Page 10 of Trapped with the Vicious Highlander (Falling for Highland Villains #5)

CHAPTER 10

The gentle wind blew ever so kindly against her face as she made her way out of the castle and towards the courtyard. The tower at the very top of the castle was still completely covered by low-hanging clouds. This wasn’t the time to wonder just how tall it was. For now, she needed to get to know the people.

Ava had always believed that the best thing about a place was its people. A place may look like it was carved from paradise itself, but if the people there acted like the spawns of Satan, she may not step foot in such a place again.

She could hear the laughter drifting in the air, and it got clearer and louder as she drew closer to the courtyard. She could see the trees and the men sitting underneath them. They were engrossed in what seemed to be an exciting conversation. She noticed the laughter falter when one of the men looked up and saw her.

It died down the closer she got and completely stopped when she stopped right in front of them.

Ava looked up for a second and caught the window in her room. She could also see the window in Margaret’s room. There was another window just above them, and for some reason, she couldn’t decide in which room it was.

“Are ye lost, lassie? This isnae the way to the kitchen,” one of the men said, pulling her back to the present—the brutal but inevitable present.

Ava nodded, deciding to ignore the jab. “A fine evening, is it not, gentlemen?”

None of them answered.

Ava debated stepping back from them and finding her way back to the castle. But the last thing she needed was to be perceived as a coward.

There was a moment of tense silence between them, one in which she desperately fumbled for something to say. Her eyes darted to a sword lying on the floor, just a few inches away from the bald man who sat at the head of the group—he seemed to be the leader.

“That is quite the lovely sword. It looks very… slim and comfortable to handle.”

“And what do ye ken about slim, lassie? Ye look like ye could eat us all just by openin’ yer mouth.”

A wave of thunderous laughter erupted from the other men.

And just like that, she realized why she had been advised to stay away from the courtyard. Everyone had seen her size and had assumed any minor jab about her weight would throw her off. This was not her first time dealing with hateful remarks about her weight, and if she was certain of anything, this would not be her last time either.

“The pantry is still a few steps ahead, miss,” another one of the men quipped, his words followed again by a wave of thunderous laughter.

“You know,” she started, her voice low but rising with every word. “I was once told by my grandmother that being bitter to someone you don’t know is a sign of low self-esteem. She said that it meant one lacked the capacity for critical thinking—or, as a layman would say it, a leak in the brain.”

The bald man’s eyes narrowed, and Ava watched his nostrils flare in fury as he rose from the ground. He took a step towards her, a malicious smile playing on his lips. “Are ye callin’ me stupid, lassie?”

Ava dug her feet into the ground. She hadn’t shown weakness; she wasn’t about to start now. “I don’t know. You are the one holding a sword the size of three forearms. Compensating for something, are we?”

The bald man’s left eye twitched, and his hands balled into fists. Her heart leaped to her throat.

“Ye ken, if ye werenae so close to the Laird, I would have laid ye down and given ye a proper smack in the face.”

Ava said nothing. Instead, she squared her shoulders as she continued to stare deep into his eyes, unblinkingly.

“Get out of me sight!” the bald man growled.

Ava finally lowered her head and then turned around and made her way back to the castle. She could hear loud snorts and oinks come from the men she had left behind, but she didn’t turn around to acknowledge them. She didn’t even stop. She’d had enough.

As the somewhat safe and familiar smell of the castle infiltrated her nostrils, she made her way up the steps, blinking back tears. She wondered if the men hadn’t come up to her room only because of the Laird. Because she was taking care of Margaret.

As she continued to walk, she found the tears even harder to hold back.

“Ava!” His sharp voice cut into her thoughts like a hot knife on a block of butter.

Ava whirled in the direction of the voice and saw Brodrick standing near a door, a look of utter irritation and mild anger on his face.

“Come here,” he ordered, in the same sharp voice.

For a second, Ava froze and said nothing. There was only a brief exchange of looks between them, although tense and unrelenting.

“Dinnae make me repeat meself. I dinnae like doin’ that, lass.”

Ava swallowed and took a step towards him, then another and another, until she was walking as fast as she could.

Brodrick opened the door wider and stepped aside. She walked in, her eyes scanning the room as he shut the door briskly behind him.

“I told ye nae to wander, did I nae?” he asked, his nostrils flaring as he walked over to her.

Ava scoffed. “Is that what this is about? Because I was speaking with some men at the courtyard?”

“What were ye speakin’ about?”

“None of your business.” Her voice was sharper than she had intended.

The last thing she wanted was to anger the man under whose roof she was staying, but something about the way he stood before her provoked her. She simply could not keep quiet about the entire thing.

“If ye only listened when I told ye?—”

“Listened? What is this? Do you think you are speaking to one of the children in the castle?”

“Well, seein’ as I gave ye an order and ye didnae exactly follow it, I would have to assume so, would I nae?”

