Chapter 33

Scarlett's parents arrived at McLaren Castle that evening precisely when the group returned from their visit to town.

"Och, Scarlett! Me dear daughter, how are ye?" Sienna asked dramatically as she jumped out of the carriage.

"Maither, I'm glad ye made it!"

Scarlett pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek and then they shifted so that Mack could greet Arran.

"Arran, good to see ye, lad."

"Aye, Mack. I hope the journey wasnae too arduous?" Arran asked.

"Nay." Mack waved his hand dismissively and embraced him, before bringing his daughter into the hug as well.

"It looks like we all have some cleaning up to do before dinner," Sienna surmised easily from the dreadfully awry state of her daughter's hair. She pulled on a few errant strands to make her point.

"Aye, Maither." Scarlett nodded. "We were just on our way back from town. We were going to wash up and then head down for dinner."

"Good! See, we havenae missed it yet, Mack!" Sienna said and swatted her husband's arm playfully as Scarlett led them to their rooms.

The tub in her room was steaming when she entered, and she quickly eased herself into it with an audible sigh.

"Me Lady?"

Scarlett let out an ear-splitting scream at the sudden sound, and she threw the bar of soap in her hand at the door.

"Och! My! I'm so sorry, Me Lady," Kenna squealed loudly. "I'm so so sorry!"

"Ach! I'm the sorry one. I just wasnae expecting ye, lassie," Scarlett said, mortified by her reaction to the maid's sudden arrival.

They had always arrived after she got into the water to bring towels and fresh clothes for her to put on after she dried herself off. She should have expected it.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, Me Lady. Please, dinnae tell Mrs. Cameron." The young maid bowed her head deeply.

"Och! I'll nae say a word if ye promise nae to either!"

"I'll take it to the grave, Me Lady."

I mean… alright, that's a little far?

The maid dipped into a curtsy before sprinting out of the room, and Scarlett dipped her whole head under the water.

"Scarlett? Are ye well?" a deep voice called from the hall, but she didn't hear it on account of her fully submerged body.

Was that a knock? Surely nae, she has already delivered everything, right?

Scarlett ignored the noise and blew bubbles underwater as she breached the surface. She stood up and held her hand out to feel for the drying towels that the maid had brought for her.

The towel appeared to have fallen into her grip nearer to the fireplace than usual, so she wrapped it around her body and then wiped the soapy water from her eyes.

To her great surprise, Arran came into focus.

"What in the devil's name!" Scarlett screamed and pulled the towel tighter around her body to shield it from his ravenous eyes.

"Scar—" Arran cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "Scarlett, I heard screaming, and then ye didnae answer when I called for ye just outside?—"

"So ye pushed in?" she asked angrily.

"Aye, and I found ye fully submerged under the water! I thought ye might have drowned!"

"Drowned? Drowned! In a bathtub? Are ye daft?"

"Apparently? Apparently!" he said, raising his hands in defense of his actions.

"Get out, Arran!"

He hesitated briefly, having caught sight of her fully naked body, and looked between the towel and her eyes for a moment longer. A silent plea.

"Out!" Scarlett hissed, pointing a finger to the door.

Arran scurried out quickly, and she realized only after he left that his trews were loosely tied and that he had not been wearing a shirt. His excitement was hard, and she could see the veins in his lower abdominal muscles.

Her nipples stiffened instantly, and she was slick with arousal at the recent memory.

She frustratedly marched back to the tub and eased herself into the still-warm water to try and wash it all out of her mind before dinner with her parents.

As she dipped her head under the water, she was careful to wipe the water from her eyes right after she emerged and looked around her room again.

"Oy!" she called out, as if she hadn't just seen him nearly sprint out of her rooms.

What would have happened if I didnae make him leave? What if I let him stay?

Scarlett sighed again and submerged herself two and three times more before fully stepping out of the tub.

"Alright, pull it together, Scarlett. He will apologize, and let's just try to move on."

It was well-intentioned but not quite very well executed. At least nae in the end.

* * *

Oh my… Oh my… Her… She?—

Arran flew down the hallway to his rooms and slammed the door shut behind him. As his mind replayed the scene, his manhood got harder and harder.

Cursed days… ugh!

