Scot to the Touch (The Hots for Scots #7) - Caroline Lee Page 0,41

and skin made her ache for more.

And then his hands were moving, one catching in the braid at the base of her skull, the other cupping her neck, then her shoulder, then smoothing down her back and the dip at her waist before coming to rest on her arse cheek. When he tugged her flush against his arousal, she moaned again, and he echoed it.

His lips dragged away from hers, but he didn’t move away. Instead, he trailed kisses up her jaw to her ear, then nipped at the delicate skin of her neck. The noise she made was something like a desperate mewl as she tilted her head to one side to give him better access.

It wasn’t until she felt his other hand drop to her side, his thumb brushing against the underside of her breast, that she realized how far this might actually go. And she was thrilled to experience that pleasure once more…but then he pulled away with another groan.

“St. Columba’s bollocks, lass, I’m moments away from dishonoring ye,” he whispered hoarsely, pressing his forehead to hers, his breathing ragged.

She was reeling, holding onto his hips as if her life depended on it. If he let go of her now, she was certain she’d fall over. But what was he saying?

Dishonor?

Her breath huffed from between her lips, the closest she could manage to a laugh at that moment. “No’…” Swallow, inhale, try again. “No’ before I dishonor ye, Kier.”

His chuckle sounded strained, but he straightened and smiled down at her. “Ye are a treasure, lass. I cannae believe I thought I could be just friends with ye. That kiss—” He broke off with another chuckle, his smile rueful. “That kiss was likely the best of my life.”

The best of his life? Kiergan Oliphant, lover of women, had said that? About kissing her?

As he released her—slowly, as if ensuring she could stand on her own—he scrubbed a hand over his face. “If only I’d kissed ye before I accepted— Och, never mind,” he muttered. “ ’Tis my own mess to work through.”

He was talking about the night they’d shared; Katlyn was certain. Now was the time to tell him the truth—the truth she’d tried to tell him earlier that day in the courtyard before his brothers had interrupted.

“Kiergan—” she began, but before she could explain, he’d dragged his hand from her shoulder to her own hand and began tugging her toward the wall.

“Come on,” he said, urgency in his tone. “I want to show ye something.”

Damnation. Just when she’d worked up the gumption to confess.

But he’d already reached the stone wall beside the hearth, one she remembered well. He pressed on the spot to release the catch, and the secret door to the hidden passageway swung open. When he turned back to her, there was excitement in his blue eyes.

“This is it, Kat. Are ye afraid of the dark?”

Mutely, she shook her head, but her eyes darted to the candle atop the mantel, and he chuckled.

“Ye are right. There’s nae need to be completely blind. Besides, we need to explore for a bit before we set our trap.” With a grin, he snatched the candle and flint down, tucking both into his belt.

Then he pulled her into the dark passageway.

It wasn’t her first time in there, but it was her first time there with him, and his excitement was catching. She felt her heart begin to beat faster, though not as quickly as when she’d been in his arms, but she was still excited to be there.

Or mayhap ‘twas the way his fingers tightened around hers, moments before he released them and pulled out the candle. Once the weak flame flickered between them, he reached for her hand once again. The light reflected on his smile when he met her eyes.

“Come,” he murmured. “Let us explore!”

She wanted to tell him the truth of course. But here, in the semi-darkness, his hand in hers, sharing this adventure…mayhap it wouldn’t hurt to just delay the telling a bit?

As she tiptoed after him along the passage, she realized she was smiling.

They went everywhere. From his whispered explanations, Kiergan had been in the passages within the last fortnight but hadn’t fully explored them. As it turned out, he had a brilliant sense of direction, and every time he guessed which door they’d reached, he was right.

Holding their breaths, they carefully pushed open the hidden doors leading to Alistair’s solar, and the space behind the kitchen hearth, and the nursery on the upper