Page 24 of The Cruel Highlander (From Enemies to Marriage #3)

CHAPTER 23

Back at the castle, Aiden ushered Valorie into the kitchens. Willow, of course, came along for the journey.

“I’m fine Aiden,” Valorie complained. Aiden’s hand was on the small of her back, leading her into the kitchens. Under normal circumstances, her whine could get Aiden to do whatever she wanted, but in this instance, Aiden stayed firm.

“I need to clean out yer cuts lass; ye were stabbed!” Aiden exclaimed; the woman was trying to give him a complex. Valorie wanted to just bathe and head right to sleep without cleaning or covering any of her many injuries.

Valorie just sighed and continued to let Aiden lead her into the kitchens. Aiden would probably never stop worrying completely, especially where Valorie was concerned.

“I just want to see ye well, Val,” Aiden added, sincerely. He knew he was being a bother, but he wouldn’t be able to rest until he saw Valorie’s wounds cared for himself… then ideally, again tomorrow by someone with a little more expertise.

Valorie had paused on their way to the kitchens; Aiden’s light pressure on her back was no longer moving them forward anymore. Valorie laid her hand gently on his arm as she turned to face him fully.

“I know I keep sayin’ it, but thank ye Aiden — thank ye for savin’ me, and thank ye for takin’ care of me now.” Aiden let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Somehow, he had found a woman so fierce and independent but who also didn’t feel weighed down by Aiden’s concern. Now, he just needed to convince her to stay.

Please stay, Aiden thought to himself. Aiden wanted this life with Valorie. He could do without the kidnapping, but he wanted the slow moments and her schemes and the laughter she brought into his life.

“I wouldnae have it any other way, Val,” Aiden said. It wasn’t everything he wanted to tell her, but it was enough for now. Valorie closely watched Aiden’s reaction and was apparently pleased with what she saw because she nodded her head and continued into the kitchens.

Lifting Valorie up to sit on the countertop, Aiden said, “Let’s get ye up here so I can take a look.” He brought over a bowl of water and a cloth — he could at the very least clean these wounds for her.

Aiden held Valorie’s leg by the heel of her foot, and as carefully as he could, Aiden took the wet cloth across her ankles. She winced a little at the contact, and Aiden slowed his movements even further. “Sorry, lass,” Aiden whispered; the last thing he wanted was to add any more pain to the day.

“I’m all right, Aiden, really,” Valorie said. “Because of ye,” she added, quietly. Aiden looked up from the wounds on Valorie’s ankle, and they shared a small smile. Returning his attention to her injuries, Aiden continued cleaning one ankle and then the next.

“These were not too bad, thankfully,” Aiden remarked as he finished up her other ankle.

“Aye, I…” Valorie paused and took a deep breath. “I was mainly rubbing my wrists to try and get them free, and then I was able to just untie to ropes around my ankles.” Aiden’s hand still on Valorie’s heel tensed at hearing the lass talk about her captivity, but he too forced himself to take another deep breath.

“Ye were spectacular escapin’ like that, Val. I was so proud when I saw ye outside of that cabin,” Aiden confessed.

“I was so tired, but I heard Willow, and I knew I needed to keep tryin’,” Valorie said, and Aiden immediately bent down to give the puppy some more attention; she really was the best girl. Aiden whispered it into her little ears as he pet her.

When Aiden looked back up, Valorie’s grin once again lit the room. Aiden might as well blow out all the candles.

“What?” Aiden asked.

“Nothin’, me laird,” Valorie answered. “I was just successful is all.”

Sensing he going to enjoy where this was headed, Aiden asked the follow-up, “Successful at what, lass?”

“Gettin’ ye to open yer heart to Willow,” Valorie said with her scheme smile on.

“Oh? And was your kidnapping all part of your master plan, also?”

Valorie laughed, “Nay, but it apparently helped the cause.”

“Let’s keep the kidnapping out of it next time, Val,” Aiden said with a chuckle as well. No part of him thought he would be laughing about today this soon, but Valorie made it easy.

