Amanda Scott (32 page)

“Why does he waste time talking?” Catriona demanded.

“Hush,” Claud said. “Listen.”

Remembering Kintail’s interest in her fortune and wondering how she had let herself forget why he had married her, Molly said
bluntly, “Is it so important to talk now about Dunsithe?”

His attention had wandered, but he looked directly at her when she spoke and seemed to give himself a shake. His gaze held
hers for a long moment before he said quietly, “It was but a topic of conversation, lass, nothing more. Let me see now. Where
was I?”

His eyes twinkled then, teasing her, and she cast her worries aside.

“I think I’ll leave that to you to remember—if you can.”

“Oh, I certainly can,” he said, chuckling and reaching for her again.

Feeling Molly relax, Fin breathed a sigh of relief. The tension in her eyes had told him what she was thinking as clearly
as if she had put it into words. He had been a fool to mention Dunsithe. He could not think what had come over him to do so
at such a time as this, because her thoughts, like his, had naturally gone straight to her fortune.

Speaking of her mother had turned his thoughts to Dunsithe, of course, but the fortune was important only insofar as what
he could achieve with it at Eilean Donan, and that was not anything he intended to discuss with her tonight.

He had heard the voices again, too. Only briefly, to be sure, but again just hearing them had been enough to divert his body’s
interest from Molly. Still, when it happened before, it had not taken long to renew that interest, so he settled beside her
again, saying lightly, “I think I was just about here when I stopped.”

Bending to her breast again, he stroked it gently, then took the nipple between his lips, sucking gently for a moment before
he released it. Hearing her gasp, he looked into her face again and said with a smile, “Have I got it right?”

“Oh, yes! Should I not do something, too, to give you pleasure?”

“Not tonight,” he said, returning to his task. “Tonight, this gives me pleasure. Later, I will teach you other ways.” With
his lips on her breast again, he focused on her reactions, using everything he knew to stir her passions until he had her
gasping and writhing. At last, knowing the time was right, he eased himself over her.

“Now, it comes,” Catriona exclaimed with satisfaction. “Now, we shall see what he is truly made of, this mortal.”

“Catriona, hush!” Claud wailed.

“Stop telling me to hush!” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her tucked-up knees with her chin in her hands. Turning
her head, she added, “Having small regard for human antics, I have not heeded the laird’s lusting before now, but I see that
I should have. If he can keep this up, he has great potential.”

Claud sighed as she riveted her attention to the bed.

Hearing the voices again, and as clearly this time as if they were only a few feet away, Fin stopped what he was doing to
look around the bedchamber. The dying fire cast flickering, dark shadows on the walls, but they were all that stirred. He
could see nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly there was no hiding place large enough to contain a spy.

With a gasp of frustration, Molly said hoarsely, “Why did you stop?”

“Did you not hear them?” Fin felt himself wilting.

“Who?”

Realizing that she had no idea what had disturbed him, and fearing that she might begin to think him demented, he tried to
regain his previous ardor, but no matter what he did, or how hard he tried to forget the voices, he continued to hear them.
They were too faint to make out exact words, but the fact that he could hear them was enough. He could not concentrate, and
his body refused to do its part.

“Is something amiss?” Molly asked. “Is it something that I did?”

“Just look at him, Claud,” Catriona said disgustedly, falling back against the cushion again and stretching out her legs.
“He is inept, after all. Mortals simply are no good at this sort of thing.”

“We disturbed him,” Claud protested, feeling guilty.

“A good lover,” Catriona said sternly, “is aware of nothing and no one but his woman. His gaze devours her. It feasts upon
her beauty until he can think of nothing but possessing her, conquering her. His whole body should ache for hers.”

Involuntarily, as if he had needed no more than the suggestion, Claud felt himself begin to harden and throb, even to ache.
“Perhaps mortals dinna feel things as strongly as we do,” he muttered.

“Then they should strive to do so,” she said. “But in truth, Claud, any man can stir a woman to feel things if he will but
concentrate. Mortal men simply do not consider women as they should.” She sighed. “I could teach this one, if he would just
notice me.”

“He did hear us just then,” Claud pointed out.

“He heard only our voices, not the words,” Catriona said as her fingers teased him. “Since he refuses to see what is before
his eyes, we need not heed him.”

Claud groaned. “Catriona, stop. Whether they see or dinna see, I feel as if they do. Canna we no leave them tae theirselves,
for I canna concentrate, much as I want tae gi’e ye me full attention.”

“Then you shall, dearling, for I’ve something important I want to ask you.”

“Anything! Only come away first!”

“Oh, very well,” she said.

Delirious with gratitude for her understanding, and in a rush to leave, he scarcely noticed when she turned back and made
a slight gesture toward the couple on the bed before following.

“What did I do?” Molly asked urgently.

“Nothing, lass,” he replied, but his voice lacked its usual strength.

She was certain something was amiss, for he had been moving atop her and had just stopped. Before then, he had been as eager
to continue as she was.

“Then why did you stop?” she asked.

He hesitated for a moment, then settled down beside her again. “I think I just want to hold you for a while first,” he said.

Having no objection to that, she let him gather her into his arms. He kissed her gently on the lips, and although she hoped
for a moment that he would stir her passions as he had before, she felt nothing but deep contentment. With her head resting
in the curve of his shoulder, she snuggled close to him. It seemed odd to be in bed with a man, odd but nice. She felt safe,
for one thing, and she felt… but even as the thought began to form, she slept.

When Molly awoke, the curtains were open and the morning sun flooded the bedchamber with its bright yellow rays. She was alone
in the bed, but Doreen stood at the washstand, folding a towel.

“Good morning,” Molly said, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Looking over her shoulder, Doreen said, “I’m sorry to wake ye, mistress, but I didna think ye’d want to sleep the day away.”

“No,” Molly said, sitting up and plumping pillows behind her. Realizing that she was still naked, she tucked the coverlet
up over her breasts. “What is the hour?”

“Nearly ten,” Doreen said. “Ye must ha’ been awake long into the night, to sleep so long.”

Unable to remember much about the previous night other than the wondrous feelings Kintail had awakened in her, Molly did not
reply. It seemed as if they had scarcely begun when he said he heard voices, but she remembered little after that other than
a sense of contentment and pleasure.