Page 33 of Wedded to the Scottish Duke

“What are you going to do?” Diana stood nervously at the foot of the bed.

“Ye can leave the door open.” Keith nodded toward the door. “Or lock it if ye would rather I am not seen in here. I’ve seen snake bites before. I think out of the two of us, I am the one who should remain here. Do ye not agree?”

Diana hesitated, wringing her hands.

“Diana?” Celia looked at her friend. “Please. I think I need the physician.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Diana stepped forward and clasped Celia’s hand briefly. “I’ll return quickly. Perhaps you should shut the door so no one sees you in here, Duke,” she addressed Keith.

He tried not to let the relief he felt at this show on his face. “Aye, as ye wish.”

Diana left swiftly.

Once they were alone, Keith returned to the bed and sat down beside Celia, his hand going straight to her leg.

“Just because she’s gone, it is not an excuse to touch me.”

“I’m seeing how far the inflammation has reached. Trust me, sweetheart.”

“With you sitting on my bed, this is really not the time for you to call me that.” Celia covered her face with her hands as he chuckled deeply.

“I pictured my first time sitting on yer bed quite differently, I will admit.” He trailed his fingers down her leg, though it was not flirtatious. It was so he could examine the wound properly. “It looks controlled. Ye may have stepped on the adder as ye ran and he fought back in fear.”

“Fear? Look what that thing did to me!” Celia dropped her hands from her face and waved madly at the wound. “Are you sure snake bites can’t kill?”

“Well, what are yer symptoms?” He released her leg and leaned toward her. “Heated? Dizzy? Sweaty?”

“All of them.”

“They could be from something else, couldn’t they, lass?” He bent toward her, his lips hovering over hers.

“Don’t you dare.” She frowned at him.

“Have no fear, sweetheart.” He winked and sat straight again. “Ye were the one who started that last kiss, so I’ll wait for ye to kiss me next time.”

“You are hoping rather ridiculously that there will be a next time,” she huffed, trying to sit more upright.

The dizziness must have overtaken her, for she swiftly slumped back down on the pillows.

Keith moved up the bed. Something in his gut twisted when he saw just how uncomfortable she was.

“Rest,” he pleaded, adjusting the pillow for her.

She sank down more fully, sighing, though she scratched her head, irritated. He reached for the pins in her hair and started to pull them out.

“Your Grace, you don’t need to do that…”

Yet, he was already nearly done. He was hardly going to tell her that he’d been imagining for some time what it would feel like to run his fingers through those red locks. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her that he enjoyed a very particular dream he had where he made love to her with those tresses wrapped around his hands, urging her to arch her back in the most perfect of ways.

“It will make ye comfortable.” He dropped the pins on the bedside table and then returned with his handkerchief to mop her brow.

“Thank you.”

Her words and tone startled him. It was much quieter than usual.

“No need to thank me.”

Without thinking, he bent down. He didn’t capture her lips, for he had promised not to. Instead, he kissed her forehead. He held that kiss for longer than he should have, then sat upright again and returned to mopping her brow with the handkerchief.