Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

L ater that day, Domhnall bathed in his copper bathtub. Ordinarily, he would use the bathing room for such an endeavor, but there was a reason he had chosen his bedchamber on this occasion.

The water was still warm when he heard the adjacent door to Katherine’s bedchamber creaking open, but he concentrated on raking the cloth over his skin, pretending he was unaware of her presence. They had now knocked two items off the list she kept in her little notebook. The day of their wedding was creeping ever closer, and there were still five more to go. He had promised she would fulfill them all, and he had every intention of keeping that promise.

Today, he was going to give her the opportunity to spy on a gentleman bathing .

Once they had returned from outside, Katherine had told him she had arranged to take a walk with Thora and Enya later on in the afternoon. This had given him time to make arrangements for his bath.

After it was filled, he sent a note with a servant, telling her that he wanted to see her in her bedchamber. Of course, he wasn’t going to be there to meet her. He needed to be in the bath when she entered, and thus, he had left another note on her bedside table, telling her to use the adjoining door to come and speak to him in his own room.

Clearly, she had received both messages, for she now stood in his bedchamber, somewhere behind him. Even the idea of her being in the same room as him under these circumstances had him aroused. In fact, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her since he had hurriedly left her bedchamber the previous night. As much as he wanted to stay, his rising emotions had scared him, but that had not prevented him from fantasizing about her when he had climbed into his own bed.

Like then, he could feel himself harden even more under the water because she was watching him. But he didn’t want her just to watch him bathe. He wanted to tease her, he wanted to know how far she would go. Things had been better between them, but he still could not know for sure if her resentment for him and his clan was as strong as it had been at the beginning. If that was the case, he deduced she would leave pretty quickly. If not…

Taking long slow movements, he dragged the cloth over his muscular chest, reaching up and over to his shoulders. Being a man, this action would highlight the bulging muscles on his arms, and from experience, he knew the lasses liked that kind of thing. Domhnall was wondering if Katherine was even still in the room, when, to his surprise, he caught her from the corner of his eye.

Not satisfied with being so far away, she had boldly moved closer so she was now in full view. Without moving his head, so as not to scare her away, he shifted his eyes to gaze at her. While he watched her, she seemed to be completely mesmerized by his body.

Domhnall could not recall a time before now, where he had been this aroused, and feeling the heavy ache between his legs, he adjusted his position in the bath, the movement revealing his thick manhood. Beside him, he heard Katherine gasp, and imagined he had inadvertently shown himself to her. He wished for much more in that moment, and seeing her flushing face, he realized that she too, was hot, bothered and feeling more than a little frustrated as the sexual tension built between them.

If he didn’t think it would terrify the living daylights out of her, he’d step out of the bath in that very moment and take her to his bed. But he had to be careful. She wasn’t like other lasses he had been with. He had already deduced that, but her question last night had confirmed it fully. Whether it was going to drive him crazy or not, he would have to take things slowly with her.

With that in mind, a thought came to him, and, wondering how far he could push the boundaries between them, he took his manhood in his hand. With his eyes on hers, he slowly gripped his throbbing shaft and began moving his hand up and down. It was both torturous and pleasurable in equal measures, but as he lay there and pleasured himself, he was more than surprised that Katherine, so mesmerized by what he was doing, didn’t move an inch.

His hand moved faster and faster, and as her mouth fell open at his panting breath, Domhnall wondered how long he could keep this going. Minutes passed, and the ache was becoming unbearable. He would much prefer to be inside her, feeling this same sensation as their bodies entwined around each other.

And then, he could stand it no longer. He wanted her. He wanted her so very badly. Surely, as she looked at him with such lust, she wanted him too. Just as he was about to stand and make a move towards her, a knock on the door cut through the tension.

As though a spell had been broken, Katherine seemed to come to, and with a final wide-eyed glance, she turned on her heels and hurried back to her own bedchamber.

An hour later, Domhnall was once more dressed and standing at the window of his study. He gazed out onto the gardens with his mind wandering.

“Did ye hear what I said?” Magnus remarked.

“What?” Domhnall spun to look at him.

His brother moved from his seat by the fire and came to join Domhnall at the window. Gazing out, he said, “Och. Well, that explains a lot.”

Domhnall turned away and moved to his desk. Once sat behind it, he pretended to look through the documents that sat neatly in a pile to his left.

“I dinnae ken what ye’re talking about,” he lied.

“Right,” Magnus said, his tone heavy with sarcasm. “So, yer werenae just standing here mesmerized by the sight in the garden then?”

Of course, he was. He had stood there and watched Katherine, Enya, and Thora enjoying the walk she had mentioned earlier. He just didn’t want Magnus to know how he was beginning to feel about her.

“Ye ken ye cannae hide anything from me, so why are ye trying?” Magnus said, walking to his desk and looking down at him. “This morning when I was sparring with Katherine, yer mind was a muddled mess o’ jealousy and possession.”

“I’ve told ye ‘afore, Magnus. Stay out o’ me head.”

“That’s hard tae dae when yer thoughts are so loud,” his brother quipped back.

