Page 19 of Love Beyond Reach (Morna’s Legacy #11)

I took four steps inside the castle before a small but strong hand reached out from the darkness and pulled me toward the kitchen.

“Mary, what are ye doing? I’ve had enough people grabbing me this evening.”

Bending over from laughter, Mary continued to drag me down the stairs.

Still rattled from Seumas’ wandering tongue, I was too dazed to fight her. As we entered the kitchen, she reached for a small, wooden stool and quickly saw me seated.

“Are ye all right, Morna? I feared ye might suffocate beneath his lips. If not for ye pulling away from him when ye did, I intended to charge ye to break his grip on ye.”

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, my face warmed in embarrassment as I looked at her.

“Ye watched us? Was everyone in the whole castle watching?”

She smiled and hugged her waist as she laughed again.

“Ye best hope yer brother dinna see it, but aye, I did. I’m glad, too. Now, I’ll be able to sleep without dreaming of the fool. Seeing the way he kissed ye cured me of any fantasies I possessed of him.”

I couldn’t see the humor in any of it.

“So, ’tis not always so bad then?”

“Lass, that was no kiss. Are ye sure he dinna have a twig and some chalk in his mouth? It looked as if he meant to clean yer teeth.”

Relief washed over me in such a warm wave that before I could respond, I bent over and lost myself in a fit of laughter that rivaled Mary’s. As long as Seumas’ kiss wasn’t what I would have to become accustomed to over a lifetime, I imagined I would recover.

“’Twas terrible, Mary. I doona think I even kissed him back. He dinna give me the chance.”

Patting my shoulder with one hand, Mary reached up to tidy my hair with her other.

“Oh, I know, lass. It tired me to watch it. Ye best get to bed and rest. I only wanted to make certain ye were all right.”

“Thank ye, Mary.”

“I’ll walk with ye to yer room just in case Seumas dinna go to his own bedchamber right away.”

Climbing up the stairs together, we both peeked around the corners to make certain Seumas was no longer roaming around the castle. Finding the halls empty, we walked quietly to the end of the hall where my beloved bedchamber lay. I didn’t know if I’d ever been so ready to hide within its walls.

My hands were at the laces on the back of my dress even before the door shut behind Mary. I was desperate to get out of my dress and into something I could breathe in. As I pulled the bottom bow loose, a hand covered my own. As I tried to scream, another hand covered my mouth.

Warm breath traveled down the length of my neck.

“As tempted as I am to let ye keep undressing, I know ye’d never forgive me if I did. Wait to undo yer laces until I leave.”

Every limb of my body went limp as I recognized Jerry’s voice. If not for his arms steadying me from behind, I would’ve fallen. I was safe. Jerry would never hurt me.

The relief of knowing it was him inside my room comforted me for only the briefest of moments before rage took hold.

As he removed his hand from my mouth, I turned and shoved him as hard as I could.

“What are ye doing? Ye scared me to death, Jerry.”

“What am I doing? What the bloody hell do ye think ye were doing?”

It was the closest thing to yelling I’d ever heard come from Jerry’s mouth. It was only then that I saw just how angry he really was. The muscles in his jaw bulged from clenched teeth, and his nostrils flared with every breath. He seemed to be vibrating with anger.

I’d allowed Seumas to kiss me in the hope that it would upset him, but I’d never expected it to anger him. At most, I thought it would annoy him.

“Do ye mean my kiss with Seumas?” I tried not to look disgusted as I thought back on it. “I doona think ’tis any of yer concern.”

He growled as he stomped closer to me. I took a step back for every step he took forward. With Jerry more than anyone, I found distance to be important for my sanity.

“’Tis my concern when a lass as beautiful and infuriating as ye goes and wastes her verra first kiss on a bloke that wouldna know how to kiss ye properly if he spent his whole life learning to do so, just to anger me.”

Every word startled me. Jerry thought me beautiful. My kiss had angered him. How did he know it had been my first kiss?

I couldn’t let Jerry see how much power his words had over me—just how much his nearness caused me to shake. I crossed my arms and attempted to lean casually against the stone window ledge at my back.

“What makes ye believe ’twas my first kiss?”

He laughed slightly as he stepped toward me. Once again with him, I no longer had anywhere to go.

“Lass, do ye think me daft? Yer Father keeps watch on everything ye do. We have to hide ye away so ye might practice magic. When in yer life would ye have had the opportunity to sneak away to kiss men in the village? And I know already that ye rarely have visitors here. Yer suitors are the first in a verra long time. Ye’ve had no opportunity to kiss anyone.

And now, the first chance ye’ve had in all yer life to do so, ye waste it on that ignorant arse. ”

“I dinna waste it. ’Twas a lovely kiss.”

Jerry’s jaw clenched again, and I repressed a smile as I thought of how attractive I found him when angry. It was different than Father’s anger. Jerry kept it controlled, and he wasn’t angry for the sake of being angry. He was angry because he actually felt things deeply.

“Lying doesna suit ye, Morna. Ye hated every minute Seumas’ hands were on ye.”

Enjoying myself more than was truly proper or kind, I continued to deny his claims.

“’Tis no lie. ’Tis possible I’ll end up marrying Seumas.”

Jerry now stood inches away. His voice shook as he spoke. His eyes were locked with my lips.

“Is that so, lass? Ye think ye will marry him?”

My breathing escalated as I watched Jerry’s expression. There was a need in it that I’d never seen before. Unlike Seumas’ gaze, having Jerry want me warmed me through.

“Aye.” My own voice came out on a breath, so soft that he wouldn’t have been able to hear me if not for his nearness. “Mayhap, I will.”

His hands lifted to my face, and I gasped at the touch of his palms against my skin. Brushing against the apples of my cheeks with his thumbs, Jerry leaned in until our noses touched.

“If ’tis true lass, I’ll be damned if I let ye marry another man without ever experiencing a proper kiss.”

His lips were warm and soft, and he kissed me with a gentleness that caused every sense within me to stir. I wasn’t a passive partner in this kiss. We gave and took in equal measure. With each breath, our familiarity with one another grew.

He smiled against me, and slowly his tongue grazed my lips as I trembled beneath him. One hand at the small of my back pulled me closer. As my front pressed against him, his hands moved to my hair.

Jerry kissed me until every thought in my mind was of him. Every time he tried to pull away, I held him close. I’d never felt anything so intensely in my life.

“Lass.” The touch of his lips against my neck caused me to moan. “Lass, I must go. ’Tis

a blessing I had ye retie yer laces. I wouldna be able to leave had ye undressed. Please doona ever let that man kiss ye again. I doona think I can bear it.”

He turned without another word, leaving me shaking and wanting in a way entirely new and unfamiliar to me.

Everything seemed different now. I was finally truly awake for the first time in my life.