Chapter Eight
Killian stood by the stone hearth in the solar, warming himself while he waited on Taryn.
The Queen had promised to send her there so he could have a moment to speak with her alone.
And though she might not want to see him, he intended to apologize for the earlier fight.
He’d never been this overprotective of a woman before, but something about Taryn set him on edge.
Maybe it was the way she treated him like a man instead of a slave—and her kiss haunted him still.
The door to the solar opened, and Taryn stepped inside.
She had removed the golden balls from her hair, and long black locks hung over her shoulders.
Her face was pale, and she wore a grey léine.
It made her appear as if she were about to go to bed, and he found himself transfixed by the simple garment. “Isabel said you wanted to see me.”
“Aye.” Though the effects of the mead lingered, he wasn’t drunk—he could feel the bruises and swollen joints from the earlier fight. “I know you’re angry with me.”
Her lips tightened. “Now, why on earth would I be angry? Could it be because you embarrassed me in front of the MacEgan tribe by fighting with Connor?” She drew closer, her hands clenched at her sides. “Or perhaps it’s because you think I should run away and marry you.”
Although he’d offered a marriage arrangement to her as a bargain, he hadn’t truly expected her to agree—though he wouldn’t mind having someone like Taryn as his wife.
He was by the way her blue eyes were shining with frustration.
That sweet mouth was moving, talking about the High King and her father, but he was entirely too distracted by thoughts of her soft skin and what he could do to those lips.
When she stopped talking, he ventured, “Connor wasn’t lying, you know.”
“Lying about what?” She crossed her arms and glared at him.
“Men do fight over a beautiful woman.” He caught her by the waist, keeping her there. Her face was flushed, and she appeared indignant.
“Let go of me, Killian. And I’m not a beautiful woman.”
She was, and he didn’t care about the scars. They only revealed courage, in his eyes. But she wouldn’t believe words. Instead, he rested his hand against her spine, gently stroking her back.
“If I let go of you, that vicious animal might eat you,” he teased. Harold was lying on his back beside the hearth, his long body stretched out with his paws tucked up. “I’m guarding you, don’t you see?”
She elbowed him in the ribs, and struck the spot Connor had beaten earlier. Killian cursed and rubbed his side. “Son of Lugh, woman. Was that necessary?” Pain radiated from the swollen bruise.
“Was it necessary for you to fight over me?” she shot back.
“Yes.” He rose to his feet gingerly, trying to breathe with the bruised ribs. “Did you think I enjoyed watching him kiss you?”
Her expression turned startled before she flushed. “It meant nothing,” she protested. “I only just met Connor MacEgan.” She blinked a moment and added, “But I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
When he approached, she backed away until her shoulders were pressed against the wall. Killian rested his hands on either side of her. “I didn’t like seeing him kiss you.” It was the truth. He’d never experienced jealousy like that before and had reacted out of instinct.
But she reached out and rested her hands on his shoulders. Whether it was to push him away or to stake her claim, he didn’t know. But she faced him when she said, “Are you afraid that a man like Connor would want to wed me instead? And then you’d lose your chance to gain land?”
Was that what she thought? That he wanted only her kingdom?
Killian leaned in so that his face was a breath from hers. “Do you think that’s all I’m wanting from you, Taryn?”
Her blue eyes stared back at him with fury. “Of course that’s all you want. If I had no kingdom at all, you would never want anything to do with me.”
“You’re wrong,” he countered. “I’m not expecting you to believe me, but you are.” He nuzzled her earlobe, leaning in to take it in his mouth. She exhaled sharply, her hands slipping lower to his waist.
“You do feel something for me,” he said. “I can see the shivers rising upon your skin.” He grazed his fingers over the gooseflesh there, and she closed her eyes in response. “I’m no good for you. And yet, you want what I offer you.”
“You have nothing to give.” She turned her face away, but though his hands remained upon the wall, she did not flee.
He stole a kiss, nipping at her soft lips. Her mouth drifted open, and he kissed her lazily, stroking her mouth with his tongue. Her fingers dug into his waist, but again, she did not pull away.
This time, he grew bolder, guiding her arms around his neck while he brought his hands to her waist. Lightly, he rubbed the base of her spine while he continued to kiss her. She was falling beneath his spell, her eyes closed while he seduced her with his mouth.
