Chapter 14

"Shhh!"

He brought his finger to her lips and stopped her. Then, slowly, his kisses came around her face, her ear, her lips—every square inch of her was covered in a plateau of kisses.

It was sweet, too sweet. In a thrill of seduction, Nora leaned back. It was too easy...

Laying back, she let him adore her, his hands traversing every inch of her bosom and reaching downward.

"Wheesht," was all Nora could do to barely murmur a protest, as William"s hands headed south. Now they were caressing her belly button. A sudden, sweet moment of joy protruded as he encircled her with his finger. Wells of sweetness burst from her insides. This was not expected.

"Och..."

It was all Nora could do to moan. This was braw. She had lost her reason. His flesh was real and exposed. Half naked in front of her, William grinned.

Nora blinked. Could it be a dream? How had she gotten here, in the middle of the night, ripping the clothes off this beautiful man?

The worst thing was that there was something critical she had been about to do. But just then, it had to wait. Part intoxicated, part crazy, she threw herself at his toned physique.

William"s eyes flashed, urging her on, and Nora was about to stop then. Furiously, she caressed him, her hands sliding about, up and down and behind his sleek skin. Nora felt the sweet glide of his skin and sighed. This man was perfect, his flesh urging her in and begging her for more.

They were on the floor, and Nora felt the need to roll him over, further and further, until they were completely tangled in the papers beneath.

"Och, someone will hear," she said, but it was a protest in vain.

He just laughed, then kissed her on the crown of the head, which was wildly and unexpectedly erotic. Continuing on, he stimulated her with the tip of his finger, running down her spine.

A delicious rush of pleasure overwhelmed her. Inside, something was beginning to feel very sweet indeed, and by the look in his eyes, he felt the same.

He kissed her, first fast, then slow, then somewhere in between. The last kiss was the hottest, delving further and further down. He felt her sloppily on the cheek, he embraced her lazily on the lips, then smudged outward, leading her in with a delicious sweetness.

She was moist from the inside out, and from the looks of him, so was he. If he touched her once more, she would surely give in.

William paused, bringing a dram to her lips. It was wine, the rich claret slipping down her throat. But Nora did not need to be intoxicated to give herself to him. In fact, they were halfway there already.

"Yer body is curvesome," murmured William appreciatively. He ran his index finger down around her midriff. Once again, her navel tingled.

My goodness!

She could get used to him doing that. The sweetness made her yearn for more, much more. Every little touch, every little shudder, was doing things to her. Nora felt a sweet ache starting in her groin and reaching down. Suddenly, her arms, her neck, and her breasts were rippling with pleasure.

William looked at her with pride. Then he stopped. Pushing the hair from her eyes, he kissed her right there between the forehead. Nora also stopped, lost in his eyes. The pair lay back down together, and, giving a long yawn, she snuggled closely into his chest.

The passion was not gone. It still smoldered, but a sudden intensity in her heart made her want him more like this. Needing to be close, and the feeling of proximity, was more important than anything.

Maybe the dram had affected her, or maybe it was just the hour"s lateness. After all, she had traversed nearly half the estate for him. But Nora found herself yawning again, this time deeply. Watching her with a thoughtful eye, William smiled.

"Lay down," he murmured, caressing her gently. Nora did not argue. Snuggling back down, she spread her red curls over his body and held him tight. But she did not mean to close her eyes.

Sleep came with no ceremony.

* * *

The first lightpoked its head through the glass. Squinting out of the tiny study windows, Nora was staggered to see she had slept there—the two of them—cheek to cheek on the cabinet floor.

Heart thumping, panic took her. She was here. In his arms. Half-dressed. Or, to put it more accurately, half-naked. Both of them were.

Looking up from her haze, Nora blinked some more. Her hair was a mess, she was sure, but that was not what concerned her. Being found here was. After all, her father was still somewhere around. What if he saw her?

With creeping realization, Nora remembered her predicament.

An awful surge raised itself in her chest. She felt cold and nauseous. Hurrying around, Nora quickly retrieved her clothes, although extricating them from the floor of the study beneath a sleeping William was not as easy as it looked.

She absolutely did not want to wake him. Being caught there was bad enough, but if he awoke, it would make things more difficult still.

With a pang, Nora realized she had not told him. All that time last night, and she never did the one thing she was meant to.

Watching his sleeping face, Nora sighed. He looked so peaceful there. Asleep, William seemed thoroughly different, his face shorn of its usual intent, gentle and innocent.

Nora"s thoughts flashed back to last night. Then, he had been anything but innocent. A small smile twisted around her lips. Despite everything, she would not change that night for anything. But just the same, she needed to hurry off.

If William saw her, it would only complicate things. Grabbing her few remaining things, Nora looked both ways before exiting the study. Glancing at the empty castle corridors, she drew a breath. Hopefully, she could make it back to her chambers before Sorcha missed her.

As she ran, Nora"s head was thumping. A hot stream of emotions overcame her. She had failed in her mission. She could not kill William, that was obvious now. Perhaps it had always been. But worse still, she had failed in her attempt to warn him.

With fear rising in her throat, she remembered her father"s words. I will kill ye…

And not only that, but William as well.

Staying there was not an option. With a bursting heart, Nora realized what it was she had to do.

She must leave tonight.

* * *

"Nora?Where are ye, lass? Supper goes cold."

William"s voice filtered through the hall doors. Hurrying to take her place, Nora felt a lump creep up in her throat. This would be the last time she saw him. How on earth was she going to cope?

