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He grasped her arm before she could run to the supply of paper and ink. “Not so fast, lass. I don’t have any specifics yet. I need those before we tell Baron anything.”
She moved back to the table, lifted the cloth, and wrung it out. “Then this might still be a ploy to kill you.”
“Why are you so certain MacDonald wants me dead?”
“Aoife came into the pub this evening. Angle your head this way so I can see.” She dabbed the hot cloth on the wound under his eye, and he tried not to flinch. Even more importantly, he tried not to notice how lovely she smelled. She must have bathed after she returned from The Selkie. She smelled of clean soap and fresh flowers, which was probably the scent of some lotion or tonic she applied to her skin.
“This is deep.” She cleaned the wound gently then dipped the cloth in water again.
“What did Aoife say?”
She wiped at his temple. “She seemed to know I took the paper with the code about Donnelly. She threatened me with the same fate as Donnelly.”
“She said it outright?”
“No, but she implied it.” She wiped the cloth over his forehead.
“MacDonald said she doesn’t trust us. She thinks the English sent us.”
“She’s smarter than he is then.”
“He’s careful, but he didn’t try to kill me. You needn’t have worried for me safety.” He smiled up at her. “Would you have mourned me if I were dead, lass?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m serious. No one else would mourn me.”
Her eyes hardened. “I wouldn’t mourn you. I’d avenge you.”
He sat back. “There’s a fiery lass.” His hands itched to span her waist and pull her into his lap for a kiss. “And after you’d avenged me, would you mourn me then or remarry right away?”
“As though men are in line to marry me.”
“They would be—clever and pretty lass like you.”
She stared at him and then she burst into tears. Cal jumped to his feet. “What’s this now?”
“I’m sorry. I swore I would not do this.” She swiped at her eyes. “I was just so worried.”
He gave in to the impulse then and took her in his arms, promising himself he would behave honorably. He patted her back. “I’m here now and there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Yes, but you could have been killed.” She pushed back and smacked him in the chest. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”
“That’s a difficult promise to make considering what we’re here to do.” He took her hand. “Come sit down. It’s time for bed. Things always look better in the morning.”
She sat on the bed. “Do they?”
“That’s what me mam used to say, but to tell you the truth, things only looked lighter in the morning.”
She laughed, and he smiled at the sound of it. And then she looked up at him, and there was such longing, such desire in her gaze that his body responded before he could stop it. He bent and kissed her, cupping the nape of her neck with his hand. She returned the kiss without hesitation and drew him down beside her on the bed. He told himself he would give in to his need for her for just one more moment and then let her go. That was before her tongue darted out, coaxing his lips open, and tangling with his own tongue.
His heart sped up and his breathing with it. His cock was hard and at attention, and all he wanted was to push her back and have his way with her. Instead, he pulled back. “You’re making a mistake,” he said. The words seemed to come from someone else. Someone who wasn’t imagining taking her breasts into his hands.
“I know,” she said, moving closer to him. “But I can’t seem to stop myself.”
“And you want me to stop you?” He tried to rise, but she put her leg over his lap.
“No. You think I’ll regret what we do tonight, and perhaps I will, but I shall regret not having you even more.” She gave him a light push, and he fell backward, allowing her to straddle him.
