Page 63 of The Beast

“After Darach demanded we marry, I did not wish for ye to be forced into a marriage against yer will. After coming up with a plan, Ella and I decided to return to North Uist, so I could avoid us being married. Late that night, I snuck down the corridor to come speak to ye. Afraid of being overheard, I did not knock. Instead, I opened the door and came inside while ye slept.”

His brow furrowed as he listened. “I did not know. What is so wrong that ye confess to doing it? Obviously, ye did not wake me.”

“I did not. But ye were fully naked and had pushed the blankets down to just above yer bum.

Duncan’s eyes widened. “Did ye see me?”

“It was a full moon, and as ye know I am very curious,” Beatrice smiled at him. “Ye have a beautiful body Duncan, I quite enjoyed the view of it.”

He visibly swallowed. “Did ye see my front or the back?”

Once again, she bit her lip. “Are ye angry?”

“No.” The word however was curt and harsh.

“Ye are angry. I will not continue unless ye admit to it.”

“I am not angry. I am troubled.”

“Troubled. Very well then, it is not too bad.” Beatrice had to admit it all to him. “I had never seen a naked man before, other than catching a glimpse of Padraig once when he bathed in the loch and that was not enjoyable.”

Duncan remained tense, his entire attention on her. “Beatrice. Answer me.”

Beatrice let out a breath. “I circled yer bed. I am very aware that it is horrible to look upon a sleeping person who is not aware. Even worse, a man I was not married to. And although it makes me sound like a horrible person, I must admit to admiring what I saw that night. Yer back though scarred is so broad and yer bottom, it is perfectly formed. Yer chest and legs…”

To her astonishment, Duncan didn’t seem angry. Instead, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Ye sound like a man speaking about a woman’s body. I have never expected that ye would ogle a man.”

“Not just a man. Ye. My husband. I suspect ye tried to hide the scars from me and that is why ye insist on making love in the dark and not allow me to touch ye. Which is why I am telling ye this. I very much want to touch every inch of ye.”

“This is the wrong time to be telling me this,” he said looking to the doorway. “I am going to kidnap ye and take ye to our house where ye can make all the noise ye wish.”

“Tomorrow?” Beatrice teased, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. “That is a long time to wait.”

The light of the one lantern was enough for her to see clearly as Duncan undressed. His gaze locked with hers for a moment and then he pulled the tunic over his head.

Her breath caught. The man was perfectly made, with a strong sculpted body and long muscled legs.

There was a light sprinkling of hair down the center of his chest that went past his stomach to just above the patch of dark hair over his sex.

At her perusal, his manhood moved, and a shiver went through her.

“Have ye had yer fill of ogling?” Duncan asked with obvious pride in knowing she found him desirable.

“I am not sure I ever will,” Beatrice replied. “Ye are beautiful.”

“Men are not beautiful,” he scoffed nearing the bed. “Can ye not think of another way to describe me?”

“Hmm,” she teased pressing a kiss to his shoulder, then trailing her mouth across to press a second one between the mounds of his chest. “Bonnie?”

He pulled her against his chest, his breathing already labored. “I do not wish to continue talking.”

When he kissed her, it was as if he’d been waiting for years. His mouth took hers with desperation and want.

Beatrice wrapped her arms around his shoulders and made circular patterns on the back of them. She wanted to explore his entire body, but it would take time. Duncan had undressed before her and that was the first monumental step of many to come.

The feel of his strong body against hers made her shiver with anticipation. “Take me, husband. I need ye desperately.”

“Will ye be quiet?” he asked in a soft tone.