Chapter 13
“Whiskey, wife?” Caden offered, walking to the side table.
He poured two glasses, before walking back and handing her one.
“Aye, thank ye.” Ava folded her legs beneath her skirts and took it.
Maybe this will clear me head of whatever spell he’s cast on me.
She had to remind herself that she was furious with him for what he had done to Nathan.
He hasnae apologized. Daenae back down, Ava. Stand yer ground.
She downed the whiskey and held out the glass for him to fill her glass again. He did so without a word. She noticed that he had changed into a puff-sleeve white shirt. It was rather distracting.
“Would ye like to play a game?” she heard herself ask.
What are ye doing, Ava? Ye’re supposed to be furious with him!
“What kind of game?” his voice rumbled as he returned with her glass full.
“A question game,” she replied, raising her chin in challenge.
He dipped his head in agreement. “If ye wish.”
He sipped his whiskey, never breaking eye contact.
Ava cleared her throat. “What about Nathan’s faither?”
“What about him?” His voice was muffled by the glass as he took another sip.
“Where is he? Who is he?” Ava waved her hand to emphasize her point.
He sighed. “First, are there any rules to this game?”
“How about a question for a question?” she offered. “And ye have to answer.”
Caden nodded. “Aye, fine.”
He stared into the fire. He was not sure what had made him agree to this foolish game. All he knew was that he needed to keep talking to her.
“I daenae ken much about him.” He drained his whiskey and then rose to refill his glass.
“Is that all?” Ava rasped.
“Ye said a question for a question. Ye asked two, and I gave ye an answer.” Caden filled his glass to the brim and corked the bottle.
With the glass in one hand and the bottle in the other, he went back to his seat. Then he set the bottle on the small table between them.
Ava rolled her glazed eyes. “Fine. Ask yer question.”
“Did ye want to be a maither?”
Caden was not sure what made him ask that question. He had not even realized he had given it a proper thought.
Ava furrowed her eyebrows as if she was in deep thought. Her lips pursed in that bewitching way that made him want to kiss her.
“I never really thought about it before,” she admitted. “I guess the animals were enough for me.” She shrugged one shoulder.
“Animals?” Caden echoed.
Ava tsked at him. “One question at a time, me Laird. Now, answer mine honestly, if ye please.” She adjusted her skirts around her knees.
Caden glimpsed a sliver of bare skin and swallowed thickly.
What are ye? A dog? Pull yerself together, Caden. She’s only yer wife.
He inhaled deeply through his nose, then let out a sigh. He decided it was easier to just tell her everything he knew. She was like a mother to Nathan now anyway; she deserved to know.
“Me sister Joanna protected her lover. One day, she came to Faither, Finlay, and me and said that she was with child. We were astounded. We had nay knowledge of her courting anyone, let alone being in love. Faither demanded to ken who her lover was so he would force him to marry her, but she never said a word. She took that secret to her grave.”
Ava stared contemplatively into the fire. He could tell she had more questions and expected her to ask them. Instead, she said, “Yer turn, me Laird.”
“I told ye to call me Caden,” he grumbled, not understanding why she could not follow his simple, very clear orders.
“Ye did, aye.” not
“Then why daenae ye do it?” he demanded.
“Because it makes ye angry. Ye make me angry, so now we’re even.” She smirked.
His nostrils flared.
“Me turn.” She cocked her head. “Didnae ye ever want to choose yer wife?”
“I’ve never wanted to fall in love, so it didnae matter to me.” He shrugged.
“Why?” she probed.
“It’s me turn, lass.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “Were those stories about ye and yer sisters true?”
“Every word. Except I left out how mean we all were to each other at some point. I figured a little boy didnae need to ken that part.” She took a swig of her whiskey.
Caden felt his chest clench knowing that she had thought of the boy’s well-being first.
“Why didnae ye plan on falling in love, me Laird?” she asked, eyeing him narrowly.
“It makes ye do foolish things.” He looked her straight in the eye, unblinking. His heart skipped a beat.
Ava did not look away, and he felt the urge to get up and kiss her.
He shifted his gaze to the smoldering fire before continuing, “But that’s a story for another time.”
He saw her shiver out of the corner of his eye.
“Are ye cold?” he asked.
She merely nodded and wrapped her arms around herself.
Caden stood and grabbed a fur blanket from the ancient wooden chest near the fireplace. “I caught this bear in the southern forests four years ago,” he said as he wrapped the large blanket around her shoulders.
“Thank ye.” She looked up into his face, and his heart sped up.
A lump formed in his throat, but he swallowed past it. His breathing grew shallow.
“Are ye going to stare at me forever, me Laird?” She smirked.
“I’m just letting me eyes feast on ye,” he declared, resting his arms on the back of her chair. His fingers itched to play with her hair.
“Oh?” Her lips twitched into a playful smile.
Heat coiled low in his lower belly and between his legs. He leaned down till his face was mere inches from hers.
“Aye, lass. It’s a delightful sight.” He smirked.
“So, tell me, do ye often go huntin’ for bears?” She arched an eyebrow.
“Nay. I killed this one with me bare hands. It attacked our camp as we were scouting out another clan,” he said proudly, his eyes fixed on her full lower lip.
“I see,” she said breathlessly.
“Do ye, lass? And what else do ye see?”
“What else do ye want me to see, me Laird?”
“For the last time, it’s Caden, wife.”
He could not put his finger on what drew her to him so. All he knew was that he needed to kiss her lips.
Damn her rules. I’ll kiss her when I please.
He bent to kiss her, but she turned her head away.
“Ah.” His heart protested the rejection, but he held back. “I remember yer rules.”
He stepped around the chair and knelt in front of her. Still holding her gaze, he lifted his fingers to the hem of her skirts. He had to touch her somehow.
It seemed his bride had stopped breathing. He smirked.
She’s yer wife; what’s the harm in a little teasin’?
How he longed to do more to her. To touch her. To taste her. To have her sprawled before him begging for release while he feasted on her like a man starved.
Stop this, Caden. Now.
Warmth bloomed between Ava’s legs. She felt her face flush, but she was sure it was because of the giant blanket wrapped around her.
It had to be. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that a Highlander was kneeling at her feet, that his strong hands were framing her head, that his muscular arms were covered in flowing fabric, and that it was painfully obvious that he wished to kiss her almost as much as she did. Nothing to do with that at all.
His mask and hair seemed to glow in the firelight. He took the glass from her hand and set it on the table.
“So, tell me.” He rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, showing off his veined forearms. Ava’s mouth went dry. “What do ye think about inviting yer sister Thalia to stay with us?”
“What?” Ava blinked in surprise.
What did he just say?
She could not focus on what he said for a moment; his arms were too distracting.
“Would ye like me to invite yer sister to stay with us? She’d be safe from yer uncle’s machinations here,” Caden tried again.
Ava shook her head to clear it. “Aye, please, thank ye.”
She looked deep into his eyes, taken aback by the sudden kindness. It was not an apology, but it was more than generous.
“Say the word, and I’ll send for her,” Caden whispered. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
Ava nodded, at a loss for words.
“Good, I’ll send word for her first thing in the morning then.” Caden’s presence enveloped everything so all she could focus on was him.
She could feel their breaths tangling, and she longed for their lips to do the same. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
“Ava,” he breathed, leaning in. For a moment, she did too.
He made Nathan shrink into himself and still hasnae apologized properly.
The words echoed in her head.
She froze for a moment, before she bolted upright, tossed the blanket off her, and ran out of the room.