Also, warm. She hadn’t expected the chamber to be quite so muggy. Perspiration prickled down her spine, and she fought the urge to tug at her collar. “James told me where to find you. Everyone else had gone to bed.”
He nodded, slowly, and she shifted as anticipation climbed from the tips of her toes to her ears, every nerve alive and aware of his presence.
And hischest. She was beginning to understand why men were so fond of breasts.
“Why are ye looking for me after everyone has gone to bed if no’ to learn how to swim?” He swept his hands over the surface of the water. “Are ye getting in for a wee dip?”
“I think I’d be happier here on land.”The view is lovely from here.She glanced down at her robe. “And I’m not dressed for it.”
His silver eyes flared as he looked her over, as though sheer force of will could strip the heinous garment from her body. “Can ye sit on the edge at least? Put yer feet in? I havenae seen any sea monsters to nip yer toes.”
She raised a brow. “Are you certain you won’t bite?”
He huffed out a chuckle. “No, and I don’t think ye’d mind if I did. Now sit down.”
No matter how many hours her mother had spent teaching her how to act as a proper lady, there was no delicate way to sit on the edge of the pool, hike up her dressing gown, and allow her legs to dangle without simultaneously exposing her unmentionables to the half-naked man in the water. She doubted the scenario had come up during most debutantes’ days. But he lifted his hand to steady her, holding her palm in his as she lowered onto her rear end and dipped the very tip of her big toe.
Callum chuckled and held out his hand. “May I?”
He took her foot in his palm, his long fingers notched into the delicate bones of her ankle, and guided it until the water lapped against her upper calf, then repeated the motion with her other leg.
“How does it feel?”
“Remarkably soothing,” she breathed. “Like the world’s largest bath.”
His grin was a wonder. This man had the uncanny ability to dismantle her preconceived notions about how she should behave, how he would behave in return. Shetrustedhim when her lived experience told her to run away before he hurt her.
But she wanted to kiss that sweet smile, let his warmth and strength surround her. When had she become accustomed to his smiles? They were all the more brilliant for their scarcity.
“I’m glad ye found me,” he said, as his smile faded. “I nearly lost my temper at the competition today, and I didnae want you to see me like that.”
A lock of hair fell onto his forehead, the dark curl catching on one of his dark brows. How had she ever thought him hard and uncaring when he was nothing but gentle? “Like what?”
She leaned forward and pushed the sleek coil over his creased brow, his damp skin warm beneath her fingertips. His eyelids drooped shut and a low hum rumbled in his chest.
“Angry.” His voice was rough, a whisper, but far more resonant.
“What happened on the field? Did Pennington do something to upset you?”
His eyes opened, but he averted his gaze. His mouth worked for a moment before he gave a resigned sigh, as though he’d almost been dishonest but reconsidered. “Some of the men—” he cleared his throat, “—they were no’ beingrespectful.”
A familiar bile burned in her gut. “They were talking about me.” It wasn’t a question, but the droop of Callum’s head answered it. She forced a laugh. “Don’t spare my feelings. I’ve been the subject of gossip for long enough to be accustomed to it.”
His lips pulsed in a snarl. “That doesnae excuse it. It hurts ye, aye?”
“Of course. I’ve developed armor, but… some cuts still make it through.”
His expression hardened like he was prepared to do battle. For her?
No. But he seemed hellbent on the foolish notion of protecting her. “I don’t deserve the cruelty, but I made mistakes.”
His nostrils flared and his hand cupped her hip, both grounding her and sending her pulse skyward. “That doesn’t give them the right—”
“In English society, it does.” He snarled again, and she touched his cheek; he turned toward it and leaned in the barest amount. “Yes, I’ve been unlucky enough to give my heart to two men who did not treat it well. But I’ve also known wonderful men who restored my faith in your half of the species.”
He opened his mouth to object, but she spoke first.
“My father, for all his faults, is a wonderful man, as is Valebrook. Though I don’t know them well, my younger sisters have married men who adore them.” She hesitated, then gave him a shy smile. “Despite your attempts to convince me otherwise, I consider you a wonderful man as well.”
