Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A va looked across the table set for breakfast.

Laird Grant and her father were departing, heading for the doors with purpose in their stride, determined to go hunting.

“Hunting in this weather?” Lyla asked from Ava’s side. “Ava, dinnae ye think that’s mad?”

“Hmm?” Ava was barely paying attention. She was staring at the door, waiting for the arrival of Kai. Today, she would be the victor of their little game from the day before. Kai would be her servant for the day.

Her distraction hadn’t helped by being woken that morning with thoughts of Kai being in her bedchamber, doing her bidding there and acquiescing to every request she made, even when she told him to take off her gown and her chemise.

“Mad,” Thora muttered in agreement. “It will be a wonder if they find anything in this snow.” Her eyes trailed on Laird Grant’s back. “Something tells me he’ll go a long way tae impress yer family though, Ava.”

“What was that?” Ava jerked her head around, staring at Thora. Thora, however, brushed it off and shrugged, returning her attention to her plate.

“Naething. I just see him as a man eager tae make his mark on the world.”

Ava considered what a curious choice of words these were. As far as she was concerned, there was a difference between a man trying to impress a lady he was courting and making a lasting memory on the world. Could it be that Thora had glimpsed something in Laird Grant’s future that Ava was unable to see?

She too tried to glimpse Laird Grant’s back as he disappeared out of the door, but he was gone very quickly, alongside her father. It left the three of them alone, though not for long. Ava’s wishes were soon answered as Kai walked into the room. Well, he practically skipped into the room, looking incredibly happy for a man who was about to be made servant for the day.

“What are ye so happy about?” Thora asked, looking up from her place.

“It’s a beautiful day. That is all.”

In unison, Thora and Lyla looked to the windows and the drifting snow, but Kai didn’t appear to notice. He sat down opposite Ava instead and looked at her with such expectation that Ava couldn’t help but smile.

She had plans for what to make him do today, ways to tease him and make him regret he’d ever made such a bet the day before.

“How about a day of reading and study instead, Thora?” Lyla asked, standing from her seat. “It will be much better than braving this cold.”

“Aye, aye, I think it a good thing.” Thora stood to follow her. She hesitated a little at Kai’s side, looking as if she wanted to say something, but she must have thought the better of it, for she turned and walked away without adding anything.

“Well?” Kai drank from his goblet set on the table and hurried to take a bite of manchet bread, then looked at Ava. “Consider me rested and well fed ahead of me day. What would ye have me dae fer ye, Ava?”

“Just so I understand… ye have tae dae everything I ask?” she whispered, leaning forward onto the table, well aware that he matched her movements.

“Aye, everything,” he assured her.

His leg bumped hers under the table. Distracted, she didn’t pull away. She was thinking of the last time they had kissed and the intensity of the feeling, not to mention the press of his hands against her body. She turned her leg instead, so his foot could slip between her own, moving it so it was on the inside of hers, brushing up to her knee.

“Something distracting ye, Ava?” he whispered.

“Nothing,” she declared with complete innocence.

“Nay? Because I can feel a wave of excitement rolling off ye.”

Angered that he had read her so well, she sat back and pulled away her leg, taking the napkin from her lap and throwing it in his face. He laughed as it dropped to his lap.

“Because of that, ye will have some particularly joyous tasks today.”

“Ah, I thought ye’d give me fun tasks, such as more sparring with ye.”

“Nay, in fact,” she paused and sat forward, smiling as she was so pleased with her own thought, “ye can start by washing me weaponry.”

Kai’s smile fell.

“That’s the ask of a steward.”

“After that, ye can prepare me horse as I’d like tae go fer a ride. Ye can accompany me of course.”

“That’s the job of a groom, but of course, if ye wish me tae. Anything else?”

“Aye, tonight, ye’ll meet me in the kitchen.” She watched his eyebrows as they raised. “I want ye tae warm some milk up fer us in the kitchen, as ye have done so many times before.”

“Wonderful. Let’s get started.” He stood, clapping his hands together.

What passed was a very distracting day for Ava. Watching Kai clean her weapons meant plenty of opportunity for Kai to make various jests about how a man should keep his weaponry in good order. His double entendre left her with heated cheeks. On their ride, his hands lingered as he had helped her on and off the horse, though he had insisted he was only playing the role of a good servant by being so courteous toward her.

After a dinner with plenty of wine that had left Ava reaching out with her foot toward Kai and the two of them teasing one another under the table with brief touches, right under the nose of Laird Blair Grant, who fortunately didn’t seem to notice, Ava was even more distracted.

After they had all shared a drink in the great hall, rather than retire to bed, Ava headed for the kitchen, with a meaningful glance toward Kai who winked back at her, clearly knowing where he was to meet her. By the time she reached the kitchen, all was dark and silent inside, with the servants having gone to bed. Ava lit two candles to keep them company and rested them on the table, just as Kai appeared behind her.

He leaned against the doorframe, that same mischievous smile he had had all day.

“Ye look far too delighted with yerself,” she said teasingly. “Here I thought being a servant fer a day would torment yer patience.”

“As yer servant? Never. Now, let me get that milk on.” He started a fire and prepared to heat the milk as she sat down on the other side of the kitchen table. “How have ye enjoyed having a servant fer the day?”