“Yes, except I am not one of your people.”

Now it was Ava’s turn to take a step forward—something she rarely did whenever she was speaking to Brodrick.

“Ye are in me castle.”

“Because you asked me to come here.”

Brodrick mirrored her step, the gap between them shrinking slowly.

Ava could feel his eyes burning holes into her.

“What did they tell ye? I need ye to tell me exactly what they said.”

“Why? So you can draw your sword once again? I don’t have to inform you about every trouble I have, you know.”

“If the so-called trouble is with one of me men, then ye do.”

“I don’t see it that way. You know the way I see it?” Ava continued, unable to resist the urge to move even closer to him.

Now, their faces were merely inches apart, and it was taking every ounce of her will to focus on Brodrick’s face and his face only.

“The way I see it, I am a grown woman who can handle her business well enough and doesn’t have to run to the Laird of the castle at the first sign of trouble.”

“Well, ye wouldnae have to run if ye’d just done what I told ye, would ye?”

Ava opened her mouth to retort when the door swung open. They both turned around at the same time and watched Flora step inside.

Her eyes widened. “Do I come back, or?—”

“Nay. What is it, Flora?” Brodrick asked, the timbre of his voice making the back of Ava’s neck prickle and her entire body break out in goosebumps.

“I just wanted to inform ye that dinner is ready,” Flora replied.

Ava nodded.

Brodrick gave a low grunt. “I shall be down shortly.”

Flora nodded and gave Ava an unfathomable look. “Ye too, Ava.”

With that, she stepped back out of the room and closed the door ever so gently behind her, leaving Ava and Brodrick in the heat of the simmering argument between them.

“Do you want to go first?” Ava asked, turning back to Brodrick, dissatisfaction still etched on her face.

“I dinnae ken. Do ye?”

Ava sighed and rolled her eyes. “Look, I understand that the only reason I’m here is to look after Margaret.”

“At least we can agree on one thing.”

“But I’m not your slave, My Laird. I’m only here to make sure that Margaret settles in well and is safe. Once she does that, I’ll be out of here as fast as the wind. I’m not your problem, and I don’t plan to be for longer than necessary.”

Brodrick nodded.

Another tense moment of silence passed between them. Ava could feel his eyes on her, and for some reason, it made the back of her neck prickle with heat. The way he looked at her brought everything but comfort.

He looked away immediately, clearing his throat.

“Let’s go downstairs for dinner,” he finally said, his voice smooth despite the tension in the air.

Ava nodded and moved first, several thoughts juggling through her head at the same time. What had just happened? Why was he being terribly hard on her just because she had spared the men in the courtyard some conversation? It couldn't possibly be just about that, could it? Or was Brodrick just that kind of man?

* * *

The dining hall was quiet. Margaret had her hands full with a piece of parchment and quill while she watched the maids gently place bowls on the table. On Brodrick’s side of the table, a maid set down a giant roasted venison. His eyes scanned the food for a second before returning to Ava. Something about the flickering light from the nearby candles made her look entirely different to him. She looked pale, almost angelic. He grew fascinated by the intricate features in her face for a second and wanted to study them even more before the clattering sounds brought him back and out of his momentary reverie.

Platters of shortbread, steamed cabbages, and bannocks were placed on the table as well.

Brodrick turned to Margaret, a soft smile on his face. “All the bannocks ye can eat, me sweet.”

Margaret gave him a brief nod.

“I hope ye find the food as tasteful as whatever it is ye eat in…” Flora trailed off, watching Ava carefully.

It must have occurred to her exactly at that moment that she hadn’t asked Ava where she came from.

“Her cottage is on the Scottish border,” Brodrick supplied as Ava opened her mouth to respond.

She shot him a cold glare. “Are you speaking on my behalf now? Is that it?”

Brodrick reached for his knife, not missing a beat. “I didnae ken ye were goin’ to say something?—”

“Of course, I was going to say something. She asked me. Me. ”

“Well, next time I will let ye have the floor. How about that?”

“You, My Laird, are quite unbelievable, do you know that?”

Silence fell over the dining hall. The maids disappeared one by one after they had made sure everyone had been properly served.

“Why dinnae we begin? Uh… Braither, will ye say grace?” Flora asked, swallowing.

“Nae feelin’ very graceful at the moment,” Brodrick muttered, his eyes narrowing on Ava.

Ava looked down at her plate, unblinking, her eyes reflecting the candlelight.

“Very well. I shall say it, then,” Flora whispered.

Ava could hear the mild exhaustion in Flora’s voice but refused to acknowledge it.

Flora’s voice droned on in the background as Ava drew her knife against her fork.

Brodrick couldn’t take her eyes off her. His gaze roved over her clavicles and chest, which heaved up and down as she managed to contain what he assumed was her anger. His eyes lingered a bit too long on her collarbone, and for the briefest of moments, he wondered what it would feel like to touch it. To lick it.

