Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Eleanor’s hands were still shaking by the time Marion returned to change her dress and bandage her wound. Luckily for Eleanor, the wound was only superficial and would mend in just a few days.
“I still cannae believe that the man slipped into the castle,” Marion said in an unsteady voice as she swallowed hard and finished knotting the bandage in place.
Perched on the edge of her bed in a fresh blue dress, Eleanor sighed. “I cannae believe it either, it was lucky for me that Bran and Callum were so close by.” She spared a glance at the dog who stood patiently by the door, awaiting his next instructions.
“Aye, it is a wonder that ye ever did escape with yer life, Mistress. The gods were smilin’ down on ye this day. May luck continue to be in yer favor.” She stiffened suddenly when a knock sounded at the door.
“Who is it?” Eleanor called out after a brief pause. Her heart seemed as if it would leap from her chest again, but she quickly let out a breath when Callum answered her back.
“It is me, lass. I have come to check on ye.” His voice carried through the door.
Nodding to her maid, Eleanor gestured for Marion to go and unlock the door.
It only took the girl a few seconds to unlatch the lock and step aside as the door swung open.
Callum stepped inside wearing a fresh shirt and clean breeches.
Even his boots seemed to have been cleaned as his braid hung down his back.
He looked from Eleanor to Bran, and then at Marion before speaking directly to the maid.
“I think Bran needs his supper after a job well done.” His words held a simple command as he unbuckled the belt holding his sword and placed it beside the door.
Leave us alone.
A shiver of anticipation ran down her spine as Eleanor nodded her consent to the maid. Had any of the council members recognised the man? She could hardly wait for the door to close again before coming to her feet.
Surprisingly, Callum turned from her and bolted the door shut. “Just in case we have any more attempts while we are discussin’ what happened.”
The air in her chambers suddenly grew silent above the crackling of the fire.
What is he thinkin’?
Her pulse began to race as she suddenly became all too aware of the fact that they were alone and locked in her chambers.
He closed the distance between them just as she came to her feet. “Are ye all right?” He pressed his body against hers, ensuring that they would not be heard.
Feeling her breath catch in her throat for the briefest of seconds, she hesitated before answering. “Aye, thanks to Bran.” She forced a teasing smile and looked up into his eyes.
These eyes.
She could still recall the first time she had seen them beside the road. Things had been so different back then; it felt like a lifetime since she stumbled across him. His eyes were darker now, deeper than a coal mine and far more soulful now that she knew who he was.
Cupping her chin in the familiar gesture that made the pit of her stomach knot, Callum lifted her face toward his. “Ye found somethin’ and ran away from the meetin’ to yer death?” He practically growled the words, making Eleanor uncertain if he was relieved or angry.
She nodded again through a sharp breath. “Aye, Donald Stewart is the man named in all of me brothers’ letters. I didnae tell ye before, but I brought all of those letters with me. There has to be somethin’ that we are nae seein’. I just ken it.”
Callum’s brows knit together in a frown as he stared down at her.
“I have checked, and I daenae ken any man by that name. None of the clans near ours, or even our enemies carry that name. We are at war, ye ken?” His voice held little to no reproach this time, only concern, and the realization sent a shiver down her spine.
His thumb drew a line over her chin and down her neck as his other hand sought her waist, gently kneading her flesh through the fabric of her dress.
A silent gasp escaped her lips when he pulled her closer, almost pressing her body into his. His gaze claimed hers, silent and demanding as she lifted her hands and hovered with her fingertips just above his chest.
Her chest suddenly clenched with indecision as she lowered her hands.
Torn between loyalty to her brother and the pull of the man she desired, she let out a breath.
“I chose to live here, only to help Andrew at yer request,” she reminded him quietly, torn between her duty and the aching deep within her.
His lips twitched at the corners, adding even more uncertainty as he almost smirked. “Aye, but ye are here as me decoy lass. I cannae let ye go, nae when we are so close, and yer presence serves a purpose. I promised ye that I would offer ye protection.”
