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Saoirse stared at him, dumbfounded. “I beg yer pardon?”
“My chamber,” Noah repeated, clearing his throat, “is forbidden to ye. Ye are nae to enter it. Is that clear?”
Saoirse clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a snort. It was a ridiculous rule. After all, she came from a huge family where everyone was everywhere. There were no places she couldn’t go at Baxter Keep, not even her parents’ chamber. Andtheyhad always shared one.
“What is so amusin’?” Noah asked in a stern tone that cut off her giggles.
Saiorse met his gaze with a challenge in her eyes. “Ye cannae be serious. Dae ye ken how silly that sounds? We’re married. I should be able to go wherever I please. This is my home now, after all.”
Noah’s lips pulled into a tight, thin line as he arched his eyebrow. His glare made Saoirse want to laugh even harder.
“Ye daenae intimidate me,” she went on, shaking her head. “Ye put on a performance of bein’ cold and tough, but I can see through yer mask. If I’m bein’ entirely honest, it’s like ye’ve decided to take inspiration from a poorly written villain in some book that’s collectin’ dust on one of these shelves because nay one wants to read it.” She gestured at the bookcases.
Noah’s mouth dropped, the sternness on his face vanishing as a blush kissed his cheeks. Was she right? If she read the books, would she find the one he’d based himself off?
He recovered quickly, straightening up. “Well, I see ye have me all figured out, daenae ye?”
“It’s nae that hard to see that ye’re suppressin’ part of yerself. I noticed it in the Kirk, I noticed it with Mary, I’ve noticed it many times, and I still see it now. So, why daenae ye set that sternness aside for a while and give me a moment with the real ye.” Saoirse turned and moved toward the bed. She sank down on the edge. Despite her nerves rattling through her, she returned her gaze to him and kept her eyes locked on his. If he wanted to break the stare, he would have to be the one to do it.
Noah didn’t budge. “There is only the me that ye’ve seen. Daenae fool yerself.”
“Aye, and I’m the Queen of England.”
He frowned. “What is it ye want from me? I have bestowed fine chambers upon ye. Ye’ll be able to wander where ye like. Ye’ll be taken care of. I doubt ye’ll die from nae bein’ able to enter one room.” He paused. “Did yer maither and faither nae explain the sanctity of a man’s privacy?”
“Privacy doesnae exist where I’m from,” she told him. “Husband of mine, I might nae ken much about marriage or anythin’ really, but I’m aware of tradition. My parents might be exceptions in that they share a bedchamber, as are Anna and Vincent, but is it nae customary for a wife to visit her husband’s chamber? How am I to do that if ye forbid me?”
Noah scratched his chin, visibly uncomfortable. “When I feel so inclined, I will come to ye.”
“Nay,” Saoirse replied stubbornly, patting the edge of the bed. “We should get this over wit’ so I can decide if I want to bar my door, in future.”
An unexpected laugh slipped from Noah, as his cheeks flushed redder. His eyes narrowed at her, causing her heart to skip. She’d been brazen, but maybe she’d be rewarded for it.
“Goodness, aren’t ye romantic,” he said as he stalked further into the room.
Saoirse watched him move like a cat, stopping at the two large armchairs near the grand fireplace. His fingers grazed over the jacquard upholstery, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be touched with such tenderness. Couldn’t he just hold her as he had done by the carriage? That would be a start.
Glancing over his shoulder, Noah’s eyes found hers, causing fierce heat to flow through her. Was he thinking of her as he grazed his fingertips over the armchairs? Did he wish he could touch her, too? She pulled in quick, shallow breaths as he suddenly moved to her. Noah towered over her making it impossible for her to see anything other than him.
“I think I see it now.” He towered over her, making it impossible for her to see anything but him.
He leaned in closer, planting a hand on either side of her. As he bent forward, Saoirse leaned back to gain some distance, until her spine met the soft give of the bed. Trapped under him, his body heat seared into her and stole the very breath from her lungs, whilehiswarm breath caressed her skin. His gaze flitted down to her parted lips. Panting to restore some air, she waited for his eyes to meet hers.
Instead, a crooked grin stretched across his face and one eyebrow rose, as he asked in a rough voice, “Is this reallywhat ye want from me?”
CHAPTER9
“Tell me, Saoirse,”Noah inched closer, until his lips were just a whisper away.
She writhed a little beneath him, folding her arms across her chest, as if to form a barrier. Yet, the shine of her eyes, the pink flush of her cheeks, and the gasping breaths that slipped through her parted lips seemed to beckon him closer. He certainly had her undivided attention, and though she hadn’t yet confirmed his question, her heaving bosom answered. She wanted him, just as he wanted her.
“Have ye ever been kissed before?” Noah pulled back slightly, to gaze deeply into her anxious eyes.
He noticed his reflection in the black of her pupil. It was no wonder that people said the eyes were the mirrors to the soul, for he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of hers as he continued to gaze beyond the small image of himself.
“Aye,” she said. Her voice cracked, they both heard it.
The heat rising from her body slammed against his skin like a battering ram trying to storm the walls of his heart, and each subtle brush of her wriggling limbs urged him toward a delicious kind of madness. But jealousy rode in on the same tide of desire.
