In Scot Water - Caroline Lee Page 0,25
guest. I am sorry I—I left last night before reminding ye the bed was yers.” He shouldn’t have to sleep with the animals.
“Nay, Evie, the bed is yers. I’ll join ye when ye invite me.”
Her breath caught at the slight teasing tone in his voice. Did he mean that? He wanted to join her in the bed?
After last night, he likely wanted to use her body the way she’d used his. And despite how—how unemotional that arrangement sounded, she couldn’t deny that her blood thrummed in anticipation at the idea.
He turned to go, and she acted on impulse. Grabbing his hand as it fell from her cheek, she whispered, “Wait!”
And his expression turned hopeful. Did he expect her to invite him to take his pleasure on her?
Blessed Mother, would it be wrong to want that?
But she took the coward’s way out.
“Ye—ye were wonderful with Liam tonight.”
The hope faded from his eyes, but was replaced with something equally soft as he squeezed her fingers. “He is a good lad. Reminds me of myself.”
She would consider herself blessed if her son grew up to be half as noble and intelligent—not to mention well-formed!—as the man currently holding her hand.
“Ye ken so much, Malcolm,” she whispered. “Ye are a brilliant man.”
“Och, no’ brilliant.” Now he smiled, and it didn’t seem forced. “My brothers would never let me forget it if I went around calling myself brilliant. But I like to learn things.”
He was so handsome when he smiled like that, her heart ached. She wasn’t ready for him to leave.
Not tonight. Not ever.
Searching about for a way to keep the conversation going, she blurted, “Ye’ve really read all those books ye spoke of?”
His gaze dropped to their joined hands. “There was a time, long ago, when I wanted to be a monk. My mother’s family wouldnae pay to send me to the Abbey, nae matter how badly I wanted access to their libraries. My father eventually showed me ‘twas a better use of my mind to serve my clan. At least at Oliphant Castle I have access to a library, even if it isnae quite as impressive as the Abbey’s.”
His answer gave her clues to his life. He was used to sleeping with the animals, and his family had been, if not poor, then frugal. He’d wanted to be a monk. And he was a learned man, who lived near Oliphant Castle.
That explained why, the last time she’d visited the village, he’d been there.
Watching her.
I want ye, Evelinde.
She met his eyes and swallowed at the warmth she saw there.
He lifted their joined hands and brushed a kiss over her knuckles.
“Goodnight, Evie,” he murmured, then turned and climbed over the partition to make his bed in the hay with the animals.
And long after she’d tucked Tomas into his basket, long after she’d pulled her gown off and curled up alone in the box bed, she laid awake, listening for the sounds of him climbing back to her.
They never came, and neither did he.
Chapter 5
“And if I add two apples to the three apples I already have, how many apples will I have total?”
Sitting cross-legged on the tall stool beside Malcolm, wee Liam wrinkled his nose as he thought.
Malcolm tapped his forefinger against the circles he’d drawn in the sand on the table. “If ‘tis easier, ye can draw two more circles to represent the apples.”
The lad leaned forward and made two dashes in the sand with his finger. “Drawing apples is stupid.”
“Why?”
Liam’s jaw stuck out mulishly as he pointed. “Because I can just draw some lines—that is easier, and I ken they’re supposed to be apples. I dinnae even like apples.”
Hiding his smile, Malcolm nodded seriously. “Aye, but I’m no’ about to draw penises for ye to practice yer maths.”
The little boy’s spine straightened so quickly, it looked as if he might topple over. Green eyes flashed toward his mother, who was pretending not to pay attention to them as she sat stitching a wee gown for the bairn.
“Ye’re no’ supposed to talk about penises in front of Mama,” Liam scolded in a whisper. “She’s a lady.”
“She is,” Malcolm murmured in return, his gaze on the lady.
A lady whose lips were currently pressed tightly together so she wouldn’t giggle, if Malcolm had to guess. His gaze lingered on those lips, and he remembered their taste. He hadn’t kissed her again, but St. Thomas knew how much he wanted to.
He wanted everything about her.
This was his third day in her home, and while he once