“Ye have been practicin’,” she yelled over the music.
Arthur shook his head but did not answer. He pulled her into his arms and spun her again.
Her hands fluttered up to his chest, her palms pressing just over his rapidly beating heart as their bodies began to move together. Her eyes grew hooded, desire darkening them as they remained locked.
“I dinnae need to practice,” Arthur murmured, his voice low and husky as he brought his mouth to her ear.
They were pressed closely enough that he was able to feel the shiver that ran through her.
“Ye certainly needed practice after the last time we danced.”
Arthur could hear the attempt at humor in her voice, but it was too thick with need for the joke to hold any weight. He shrugged.
“Then I suppose ye’ll just have to keep dancin’ with me,” he growled. “That way, I can get me practice in.”
He held her hand tightly, moving back as he twirled her again.
He didn’t care what happened from that moment on, as long as he was able to keep moving and dancing the night away with his soon-to-be wife.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Stop it!” Marissa cried, her hands flapping around her face as she fought off another fit of laughter. “Stop it, I cannae breathe!”
Her sides hurt, her stomach aching with how much she had been laughing throughout the cèilidh.
Once her anxiety over meeting the council had faded, she had been able to relax. Even beyond that, she had been able to enjoy herself.
She and Arthur had danced for quite a while, before Cody and Abigail joined them. Apparently, her husband-to-be was not one to dance in a group, because not long after her nephew and sister had joined them, Arthur excused himself and disappeared into the crowd.
Ayla and Amara had joined them as well. And now, all five of them were dancing in a circle.
“If ye can talk,” Abigail yelled back, grabbing Marissa’s hand and spinning her again so that her stomach flipped, “then ye can breathe! I dinnae want to hear any sass from ye!”
Clutching at her side, Marissa focused on her friends. “I need a break,” she gasped, pointing in Arthur’s direction.
Ayla and Abigail gave her knowing looks, while Amara and Cody seemed to not even notice she had spoken.
Marissa turned, making her way slowly through the crowd. As she neared the edges of the crowd, a breeze floated up and caressed her, cooling her sweat-soaked skin.
Arthur, seeming to sense her approach, shifted his gaze to her. His eyes raked over her, missing no part as they traveled from foot to brow.
“Are ye done dancin’?” he asked the moment she was within earshot, prompting her to shrug one shoulder.
“Mayhap for a little while. I need a moment to cool down and breathe.”
He dipped his head to the right, gesturing to a place beyond the courtyard where the revelry was taking place. “Come this way, then.”
Curiosity sparked within her, and she didn’t ask questions as she followed him beyond the hedges that marked the boundaries ofthe courtyard. A well-maintained dirt path wound through tall hedges, interspersed every so often with iron benches.
“Would ye like to sit?” Arthur asked, pointing to the nearest bench for emphasis.
“I think I’d like to walk for a bit,” she answered honestly, “if that’s all right with ye.”
Arthur just nodded, falling into step with her as they made their way down the footpath.
They could still hear the music, the sound of the bagpipes floating to them on the breeze. But with every step they took, the sound of the instruments and the hum of people talking and laughing began to fade.
By the time they reached the back corner of the castle, it was little more than a dull hum.
