ye should try it.” Aiden grinned.
Katie hesitated, her gaze flicking between Aiden and the inviting water. “I’ve never done something like this before. But… yes, I’d like to try it.”
They walked together in a more relaxed manner to the edge of the water. Aiden’s smile was genuine for the first time in days as he absorbed Katie’s enthusiasm.
“Aye,” he said, unfastening and shedding his outer garments. “’Tis nae every day ye get the chance to swim in a Scottish loch.”
Katie sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes landed on Aiden’s nearly naked body. His chiseled chest and taut stomach rippled with lean, sculpted muscles. His lightly furred, strong arms and rough hands glistened in the remaining sunlight.
A smooth, silky line of hair ran from his navel to beneath his briefs, where she could see the outline of his manhood.
Her groin ached in response and filled her with an undeniable desire to touch him, caress his skin, and draw a line with her tongue from his navel to his hidden place.
His legs were muscular and powerful, peppered with soft tufts of hair that extended from his thighs to his ankles.
Katie clenched her thighs together and drank in the sight of him with unbridled lust.
Her face felt overheated, and her heart raced as she fought to tame her rising need to come together with him.
With a hammering heart, Katie quickly and shakily shed her outer clothing, waded into the cool, crystal-clear blue water, and shrieked when its iciness enveloped her body.
She bobbed in the water like a cork, relishing the feel of the gravel bottom beneath the soles of her feet.
Aiden laughed at Katie’s yelp and followed her into the water. The shock of the cold water was invigorating and cathartic.
Aiden circled Katie’s bobbing body until his foot grazed her shin. Katie felt him gently tip her backwards with his right hand on her shoulder, while his left hand cradled her waist in support.
“I don’t know how to swim,” Katie protested.
“’Tis nae a problem. Mayhap today ye will learn how.” Aiden smiled as he guided her into a floating position.
Katie shivered as his fingers cupped her chin, then traveled lightly down her throat, drawing lazy circles that raised the hair on the back of her neck and arms and shot tendrils of desire to her most intimate place.
His fingertips moved downwards, brushing and circling the swell of her breasts. Katie opened her mouth and let out a small groan of intense pleasure. Their faces were mere inches from each other, their lips nearly touching.
In the sudden stillness between them, Katie inhaled Aiden’s breath as he did hers.
The intensity of her arousal was so great that she could not move a muscle.
As their lips met, a large flock of herring gulls suddenly descended upon the waters of the loch, startling Katie, who promptly bucked in surprise and sank to the bottom of the lake.
Katie sputtered and coughed as Aiden pulled her to her feet and brushed the hair from her face and eyes.
“Mayhap I am nae as good an instructor as I’d thought.” He roared with laughter.
“Perhaps your talents lie closer to land,” Katie choked out.
The spell now broken, Aiden led her by the hand back to the safety of the shore.
“We should go back, I think,” Katie suggested ruefully.
Aiden nodded in agreement and tried vainly to suppress another laugh.
Once they were back on solid ground and had dressed, they walked home side by side, their connection still lingering but again becoming eclipsed by the complications currently defining their lives.
As they returned to the castle, Aiden became filled with frustration and longing.
The moment of intimacy he had shared with Katie at the loch had only intensified the feelings he’d been trying so hard to push aside.
His obligation as the Laird superseded his carnal desires, which did nothing to further his commitment to his people.
Giving his head a good shake, he took his leave of Katie and trudged morosely to his study to ruminate over his circumstances in silence.
Katie walked through the courtyard, lost in thought as she tried to reconcile the growing affection she felt for Aiden with the uncertain future that lay ahead.
The loch had provided her with a brief yet welcome escape from her turbulent life, but as soon as she’d entered the castle, the gravity of her situation had loomed large once again.
She abruptly noticed a familiar carriage in the yard. As she hurried into the hall, she was greeted by a pair of familiar but troubled faces. Katie rushed to them, eager to embrace her two oldest friends.
She stopped short as she took in the sight of Leah and Daphne standing in the hall, sporting identical looks of betrayal.
Leah, heavy with child, was accompanied by the ever-composed and elegant Daphne. Katie noted that Leah’s gaze was fixed on Aiden, an expression of vexation and hurt on her face.