He groaned in frustration and undressed himself quickly. Lying in the bed, he imagined the water dripping from Scarlett's rock-hard nipples again and trickling down her entire body. He imagined caressing every single curve greedily. Her honeypot was soaked, exposed to him without any prudish formality, and he handled himself roughly to ease the tension of wanting her wet, naked body under his.

After he found his release, he stepped back into his bathtub and washed himself in the freezing cold water.

I deserve this… Her body is—it's amazing. I wonder how we would fit together…

"No! Not again," he chastised himself and smacked the surface of the water.

The sound was much louder than he had anticipated and happened right when one of the maids requested to enter his rooms and deliver the towels.

"Thank ye, lassie," he said firmly but did well not to make eye contact with her.

I hope dinner isnae uncomfortable…

"I should go apologize, but what if she doesnae want to see me?" he asked the empty room as he dried himself off.

Ach! And how she reached for the towel? By the saints!

Arran smacked the post of his bed and gripped it to stop himself from thinking about it. Unfortunately, he was just too turned on by her to ever get that image of her out of his mind.

This is going to be an issue. I can just already feel it.

After an unnecessarily long, tension-filled dinner, Arran went to his study. His father's judging eyes met his the second he walked in.

"Nae ye too! Ye are supposed to be on me side!"

He pointed up to him and proceeded over to the far corner of the study to pour himself a glass of whiskey.

"I apologized!" he explained loudly to the portrait. "I cannae even tell ye how worried I was when I heard her scream, Pa. I felt the hairs on the back of me neck stand up. That has to be excusable, right?"

He paced and continued to try to rationalize what had transpired between them, replaying his apology in his mind to make sure he was respectful.

"Lass," he had said and touched her elbow.

Scarlett had dramatically yanked it out of his hand and twisted with a flourish to face him in the hallway.

He had thrown his hands up and instinctively started to calm her down as he would a horse. It wasn't intentional. It just happened.

"Woah! Woah… Woah…"

Her eyes had narrowed but then softened when he offered her his arm to escort her downstairs for dinner.

"Lass, I'm sorry I came running into yer room when ye werenae drowning. Though, I'll have ye ken that I had only the best of intentions."

"And?"

"And…"

What else does she want me to say?

"And… Scarlett, I dinnae ken what answer ye are looking for."

"And ye're sorry for losing yer mind and staring. Arran, ye made me feel so uncomfortable!"

"Ach! Yes, of course. I'm sorry for making ye feel uncomfortable. I swear I will take this to the grave," he had said quickly and made a cross over his heart.

Scarlett had raised her eyebrow, and he shrugged. "Cross me heart. I promise it to ye."

The flashback over, he shook his head in confusion before he threw back the rest of the whiskey in his glass.

I was respectful. I ken it well enough I was. She cannae be mad still.

His racing thoughts were interrupted when a knock rapped on the door to his study.

"Come in," he called and continued to look at the back of the whiskey label.

"Arran?" Scarlett's voice rang over the sound of the fire and his thoughts."

"Och! Um… Yes. Scarlett. Please, sit," he said and motioned for her to sit on the sofa. "Whiskey?"

"No, thank ye," she said, but he poured himself another glass.

I didnae think I can behave meself right now… so close to… mmmm.

He sat across from her. "What can—Pray, what brings ye to grace me study with yer presence tonight?"

"I had a question," she said precociously.

"All right, hit me," he muttered and took a long sip.

"I'm replaying this afternoon in me mind, and I just wanted ye to tell me something," she began delicately.

"Anything," he offered, eager to satisfy whatever might have been on his mind.

"What would ye have done if I didnae kick ye out of me room?"

"Well…" He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "Well, lass, I suppose that would have been up to ye. Ultimately, as ye very well ken, it's yer choice. So, I cannae tell ye, but I can tell ye what might have happened if ye let me stay."

"What's that?" she asked.

Arran watched a blush crept up her neck and her cheeks.

His eyes bored into hers as he leaned forward and licked his lips greedily, remembering their tryst in the study only a few days ago.

"Scarlett, if ye didnae say anything, I would have still left because I respect yer honor. I willnae lie with ye unless ye want to and until we are handfasted. Ye already ken what happened with me first marriage."

"Aye, I ken, but do ye nae want to?"

Arran leaned back and finished his drink. "Did ye nae get a good enough look?"

"I—Well?—"

Arran sighed knowingly and nodded. "I ken well enough what ye… gathered, lass." He raised his eyebrow for emphasis.