Iain stared at the beautiful,confusing woman before him, and he felt his caution slip. “So ye do love me?”
“Yes,” she groaned.
Something deep within him shifted.She was his. In body. In heart. Now what of her soul?
She was his completely. He took herby the face and covered her mouth with his, sweeping his tongue around hersweet, welcoming caverns. He was greedy for wanting her love when he knew hehad none to give in return, but he wanted it anyway. He’d give her otherthings.
A throat cleared behind him. Iainbroke the kiss and turned to see Lachlan standing there grinning and staring.Iain glared at his brother until he finally looked away.
“Yer absence is being noted. I hateto take ye away from yer wife”—Lachlan gave Marion an overly appreciative glancethat made Iain grit his teeth—“but ye really should stay for the rest of thefeast, as it’s in honor of yer safe return to us with yer bride.”
Iain pressed Marion’s hand to hischest. “Join me?”
She shook her head, refusing tomeet his gaze. “I truly am tired. I’ll just retire to my chamber if it’s beenreadied.”
Iain frowned. He’d hoped Marionwould have decided she wanted to sleep with him and not in different chambers.He knew he’d offered her the chamber, but it had only been to try to pleaseher. He wanted her with him. “It’s nae ready,” he said, glad for it. “Ye’llhave to sleep with me.”
Whatever she was feeling, his wife,who usually wore her emotions on her face like clothing, simply nodded,expressionless. “If you wish.”
“I’ll nae be long,” he promised.
She nodded and turned to leave,disappearing around the corner as he stared after her.
“Ye watch her like a hungry manwatches a deer he intends to consume.”
Iain faced Lachlan. “She makes mefeel like there’s an insatiable hunger in me.”
“Why does that make ye frown? Itseems a good thing to me.”
Iain scrubbed a hand over the backof his neck. “I’m nae sure I can keep my control with her.” She’d already madehim forget himself in the bedchamber, but he wasn’t going to share that.
Astonishment crossed Lachlan’sface. “Ye’ve never lost control afore her, have ye?”
Iain turned away, not wantingLachlan to see the truth. He’d loved Catriona, but she’d not stirred a storm inhim as Marion did. He felt at once guilty and disturbed. What was it thatMarion did to him? He abruptly turned back to his brother. Whatever it was,he’d not discover the answer in the great hall while his wife was upstairs. Thesooner supper was over, the sooner he could go to her and try to sort out theknots she’d tied in him. “Come. We must get back to the feast.”
Lachlan looked as if he mightargue, so Iain brushed past him, strode into the great hall, and resumed hisseat with his other brothers. It seemed an hour had passed as he listened tothe bard, and then he sat as several of his clansmen came to speak to him.Finally, his people started to disperse, and he stood.
“Iain,” Cameron said, “I need amoment.”
Iain barely held in the desire torefuse his brother’s request. Cameron had been sitting at the table with himall evening and there had been much time to talk, but obviously he wanted aprivate moment.
Iain nodded. “What is it?”
Cameron glanced around the greathall, as if to verify they were alone. “I’ve been speaking with Raghnall and heis certain he can build us the faster ships we discussed. He’s demanding halfthe payment for them now.”
“What do ye think?” Iain inquired.He knew what he thought they should do, but he wanted his brother to decide. Itwas time that Cameron asserted himself and felt the pressures and rewards ofmaking decisions. As the youngest MacLeod brother, Cameron had yet to trulyfind his place.
Cameron tugged on his beard. He wasthe only one of them who wore one. “I think we should pay him as he requests,but I should personally oversee the building and make sure he completes it quickly.”
Iain nodded. He was pleased withCameron’s decision. Faster ships were worth the money for the speed they couldbring in battle. “Very well, then. Proceed.”
Iain started to rise again, keen toget to Marion, but Cameron went on. “Do ye want to see the drawings Raghnalland I did?”
Cameron wore an unmistakably eagerexpression that Iain could not deny, no matter how much he wanted to rushupstairs to Marion. “Of course,” he replied, hoping Marion would stay awake forhim.
Marion awoke the next morning, when Bridgettethoughtfully came to lend her another gown until she could have another made.Once Bridgette had departed, Marion stared first at the indentation in the finefeather mattress on Iain’s side of the bed and then at the pile of clothes he’ddiscarded in front of the bed, the ones he’d worn yesterday. So he had slepthere but had apparently awoken and left. She sighed as she started to dress forthe day in the gown Bridgette had brought her, questions and concerns swirlingin her head. She still could not believe that she loved Iain and that she’dfoolishly told him. But she had not wanted to lie to his face, and she’d seenno other option but to offer the truth.
She worried that her confession wasthe thing that kept Iain only by her side while she was asleep, and it wasmaking her feel slightly queasy. Coupled with the awful things Fiona had saidto her last night, Marion wanted to climb back into bed and hide from theworld. But she’d never been a coward before, and she was not going to becomeone now. After a servant came and helped Marion tie her gown, Marion went toCatriona’s trunk, drawn once again by her curiosity.