Leah interrupted their standoff with a sharp and accusatory declaration. “Your mother wrote to us about your upcoming wedding, and you didn’t think it necessary to do so?!”
Aiden lowered his head sheepishly, and Katie could see that he was struggling to maintain his composure.
“Me letter probably hasnae arrived yet,” he said tersely.
Leah’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “When I initially suggested that you meet my friend, I didn’t mean for you to force her into a marriage she doesn’t want.”
Katie stepped forward, her voice quivering as she tried to defuse the situation. “Leah, please! If anything, I forced him into this. It’s not Aiden’s fault.”
Leah’s gaze softened slightly, but her resolve remained firm as she pointed her finger at Aiden. “I don’t care a whit. You are marrying her!”
Katie looked at Leah in shock. “Excuse me?”
Leah produced a letter from Katie’s mother and began to read it, her voice filled with a blend of anger and sadness.
“Your mother writes that, after that ball, every scandal sheet was gossiping about you and implying that you and Aiden probably had… premarital relations when you stayed in Scotland for several months.”
Katie’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But I didn’t even know him back then! How could they think that?”
Leah’s expression grew serious. “The damage is done, Katie. If he doesn’t marry you, you’ll likely remain a spinster.”
Katie’s breath caught in her throat as she paced the hall, her mind reeling. “Would that be so bad?” she finally asked, glancing up at them.
Leah’s eyes were sympathetic but resolute. “It will be when you’re disowned by your family. Your mother’s letter also states that your father won’t forgive you for this.”
Katie’s heart sank further as she absorbed Leah’s words. “Papa wouldn’t do that. It’s all my mother’s doing.”
Leah nodded with a look of resignation. “Still, you don’t have many options left. The only way to salvage your reputation is for Aiden to marry you.”
Katie was beside herself, looking from Leah to Daphne for suggestions that did not include marrying Aiden. Her searching gaze settled on Aiden, who seemed just as confused and hurt as she was.
Why is he so upset? He is getting the best part of this arrangement. He has everything to gain, but I have everything to lose because of this debacle.
Daphne, who had been quietly observing them, interjected gently, “Katie, you can always stay with either of us if things don’t work out here.”
Katie looked at Daphne, grateful but still distraught. “I am thankful for your offer, but that still wouldn’t give me the life I’d hoped for. I want a home, a loving husband, my own household and children…”
“I understand, which is why Aiden will marry you,” Leah insisted, anger flashing in her bright eyes.
Aiden’s expression was a mix of confusion and determination. As he spoke, his voice was measured and stiff. “I cannae and willnae marry someone just to fix a scandal. I’m nae doin’ this because of some rumor or pressure from the ton.”
Katie’s eyes were filled with disappointment and confusion as she looked at him. “Aiden, this is not just about you or me. This is about my entire future. I no longer have the luxury of choice.”
Leah’s eyes welled with tears as she spoke directly to Aiden. “You might not care about this, but there are real consequences for Katie if you refuse. She will be left with nothing more than a tarnished reputation. You have stolen her future with your schemes, whatever they may be.”
Aiden’s jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped to the floor. “’Tis nae the way I wanted things to be.”
Katie’s gaze remained fixed on him, defiance and resignation evident in her eyes. “If you truly don’t want this, then why did you propose this arrangement in the first place?”
Aiden’s exasperation was evident as he looked at Leah and Daphne. “I willnae marry Katie. Nae now, nae ever.”
The finality in his voice left no room for negotiation.
Leah and Daphne exchanged glances, their expressions ones of concern and displeasure.
Leah stepped forward, her voice soft but firm. “Katie, we’ll figure something out. But for now, you need to understand that you’re not alone in this.”
As the door to the hall closed behind Leah and Daphne, a blanket of silence settled around Aiden and Katie. The air was thick with emotions that neither of them were ready to confront. Katie’s eyes were bright with anger and hurt, and she turned away abruptly, intending to head toward her quarters.
“I don’t want to marry you either!” she snapped, her voice echoing in the corridor. “I’ve already heard on a sufficient number of occasions that I’m not wanted.”