Domhnall jerked his head and stared at his brother. “Ye ought tae be pleased. Are ye nae the one who told me that I had tae talk tae her and make this situation easier?”

“Aye, I am,” Magnus said, moving back to his chair by the fire. “I’m just wondering what’s changed. I mean, a few days ago, ye could hardly look at her. Now, ye cannae keep yer eyes off her.”

Domhnall sighed heavily. “Maybe I just took yer advice, and realized there was naething I could dae about it. Maybe I’m just trying tae mak’ the best o’ all o’ this.”

“And if I was any other man in the castle, I’d believe ye. But I’m yer brother, Domhnall. I ken ye nearly as well as ye ken yersel’. What’s changed?”

Domhnall sat there for a long moment thinking about that answer. In the end, he could only tell Magnus the truth.

“Honestly,” he said, shaking his head, “I dinnae ken.”

The two brothers looked at each other for a long moment, until eventually, Magnus sighed and nodded his head. “I just dinnae want tae see ye get hurt, braither.”

“How am I going tae get hurt? I have tae marry her whether I want tae or nae.”

“I ken that. But just because ye’re being forced tae marry, doesnae mean ye have tae get yer heart broken,” Magnus said quietly.

Domhnall was now more confused than ever.

“Have ye heard her thoughts? Is that it? Ye have heard something that I ought tae be worried about?”

His brother shook his head. “Nay. I havenae. In fact, when she was out this morning, she was worried about ye being angry that she was sparring with me.”

“Then where is all this coming from?” Domhnall gestured animatedly.

“I want tae give her the benefit o’ the doubt, Domhnall, but ye have tae admit, we hardly ken anything about this lass. Besides, dinnae ye think it’s a little coincidental that those men attacked ye yesterday, just a few days after her arrival?”

Domhnall now stood and moved from behind his desk. “Ye cannae honestly believe Katherine had anything tae dae with that attack. She was terrified, Magnus.”

Magnus shook his head. “I’m nae saying she did. I suppose I’m just playing devil’s advocate. I’m trying tae keep yer head straight.”

“If anything, ye’re only confusing me more,” Domhnall retorted. “First ye tell me tae spend time with this woman, now ye’re warning me tae stay away.”

“I said naething about staying away. I only want ye tae watch yer back.”

At supper that evening, Domhnall watched Katherine enter the great hall with Enya and Thora. The three were talking animatedly as they approached the table, and were still talking when they took their seats. But as Thora and Enya moved further down the table, Katherine caught Domhnall’s eye, and her cheeks bloomed. They hadn’t seen each other since the episode in his bedchamber, and now, having to face him was evidently making Katherine a little uncomfortable.

“Did ye enjoy yer walk?” Domhnall asked.

“I did, thank you,” she replied, seemingly relieved that he was talking of something less embarrassing.

But Domhnall wasn’t going to let her off that easily, and leaning closer to her ear, he said, “I suppose ye needed a little fresh air. It’s nae every day ye get tae spy on a gentlemen bathing.”

Again, her face flushed, but she surprised him with her reply. “Indeed, especially when I got far more than I bargained for. Now I know what a gentleman does while he bathes, and I will be certain to make sure the water is changed before I decide to bathe myself.”

Domhnall couldn’t help himself. He chuckled so deeply and loud that he caught the attention of all those sat on the table with him. While Thora and Enya grinned at their brother’s amusement, though they could not know the subject he and Katherine were discussing, Magnus only smiled. His smile did not reach his eyes, though.

After Magnus had left his study later that afternoon, Domhnall had been intrigued by his brother’s strange change of mind. If he had heard any untoward thoughts from Katherine, he would have told Domhnall the truth, but he hadn’t. So, what was the real reason for his change of heart?

Supper came and went uneventfully, and later, the women headed off together. Domhnall was about to make his way to his study, when Magnus stopped him in the corridor.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I was out o’ line.”

“Ye still havenae told me yer reasons fer yer doubts, Magnus. If ye ken something I dinnae, please tell me.”

Magnus shook his head and sighed. “I dinnae. And after thinking about it, I’ve come tae realize that I shouldnae have said anything. It’s just the fact that this family has suffered enough. This clan has suffered enough. With the discovery o’ the birlinns, and then the attack o’ those men, I think I jumped tae conclusions I should never have made.”

Domhnall looked at his brother for a long moment. “We both have regrets, Magnus. I ken ye carry the same guilt we all suffer. None o’ us really talk about it, but it’s there, bubbling just beneath the surface.”

Magnus nodded. “I ken. Kai and the twins feel it too. I just wish I could have done more.”

“We all dae. I think about the day Maither and Faither died nearly every day. I’ve replayed it in me mind a hundred times. Perhaps if I didnae have these damned powers, the guilt would be less. But I dae. And what use were they when I really needed them? When me parents really needed them?”

“I ken. I also ken we all feel the same. All o’ us with special gifts, and nay one o’ us could save them.”

Domhnall placed his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “It is a cross we must bear. I ken all the regrets in the world willnae bring our parents back, and yet, I still have them.”