Page 6 of A Sinful Night with a Scot (Bound by a Highland Curse: The Morgan’s Clan Stories #8)

CHAPTER SIX

S till half asleep, Keane wrapped his arms around the woman beside him and snuggled in, the heat from her body warming him and making him feel incredibly comfortable. The last few days had been exhausting, and while he knew he had to wake fully soon, he just needed a little while longer.

Several seconds later, however, he abruptly pulled his arms and body away at the exact same second Elspeth gasped and rolled across the bed.

“What were ye doing?” she cried, her eyes wide as she looked at him in astonishment.

Flummoxed as to what he ought to say, he reacted defensively.

“I could ask ye the same thing,” he blurted, pushing himself up. “Ye were the one snuggling intae me.”

“Indeed, I wasnae,” she continued, now jumping out of the bed. “Why would I dae such a thing? Ye had yer arms wrapped around me. Ye must have pulled me in.”

Climbing out of the bed himself, he turned to her, screwing up his face and shaking his head.

“Och, nay. Ye’re nae blaming this all on me. Ye were probably cold, just like the other night.”

“And ye were probably needy, just like the other night,” she countered.

Both of them now stood at either side of the bed, arguing across it, Elspeth with her hands on her hips, Keane with his hands gesturing wildly.

“How can I be needy when I’m sleeping?”

“The same can be said o’ how I could ken I was cold,” she came back. “Ye were meant tae stay on yer side.”

“And I did.”

“Clearly nae,” she countered, flying an arm out in frustration.

This back and forth was getting them nowhere, and clearly, neither of them were going to admit their fault. They could stand there and argue all day, but Keane had things to be getting on with. Not least of all, returning to the castle before Gunn and his men caught up with them.

“Och, we were sleeping,” he said, allowing himself to admit to some culpability. “Clearly, we cuddled up tae each other. It’s nae that hard tae comprehend.”

“Fine,” she barked back.

“Fine,” he retorted.

For a moment, the tension still lingered, and with both of them mad at each other, they were clearly at a loss as to what they ought to do next. Elspeth was still standing with her hands on her hips, while Keane ran his fingers through his hair.

Desperate to do something, he dropped down onto the bed and began pulling his boots on.

“Fine,” he murmured again, only now, far less aggressively as he thought about how they had woken entangled around each other.

The thing was, it wasn’t fine. After slipping under the blankets with every intention of staying on his side of the bed, he had rolled over and reached for her at some point during the night.

Surely, that’s natural, isnae it?

Would ye have done it had ye been sharing a bed with Alisdair?

Nae!

And therein lay the problem. A problem he needed to get a handle on. He couldn’t fall for this woman. For any woman. In fact, he had tried to be as mean as possible so she would hate him. It was for the best. But even he had to admit that there had been occasions where he had been kinder to her than he had originally planned.

Och, cut yersel’ some slack. She’s a beautiful lass.

That didn’t matter. He couldn’t allow himself to get attached. He was on a mission. A mission that didn’t allow for distractions.

“I need a mirror,” Elspeth said from across the room, her voice cutting into his debating thoughts.

Keane stood and turned to look at her now sitting at the dresser. She was doing her best to run her fingers through the raven-black hair that hung loosely down her back like a black, swaying curtain.

After her bath last night, she had left it unbraided, and though he had tried to hide it with a snide remark about her keeping him locked out when he had returned to the room, the sight of her had stunned him.

“Why?” he said.

Turning to look at him, she said, “I need a mirror tae braid me hair. Me maid usually daes it, and I cannae dae it without a mirror.”

He had seen her lie, badly, the night before, and watching the tiny movements of her face, it was clear she had gotten no better at it that morning.

“Ye really cannae braid yer own hair?” he pressed, wondering if she was going to tell him the truth.

No doubt the mirror had more to do with her vanity than a tool to help her, but he wanted to hear that come from her own mouth.

“I didnae say that,” she said. “I said, I cannae dae it without a mirror.”

“Well, I’m nae going tae waste any time trying tae find a mirror in this place. Here, I’ll help ye. I used tae braid rope as a young lad. I’m sure it’s more or less the same thing,” he said, stepping forward with a smirk.

“What?” she gasped. “Nay.”

His smirk grew wider, for even as he approached her, she still did not tell him the truth. But then, for her to tell him she could actually do it without a mirror, she would have to admit she had lied.

He was now at her back, and still, she stubbornly refused to confess. He grinned to himself. Well, then, I have nay choice, dae I?

“Now, sit still. Let me see if I can remember how tae dae this.”

Of course, he remembered perfectly well, he just wanted to worry her even more.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” she said, her voice now sounding worried. “I’ll just fix it some other way.”

She then began pulling her hair away from him. But Keane took her hands and gently lifted her locks from her.

“Nay, nay. Let me dae it.”