Aiden moved swiftly to block her path, his anger bubbling to the surface. “Is that what ye think?” he demanded, his tone sharp.
Katie’s eyes flashed defiantly. “What should I think, Aiden? You’ve made it clear that you refuse to go through with this marriage.”
Aiden’s laugh was humorless, a raw sound laced with his inner turmoil. “Ye think I dinnae want ye?” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “I want ye so much that it drives me to madness. But for yer own good, I cannae marry ye. If I could, ye would be the only wife I’d ever have.”
Katie’s breath caught, her eyes widening as the proximity between them heightened the contentious charge in the air.
They stood inches apart, their faces dangerously close to one another.
It was then that his hands went around her, desperately roaming over her body as his lips found her throat and kissed it shamelessly.
Her legs nearly gave out from beneath her as the fury and yearning behind his kisses and his flicking tongue on the most sensitive spot of her collarbone only heated the embers that burned within her.
It would quickly become an open flame, and she wanted nothing more.
She wanted to touch him, to see beneath his shirt yet again, the thoughts of their time at the loch bringing color to her cheeks.
“Ye’re so sweet,” he whispered against her neck, his breath hot and heavy. “So good, too good…”
“Aiden,” she whispered.
The sound of his name on her lips intensified his lustful endeavors. His calloused hands roamed over her backside and pulled her flat against him as he kissed and licked her dewy skin.
“Say it again, lass,” he moaned, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks. “Say me name.”
“Aiden…”
She was ready for his crushing kiss and his furious passion. But just as their lips were about to touch, a voice interrupted them.
Aiden’s mother appeared in the corridor, her expression one of stern resolve. “You have compromised this lady. You will marry her. Soon.”
The weight of her words hit them both like a physical blow.
Aiden looked at Katie, then back at his mother, his vexation boiling over. “This isnae what I wanted!” he cursed under his breath.
The enormity of his defeat was evident in his voice and his clenched fists. Katie took a step back, realizing that despite the depth of their passion, they would both resent this match.
Her face turned a deep shade of red in embarrassment and resignation. She looked from Aiden to his mother, and her eyes filled with helpless sorrow. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
Griselda’s gaze softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. “The decision has been made. Ye will marry her, and ye will do so with the respect and honor she deserves.”
Watching as Katie disappeared upstairs with Griselda, Aiden felt utterly hopeless and powerless to alter the course of unfortunate events that were unfolding before him.
With a final glance at Katie and his mother in the upstairs gallery, he stormed out of the corridor and headed to the main entrance.
Griselda’s declaration gnawed at him, and he needed to find some way to clear his mind. His usual escape was the loch, where he could dive into the cold water and try to attain clarity.
As he reached the edge of the water, Aiden kicked off his boots and outer clothes and waded into the loch, letting the icy embrace of the water calm his raging thoughts.
He swam out into the open, his strokes powerful and determined.
The coolness of the water contrasted sharply with the heat of his frustration and provided a vital respite.
He floated on his back, staring up at the overcast sky, the clouds mimicking his turbulent mood. The water lapped gently around him, and he took deep, steadying breaths and attempted to distance himself from thoughts of Katie and their impending marriage.
The stark contrast between the serene beauty of the loch and the chaos of his emotions was jarring. Aiden knew he had to face the consequences of his actions and decisions, but he struggled to reconcile his desires with the reality of his obligations.
Finally, he swam back to the shore, the cold water rejuvenating him, if only temporarily.
As he dried off and dressed, he ruminated over the conversation with his mother and Katie.
His future loomed large before him as he suddenly realized that he couldn’t escape the responsibilities that came with his position or his actions.
The calmness of the loch had provided a brief respite, but as he made his way back to the castle, Aiden was acutely aware that the unresolved conflict with Katie and the burdensome expectations of his family were far from over.
“Ah, there you are…” came a familiar voice—a voice he didn’t know he’d needed to hear at exactly that moment.
“Aye, Malcolm, perfect timing…”
“Nae so perfect, I’m afraid,” his friend admitted, sitting on a nearby rock. “Ye’ve been fightin’ just as much on land as you were at sea, Braither. What is the trouble?”
“Where do I even begin?”