Page 57

Aloud, he added, “Then I shall return for the evening meal. Until then, Lady Davina.” He waggled his eyebrows and turned, catching the flash of surprise on her face.

“My chamber? But—”

He shut the door behind him.

The guards opened the gate without a word, and Broderick strode out into the dusk. Several yards down the road, he broke into a run, his immortal speed a blur against the fading light. Reaching the back of the castle, he launched himself upward in a single leap, landing atop the curtain wall with feline grace.

He crouched in the shadows, scanning the rows of windows until he found the one that glowed with warm candlelight.

Then he dropped soundlessly to the ground below, vanishing into the dark.

Chapter Ten

Davina walked back and forth across her room, her mind swirling with thoughts like leaves in a strong autumn wind. For once, her nerves had little to do with the suitor. Nay, she was confident the seeds of doubt she’d sown in Ewan Gordon’s mind would begin to take root. Supper would solidify her work, and with Broderick’s insight, they’d find just the right way to hammer the final nail into the coffin of this potential match.

What truly unnerved her was the thought of Broderick himself. Having him in her chamber set her on edge in ways she couldn’t explain. Every time that man came near, reason abandoned her, leaving her helpless to the pull of his smoldering gaze, his commanding presence, the deep smooth register of his voice. And if she were honest with herself, opening up to him, letting his words linger in her thoughts, had carved out an intimacy she didn’t know how to manage.

Respect.She marveled at the idea. Broderick respected her.The realization still hit her like a blow to the chest. No man had ever granted her such a courtesy. Not her father, nor her brother, especially not her husband. Even the men in the village and in her household. Yet Broderick treated her as an equal, a force to be reckoned with. It was terrifying. And thrilling.

She paused, her fingers brushing the edge of the hearth as Broderick’s words echoed in her mind.Ye’ve no clue the power ye hold over men, lass.He’d peeled back the veil she’d lived behind her entire life, giving her a glimpse of herself not as fragile or small, but as something fierce, something powerful.

She sank into her chair, her breath catching as the truth of it gripped her. Strength wasn’t muscle or brute force. It was cunning, confidence, and the ability to bring a man to his knees without ever lifting a finger. Could she really wield such a weapon?

A gust of wind caught the drapes by the balcony, and the air shifted. Davina’s head snapped up just as Broderick stepped into the room, moving with the silent grace of a predator. She gasped before she could stop it. He carried a storm with him, the air crackling with his presence.

His gaze swept the room, landing on her with the weight of a thousand unspoken promises. He moved toward her bed, his cloak swirling around his long legs, and he draped it across the coverlet, as though it belonged there. As thoughhebelonged there.

“Ye did well,” he said, his voice low and rough, like velvet dragged over stone. His shoulder leaned casually against the bedpost, but his emerald gaze burned as it raked over her. “Ye’ve put doubt in the lad’s head, sure enough. Now it’s just a matter of tightenin’ the noose.”

Davina barely heard him. His voice wrapped around her,warm and inviting, and the way his eyes lingered on her made her skin prickle. She rose to her feet before she realized what she was doing, drawn to him like iron to a lodestone.

Broderick straightened, his lips curving into that maddening half-smirk. That dimple piercing his cheek adding to his damnable charm. He took a step toward her, then another, closing the distance between them with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what he was doing to her.

Yesterday, he might have intimidated her. Tonight, it set her blood aflame.

He stopped a breath away, his towering frame casting her in shadow. “So, what’s yer pla—”

Davina fisted the front of his shirt and yanked him down, her lips capturing his in a kiss that was anything but shy. His groan rolled through his chest, low and primal, and something inside hersnapped. Her limbs tingled with power, as though she’d just harnessed the storm he carried.

Broderick’s firm hands gripped her waist, drawing her tightly against him. His mouth, hot and demanding, devoured her as though he was a starving man. One hand swept down to her bottom, the other to her thigh, lifting her with ease and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Her gown bunched between them, but it did little to muffle the hard length of him pressing against her core. The sensation made her gasp, and Broderick growled, his lips trailing fire down her jawline as he carried her to the bed.

The mattress sank under their weight as he leaned over her, his breath warm and uneven against her lips. His long auburn hair fell around them, forming an intimate enclave. Their eyes met, and she noticed a wild, unguarded look in his gaze.

Her fingers tightened against the fabric of his shirt.Stop,hermind screamed, but her body—her heart—ignored the warning. If this were a mistake, it was one she’d gladly make. She tunneled her fingers through the silk of his hair and tugged, dragging his mouth back to hers.

His hands slid beneath her skirt, scorching a path up her thighs until his palm cupped her bare ass. His fingers slipped lower, finding the ache between her legs, and she inhaled sharply as he explored her with sensual, knowing strokes. Her hips moved of their own accord, grinding against his hand, chasing a sensation that made her toes curl.

Then, just as suddenly as he’d claimed her, Broderick stilled. His head lifted, body tensed like a hunting hound catching scent.

“Someone’s comin’,” his ragged voice whispered.

Davina scrambled off the bed, hands shaking as she yanked her garments into place. She darted to the vanity, catching a glimpse of herself—flushed cheeks, swollen lips, hair in wild disarray. Her fingers flew, twisting her hair into some semblance of order, securing it with a comb just as the door rattled.

“Davina? Are ye all right?” Rosselyn’s voice floated through the door.

Davina turned and—