Read Online Highland Angel by Hannah Howell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hannah Howell
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believe there was any chance of an annulment. Roderick wanted her dead, had already tried to kill her once. Since Kirstie was not dim-witted, Payton suspected that statement had been no more than some hasty attempt to make him leave her alone.
He poured himself some wine and emptied his goblet in one long drink. It did little to cool the fever in his blood. No woman had ever stirred him as Kirstie did. He wondered if some part of him had suspected that was how it would be, hence his obsession with her. Up until this moment, he had been struggling to be a perfectgentleman, to refrain from trying to seduce her. That searing kiss had ended that noble plan. For once, he rather hoped rumor did not exaggerate his seductive skills, for he was going to use every one he had on Kirstie. He would not, could not, rest until she was in his bed.
CHAPTER FIVE
“He wants to get under your skirts.”
Kirstie nearly stumbled, then steadied herself with a hand on the rough stone wall of the building they stood near. She stared at the scowling Callum. He was well disguised, with a large cap hiding his bright hair and shadowing his green eyes, but it was still easy to see his anger. She wondered how long he had held it in. They had been wandering the town for eight days, then exchanging information with Payton and Ian in the evening, and not once had Callum revealed that he knew Payton was trying to seduce her.
And the man was doing a very good job of it, too, she mused as she calmed herself. Constantly touching her in small yet sensuous ways. Stealing kisses and speaking words that heated her blood. Kirstie grimaced when she realized she should have been prepared for this. Callum was too quick-witted, too worldly wise, not to have seen what was going on.
“What he wants and what he will get are nay the same thing,” she said and started walking again.
“’Tis said he could seduce a stone.”
“Exaggeration. The mon is beautiful, holds all a woman favors, and he kens the art of seduction. Whether he kens it better than another mon or nay, I certainly couldnae tell ye. What I can tell ye is that I am a married woman and I believe in the vows I spoke.”
“With Roderick?”
“True, he is nay what I want and he deserves to roast in hell’s hottest fires, but the fact that my husband is a perverted, murdering swine doesnae change the fact that I said vows afore God. Payton is obviously far too accustomed to women who ignore such vows. Too long at court, I suspect.”
Callum walked by her side and, after a moment of staring at his new soft boots, he said, “He hasnae bedded ye. Roderick hasnae, I mean. So, ye have no marriage.”
“I havenae ended it.”
“He did when he left ye unbedded for five years. There is naught holding ye in that marriage save the need to get some church mon to agree that ye have no marriage and sign a wee paper or two. I think ye ken that and Sir Payton does as weel. So, why are ye resisting him?”
“He is nay my husband.”
Callum made a rude noise and shook his head. “That matters naught. I ken ye want the mon.”
There was a sulky tone to his voice and Kirstie wondered if, like many boys do, Callum was suffering a first infatuation—with her. If so, she had to be very careful what she said. If he had feelings for her, they could not be openly acknowledged, but they could also not be callously ignored. She would have to tread warily.
“Sir Payton has kenned many, many women. E’en if one believes only half of what is said about him, ’tis still a longer line than I am inclined to join.”
A brief, very male grin lightened Callum’s face. “He is a rogue. Yet, I dinnae think he sees ye that way.” He shrugged. “I dinnae ken. I ken about men and women and what they do, but I have ne’er seen the game ye two play. Where I grew up, if a mon wanted a lass, he took her, then paid her for the pleasure or smacked her to stop her wailing or wedded with her. Ye two kiss and hint and blush
He poured himself some wine and emptied his goblet in one long drink. It did little to cool the fever in his blood. No woman had ever stirred him as Kirstie did. He wondered if some part of him had suspected that was how it would be, hence his obsession with her. Up until this moment, he had been struggling to be a perfectgentleman, to refrain from trying to seduce her. That searing kiss had ended that noble plan. For once, he rather hoped rumor did not exaggerate his seductive skills, for he was going to use every one he had on Kirstie. He would not, could not, rest until she was in his bed.
CHAPTER FIVE
“He wants to get under your skirts.”
Kirstie nearly stumbled, then steadied herself with a hand on the rough stone wall of the building they stood near. She stared at the scowling Callum. He was well disguised, with a large cap hiding his bright hair and shadowing his green eyes, but it was still easy to see his anger. She wondered how long he had held it in. They had been wandering the town for eight days, then exchanging information with Payton and Ian in the evening, and not once had Callum revealed that he knew Payton was trying to seduce her.
And the man was doing a very good job of it, too, she mused as she calmed herself. Constantly touching her in small yet sensuous ways. Stealing kisses and speaking words that heated her blood. Kirstie grimaced when she realized she should have been prepared for this. Callum was too quick-witted, too worldly wise, not to have seen what was going on.
“What he wants and what he will get are nay the same thing,” she said and started walking again.
“’Tis said he could seduce a stone.”
“Exaggeration. The mon is beautiful, holds all a woman favors, and he kens the art of seduction. Whether he kens it better than another mon or nay, I certainly couldnae tell ye. What I can tell ye is that I am a married woman and I believe in the vows I spoke.”
“With Roderick?”
“True, he is nay what I want and he deserves to roast in hell’s hottest fires, but the fact that my husband is a perverted, murdering swine doesnae change the fact that I said vows afore God. Payton is obviously far too accustomed to women who ignore such vows. Too long at court, I suspect.”
Callum walked by her side and, after a moment of staring at his new soft boots, he said, “He hasnae bedded ye. Roderick hasnae, I mean. So, ye have no marriage.”
“I havenae ended it.”
“He did when he left ye unbedded for five years. There is naught holding ye in that marriage save the need to get some church mon to agree that ye have no marriage and sign a wee paper or two. I think ye ken that and Sir Payton does as weel. So, why are ye resisting him?”
“He is nay my husband.”
Callum made a rude noise and shook his head. “That matters naught. I ken ye want the mon.”
There was a sulky tone to his voice and Kirstie wondered if, like many boys do, Callum was suffering a first infatuation—with her. If so, she had to be very careful what she said. If he had feelings for her, they could not be openly acknowledged, but they could also not be callously ignored. She would have to tread warily.
“Sir Payton has kenned many, many women. E’en if one believes only half of what is said about him, ’tis still a longer line than I am inclined to join.”
A brief, very male grin lightened Callum’s face. “He is a rogue. Yet, I dinnae think he sees ye that way.” He shrugged. “I dinnae ken. I ken about men and women and what they do, but I have ne’er seen the game ye two play. Where I grew up, if a mon wanted a lass, he took her, then paid her for the pleasure or smacked her to stop her wailing or wedded with her. Ye two kiss and hint and blush
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