“No promises,” Valorie said, smirking.

“All right, let me see these wrists.” Aiden turned his attentions to the more severe injuries now. Her wrists were still angry and red with some dried blood surrounding each of them. Aiden felt pride and horror in equal measure. He was sick to his stomach at the sight of Valorie so battered, but when he thought about all she had done to get free, he couldn’t not be proud of her.

Even more gently than he had with her ankles, Aiden took Valorie’s hand in his and started to wipe away the dried blood with the cloth in the other.

Valorie was putting on a brave face for him, but he could tell the motion was stinging on the wounds, so Aiden was slow and measured. He took frequent breaks as well, pretending like holding her arm up was tiring him out. Aiden saw Valorie roll her eyes at this, but he kept doing it anyway. Aiden didn’t care how long this took as long as he could minimize her discomfort.

Finally, Valorie’s wrists looked clean enough by Aiden’s standard which were very high to be fair. He took thin strips of cloth and wrapped her wrists to try and keep any more dirt from getting in the still healing wounds.

Aiden could see Valorie fading, so he began the process for the stab wound on her arm. It was not as deep as Aiden feared, but he was still careful to clean the wound thoroughly. He also wrapped a strip of cloth around her bicep.

With a soft tap on Valorie’s arm, Aiden said, “Yer all cleaned up, lass. Thank ye for humorin’ me.”

Valorie smiled a sleepy smile, “Nay, thank ye Aiden. Ye were right.”

“Hmm, say that again, Val — I’m not sure I heard ye.”

With a laugh, Valorie repeated, “Ye were right.”

Looking at Valorie’s sleepy smile, Aiden felt fully calm for the first time since that note had arrived this morning. Valorie was safe and back home with him. All was well.

* * *

Outside of the doors to their separate bedchambers, Valorie paused, nervously playing with a strand of her hair. Willow stood at their feet, looking between the two of them.

Aiden had insisted on carrying her up here after Valorie wobbled a little getting off the counter in the kitchens. She let it happen, a little because she was weary but a little more because she loved being in Aiden’s arms, and she wanted to know what it would be like to be carried by him.

It was glorious.

Aiden had one strong arm underneath her legs and the other behind her back. Valorie had happily existed, cradled in his arms with her head leaning against his chest.

Now, though, she stood on her own two feet, delaying.

“Can I stay with ye tonight?” Valorie finally asked, looking down at the floor. Aiden’s tender care in the kitchen had filled some hole in Valorie’s chest. His slow cleaning began to feel like a caress, and with each touch of the cloth, she thought about how much he had already taken care of her.

After that level of care and the trauma of the day, Valorie didn’t think she could be alone tonight. Thinking of laying alone in the dark in her still unfamiliar bedchambers had Valorie’s heart starting to race and her hands shaking slightly. She shoved them behind her back as she stood there, hoping Aiden didn’t sense her fear or nerves.

“Aye, I’d like that,” Aiden replied, lifting Valorie’s chin so she was forced to meet his eyes. He was smiling brilliantly at her. “Ye’re always welcome wherever I am.”

Valorie pushed down any sadness she felt over that statement. If her eyes watered a little, it was just due to the day’s horrors and not about the fact that she would not always be where Aiden was. Their time together had an end date on it, but Valorie would take what she could get for now. With everything that had happened, Valorie never got to tell Aiden that she wanted everything from him, and she just did not have the energy tonight.

Instead, Valorie smiled at Aiden and followed him and Willow into his bedchambers. Willow seemed pleased that she didn’t have to pick between the two of them tonight.

“Aye, these are me rooms,” Aiden said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Valorie looked around the grand room. The setup was fairly similar to her own, just in reverse. But where her color scheme was mainly red and dark brown, Aiden’s rooms had a lighter wood color throughout and a lush green as the accent. Valorie’s eyes flew from one part of the room to another. It suited Aiden. The whole room gave off a calm, woodsy aura.

“I redecorated a little bit when I took over as the laird; yer rooms were more my parents doin’,” Aiden told her, watching closely to see what she thought of his space.

