AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A wave of anger and jealousy rolled over Cameron, but he choked it down with a forceful swallow and bared his teeth in an attempt at a smile. But judging from the way Broch’s gaze widened, as did Sorcha’s, he was certain he looked more ferocious than friendly. He wanted to close the distance between himself and Broch and pummel the man into the dirt for daring to touch Sorcha. It was that desperate desire that propelled him to pick up the buckets for Lillianna once more, which was preferable to leaving her standing alone in the courtyard after launching herself at him.
“If ye’ll excuse us,” he said in the general direction of Sorcha and Broch while turning his gaze on Lillianna.
She seemed astonished that he was still accompanying her to the kitchens with the buckets. He followed Lillianna as she walked past Sorcha, intentionally keeping his focus on Lillianna’s backside. She worked her hips so hard, he wouldn’t doubt if the lass was sore the next day from her attempt to be seductive. Unfortunately for her, the attempt was lost on him. His lust was now apparently only for lasses with blond hair and gray eyes who could well destroy him just by being themselves.
By the time he reached the kitchens with Lillianna he knew two things for certain: he had to make sure Lillianna understood he no longer wanted to dally with her, and he had to keep contact with Sorcha to a minimum when they trained. One touch too long of his body to hers and he feared his control would not hold.
Ten
When Sorcha entered her bedchamber, Marion and Bridgette sprang up from her bed and rushed over to her. “Well?” they demanded in unison before the door was firmly shut behind Sorcha. She pressed a quick finger to her lips to quiet the women, both of whom she still could hardly believe were being so kind to her. Marion had been correct about Bridgette. Once they had found her, and Marion had told her of Eolande’s prophecy for Cameron and Sorcha—and of Cameron kissing Sorcha—Bridgette had been eager to help, claiming rather boastfully that she had immediately sensed an attraction between Sorcha and Cameron.
“Shh,” Sorcha hushed the women as they giggled like children rather than the wives and mothers they were. She pressed her ear to the door and stilled, listening to Broch’s retreating footsteps. When she could hear no more of him in the passageway, she turned slowly to Marion and Bridgette, who were staring at her with expectant faces. She knew they’d want to hear what had happened with Cameron, but she could hardly think past seeing him kissing that woman in the courtyard. It stole her ability to form a proper sentence, making her angry and sad at once.
“Did it work?” Marion asked, interrupting Sorcha’s thoughts.
“Of course it worked,” Bridgette crowed, and Sorcha bit her lip on contradicting her. “I dunnae ever set a woman on a wrong path to catching a man, now do I?” Bridgette’s green gaze glowed as she plunked her hands on her hips and gave her friend a challenging look.
Marion chuckled. “Well, you did aid me with Iain, I suppose.”
“Ye suppose?” Bridgette gasped. “The two of ye would nae be happily married if nae for me,” she said with a grin.
“I would not go that far,” Marion responded. “We were already married when I met you! Though you did have a hand in making us happy.” Marion laughed at Bridgette’s outraged look, and quickly added, “But I would say that Graham and Isobel are only married because you taught her how to seduce him.”
Bridgette nodded with a triumphant look on her face, then turned her gaze to Sorcha once more. “Now that we have established ye can make Cameron jealous—I saw him glaring daggers at Broch and poor Alex in the great hall—I can teach ye how to entice him.”
She needed to stop Bridgette and tell her about the kiss she’d just witnessed. “Aye, but—”
“It will only be a matter of time after that until he forgets Eolande’s prophecy and gives in to his yearning for ye,” Bridgette exclaimed. “Ye’ll be a quick learner. That was verra smart of ye to ask Broch to accompany ye into the courtyard. Did ye encounter Cameron?”
Sorcha blew out a long breath. “Aye. I encountered him, to be sure. He—”
“Was Broch with ye?” Bridgette interrupted.
“Aye. He insisted on accompanying me and would nae leave me be.” She frowned, recalling the dance that Marion and Bridgette had persuaded her to accept from Broch. He had made her laugh, for certain, but he did not stir attraction in her, and she feared she had led him on. And for what purpose? Cameron was kissing other women. Agitated, she twined a strand of hair around her finger. “I dunnae believe it was wise for me to dance with Broch. I wish only to be his friend, and I fear he now thinks I wish for more.”
“Bah,” Bridgette said. “Ye told him ye did nae wish his attention. And I watched ye dance. Ye kept a respectable distance, and when he moved his hand too low, ye stepped away. If he refuses to accept that ye wish only to be friends, ye are nae to blame.”
“Perchance nae,” Sorcha replied, unsure she totally believed that. “But I’ll nae be accepting another dance from him, and if he demands to walk me anywhere else, I’m going to have to tell him in a less gentle way that I dunnae desire him.”
Bridgette snorted. “Ye’ll need to clobber him over the head with a tree trunk. The man is used to lasses falling at his feet, and ye nae wishing to fall presents an irresistible challenge for him, I’m certain.”
“Enough about Broch,” Sorcha said firmly. “The plot to make Cameron jealous did nae work. I just saw him outside kissing a lass with long, curly, brown hair.”
“Lillianna,” Bridgette fairly spat out.
“Be kind,” Marion chastised.
“I dunnae see why I must. That one is purposeful trouble. She and Cameron have been tumbling in the hay for years, her claiming that she dunnae want anything from him and him being led by an area other than his brain. Tell us exactly what ye saw,” Bridgette demanded.
“Well,” Sorcha started, hoping she didn’t sound as jealous as she felt. “I did see her throw herself at him—”
“Aha!” Bridgette crowed. “I felt certain that’s how it came about.”
Hope sparked in Sorcha, but was if foolish hope? “However,” she said firmly, “it took him quite some time to untangle himself from her. He may have wanted the kiss.” The notion that he would kiss her with such abandon and then eagerly kiss Lillianna with passion later made Sorcha ill.
Bridgette shook her head. “It’s more probable that she had her talons good and secure into him. What did ye do?”
“Honestly, I believe I gaped.”
