Unexpectedly, a strange, hot shiver ran through her as she found herself actually considering staying with him.
He is me husband, after all.
Although he was intimidating in both looks and manner, she had to admit that there was something about him that drew her in. His powerful masculine energy called to her in ways she did not understand, and her body responded.
But there was another part of her that recoiled at the notion of sleeping with a stranger, even if she happened to be married to him. It was that part that won out in the end.
But there was more to her decision. Even in the dim light, she could clearly see the marks of exhaustion on his face, and despite her wariness, she suddenly felt pity for him.
“All right, I’ll leave and go back to the other chamber. But do ye promise to answer me questions tomorrow?”
She was disappointed when no such promise was forthcoming and Edan merely grunted. However, he did finally roll off her to the other side of the bed. He propped himself up against the pillows, clearly waiting for her to leave.
Inexplicably, Olivia felt the loss at once, missing his enveloping weight and heat.
But when she climbed out of bed and looked at him sitting there, his chest naked, a wave of heat crashed over her, leaving her flustered. Averting her eyes from the strangely stirring sight, she grabbed her robe and put it on.
Without daring to look at him again, she lit a candle with shaking fingers before muttering, “Good night,” and beating a hasty retreat.
It was only when she was halfway to the chambers she had never used that she realized with a jolt that she had neglected to tell Edan something very important—that another man was coming to the castle tomorrow to ask her to marry him.
She toyed with the idea of going back and telling him. But the thought of seeing his naked chest again unnerved her.
He’s tired. ’Tis best to leave him be.There’ll be plenty of time to explain it all to him in the mornin’.
“Me Lady, wake up. I’ve just had the biggest shock of me life!”
“Um, what?” Confused for being awoken so abruptly, Olivia raised her head to see Megan bursting into the room. “What is it?” she asked, her eyes still bleary from sleep.
“What is it? Why, I just went into yer room with yer breakfast and found the Laird in yer bed!” the maid squeaked, rushing over to the bedside. “Why, I was scared half to death!”
Olivia was suddenly wide awake.
Edan is back!Oh, Lord! I had better go and see him right away and tell him about Lord Nurkirk!
“Och, aye, he came back in the night unexpectedly,” she explained, easing herself up against the pillows.
A frisson of excitement ran through her at the prospect of seeing him that day, hoping he would be in a more receptive mood and that she would finally get answers to all the questions she had been holding onto for so long.
“Well, I could see that,” Megan retorted, her cheeks bright pink. “I just dinnae understand why ye didnae warn me instead of lettin’ me go swannin’ in there without a thought. Why, I nearly dropped the breakfast tray. I was so surprised!”
“How could I have told ye, ye silly thing? It was the middle of the night when he got back. Ye would have been fast asleep,” Olivia pointed out, puzzled as to why the maid was so flustered. “But what’s the matter? Why are ye in such a panic?”
“That’s easy for ye to say, Me Lady, but ye werenae the one who walked into yer chambers expectin’ to see ye and instead found a naked man in yer bed!”
“Oh, Lord!” Olivia said, biting back a smile. “What a terrible shock for ye, dear Megan.”
She recalled the shocking thrill of seeing his naked chest.
“Aye, it was that. I couldnae look at him. I was frightened to death, Me Lady. I was about to scream the place down when the Laird spoke to me, and I recognized his voice.”
“Well, that is a mercy. I’m sorry ye had to go through that,” Olivia offered, having experienced much the same thing in the night.
“Aye, he told me ye’d moved to yer old chambers. I guessed he meant these ones, even though ye’ve never spent a night in here since ye came. So, I came straight here.”
Now that Megan was beginning to calm down, Olivia noticed the curiosity burgeoning in her eyes. Her heart sank, knowing the awkward questions would be coming next.
“But why did ye move in here, Me Lady? Did ye nae want to stay with the Laird now that he’s back?”
