Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Leona sat cross-legged on the floor, the glow and heat from the fireplace flushing against her face and arms. As she turned the last page, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She had been reading all night as a means to distract herself, but now that she was nearly done, she knew that thoughts of him would soon bubble to the surface.

She finished reading, setting the book down in front of her before stretching. Her back was sore, and her thighs ached. She had been sitting there for hours. Time had slipped away from her as she read, becoming lost in the story before her. When she had looked up last, she could still see the faintest hint of sunlight peeking through the window, but now it was pitch black. She stood up slowly and walked over, her feet padding against the cold surface underneath.

Her window overlooked the garden, which was barely illuminated by the torches that lined the walls. Leona leaned against the sill and let her eyes fall over the landscape around the castle. And then she saw something, something out of place that made her heart skip a beat.

Caelan was lying on the ground, unmoving.

Panic set in, rushing from her chest to the back of her throat. Had he fallen? Did something happen? She turned fast, hiking up the hemline of her nightgown as she made for the door. All of her anger, her annoyance with him, and their questionable future was washed away in a flood of worry.

By now, she knew the castle's halls well enough to reach the gardens easily. Her hair, loose down her back, followed her like a golden banner as she ran. Leona's heart was pounding like a drum in her ears; the blood rushed to her face. "If he is nay dead, he will wish he was," she whispered to herself breathlessly as she rushed outside.

The grass under her feet was cold and wet, causing her to almost slip before she reached the spot where she had seen him. Under her breath, she cursed as she pushed on. It was cold outside, and she was most definitely not dressed for the chill of the night.

She slowed, her eyes on the figure lying in the grass. Something had to be wrong; there was no way anyone could simply sleep outside like this. Leona was so focused that she didn't even feel the twigs snapping underneath her feet as she approached him.

Suddenly, Caelan shot up, enough to make her yelp in surprise. His hand, almost instinctively, fell to his side and gripped at the sheath of his dagger. Finally, his eyes fell on her, and he softened like clay in the heat. "Leona?"

Still breathless, she was also now seething. "Ye were asleep?"

"Aye," he said, nodding while looking around him with a hint of surprise. "I suppose I was, lass. But, what are ye doin' outside? In nothin' more than yer nightgown at that…" he commented, his eyes moving up and down to take her in. When he met her eyes, he lifted his left eyebrow, questioning her. Challenging her.

Leona shook her head, the laughter tightening her middle as she tried to suppress both the sound and her rage. She had run out, barely clothed, in the cold, and he had simply been sleeping. I should've left ye there until morning and let ye freeze yer arse off.

She watched him stand, her eyes narrowed. "Ye're well then, Caelan?"

"Aye?"

"Good," she forced a tight smile before turning on her heel, determined to leave him behind. She took not even three steps before she felt his hand grab at her wrist, turning her around fast. Leona collided with his chest as his arms wrapped around her. She stood frozen and shocked.

"Tell me why ye came out at this hour, lass," his words were silk.

Leona swallowed hard, her resolve and her anger fading with each sound of her heart beating. "I saw ye laying on the ground, and I thought…"

"And ye thought somethin' had happened."

"Aye, but I can see that ye're well enough," she pressed her hands against his chest, pushing back against him. He did not let her go right away, but after a moment of struggling, he let his hands fall to her side. Leona looked up at him. The glow from the torches cast dancing shadows over his handsome face, which only seemed to annoy her more.

But what truly sunk its claws into her was the fact that she felt something for him, and she knew he would never be able to remain devoted to her. Again, like a church bell chiming in the morning hours, Flora's words came to her mind and played like a sad, bittersweet song.

"Now, if ye'll excuse me, me laird ."

Caelan ran a hand through his hair. "I've hurt ye somehow, haven't I?"

Leona frowned. "Aye. I mean, nay…"

How could she tell him about all of the things, all of the doubts that raced through her mind? And even if she did, what could she expect him to do? He had gone his entire life without her; why would he change his ways?

She let out a howl of frustration and clenched her fists. "Yer maid–"

"Flora. What did she do, lass?"

Leona shook her head. "'Tis nae just that, Caelan. Whatever ye have done or continue to do with the maid, that is yer business. I just…"

"Leona," his voice was silk as he stepped towards her. "Tell me."

"All of the stories I have read, none of them are like this," her frustration caused her voice to crack, and she felt her face growing hot. "I havenae ever put much thought into marriage, but I dinnae expect this. I dinnae think that me own husband wouldnae want me."

He stared down at her. "Ye think that I daenae want ye?"

She was about to answer when he leaned forward, his hand coming to the back of her head and pulling her towards him. Caelan's mouth fell hard on hers, devouring her with such passion that her mind turned blank. Leona, so determined to keep away from him before, melted against him.

Slowly, he pushed back, steadily easing her to move until she felt her back press against something solid. She reached to her side, feeling the rough surface of the tree's bark as his own hands tenderly moved across her skin. There was nowhere for her to go, and there was nowhere else she wished to be. Leona felt herself submit under his control, letting him lead.

Caelan, breathless and huffing, pulled back. "I will show ye how much I want ye."