Is that the only reason?
“Aye, ye promised to protect me, but it was Bran who did yer job. And here I thought ye cared,” she half-heartedly teased him, feeling her resistance thin with every passing moment.
Her heart pounded furiously in her chest as she stayed pressed against him. Had he truly not grown to care for her more than her place as a decoy? She felt her pulse fluttering again as his smirk widened into a smile.
“I do care, lass, why do ye think I was at yer side before anyone else?” His smirk suddenly faded as he looked into her eyes and once again tilted her chin toward his. “How is yer arm?” His voice was deep and low, lower than she had ever heard it before.
“It is…” she managed to breathe before getting out the words when his lips came down on hers.
The kiss was soft and gentle at first, a mere brushing in passing as it had been in the stables.
The softness, however, was short-lived as he dropped both of his hands to her waist, caressing her hips as his tongue sought hers.
Giving in to temptation, Eleanor opened her mouth, allowing Callum to explore the warm depths. Their tongues jousted together as she moved against him, feeling his body hard and warm against hers.
Callum groaned deeply, pulling her against him until her legs were almost parting.
Gasps of pleasure filled the air when she leaned her head back, allowing him to kiss a path down her neck. “Callum,” she whispered his name as his hands moved up her sides, stopping just short of her breasts as his thumbs gently teased the underside of the ample mounds.
I want him to touch me.
All thought, along with the remnants of her final reservations, flew out the window as she gave herself over to the pleasure of his hands cupping her breasts.
His thumbs teased her nipples through the corset, creating new sensations that drove her wild.
Her breath began to come in short bursts as he kissed over her chest, licking and nipping at the delicate flesh.
The pit of her stomach coiled deliciously when his hands moved from her breasts to her hips, pulling her against him as the evidence of his desires pushed into her thigh.
“Callum, I want ye,” she breathed.
Lifting her up in his arms, he turned her around and placed her on the bed, hovering above her as he lifted her skirts. “Tell me how it feels?” he growled before moving his hand up her skirt and kneading the delicate flesh between her thighs.
“It feels…” she gasped for breath as his fingers moved to her core. “It feels wonderful!” He suddenly began to move in circles over the little bud of pleasure at her apex.
A warm sensation of ecstasy moved up her thighs and coiled in her core, creating a sensational warmth that was hard to ignore.
“Do ye like that?” He teased her with his thumb, moving faster and slower at regular intervals.
“I…” she gasped again, arching her back this time when he picked up the pace. Opening her eyes, she saw him staring down at her with a wild look in his eyes.
I want more.
She almost gasped out loud, but moaned instead as she shut her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows.
The sensations ended all too quickly as he removed his hand, forcing her eyes open with cool disappointment.
“Daenae fuss, lass, I am nae done with ye.” He winked at her, making her breath catch in her throat as he got to his knees.
Pushing her skirts up and over her knees, he ran his hands along her legs, starting at her ankles and working his way up her calves to her thighs.
Saints preserve me.
He leaned closer as she spread her legs with his palms, pressing kisses to her inner thighs as he worked his way up. His tongue flicked out at regular intervals as he neared her core and gently nibbled the flesh of her inner thighs.
A loud whimper of pleasure escaped her throat when his tongue snaked out and caressed the bud at the apex of her core, creating an entirely new sensation of warmth that was more than just pleasurable.
He worked her slowly at first, gently licking back and forth for a moment or two before alternating his mouth with his tongue.
Steady, slow rhythms, almost sent her over the edge as she leaned back on the bed and spread her thighs even further.
Every inch of her body seemed to be responding to him as her legs began to tremble with pleasure.
Her nipples pressed against the stiff fabric of her corset, adding to the building feeling that threatened to make her burst.
“Callum!” she screamed before reaching down and tangling her fingers in his hair.
