Chapter 10 #2
“Then you are saying you think your son is such a fool that I could trick him. You are saying that he is dishonorable and wouldn’t send out the sheet, or that he’d trick his own parents.
You are saying that you don’t trust your other, Highlander, daughter-by-marriage.
It’s one thing to insult me, but you needn’t drag the rest of your family into it.
” Cairren crossed her arms beneath her breasts.
The sight of them pushed up and together made Padraig’s cock jump.
Myrna burst into tears and ran toward him.
Just like her instinct had been to catch Cairren’s bouquet, his was to embrace her.
He raised his arms, but at the last minute he realized what he was doing.
He saw the betrayal and rejection on Cairren’s face before it turned to loathing.
He’d expected the bedding ceremony to be awful, but he’d never imagined it could be so horrendous.
He grasped Myrna’s upper arms and kept her away from his body.
“Don’t do this, Myrna. Leave,” Padraig said as gently as he could. He released one arm and led her to the door. He opened it and ushered her through. Collette and Wynda hurried to leave, but Mary remained. “Get out, Mother, or I will pick you up and carry you out.”
Mary huffed and stormed out, leaving Padraig finally alone with Cairren.
He didn’t know what to do, what to say. He didn’t know if he should look at her or look away.
He walked to the foot of the bed and rested his head in his hands.
But he couldn’t sit still. He ran his hands through his hair as he stood and looked at Cairren.
The atrocious scene had caused his arousal to wane, but the moment he looked at Cairren again, his rod lengthened and hardened.
He’d never felt more of a cad than he did in that moment.
His body continued to react at the most inopportune times.
He closed his eyes and turned his head away.
With no one else to look at, Cairren’s last words came back to him.
“Why did you defend me? Why do you keep trying to protect me? Wynda I can understand, but why me? Why after what you heard me say?” Padraig’s voice was hoarse as he gazed at Cairren, who now wrapped her arms over her chest and waist.
“Did I lie? What I said is what your mother’s words implied.
Wynda has done naught wrong in any of this.
She’s been the only kind face that I’ve seen.
She seems—timid,” Cairren tried to pick the right word to say aloud, but she would have better described Wynda as skittish.
“I’ve watched the stronger pick on the weak before and not spoken against it.
I’m ashamed of that, and I won’t stay quiet after I watched it nearly destroy Maude Sutherland’s chance at happiness and love.
If I don’t speak up, then I’m complicit and just as foul a soul as the person being cruel. ”
Padraig took a step closer but wasn’t sure if Cairren would allow him any nearer. “But why me? Why protect me?”
“As you said. This is aboot duty. Yours and mine to our clans. Despite this mess, you strike me as honorable. To insinuate you’re aught other than that is wrong.
You’re doing your—doing what you can with this.
” Cairren waved her hand toward the bed, then between them.
“Padraig, I’m not a child. I can take care of myself, and that means I can manage to speak out against a wrong. ”
“But you worried earlier that upsetting Myrna would cause you more problems.”
“Oh, it will. I won’t come out of this unscathed, but that doesn’t change that I should do what’s right.
Honor is important to people other than just the men in the Highlands.
If I stand by and do naught when a wrong is committed, then where is my honor?
” Cairren shook her head and shrugged. Padraig was in awe of the tiny woman who stood before him with more integrity than any member of his clan, including him, had shown since the Kennedys arrived.
He took the last two steps until he could tuck his finger under her chin and lift her head until their eyes met.
“I’m sorry. Those words may feel insignificant, but they are sincere.
I thought earlier tonight that I wasn’t sure that I could endure what you have without breaking down and crying.
Now you’ve suffered even more. Cairren, I can’t undo any of this, but I can try to make up for it.
I will keep them away from you as best I can.
I will make it clear I won’t tolerate any further insults to you.
And—” Padraig shifted uncomfortably. “And I can at least make something aboot being here feel good.”
Cairren’s turned a pretty shade of pink as her lips twitched.
Her eyes darted down to his rod that pointed toward her.
She smiled and nodded. “There is little point in pretending you’re not attracted to me, and I won’t pretend I’m not attracted to you.
Our two kisses proved that.” Cairren glanced at the bed before looking back at Padraig.
“Are you scared?”
“A little,” Cairren admitted.
“For all my faults and errs, what we share in this chamber will always be for your pleasure. When we are in here together, the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s just the two of us and what we want.
” Padraig spoke without realizing that he admitted that he intended to bed Cairren more than just that night.
“Thank you,” Cairren whispered. She lifted her chin as Padraig lowered his mouth to hers.
She came onto her toes as she reached to wrap her arms around his neck.
She opened to him without hesitation, welcoming the thrust and parry of their tongues in her mouth.
Padraig brushed her hair away from her chest before cupping her breast. His thumb brushed back and forth over her nipple until it pebbled.
His other hand skimmed down her back until he cupped her backside, pressing her hips to his.
He bent to take her breast in his mouth, but their height difference made it awkward.
Cairren giggled. “Apparently, I’ve found something else I’m too short for. ”
“Cheeky,” Padraig grinned as he patted her backside. “Then I shall have to solve that.”