“It’s beautiful, Aiden. The colors are lovely, and they’re perfect for ye,” Valorie complimented. It was apparently not the right thing to say because Aiden turned from her, clearing his throat a little.

Willow was making herself at home in the big bed. Staring at the bed that Aiden slept in every night, Valorie felt her palms start to sweat. What was she doing? She’d never shared a bed with a man before. Valorie wrung her hands together and then against her dress trying to dry the moisture.

It was then she realized she was still in her filthy dress from this morning.

Okay, practicalities first Valorie, she thought to herself. Once she was bathed and changed, she could worry about the bed again.

“Could I take a bath first?” Valorie asked Aiden, who appeared to be looking for something in his wardrobe.

“Oh, aye, let me get one of the maids to fill it up for ye,” Aiden replied, turning back with a polite smile. It wasn’t his true smile, but Valorie let it go for tonight.

“Thank ye.”

Shortly thereafter the bath was warmed and ready for Valorie. With her wrists and upper arm wrapped in cloth there was little she could besides just soak in the tub, but the warm water was still healing. Valorie let everything wash off her in hopes of getting some rest tonight. If she could leave it all behind in this tub, maybe she’d finally rest.

After what felt like a rebirth, Valorie rose from the bath.

“I had one of the maids bring in a nightgown for ye,” Aiden called from the other room. “I had nothin’ to do with the choosin’,” he added shyly.

Valorie laughed when she saw the nightgown waiting in the dressing chambers for her. It was one of the more… revealing nightgowns she owned. Her mother had packed it for her “just in case,” and Valorie never anticipated needing it, but apparently Aiden’s maids had their own schemes as well and were trying to push their laird and lady together.

Valorie pulled the thin garment over her head and admired herself a little in the mirror. If Aiden had liked the one she had been wearing the other night in the garden, he was going to lose his mind over this. The thought caused Valorie to smirk at herself in the mirror.

Summoning every ounce of confidence she possessed, Valorie strode into the bedchamber with her head held high. The second she stepped into the room though, she stopped.

There, already lounging on the bed, was Aiden. He had one arm bent behind his head and a knee up. And he was staring. Valorie had never felt the force of his gaze as strongly as she did right then. His eyes had already traced every inch of her and were on their second pass. Valorie squirmed under the attention.

“I should have told them to bring a different one,” Aiden said under his breath.

“Ye donnae like it?” Valorie teased.

Aiden laughed, a dark, hungry laugh. “Oh, I like it, lass; that’s not the problem.”

Valorie blushed deeply but pushed herself to continue taking small steps into the room. Aiden’s eyes never left her. They continued to trail over her legs, her stomach, her breasts, and her arms, but his eyes never strayed from her body. Besides his eyes roaming over her, Aiden didn’t move. She saw his muscles clench, but otherwise, he stayed put. She would have to go to him.

Now standing next to the bed, Valorie fiddled with the blanket on top, refusing to make eye contact with Aiden now that she stood so close. That didn’t mean she couldn’t still feel his eyes on her though. His gaze burned into her skin until Valorie finally lifted her head and met his stare. Aiden lifted an eyebrow in challenge, and that was all it took for Valorie to finally climb up into the bed.

Now that she was here though… Valorie had no idea what to do. She laid rigidly on her back with her hands by her sides. Aiden, finally moving now, rolled over onto his side. He looked down at Valorie with his chin resting against his fist and broke out in a booming laugh. Valorie swatted him in the chest, and he fell dramatically on to his back, still cackling.

“Come here, lass,” Aiden said pulling Valorie onto his chest with a chuckle. Valorie went easily and nestled into the expanse of his torso, her head fitting perfectly against him.

“Goodnight, Aiden,” Valorie said on a content sigh.

“Goodnight, Val,” Aiden replied, and Valorie let her eyes close. As she drifted into sleep, she thought about how quickly sleep had come for her like this. How comfortable and easy it was with Aiden’s arms wrapped around her and his heartbeat in her ears.