“Amen.” Flora’s voice rose again, cutting through his thoughts.

He took a helping of the food and felt the juice of the venison burst across his tongue as he chewed slowly. His eyes remained fixed on Ava, who took a bite and chewed.

Whatever was going on between them was more than these petty arguments, he knew it. It felt like there was a basket of apples hanging above both of them, and flames were licking at the bottom of the basket. Any moment from now, the flames will weaken the basket and the apples will fall right on their heads.

He couldn’t wait for the pressure between them to come to a head. There was just something about Ava that unsettled him. She wasn’t like any other woman he had encountered, and he hated that she had such an effect on him. He hated that she made things a challenge and the fact that she always made him stand on his toes around her.

“What did happen between ye and the men in the courtyard?” he finally asked after watching her take a sip of ale.

Ava threw her head back. “Of what importance is it to you? Why do you so desperately want to know what transpired between us?”

“Because I ken me men, and I ken how they can get, especially when…” he trailed off.

Ava narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“I just need to ken if they teased ye about yer?—”

Ava dropped her fork. “Good Lord.”

Flora tried jumping into the conversation. “Why dinnae we finish the food and?—”

Ava was no longer listening. “Is that how you see me? As a victim? You think I haven’t heard people talk about my size behind my back and right in front of me? You think I haven’t had to develop a thick skin because of the remarks I’ve heard in the past few years?”

“Ava—” Flora tried.

“Wait.” Ava held up a hand. “Is that why you insisted on me not wandering? Because you didn’t think I would be able to handle remarks about my body?”

“Aye! Alright?” Brodrick snapped, letting his fork slip from his hand. “I brought ye here to take care of Margaret. How will ye be able to do that if ye’re being mocked?”

“Mock—” Ava inhaled sharply, feeling her anger grow to a boiling point. “You are the most reprehensible?—”

“Can ye both leave the dining hall? Go settle this in the study if ye have to, but I willnae have ye both bitin’ each other’s heads off in front of the bairn,” Flora interjected rather sharply.

“Fine by me,” Ava huffed.

She threw her napkin on the table, and they both made their way out of the dining hall. She entered the study first, and then Brodrick followed, shutting the door behind him.

“Do you ever hear yourself when you speak, My Laird?”

“All the time.”

“So how in God’s name do you live with yourself?”

“I was tryin’ to protect ye. And clearly, I was wrong.”

“You had no right,” Ava hissed, stepping closer to him. “Absolutely no right to assume that responsibility.”

“I had every right, lass. Ye are in me castle.”

“Yes, your castle. How will I ever forget? You know, if you actually listen to me for a second, instead of trying to turn every single thing into an avenue for a fight?—”

Brodrick laughed harshly. “Listen to ye?”

“Yes!” Ava almost screamed.

“No. How about ye listen to me, lass. I ken this is yer job, and ye must do it and leave by the end of the month, but as long as ye stay in me castle, ye live by me rules.”

“Your rules?” Ava echoed, the frustration in her voice undeniable.

She noticed almost immediately that the gap between them had grown smaller. Who was closing it, she couldn’t tell. Maybe she had moved first, maybe he had. But now, they were only a breath apart.

“Aye, me rules,” Brodrick insisted.

It was clear he didn’t notice that at all. Or if he did, he wasn’t acknowledging it.

“No! I don’t live by anybody’s rules. I will not live by your rules.”

The gap between them was now practically nonexistent. Ava could see the gold flecks in his hazel eyes, the way his lips moved, even if out of frustration.

“Ye ken, it might benefit ye to be at me mercy.”

“And I reckon you would like that, wouldn’t you?!” Ava scoffed, her voice begrudgingly low.

“I would like that very much,” Brodrick whispered, his voice now laced with something else. Something deeper and primal.

Before Ava could blink, he reached for her waist and pulled her close to him. Their lips slammed together, and for almost a few seconds, one set of lips was trying to overpower the other—a battle coated with ale.

Brodrick lifted her and placed her on his desk, his hands snaking across her back and her sides. It was almost like he wanted to hold every inch of her, like he couldn’t get enough of her. They both grunted as Ava pulled him even closer, her lips locked with his, almost like she wanted to jump into his skin.

She broke the kiss but only so she could catch her breath. But as soon as she gasped for air, Brodrick sealed his lips over hers again in a punishing kiss.

He wedged himself between her legs, his hands cupping the back of her head, and the kiss grew even more heated as the candlelight flickered around them. Ava slid her hands up his back and pulled him closer, feeling his fingers trail down her neck, her chest, her gown. Her hands moved to his biceps, and she dug her fingernails into his skin as he ground himself against her. She could feel every hard line of his body. The firmness of his chest and his stomach. She could feel the bulge in his?—

Ava broke the kiss again, staring hard at him as they both panted heavily. But the heat in the room soon dissipated, only to be replaced by disbelief.

What had she just done?