Bannon, and he stared into those dark eyes as Ciaran lowered his hand. He wanted Ciaran to kiss him again. “I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. I know they love me, but it hurts. I want them to respect me. Which is why I usually end up doing something stupid. I know I shouldn’t, but…. It just makes me so angry that they don’t respect me enough to listen to my opinion. I want them to trust me.”
“I trust ye.” Ciaran’s words were a whisper, a caress, but there was conviction in them.
Bannon stared at their linked hands, resting on his knee, with a sense of the surreal and a tingle through his knuckles. His stomach dipped to his knees, and it had nothing to do with today’s turmoil and everything to do with Ciaran. Bannon gazed up into deep brown eyes. Eyes that gazed right through him to his very soul.
For several moments, Ciaran didn’t say anything. He just watched Bannon, and then he pulled him closer until Bannon’s knee was against his hip. “Ye did guid today. Thank ye.”
“I had to do something to help.” Bannon tried hard to focus on Ciaran’s words when his lips were so close. Suddenly all he wanted was to taste those lips and forget all about the carnage of today. Forget about being stranded. Forget about everything. His pulse sped up. Was it nerves? Or something else? And why was he so warm all of a sudden?
“Ye did more than something.” Ciaran’s hand came up and softly touched his cheek. His hand was warm and gentle, and a slow smile eased onto his lips. “Ye dinna do anything halfway do ye, Red?” His voice was soft, almost a whisper.
Shaking his head, Bannon leaned closer. “You sound like Louie.” With a sigh he admitted, “It always gets me in trouble.”
“Nae this time. I willnae let it.” Ciaran’s voice was but a breathy sigh as his forehead touched Bannon’s. “I trust ye, remember?”
Galaxy help him, he trusted Ciaran too.
With a growl, Ciaran pressed his lips to Bannon’s, his tongue snaking out, licking at the seam.
A tingle arced through Bannon. His palms started to sweat, and he couldn’t feel his legs or arms, his entire senses narrowed down to his lips, which was so unusual for him. He was an artist. He took every sensory detail in, but not this time. This time only his lips existed. When had he closed his eyes?
Ciaran’s tongue swiped at his lips again, and Bannon opened on a sigh. His hands clenched in the fabric of his kilt, and he leaned in, embracing the moment. The soft glide of tongue against his almost tickled. If it were in a painting, it would have sparkled with shiny little dots on the canvas. It melted Bannon’s insides, and he longed to do some exploring of his own. He threw himself into the kiss, mimicking what Ciaran did, reveling in the sensations trickling through him. He’d never felt anything like it. The bumbled kiss with the footman was nothing like this. Even his first kiss with Ciaran wasn’t like this. The feeling simmered in his mouth and slithered down to his belly, burning there. His cock even twitched in response. He wanted more but wasn’t sure how to ask for it, so he got to his knees, coming closer. His stitches pulled and made him hesitate, but Ciaran gripped his hip and urged his leg across Ciaran’s lap.
A moan escaped Bannon, and he leaned forward, reveling in the heat of Ciaran’s body. He rested his hands on Ciaran’s shoulders, then wound his fingers through Ciaran’s thick dark hair.
Ciaran slipped his unslinged hand down to Bannon’s thighs, up under the kilt. Abruptly, his tongue disappeared, and he pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against Bannon’s.
Bannon blinked, confused, but then he heard it.
Someone was yelling for them. It sounded as though they were at the foot of the tower stairs. If it was Maggie again, Bannon was going to go kick her in the shin.
Touching his face again, Ciaran leaned back just long enough to gaze into Bannon’s eyes, his face was once again somber. He huffed out a breath and said, “It sounds like Patrick and Marcus are back. I asked Angus tae let me ken as soon as they reached the gate.”
Bannon nodded, feeling dazed. His lips tingled still with the feel of Ciaran’s lips. Now that it was over, heat crept up his neck into his cheeks, and a whole