His lips found hers again, his tongue slipping past to move against hers in a rhythm that only they could hear. Caelan's hand was in her hair while the other moved from her shoulder to the plunging curves of her waist. His skin was rough, but his touch was soft and tender.

Slowly, his fingertips pulled up at her nightgown, raising the fabric until his skin touched hers. She shuddered against him as his touch gently traced against her thigh, moving inward to the place she was almost begging him to reach. Leona whimpered against his mouth as he teased her. She could feel the smirk on his face.

His hand, which had been tangled up in her blonde locks, fell downward to her breast. He cupped, moving his palm against the tender flesh. "Leona," his voice was raspy. "Is this what ye want?"

Want? She was almost begging. "Yes, please. Please."

His fingers found her, circulating against the spot that had made her legs shake and weak before when she had been alone and thinking about him. But this felt different. The feeling was filling and fleeting at the same time. Leona moved her hips against him, pleading for more and more.

Caelan's mouth left hers, finding her ear instead. His breath was hot against her. The sound of his shaking exhales only seemed to add fuel to the fire. "I want ye to tremble for me," he commanded, his voice owning her for that moment.

The pressure building between her hips cracked and crumbled, just as she did against his touch. Leona cried out as waves of pleasure and release ebbed and flowed from her. Her legs, which had been threatening to give out from the moment he backed her against the tree, shook and quaked. Gripping at his shirt, her nails sinking in, she steadied herself against him as she pressed her forehead against his chest.

Caelan put his arms around her, pulling her even closer. She could feel the heat radiating off him as well as the tell-tale sign of his arousal. "I cannae tell if ye're shiverin' from the cold or from me," he chuckled, sounding as breathless as she felt. "We had best get ye inside, lass."

Inside? Leona wasn't sure she wanted to move from the spot at all. He was so close, and as she breathed in, she felt almost intoxicated by his scent. It was musky with a mix of sweat and mint.

Finally, the realization of where they were was enough to push him away from her. She raised her brows and quickly glanced around, relieved to see no one watching. Leona glanced back at the tree. What the hell is wrong with me?

Together, they walked back towards her chambers in silence. It fell heavy between them, and Leona wasn't sure how to read his expression. She kept looking up, stealing quick glances in hopes that he would say something, anything.

She thought about what had just happened and how, admittedly, she wanted more. Leona imagined herself pulling him into her chamber with her, and the thought turned her cheeks a bright shade of crimson. "Caelan."

He shot her a sideways look, a smile spreading across his face. "'Tis dark in these hallways, lass. But I can still see ye blushing. Are ye havin' some impure thoughts about me?"

"D-Daenae be a bampot," she snapped, quickening her pace so she was slightly ahead of him. Behind her, she heard the low rumble of laughter. Caelan, barely needing to quicken his stride, caught up and then passed her. He turned, facing her and blocking her way.

Determined, she tried to rush past him, but he caught her. Caelan pulled her close again, leaning down so they were nose to nose. Leona blinked, rooted to the spot. "Caelan, what if someone sees us?"

They weren't yet married, and if someone were to catch them, word would travel like a fire. Spreading and burning away at her reputation. But, at the same time, she did not wish to see him pull away from her.

"Ye are to be the lady of this keep. When ye take me as yer husband, ye will receive all that I have and am. Let the servants whisper if they see ye tangled with me, lass. It willnae change a thing," his words were almost seductive without meaning to be. Leona let out a shaky breath and nodded. Caelan's eyes, even in the dark, captured hers. "What else troubles ye, Lady MacNicols?"

She flushed at the name and then decided it was now or never. "Will ye be true to me, Caelan? When we are married, will it only be me warming yer bed?" Her voice trembled, and she regretted the words as they left her, but she had come this far. "If nae, then I wish to ken it now. If nae can ye promise me ye will be discreet? Ye owe me that respect, at least."

Caelan's brow furrowed ,and he stepped back, his eyes searching hers and his face seeming to soften. "Leona, ye daenae need to worry yerself about anyone . I will devote m'self to ye completely. Hell, I have already devoted m'self to ye the moment I laid eyes on ye," he promised. Leona forced a small smile; her doubts shifted, but did not completely diminish. Did he mean that since she came here he hadn't…

Caelan, seeming to notice the look she was trying to contain, shook his head. "It's about the maid, aye?"

Leona, embarrassed, nodded.

"She will be leavin' shortly. I have found another place for her with one of the septs," his words soothed her more than she realized they would. Caelan reached out with both hands and took her face in them. Leona sighed against his touch, the tension in her shoulders released. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Now, go on to bed and get some sleep. We are leaving by noon to Gleann Cloiche."

When his hands dropped, she took a step back, looking up at him. "Aye, I suppose only one of us has slept tonight," she chuckled before turning to face the door to her chambers.

As she opened it, she looked over her shoulder at him. The thought of dragging him in with her was still fresh, still possible, but she did truly need the rest. "Goodnight, Caelan."

"Leona," his voice was quick, and she felt a pang of worry at the tone.

She hesitated. "Aye?"

"I am happy that yer father threatened me into weddin' ye."