He moved his hands higher, and against the linen underdress, he could feel the outline of her curves. When his hands moved beneath her breasts, he deepened the kiss, asking a silent question.
“You are a wicked man,” she breathed against his mouth. “I know what you’re trying to do.”
“I cannot give you a bride price of silver or gold,” he said in a low voice. “No riches or land. I have nothing at all.”
Her blue eyes opened, and in them, he saw a hunger that mirrored his own. He had awakened her, opening her consciousness to another kind of temptation.
“All I can give you is this.” He cupped her breasts, gently caressing the erect nipples. She jolted as if he’d set her on fire, but she only bumped against the wall. Killian paused, keeping his hands in place while he leaned in to kiss her again.
This time, he invaded her mouth with his tongue, all the while stroking her erect breasts. His own body was hard with need, and God, what he wouldn’t give to take her. But this wasn’t about satisfying his own lust. It was about pleasuring this woman and showing her what there could be between them.
“Y-you should stop,” she murmured, gasping when he kissed her throat, still touching her breasts. “I can’t breathe.”
“I don’t want you to breathe,” he answered, loosening her laces. “I want you to feel the madness that’s burning inside me. I want you to lose yourself to my touch.”
She was arching against him, fighting to catch her breath. And when he pushed back the shoulders of her underdress, he revealed her creamy breasts, tipped with rose nipples. Son of Lugh, she captivated him.
“I want to taste you,” he said, kissing the delicate skin of her shoulder as he moved lower. “I want to kiss you here.” When she didn’t deny him, he gave in to the impulse, trailing a path down to the erect nipple.
She cried out when his mouth covered one breast, suckling her hard. Her hands locked in his hair, and she shuddered. Her knees buckled, and he caught her, clasping her hips and letting her feel the rigid erection. She was panting now, mindless to everything but him.
“Wed me, Taryn, and I’ll touch you like this, night after night.
” He took the opposite breast into his mouth while he fingered the first. She was ragged, utterly aroused.
“As my wife, you would be free to do whatever you wish,” he murmured against her skin.
“No man will ever force you to do his bidding.”
He knew she was wet, and the image of sliding into her depths tormented him.
“Or if you don’t want me as your husband, I’ll leave you alone.
” He broke away, leaving her there. Her hair was tangled around her face, her lips swollen.
Her underdress hung open, exposing her large breasts with glistening nipples from his mouth.
She flushed beneath his stare and tried to cover herself.
“I never meant to embarrass you in front of the castle, a stór,“ he said. “But I will kill any man who touches you in this way.”
Her face was crimson as she clutched her gown. “No man has ever touched me the way you did just now.”
“And no man, except me, ever will,” he swore, stealing another kiss before he left her alone in the solar.
The next morning, Killian prepared a mount for Taryn while the MacEgan soldiers gathered supplies and their own horses.
He hadn’t spoken to her since last eventide when he’d touched her so intimately.
All night he had ached for her, haunted by her innocent reactions.
He’d wanted to watch her come apart in his arms, but instead, he’d left them both wanting.
If he hadn’t stopped then, he would have taken her innocence.
Carice had sworn that she would stay behind, but he’d caught a glimpse of an unknown emotion in her eyes.
She was too weak to travel, he knew, and Laochre was the safest place for her.
But he sensed that his sister had plans of her own that she would not say.
It did seem that her health was improving, and he was glad of it.
When he saw Taryn approaching, he saw the wariness in her eyes. Her face blushed, and she admitted, “I still don’t like horses.”
Killian lifted her onto the calm mare he’d chosen. “This one’s a gentle cailín. She won’t be harming you.”
Taryn gripped the reins so tight, her knuckles were white. “Ride beside me, won’t you, please?”
Her fear of horses hadn’t diminished at all, though at least this time, she hadn’t outright refused. She knew, as he did, that her father’s time was running out. It would still take a few days to reach Tara, and walking was not an option.
“Are you wanting me to catch you if you fall?” he said, recognizing her fear.
She sent him an embarrassed look, and he supposed that was exactly it. “I can endure this if I know you might be there to prevent me breaking my neck. Animals like you. They despise me.”
“Now, that’s not true. Harold is quite fond of you.” To prove his point, he scooped up the cat and settled the smoke-gray feline in the basket beside her.