ward, but he did not see Fiona anywhere. She should be asleep, as should his brother and his aunt, but he didn’t hold out much hope for that.
He stopped Horace a few yards from the front steps and climbed down.
Red drew up next to him, followed by Louisa, Angus, and Ram.
Slumping in the saddle, Red still gazed up at the castle. The way his chin tilted up was quite fetching. He had a proud chin and strong cheekbones with just a hint of beard shadow. Not enough to make him scruffy, but enough to gleam in the torchlight from each side of the front door. It was nearly invisible and no doubt as red as his hair.
Staring, transfixed, Ciaran wondered when was the last time he’d found a man so attractive.
Red’s full lips parted, and Ciaran’s gaze honed in on the split at the bottom corner with crusted blood. Egads! Shaking himself from his musing, Ciaran rounded Horace and went to Red’s side as Angus did the same with Louisa. He needed to have someone see to his guests. No doubt they wanted a warm meal and a good night’s sleep, but first he needed to see their wounds tended. He reached up toward Red. “Let me help ye down.”
Shaking his head, Red finally looked away from the keep. His green eyes met Ciaran’s, and awareness sparked between them, tingling Ciaran in the chest.
Och, but he wanted to kiss that poor abused lip better. Which was a very bad idea. Red was merely passing through, and no way was Ciaran going to get involved with an outsider. He had too much responsibility as it was—adding a relationship to that just wasn’t an option. “Red?” Ciaran touched his thigh.
“You don’t have any way for me to contact my planet, do you?”
Ciaran shook his head.
“Okay, then. Plan B.”
“What is plan B?”
“I have no idea.” Red blinked, then stared past Ciaran to the left. “But I’m not panicking. See me not panicking?”
Ciaran raised a brow. The way Red’s voice pitched higher sure sounded like panicking to him, but he sensed Red would not appreciate him saying so.
Red winced as he threw his leg over the horse’s head. He stood with one foot in the stirrup for several moments, with his hand gripping the pommel, as Aunt Agatha and Ian came down to greet them.
“Welcome home, Ciaran. I see we have guests?” Agatha reached out to Ciaran.
Reaching for her hand, Ciaran said, “Indeed we do. Can y—”
A gasp sounded.
Out of the corner of Ciaran’s eye, he saw Red bobble. Still in the stirrup, his knee gave out, and he started falling.
Ciaran turned to catch him, knowing his foot would get hung in the stirrup.
Apparently Red had the same thought. He turned, trying to free his foot as he fell, and slammed into Ciaran’s chest.
Wrapping his arms around Red, Ciaran stared into those grass-green eyes from mere inches away. Everything seemed to stand still. Warm breath caressed Ciaran’s lips, and lust ignited in his gut at the feel of another so close. Or perhaps it was the new knowledge that Red liked men as well. Whatever the reason, a frisson of delight speared through Ciaran. He should set Red on his feet.
“What are these?” Ian asked, effectively breaking the spell.
Ciaran set Red on his feet.
Ian crouched down and began picking something up off the ground at their feet. Several small objects. Gold pieces of various shapes. One round piece with elegant carvings of vines had a chain connected to it. There was another rectangular piece with letters on it. Jefferson. Was that a name?
“Oh! Those are mine!” Red snagged the objects from Ian and stuffed them back into the pockets of his odd-looking jerkin. What was the purpose of such a close-fitting jerkin with no sleeves anyway? It couldn’t offer much warmth. He’d have to ask Marcus the next time he saw him. The things must have fallen out of the garment when Red had taken a tumble off the horse.
“What is…? Oh!” Louisa came around the horses and started helping Red pick up the small objects. She too quickly hid them away in the pocket of the coat she wore. A coat with a torn sleeve that appeared to belong to Red.
In no time, they had the trinkets tucked away.
“Are ye all right?” Ciaran asked Red once he was standing upright again.
Red nodded. “My leg gave out.”
Ciaran frowned and noticed the bloody gash on Red’s leg for the first time. That must be why