Page 22 of Never Fall for a Highlander

“Well no one did, but if that happened I would say I was sleeping and dinna want to be disturbed.Do no’ fash yerself, lass.Ye can leave now, return to yer sister’s room and just tell her ye were dealing with another fever.”

That brought her back to her duties.“Did ye have another fever?”

“Nay.A slept like a bairn.But I feel much better today and plan to return to my normal duties.”

“No working on the lists.”

“Sorry, lass.Training is part of my day.Ye doona want a raid to happen and me no’ able to defend our brooch do ye?”

Just then there was a knock on the door.Helena panicked and looked at Mackay who said, “Who is there?”

“’Tis me, brother, why do ye have the door locked?”

Helena looked at him and frowned.“Who is that?”She whispered.

“Craig.”He climbed from the bed and walked across the room and opened the door.Craig stepped in and looked at the two of them.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Helena realized she must look like she just stepped out of bed.Which, of course, was precisely what she’d done.As she crossed her arms under her breasts and tapped her foot, she looked to Mackay to say something.

“Nay.The lass just finished checking my wound.”

“With yer clothes on and the door bolted?”’

“I owe ye no explanation, and I warn ye to no’ speak of what ye think ye saw here, because there was no’thing to see.”

His brother must have seen something in Mackay’s eyes because he dipped his head.“Aye.Nothing to see here.”

“Precisely.Now what do ye want?”

“A messenger has arrived from the Gunn Chieftain.He wants a meeting.The messenger awaits an answer.”

“Aye.My last report said our men hadn’t found any of the thieves that raided the village.‘Tis possible we killed them all, but I was about to send a missive to The Gunn, requesting a meeting.Tell the messenger that I will see the mon when he arrives.I’m still no’ sure we were attacked by the Gunns or a group of renegades.Gather some warriors to scour the area again where we were attacked and see if ye can learn something.”

“I will do that.”Craig turned to Helena, “How is the laird’s wound?”

She cleared her throat, very uncomfortable with the suspicion she knew Craig had about her being in the larid’s bedchamber first thing in the morn with the door bolted.Since Craig said he dinna see anything, she was certain he would not do any talking about this, but she was so embarrassed that she couldna look the mon in the eye.

“I haven’t checked it yet this morn, but it looked verra good yesterday.He is healing well.”She sort of mumbled the words to her feet, then flushing bright red when she realized the laird just told him she had checked his wound.

“I will be off, then,” Craig said.He hesitated for a moment and then left the room.

Helena looked at Mackay.“I am mortified.”

“Stop it.”Craig is a Mackay, an honorable mon.He willna say anything about what he witnessed today.”

“That’s the problem, he witnessed nothing.‘Tis what he thought he witnessed that troubles me.”

The laird walked up to her and lifted her chin with his knuckle.“I’m truly sorry ye feel uncomfortable.When I arrived back in my bedchamber last eve, my only desire was to rest.Ye were correct, and I shouldna have worked that many hours.When I saw ye, I only saw a woman who had worked hours for me and her sister, who needed a soft place to lay her head.”

Helena felt like he’d stabbed her in the heart.He was truly a nice mon and although he could be blustery and annoying, he had a soft spot in him.She barely got that thought finished when he reached out and pulled her to him.“’Tis time for the kiss ye owe me, lass.”

Before she could say anything, he pulled her against his chest and took her mouth in a kiss that started off soft and tender and soon turned demanding and, in some ways, frightening.She’d had very little experience with kissing, but she was certain this was no’ something she would have received from one of the village lads from Dornoch.

Mackay pulled back and spoke softly in her ear.“If ye doona want to continue where Craig thought we were, I suggest ye doona fash yerself about looking at my wound and return to yer sister’s room as quickly as possible.”

He smiled at her with the ever-present mirth in his eyes.He placed his hands on her shoulders, turned her around and gave her a slight push.“Go now, lass while I still have my honor.”