Taking her hair in his hands, he began. He wasn’t lying earlier. He had indeed, braided rope as a youngster, but the soft locks of her hair were a far cry to the stiff, hardened strands he had worked with.

Starting from the nape of her neck, he split her hair into three pieces, and began folding one piece over the other. But it was long, and soft, and kept slipping from his grip.

Huffing with frustration as he continued, Elspeth said, “It is harder than it looks, isnae it?”

He didn’t miss the light mocking in her tone.

“If yer hair wasnae so fine, it would be easier,” he murmured.

“Ye would prefer me hair was as tough as rope?” she countered teasingly.

“Nay, but…”

“Ye would prefer straw then?” she teased again.

Keane couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle. “Aye. Maybe.”

Eventually, and with much frowning, the braid started to come together, though it looked nowhere near as neat as she or her maid might have done. With the soft strands brushing against his fingers, and the closeness with which he stood behind her, Keane found himself rather mesmerized and couldn’t help but gaze at the soft skin of her shoulders and the nape of her neck.

When he eventually finished, he found himself lingering, and tucking the braid across her shoulder, his fingers skimmed the soft skin he had been gazing at only moments before. Elspeth took a slight breath in at his touch, and he watched as goosebumps raised on her body. For a second, there was an electric spark between them, tension locking them both into the moment.

“Well,” she said, standing swiftly and turning to face him. “Thank ye.”

Keane gazed down at her and nodded. “Ye’re welcome.”

Still, he didn’t move, and then Elspeth began to look uncomfortable.

“Right,” he said, shaking himself free from the spell he appeared to be under. “We should go.”

Once downstairs, he guided Elspeth into the dining area where the rest of the men were already gathered, enjoying a hearty breakfast.

“Get something tae eat. I’ll be right back.”

Elspeth looked a little surprised, but nodded, and moved across to the table where his men sat.

While she walked away from him, Keane caught the eye of John, one of his best men. He then nodded to Elspeth. John nodded back. He understood the assignment, and moving from his chair, he met Elspeth half way across the room, guiding her to the table where the rest of the men were sitting.

As Keane made his way outside, Alisdair hurriedly arrived at his side.

“Where are ye off tae in such a hurry?”

“We need another horse,” Keane said without breaking his stride.

When he noticed Alisdair’s confused frown, he continued. “Fer Elspeth.”

His companion then looked both surprised and slightly amused. “Is she getting under yer skin?”

Keane shook his head and looked confused as they made their way around the back of the tavern where the horses were housed in a small barn. The lad who sat looking after them jumped up at their arrival, and once Keane pointed out the horses they needed, he mounted his beast. He then glanced over at Alisdair.

“Why would ye say that?”

Alisdair shrugged. “Och, I dinnae ken,” he replied, his tone laced with sarcasm. “A day ago, ye had a rope around her waist. Today, she’s getting her own horse.”

“We’ve still a way tae travel,” Keane said, guiding his horse through the village “It’ll be more comfortable fer her. And fer me.”

Alisdair didn’t reply to that, and they continued on out of the village, travelling a mile up the road. A farmhouse loomed to their left, and Keane spotted an old man in the field beside it.

“Are ye Malachy?” he called out.

The old man turned around at the sound of Keane’s voice. “I am. Who wants tae ken?”

“I’ve been told ye might have a horse tae sell.”

“At the right price,” the farmer answered.

A little while later, Keane and Alisdair traveled back into the village with a mare in tow.

“The lass hasnae had the best time o’ it, ye ken,” Alisdair said, as they rode on. “I was speaking tae her yesterday. Apparently, her father’s a fiend. She told me that he’ll nae be worried about her safety. He’ll only be worried about the alliance.”

Strangely, Keane felt angry at that news. A father’s duty was to care for his children, and especially, his daughter. He had known the marriage to Laird Gunn would bring forth an alliance between the clans, but he had not known at what expense. What father would treat his progeny in such a way?

His own father had not only been a strong role-model, he had also been kind, caring, and loving to both himself and Iseabail.

Damn, I will need tae tell her about the wedding.

Iseabail was not going to be pleased. Not because he had snatched Elspeth from a chapel, though he had no intention of telling her that part, but because she hadn’t been invited to the ceremony. Not that, with such a rushed decision, he could possibly have done so, but she wouldn’t know that. He had done his best to avoid his sister’s supplications to come and visit her, and now this.

Upon reaching the tavern, Alisdair went inside and organized the men to leave, while Keane fetched Elspeth.

“This is yer horse now,” he said, bringing her over to the mare. “We still have a long journey ahead, and I cannae imagine ye relish riding with me. This will be more comfortable fer ye.”

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and with a sincere expression, something he had not seen from her before, she said, “Are ye nae afraid I will escape?”

Keane helped her onto the horse, and then looked up at her. “We are married now, Elspeth. We both ken ye are bound tae me. Besides, where would ye go?”