Page 30 of The Lyon’s Lass

With a smile, her brother turned to her and put his fork down to tell her he could understand him.

“Yes,” she said while signing back to him. “He removed his beard so you can communicate better.” So much for not caring about this man who would do something so kind for her brother.

“Not just that. I thought perhaps it would be more comfortable for kissing.” He winked at her and her skin pebbled with gooseflesh. Which was even more strange because she felt hot and not cold.

Jack tilted his head in confusion and looked at her.

“Did he say kissing?” Jack signed.

Maisy’s cheeks heated. “Lord Kesson wants to know if you will help him on the roof.”

Jack nodded slowly and looked between her and Iain again.

“You should change for working,” she signed to her brother to distract him from anything regarding kissing.

Jack snatched another piece of ham and carried it with him out of the room like a barbarian. She might have apologized if Iain wasn’t smiling after the boy.

“I remember being hungry all the time. I worry the dowry might not be enough to fix the castle and keep that lad in food.”

She laughed, because her dowry was more than excessive. And surely Jack wouldn’t keep eating at this pace forever.

Not that Iain would know, because he would be gone.

“If you will excuse me, I have some ledgers who wish for my attention.”

She stood to go, but as she walked past him he held out his hand toward her. She stepped closer and he took her fingers in his and pulled it to his mouth to kiss the back of her hand.

“I also wish for your attention, but I will wait until tonight if it suits you.”

He wished for them to do join in his bed again?

“Yes.” She breathed more than spoke the word, but the show of the dimple told her he’d heard.

“I will come by the study later to check on you. To make sure you did not get stuck under a pile of dusty old ledgers.” Another wink.

She felt her blush and cursed softly, making him laugh. She might have rushed out of the room in a fit of embarrassment, but he tugged her hand, pulling her onto his lap where he kissed her deeply.

There was no chance to resist or warn him that others might see. When his lips touched hers, there was no other person in the castle but them.

His tongue reached for hers and she didn’t hesitate to meet him stroke for stroke.

“Was I right?” he asked when he pulled away, leaving them both panting.

“About what?”

“Is it better for kissing?”

It took a moment for her mind to clear enough for her to think of what he meant. His bare skin against hers without a hair between them.

“I enjoy kissing you with or without your beard,” she said with a bit too much honesty. She looked away, their connection ended as she removed herself from his lap with the gracefulness of a baby calf being birthed by its mother. “I will see you later.”

With that she darted from the room to find the study. If she’d said she liked the beard, would he even be here long enough for it to grow back?

Regardless of how long he might stay, eventually he would be leaving and she would be alone.

Iain found Jack and the two of them crawled out through an attic window to get to the roof. From their place Iain could see a number of broken slates in three separate places. He wouldn’t be the one to make the repairs, but knowing what was wrong and what work would be needed kept him from being taken for a fool with a craftsman.

“Did you kiss my sister?” Jack said.