"Och, excuse me, I apologize," said Nora, smiling and finding her seat. Behind her, the servant tucked her in fully before preparing her plate.

Sensing nothing wrong, William looked triumphant.

"Dinnae fash. Ye"re here noo, an" just in time. We have game pie an" hearty mutton chops. Dig in."

He beamed widely, helping her to her seat. Then, pouring some wine, he gazed at her dearly.

"What happened to ye this morning, hen?" he hissed, whispering into her ear.

Nora pretended not to hear, turning away with a grin.

The hall was at best a quarter full. Most of the family members had already left, and Nora sensed greatly that William had arranged it so they would be undisturbed. All the same, there were courtiers and servants bustling about who might overhear.

Beside him was Alasdair, his friend. Watching him unsurely, Nora waited carefully until he was gone before talking. Both he and William seemed to be enjoying a good laugh, and Nora could only speculate what they were chatting about. Her, perchance?

Watching William so elated made her heart turn to dust. He was so happy, and she was about to ruin it. Taking a deep breath, Nora resolved to keep the tears at bay. What she was doing was for a good reason. Better to break William"s heart now than drive a six-inch wedge of steel through it.

"My sweeting," said William, turning to her and giving her his fullest attention.

Nora flinched and felt her blood fizzle. The sensation of his grip made her wobble. Now he was watching her, holding her, and a very real emotion pulsated within her. This was going to be hard.

"M"Laird," said Nora, pouting. She pulled a face and made him laugh. Anything to burn the intensity of the moment. It was sitting too hard on her. Nora made herself smile as the legumes were passed and a sort of thin, watery pottage was served up.

""Tis better than it looks. Really," said William, none too encouragingly.

Nora gave him a look. She forced herself to smile—again—but already her cheek muscles were draining. It was hard to keep in character for so long. Hiding her true heart was an immense effort; every minute of it hurt.

"Aye," said Nora, forcing herself to take a sip. She damn near choked on an onion, coughing, and brought a handkerchief to her mouth. Quickly, she spat it out, unable to swallow the food.

Despairing, she smiled at William, who was watching her with intent.

"Och, "tis nae that bad, is it?" he jested, but his eyes were wary and unsure.

Nora straightened up. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause him any alarm. She must try harder. Taking a sip of wine, she steeled herself for the onslaught. Quickly, she sipped the pottage down, at least most of it. Then, presenting a smile to her beloved, she looked triumphant.

""Tis most gusty compliments to the cook," she said, pushing the bowl away.

William fixed her with his bright blue beam. "Braw," he said with a smile. Under the table, he scrambled for her hand. There, he held it as her heart rate shot up a notch. The feel of his skin on her own, stroking her, did things to her. Already, she was unsure. Just being near him for so long was making this hard.

Laughing, she looked around. Thank God, most of the other diners had gone. They did not stand on ceremony in Duncan Castle, at least most mealtimes. Or perhaps William had encouraged them to leave. Either way, the hall began emptying until it was just the last few.

Now in the sparsely filled hall, William felt emboldened to move closer. Holding hands under the table, he fixed her with his beam.

"About last night," he began, his light eyes sparkling in the dim light. Nora felt her stomach tighten. This was the last conversation she wanted to be having. The memories of their night together needled her greatly. She had spent the night in his arms. They had not gone too far, but the thought that they never would now, made her pause.

She needed him. Bile came up in her throat as William toasted her.

"I raise my cup to ye, lass," he said, smiling. "For yer discretion an" style…"

Nora blushed. Across the long table, she noticed the blond advisor, Alasdair, looking over. Does he know what happened last night? she wondered. It looked as if William had told his friend everything. Feeling unsure in her heart, Nora turned back to William. Would he do that to her?

Five seconds later, she had her answer. Slyly, William whispered into her ear, "Dinnae fash, lass. I didnae tell anyone. Ye can trust me." He grinned.

The sheen of his skin against hers gave her sudden goosebumps. Nora sighed. She didn"t want to be there. She wanted to be alone, just with him, somehow explain everything out.

"But I cannae wait until tomorrow, when we are wed, an" when we can be wi" each other properly," he said, looking at her with a knowing wink. "Tomorrow...I cannae wait!"

Nora"s heart went up her throat. The thought of their impending nuptials did nothing to calm her. If only there could be some other way. But looking boldly at William, she knew there could be no other.

"Me too, William," she said, taking his hand fully and squeezing it. Below the table, his other hand found her knee. Now he was caressing it, sending strange sparks of desire all below her. This must stop. This had to stop. She was not sure how much more she could take.

But she did not have to pretend when she turned to William with a longing gaze, then fixed him with her sweetest kiss.

People were watching. She didn"t care. Did not care and could not stop. He did things to her. The sensation of his caress, the touch below the table. The look he sent her. It was all too much. Nora felt herself take leave of her senses. Softly, she embraced him, stroking his cheek and discovering his stubble. She grinned, teasing him on.

And William did not disappoint. He kissed her deeply and fully, so much that she felt a rush come upon her. Sighing, Nora sank into the kiss, almost resigning herself to his passion. But, of course, it came to a stop. Slowly, she disengaged from him, the soft traces of his lips still upon her. A mad ache took her from the waist to the hips.

With shaky knees, she forced herself up and smiled formally, even managing a bow.

"Thank ye," she said, her eyes glinting in the light. "For everything."

William stared.

But this was all she could manage. Before he could say another word, she had hitched her skirts and darted into the dark night outside.

Shutting the door, she choked back a sob.

This will be the last I see of him.