A deep growl resonated from his chest as he tilted his head to the side and doubled his efforts, using the tip of his tongue to flick her closer to the edge.
She moaned uncontrollably with every movement until she was practically pressing herself onto his tongue.
The climax finally shook her as her knees buckled, trapping his head between her thighs while the height of her climax rippled through her body. Wave after wave made her gasp for air while Callum remained in place, firmly holding her thighs.
He gradually slowed his pace, moving his tongue in gentle strokes until her eyes could no longer open, and her legs felt as if they could not move.
She lay on her back, gasping for breath, while he moved away from her and pulled down her skirts.
That was amazin’.
Her voice failed her when she tried to speak. Every muscle in her body seemed to have relaxed at the same time when Callum climbed onto the bed beside her and lifted her in his arms.
Moving her slowly, he shifted her up on the bed, placing her gently back down with her head on the pillow. Everything felt so perfect to her with the fire crackling in the hearth and a soft blanket of rain pelting the earth beyond the window.
Coolness suddenly flooded her body as she felt him moving away from her. “Daenae, go,” she suddenly spoke as she opened her eyes and reached for him.
Twisting his body to look at her, Callum smiled, a soft, kind smile that she had never seen before. “Daenae fuss, lass, I willnae leave ye.” He turned away from her again and began to remove his boots.
‘Daenae fuss, lass.’
The words echoed in her heart, taking her back to the wonderful things he had made her feel. Never in her life would she hear those words again without thinking of Callum. The pit of her stomach coiled again, but with gentle flutters this time as he removed his shirt.
But what does it all mean?
Her breathing deepened as she looked at the scars on his back, especially the larger one that reached around and over his ribs. They had both been through so much together and even apart; it was difficult to imagine what would happen next.
She eased her breathing as he lowered himself beside her on the bed.
Reaching out, he began to trace patterns on her arms as he looked into her eyes.
“Callum, what does…” Her voice suddenly failed as the terrifying sound of a horn screeched through the air, piercing even the chamber windows with a deafening roar.
“Someone is at the gates; that sound was too close.” Callum’s eyes widened before darkening with anger. He quickly rolled away from her and began to dress, his movements quick and skilled.
Nay, this cannae be happenin’.
Eleanor followed suit and jumped to her feet, fixing her skirts and hair before running for her boots and cloak. “What will happen next?” She was not even sure if she was asking about the sudden upheaval or the moment they had just shared in her bed.
Callum’s attention seemed utterly focused on the task at hand as he tucked his shirt into his breeches. “I daenae ken, but ye should stay in yer chambers and bolt the door.”
Panic rushed through her lungs, burning a fiery path as she hurried toward him. “Callum, ye cannae leave me in here. I must go with ye, please, daenae leave me on me own,” she pleaded with him as her heart raced a hundred beats per minute.
Turning back to her, his eyes softened again as he lifted his hand to her face and cupped her cheek.
“Ye cannae come with me, lass. I will be too worried about ye to have at me side. I will send Marion to be with ye, but daenae unlock the door for anyone other than me, Marion, or Iain. Bran can stay with ye too.”
She leaned into the affection with all her might, savoring the warmth of his skin on hers. “I daenae want ye to go,” she found herself whispering the words without even thinking.
Why was she feeling as if her entire world was about to end? She had not even processed what had happened between them, and already she felt as if she could not leave his side.
What does this mean?
She whispered in the back of her mind for the hundredth time. Everything seemed so unclear and up in the air. Did she love him? Was that why the dull ache in her chest refused to subside?
“Have to, lass, but I will find ye later, I promise.” His voice was soft and low, lower than she had ever heard it before.
Does he truly care for me?
The question rang true and clear as she looked into his eyes, and in that moment, she knew, she cared for him far more than she had wanted to admit, even to herself. If anything were to happen to Callum, life as she knew it would end, and a far lonelier existence would be her fate.
She was about to open her mouth again and protest when a scream from within the castle rang out through the air.