Page 19

H e walked as quickly as he could, his expression a mix of anger and unadulterated frustration as he headed into the castle. Tommy had made to follow him, but Evander had asked the boy to continue playing in the courtyard, as he had a feeling that this was something he wanted to deal with alone.

He just knew it.

He pushed the door to the main passageway open, his eyes peeled for what the maid had just mentioned to him.

On his way to the Great Hall, he passed by some maids, who either gave him funny looks or barely glanced his way before they resumed walking—some even walking faster than usual.

People either stopped to ogle him or they didn’t look at him at all.

What have ye done, Keira?

He couldn’t get to the Great Hall fast enough, and when he finally did, the sight alone made his mouth drop open in surprise.

Large tapestries hung from the ceiling and fell to the floor, swaying gently in the light breeze. As he stared at the thick partitions, his mind returned to the conversation he had with the maid outside the flour mill.

“She had us put up tapestries,” she had admitted, the fear in her voice growing with each word.

“Tapestries?” he had echoed, his brow furrowed.

“She said she wanted borders, M’Laird.”

“Borders for what?” he had asked, his patience growing thinner by the second.

“She said it was to make living with ye easier until she was able to leave. Or at least one of ye leaves.”

Evander remembered the thoughts that had overtaken his mind at that moment.

“She still thinks I’m the one leaving?” he remembered saying at some point.

He had thought that it must have been some kind of sick joke. One of the pranks Keira usually pulled on him, like the baby goat.

Except now, as he stared at the tapestries and how they had been hung to split the Great Hall into two separate sections, he realized she was not jesting, not even one bit. She was quite serious about this.

He walked out of the Great Hall and proceeded to the dining hall, only to be greeted with the same sight.

The room had been split into two equal sections.

He walked out again and headed up the stairs toward her room, ignoring the servants who were still hanging some of the tapestries across the passageways.

“Is she trying to split the stairs into two as well?” he grumbled as the servants walked past him, largely ignoring him—most of them did.

He walked as fast as possible until he got to her door. Then he paused to catch his breath, wondering how exactly he was going to confront her about this matter.

“Lass,” he called, knocking gently on the door.

No response.

Evander looked down at the little space between the door and the floor. “I can see ye moving around the room. Ye would do well to answer the door now.”

Still no response.

Feeling his fury start to rise, he stepped away from the door and, as hard as he could, slammed it open with his heel. The hinges gave way, and the door flew open.

He walked in, ignoring the mild pain that splintered up his leg and disappeared almost immediately, only to skid to a halt.

His breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight before him.

Keira was in the room, sure enough, but she was naked . Water dripped down her body in long rivulets.

Her eyes snapped up to his for half a second before she bolted toward her bed, reaching for the covers. He turned and shut the door behind him, largely ignoring the red hue that spread across her face.

“What the devil do ye think ye’re doing, ye animal?!”

“Animal?”

“Did ye nae hear me the first time?” Keira snapped, wrapping the covers around herself as quickly as she could, the droplets of water seeping into the white fabric.

“Ye put up tapestries, and ye think I ’m the animal?”

“Ye barged into me room without knocking, and ye wonder why I thought we could both do with a bit of privacy?”

“That is a load of…” he trailed off and walked closer to her, ignoring the way her shoulders glistened in the sunlight that filtered through her window. “This isnae about privacy, and ye ken it.”

“What else could it be about, Mister Kincaid? ”

Evander narrowed his eyes at her. “Do ye have so little faith in yerself?”

“What?”

“Ye dinnae trust yerself to keep yer hands off me.”

Keira slapped her free hand against her forehead. “For the love of God, stop flattering yerself.”

“Why else would ye want to put up the so-called ‘borders?’”

“Because of this! ” Keira shrieked. “Me bedroom is off limits, but ye dinnae seem to care about that.”

“Did ye really think that a bunch of tapestries would stop me from taking ye if I wanted to?” he asked.

Her breath hitched. He took it as permission and moved closer.

“If ye want to keep me out, ye will have to try something much sturdier than tapestries.”

She swallowed. “And what would that be?”

Evander hooked a hand beneath her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Something much firmer. And harder .”

His voice was low now. Thicker and rougher. Something else was driving him now, and it was not anger.

All the defiance she had or thought she had crumbled the instant his hand left her chin and cupped the back of her neck.

He dragged her closer, and his mouth crashed down on hers, the kiss fiery and all-consuming.

His lips trailed down her chin to her neck and across her collarbone, his teeth grazing and slightly biting.

“Evander!” she moaned, the words she had intended to say melting on the tip of her tongue.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispered. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”

His other hand found her hip, and his fingers slipped beneath the bedcovers still wrapped around her body. The feel of cold air kissing her hot skin coaxed a gasp out of her mouth.

He groaned in response, the sound vibrating against her throat, setting off every nerve in her body.

The covers slipped from her chest, revealing her curves inch by inch. He caught them just as they were about to completely fall away, before letting them go.

Keira stood bare before him. Her heart practically slammed against her ribs, and her breathing grew shallow.

His eyes swept over her with reverent hunger, like he couldn’t wait to consume every inch of her skin.

He lifted her in one swift motion and laid her on the bed.

Her hands reached for the edge of her bed, and she held on as tight as she could.

He resumed their kiss with the same intense hunger, the same all-consuming passion. His hands roamed over her body, dominating and full of unquestionable demand. His fingers trailed down her waist and over her hips, before he spread her thighs.

“Evander,” she moaned again as he knelt between them and trailed kisses across her belly.

He looked up at her, his eyes darkening with each passing second. “I told ye, did I nae? Ye will scream me name,” he purred.

Before she could form a response, he lowered his face to her core, and she felt his lips there . Her hips jerked upward, and a sharp cry escaped her lips.

He groaned against her, and she felt the vibrations even harder, the warmth of his mouth, the demand in his tongue as he licked and sucked on her. She writhed beneath him, reaching for his head. He groaned as her fingers tangled in his hair and tugged gently, her hips arching off the bed.

He groaned again, the sound thick with arousal, his hard manhood pressed against the mattress. Feeling her body start to tense up, he doubled down. His mouth, his fingers—he used them. Slow, deep, curling. His tongue went faster, and so did his fingers, each matching the rhythm of the other.

Her legs trembled, and her grip on his hair grew even tighter. A loud gasp coated in his name escaped her lips as she climaxed, arching against his mouth and fingers as torrents of pleasure surged through her.

He didn’t stop until she was completely spent, trembling and panting.

He looked up at her, a smile on his face as she jerked out the dregs of her pleasure, her eyes still shut in complete and utter bliss.