and partners—today he hadn’t seen her at all.
Since when is yer mood so dependent on a woman, lad?
His scowl deepened, irritated at his own conscious.
This mood of his wasn’t Katlyn’s fault, not really. It was because he was so damnably confused.
The morning after Davina had braved the secret passages to come to him, then ridden him hard and left him bonelessly sated, she’d snubbed him. He’d still been willing to speak to her grandfather about a betrothal, because despite not spilling his seed inside her, that had been some of the best sex of his life. He’d been willing to tie himself to one woman for all eternity, if it meant that each night.
But then he’d spent the day with Katlyn, and she’d made him laugh. She was a kind, loyal, interesting woman who seemed to genuinely care about him and surely that was better than mind-altering sex?
Dinnae be so certain.
He scrubbed a hand over his face as he strode down the hall to Alistair’s solar.
Whose side was his conscious on anyhow?
I’m speaking for yer cock, lad.
He scoffed, knowing his cock needed nae help when it came to making its preferences known.
Irritated, he did his best to ignore his libido and tapped the scroll he carried against his thigh. Alistair had asked to look over it this afternoon, and since Kiergan wasn’t having any luck in the lady department, he decided to oblige his twin brother.
But when he pushed open the door, Alistair wasn’t alone. One of Kiergan’s deepest fears was that he’d walk in on his twin tupping his new wife over the desk.
Luckily, this wasn’t the case.
Instead, ‘twas his brothers, Rocque and Dunc, who stood, arms folded, arguing with Malcolm about something, while Alistair ignored them to study a ledger on the table.
“I dinnae care what the laddie told ye, I dinnae teach him that word,” Duncan muttered.
Rocque shrugged. “I was there when Malcolm asked Liam. He clearly said his Uncle Duncle taught him—”
With a growl, Dunc launched himself at Rocque, and Kiergan grinned, knowing how much their brother hated that nickname.
Which was, of course, why Kiergan had given it to him.
He was feeling all itchy today, and a good fight would’ve knocked some of the irritation out of him. Unfortunately, Rocque was big enough to grasp Duncan’s fist in one of his own and twist his brother out of the way until he could wrap one big arm around Duncan’s neck.
“Let me go!” Dunc landed a blow with his nondominant hand, which made Rocque merely grunt. “Get off of me, ye great ox!”
“Ox, am I?” With an evil grin, Rocque shifted until Duncan’s head was next to his hip. “Did I tell ye Merewyn made fish last night for supper? Ye ken what happens when I have fish and get agitated?”
The blood drained from Duncan’s face. “Ye wouldnae dare, ye fooker.”
“Fook ‘er?” Rocque chuckled. “I fook my wife all the time!”
He dragged his brother’s head closer to his arse, and Duncan began to struggle in earnest. Kiergan, knowing what was about to happen, eased his way around the pair to place the scroll on Alistair’s desk.
“Let go of me!” Duncan swung madly. “Dinnae think ye can—”
But it did him no good to fight. Rocque had eaten fish, which meant Duncan was doomed.
The flatulence began as a high-pitched squeal as Rocque screwed up his face, then eased into a low, reverberating echo which had to have flapped the big man’s arse cheeks. And more than the sound, ‘twas the smell which had all the brothers choking.
Kiergan pulled his shirt up to cover his mouth. “Jesu Christo, Rocque,” he managed hoarsely. “Healthy people dinnae make that smell.”
Chuckling, Rocque tossed aside Duncan, who’d gone limp. Their brother stumbled to one side, slammed into the wall and held on to the blue and green tapestry as his eyes watered. He looked as if he were having trouble breathing.
“Poor Dunc will likely never forgive ye,” Malcolm said, crossing to open the window wider.
Alistair was rubbing his eyes. “I’ll likely never forgive ye. I cannae believe ye did that in an enclosed space.”
As Rocque shrugged, Duncan pushed himself upright. “I hate ye,” he rasped, looking like a man who’d seen Hell in person. “I’ll have to go to the loch to scrub before I can go home to my wife.”
“How do ye think his wife feels about it?” Kiergan pointed out.
Scowling, Duncan pushed past Rocque and stumbled out the door. Their biggest brother was smirking, until Kiergan jerked his thumb after him.
“Ye ken