Page 29 of Taken By the Savage Highlander

Eleanor didn’t respond immediately. She watched as a butterfly fluttered through the air, landing on a yellow flower just in front of them. Then, as it moved onto the next, she said, “But do you like him? I know nothing of his reputation except for whispers, and some of the older maids have said he’s a savage.”

“I cannot say with certainty that I like him,” Margo said, though it felt like a lie even as she spoke the words aloud. “But I do not hate him, and I do not think that anyone calling him a beast or a savage truly knows him. Someone cruel, someone that cannot control himself around women, would not take the time to teach the younger members of his clan how to tie knots. He would not be greeted by his villagers so warmly.”

“I thought the same thing,” Eleanor said, smiling at Margo when their eyes met again. “When he came to get me, he was a bit terse with Father, but he never so much as looked at me unkindly.”

“He is not a bad man,” Margo said with a little more certainty this time. She was not certain she believed it, or she tried to make it the truth. “But he may be the most confusing man in all of the Highlands.”

Eleanor laughed once more, resting her head against Margo’s shoulder. The gesture was so familiar that Margo could not help but fully lean into it. She was still unsure about the contract she signed and Laird MacLeod’s confusing behavior, but as long as she had her sister nearby, she knew she could find contentment.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Icannae keep doin’ this,” Cameron grumbled to himself, rounding the corner on the way to his quarters.

He’d been torturing himself through the whole day, replaying the interaction he’d had with Margo in the stables. He shouldn’t have stayed for so long. He shouldn’t have touched her in the first place.

Yet, he wasn’t able to stop himself. When it came to Margo, all of his control seemed to crumble. It was dangerous; for him as well as for her.

The sun dipped low, casting a pink glow over the castle grounds. It filtered into the castle through the windows, and the corridor took on a dreamlike quality. Then, as if there was divine timing, Margo turned the corner.

She nearly collided with him, overcorrecting at the last moment. Her foot caught against a raised stone, and she stumbled to the side. Before she hit the ground, Cameron’s hand shot out, grabbing onto her waist and steadying her, while the other braced both of them against the wall behind her.

“My apologies,” Margo said, her face flushing a brilliant red intensified by the dying sun . She resembled a phantom straight out of his most sinful nighttime visions. “I do not know why I become so clumsy around you.”

His fingers tightened on her hip. He could feel the warmth rolling off of her. The way her scent had changed subtly made him feel dizzy with longing. Pine and sea water seemed to waft around her, making her presence a permanent fixture even stronger in his mind.

Perhaps I like that ye’re fallin’ so that I have an excuse to catch ye.

He didn’t allow the words to pass his lips. Instead, he set his jaw and said, “Ye must be more careful. What will happen to ye if ye arenae caught before ye hit the ground? Ye cannae be so careless, Margo.”

“I suppose, if I fall, it will be my fault,” she said, though she shrank away from him.

He felt it, the way her body tensed as she tried to make herself smaller. His tone had been too harsh, making her afraid rather than putting professional distance between them. Even when he was trying to keep her safe, he still hurt her, still made her fear for her safety in his presence.

As he let her go, he could feel just how small she was beneath his palm. It was too easy to frighten her. It would be just as easy to break her.

“Daenae come runnin’ around the corners,” he said, pulling his arm away from the wall and brushing past her. “That should keep ye upright.”

Cameron continued to walk forward without giving her time to respond. Staying near her was a test of his resolve. It would create an opening for him to hurt her even more.

I willnae do it.

Once he was in his chambers, he stoked his fire before he undressed and settled heavily on the edge of his mattress. Though it wasn’t fully dark yet, the fatigue of the day weighed him down. The repairs had wiped him out physically, and Margo had taken up a significant portion of his thoughts since the first time he had laid eyes on her.

“I’m runnin’ out of time,” he scoffed as he stood long enough to throw the comforter back and lie atop the sheet.

He stared at the ceiling, cursing himself for not finding a solution. Each day that passed was another day that he had not fulfilled his end of the contract. His Council had been asking for nearly daily updates, and he was certain that Margo’s father was waiting for the update that would tell him Cameron hadn’t held up his end of the bargain.

Shifting his leg beneath the comforter, he brushed against something small and soft. He froze, feeling a little body take hurried breaths. Slowly, he reached down and plucked the creature free. It came with him easily, seeming to relax into the warmth of his hand.

A tiny gray kitten stared at him as soon as it was free from the sheets. Its eyes were still blue, but green was beginning to fade in around the irises. He tilted the kitten, confirming that it was a girl before lowering it to his chest.

She was so fragile that he feared any movement he made would hurt the poor thing. If he set his mind to it, he could crush her in his palm. He wondered if that was why she had gone completely still.

“How did ye get here?” he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

In response, the kitten mewled at him. He huffed, slowly stroking her downy fur. The creature nuzzled against his chest, making itself comfortable.

“I should return ye to Margo’s room,” he told the cat, though he made no move to get up. “I dinnae invite ye in here. I amnae yer caretaker. If ye get hungry in the night, I willnae wake up to feed ye.”