Chapter 18 #2
Slowly, he trailed the backs of his fingers down her cheek, over her full lips, her throat, to the very edge of the towel, eliciting small gasps from her.
This time, he decided, giving way to the primal compulsion, nothing was going to stop him from kissing her.
Only inches apart, they stared at each other for a few intense moments, which seemed to Catriona like the longest of her entire life.
Her insides melted to see the naked hunger in Malcolm’s dark eyes, her chest fluttering like a bird’s as she struggled to catch her breath as he touched her delicately as if she were made of porcelain and he was afraid he might break her.
She shivered with anticipation as he tilted down towards her.
Despite her inexperience, when he thrust his hand into her hair and pulled her towards him by the nape of her neck, slashing his mouth across hers, she was ready, meeting his hunger with her own, drawing on a fiery passion he had ignited somewhere deep inside her and which burned her like a flame.
She cared naught for the nuns’ propriety as their tongues clashed and tangled in a wildly erotic dance.
Swept away, robbed of thought, she rose onto her tiptoes and leaned into him, weaving her arms around his brawny neck, pressing herself against the warm, hard length of him, fingers tangling in his wild, dark curls, pulling him closer, greedy for more of his kisses.
She felt no shame as her nipples stiffened under the towel, and a throbbing heat pooled between her thighs.
She let go of the towel, moaning in pleasure as his powerful hands raked over her naked curves, squeezing her waist, her hips, cupping her behind, knowing in her bones that only he could ease the terrible yearning inside her.
She gave herself up fully to the kiss, wanting more than anything in the world for it never to stop.
The knock on the door might as well have been a bomb going off, if the way they sprang apart was anything to go by.
They stared at each other wildly, his face as flushed as hers. Catriona grabbed up the towel and covered her nakedness before surprising herself by taking charge of the situation.
“Who is it?” she asked, never taking her eyes from Malcolm’s.
“’Tis Isla, me lady. I have the warm cider ye ordered,” came the maid’s voice through the door.
“Would ye leave it outside the door, please, Isla? I’m, er, indisposed at the moment.” What a barefaced liar she was!
“Aye, of course. I’ll leave it on the console table fer ye. Goodnight, me lady.”
“Thank ye, Isla. Goodnight.”
She was sure she could have heard a pin drop as they stood listening for the maid’s footfalls to fade.
Without a word, Malcolm went to the door and opened it, looking left and right before stepping into the hall. She joined him there, waiting as he handed her the tray holding the cider.
“Goodnight, Cat,” he murmured, his expression now as composed and unreadable as ever. She wondered how he was doing it when she still felt shaken to her core by all that had passed between them just now. It was as if the kiss had not happened.
The horrible thought hit her that he might feel differently about it than she did. Maybe it had meant little to him. Suddenly, she felt queasy at having given so much of herself away, acting so wantonly, enjoying his kiss and his hands all over her naked body!
Yet she could not regret it because it had been the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her, eliciting sensations so incredible, she only longed to feel them again.
“Goodnight, Malcolm,” she managed to say, her heart full to bursting as she stood in the doorway holding the tray, watching him stride off towards the landing, not looking back once.
Anguish. Pure anguish. That was what Malcom felt as he entered his study and shut the door behind him.
Relieved to be alone to deal with the storm of emotions whirling inside him, he went to straight to the whisky and poured himself a large dram, swallowing it down in one gulp. The fiery liquid coursed through blood still hot and pulsing from the passionate kiss he and Catriona had just shared.
Thank God Isla had knocked when she had.
He realized then that only chance interruptions, first the guards, then the stable lad, had so far prevented him from plunging into complete insanity.
To his shame, it only served to demonstrate how little self-control he had when it came to his best friend’s sister!
Furious with himself, he crossed to the hearth and leaned one arm on the mantel, staring into the flames and raking his fingers through his hair in distraction. Bitterly, mercilessly, he heaped disapproval on his own head.
Ye bloody fool! Ye’ve broken yer word and betrayed Duncan. Ye shouldnae have gone tae her chamber like that. Ye cannae be trusted tae be alone with her.
A rap at the study door broke into his silent, self-recriminatory diatribe.
He was about to tell whoever it was to go away when the door opened.
He let out a sigh of relief to see his brother enter.
For a horrible moment, his stomach had knotted, for he had half expected it to be Catriona, come to demand an explanation of his awful behavior.
Ewan’s relaxed expression immediately changed to one of deep concern as he approached and saw Malcolm’s face.
“Braither, what is it? What’s happened?” he asked worriedly, placing a hand on Malcolm’s arm. “Is it Sinclair?”
Malcolm shook his head as he sank into a chair, feeling exhausted. “Nay.”
“Then what?” his brother persisted, perching on the edge of the chair opposite. “Is it… is it Cat? Has somethin’ happened with her?”
Malcolm let out a groan and once more raked his fingers through his hair. “Aye.”
“What? Did ye chance yer arm and she rejected ye?” Ewan asked.
“I-I kissed her. Like a bloody fool, I kissed her,” Malcolm replied as if admitting to some heinous crime. For in his eyes, that was what it was.
Ewan’s face creased in confusion. “What? Ye kissed her and she pushed ye away?”
“Jaysus, man, that would have been bad enough, but nay. I only wish she had.”
Malcolm’s head snapped up, he met his brother’s eyes and held up his hand, a tiny gap between his thumb and forefinger. “I was this close, this close tae betrayin’ Duncan completely just now.”
“Eh? I dinnae get yer meanin’, Braither,” Ewan said, frowning.
Malcolm briefly explained all the gory details of why he had gone to apologize to Catriona for leaving supper early again, and ended up in a passionate embrace with her in her chamber, and her without her clothes!
“I cannae tell ye, Ewan, how terrible I feel about what I’ve done. I’ve let mesel’ and Catriona down, but most of all Duncan. I cannae be actin’ this way towards me best friend’s sister.”
“But Malcolm, it was just a kiss, clothes or nae. I mean, ’tis nae really surprisin’. It’s always been obvious tae me that ye like her, and most likely the same is true fer Duncan. Ye’re worryin’ too much, man.”
Malcolm groaned again. “Ye dinnae understand, Braither. However hard I try, I just cannae control me feelin’s around her. She has this… effect on me and all sense goes out of me head.”
“Well, that’s understandable. I mean, she’s a rare beauty tae be sure, and she has a sweet disposition as well. Have ye tried talkin’ tae her about the way ye feel?”
“I dinnae dare,” Malcolm confessed.
“Why nae?” Ewan asked curiously.
“Because judgin’ by the way she kissed me back, she wants me as much as I want her,” Malcolm relied, sounding bleak.
“But is that nae a good thing?” asked his mystified brother, who conducted his many affairs with women in a much more carefree manner.
“Nay, ’tis the worst thing possible,” Malcolm said, rubbing his face despairingly. “Ach, fetch me a dram, will ye, Braither? I need somethin’ tae help me think straight.”
Without question, Ewan rose and obliged.