“I’ve greatly enjoyed having ye at me beck and call,” she assured him. “Tomorrow, I shall have tae get used tae the fact there will be nay man ready tae drop tae his knees tae tie up me bootlaces.” She giggled. It was hardly something she ever needed doing for her, as she was perfectly happy to do such tasks herself, but Kai’s company all day had been something she was powerless to resist.

“Anything else ye’d like from me before midnight comes and I am nay longer yer servant?”

“I have just have one more thing I want tae ask of ye.” Ava wasn’t sure if it was the wine she’d had with dinner that had made her more confident, the fact they were secluded together in the kitchen or if it was the heightened tension that had been passing between them all day, but she couldn’t resist. There was one thing more she wanted from him, and she had to ask.

“What’s that?” Kai said, still smiling from their jest as he turned to place down the cup of milk in front of her, his last task complete.

“Kai?” Ava softened her voice, waiting for him to look up from the cups to meet her gaze. “I want ye tae… kiss me.”

His grasp slipped on his own cup. How it managed to stay upright and not spill milk everywhere she didn’t know. Dumbstruck, he stared at her.

“Ye dinnae need tae look at me like that.” She regretted it at once. “Ye didnae seem tae mind our last kisses.”

“Mind them!? Is that what ye think?” He was suddenly on his feet. She copied his movement, ignoring her cup as she turned to the door.

“Never mind.”

“What? Ye cannae make a request like that then stalk out the door.”

“I wasnae stalking.” She halted in the doorway, looking back at him accusingly. “Just because I never mastered the way ye tried tae teach me tae walk like a harlot, swinging her hips–”

“That isnae what I was teaching ye tae dae!”

“I dinnae stalk,” she insisted, seeing red now. She cursed the tense day they had shared and the fact that the wine from earlier that evening had given her the confidence to ask at all. She wanted to get out of there. “I’m going tae bed.”

“Nay, ye’re nae.”

“What dae ye mean I’m nae? Kai!” She practically squealed his name for he was suddenly on her side of the room. He slammed the kitchen door shut, and somehow in her effort to back up from him, she had ended up flat against the wood with him stood before her. He wasn’t touching her, yet, though his hands were on either side of her palms.

“Ye’re staying right here. I’m yer slave, am I nae? I have tae give ye everything ye ask fer today.”

“If that is the only reason ye would kiss me, then forget I asked it. I thought that a kiss was on yer mind, but apparently nae. Clearly, I was a fool tae think ye ever liked those kisses in the first place –”

“Are ye mad!?” Kai snapped loudly, the anger in his face so plain that she flattened her spine to the door. “I’m always holding meself back from ye, Ava. Believe me, ye dinnae want tae ken how many times in me mind I have pictured kissing ye, wanting ye tae think of me and only me. Dinnae think fer a single second that I didnae want any of those kisses.”

“What dae ye mean?” Ava felt like her heart had leapt into her mouth. “Kai? How many times have ye wanted tae kiss me? How many?”

“In the name of the wee man, Ava, does it matter!?” he got even louder.

“Hush! Dae ye want someone tae come running?”

“Then stop me mouth another way,” he said heatedly, leaning toward her.

His lips were on hers so suddenly that her breath was stolen from her body. Flattened between him and the door, her hands acted on instinct. They curved up under his arms, grabbing hold of his shoulder blades as his lips parted hers with ease, as if he had done this with her a thousand times before. He teased her at first, his tongue barely stroking hers, before he dominated.

Those hands which seconds before had felt glued to the door on either side of her, were now on her. One was wrapped around her waist, planting their bodies together, as the other wound its way into her braid and urged her to angle her head so he could deepen the kiss. He was dominating the kiss in every way, and she was weak, practically mewling against his lips for the want of more of the same thing.

His boot slid against her own. She didn’t realize what was happening until her legs were parted and he stood between them, the better to position their bodies together so his hips caressed her own as he kissed her again.

Her hands moved now. One gripped to his forearm, feeling the muscle toned and tight as he held onto her, as the other played with the open laces of his shirt. He rocked their bodies together with no subtlety, but so hard that she was left gasping into the kiss.

“Tell me tae stop,” he pulled away an inch. “Ava, tell me tae stop.” The words were clear, yet somehow, she couldn’t utter them.

Why should we stop?

Nothing outside of this kitchen seemed to matter, certainly not Laird Blair Grant. All that mattered was Kai and that he just keep kissing her at that moment.

He kissed her again, moving his hips in such a way against hers that she felt a familiar wetness pooling between her legs. She arched against him, desperate for more of his touch, to feel something from him, anything that would satisfy the longing and the need that had been consuming her for weeks now.

He pulled back, kissing down her neck. His lips trailed near the bottom of her ear, sucking on a sweet spot at the top of her neck. She tilted her head, opening her neck up even more to him as her hands clung onto both of his arms.

“I’m still under yer orders,” he whispered, the voice so deep that she could have sworn her legs were in danger of giving way under her. “Tell me tae stop, Ava.”

He kissed all the way down to her collarbone now, trailing his lips heatedly along a pleasure spot there.

“Kai?”

“Hmm?” he murmured, his lips against her skin.

“Dinnae stop.”