cheeks, just before the color changed to a greenish hue.
“Ye’ve fergotten to apply yer ointment,” he stated firmly, taking hold of her shoulder.
“I—och hell . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut and trembled all the way down to her toes. “I could not apply it to my back.” She swayed on her feet, but Callum caught her and sat her down gently on the ground.
He eased her kirtle off her shoulder with careful fingers. “’Tis no’ so bad,” he said, squatting over her and examining the wound. When she tried to look, he cupped her hand in his and brought the pouch to her lips for another drink. When he returned to his ministrations, his hands shook and he cursed himself. He’d tended to hundreds of wounds to keep his men alive. This was no different. But it was. Kate’s skin was cool silk, milky white, and no matter how hard he tried, his littlest finger kept brushing against the swell of her breast while he tried as gently as he could to remove the packing Mae Stewart had used on her.
Kate remained still until she saw Graham approaching with a glowing dagger pointing straight at her. “Nae!” She struggled to gain her feet, but Callum’s hold on her remained firm.
He lowered his lips to her ear, closing his eyes when her intoxicating scent wafted through his nostrils. “Come, Katie lass,” he whispered. “Ye have faced doun the Devil. Ye willna turn Campbell on me now, will ye?”
She clutched fistfuls of his plaid and smothered her face into his chest when Graham came closer. “Do not burn me!”
Warding off Graham momentarily, Callum held her, knowing firsthand how badly this was going to hurt. “Another drink, Kate. It needs be done. I willna have ye die on me.”
“Aye, I’m of more value to you alive.” She pushed away from him, glared at Graham, then squeezed her eyes shut.
She did not remember Graham leaving, or if she screamed. Just Callum’s arm around her, cradling her while he sealed her wound shut with Graham’s blade. She was certain he asked her forgiveness a time or two while the hot metal seared her flesh. She was also acutely aware of the warmth of his muscles and the controlled strength he used to hold her still. So close, she took in the angle of his jaw tightening beneath a dark dusting of facial hair. His mouth, so firm and decadently shaped.
“You kissed me in the water.”
“Aye.”
“Think you might ever do it again?”
He stopped tending to her arm and looked down into her drowsy gaze, wanting to kiss her now. “I’m afraid I might.”
“Will you make certain you are dressed next time?”
Her words were slurred enough to make Callum smile as he went about finishing his task. “If I must.”
“You really should smile more.”
When his brilliant blue eyes settled on hers again, she tried to show him how it was done, slanting her lips just before she belched loudly enough to rival Angus on his drunkest day.
“There, you see? Just like that.” Her eyelids drifted closed, but she fought to stay awake. “Aye, you are quite a handsome man when you smile. Though you are handsome when you frown, as well, Clalum MacKreglor. Damn it, that hurts.” She cried out softly when he poured some of Angus’s brew over her shoulder, as she had done to his leg.
“I’m done, Kate.” Tenderly, he adjusted her kirtle so that the fabric did not touch her flesh. His fingers grazed her face and then paused when she moved closer to his touch.
“Thank you for not killing my brother.”
Callum did not move his hand away but stroked her temple with the backs of his fingers.
She opened her eyes, addling him thoroughly. “I see two of you.” She smiled again but then grew serious.
“Clalum?”
“Aye, lass?”
“If you did not kill my father, then who did?”
Chapter Twelve
K ATE WOKE UP many hours later, propped against Callum’s chest while he kept his horse at a slow pace and his arms closed loosely around her. Her head ached from front to back. The
“Ye’ve fergotten to apply yer ointment,” he stated firmly, taking hold of her shoulder.
“I—och hell . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut and trembled all the way down to her toes. “I could not apply it to my back.” She swayed on her feet, but Callum caught her and sat her down gently on the ground.
He eased her kirtle off her shoulder with careful fingers. “’Tis no’ so bad,” he said, squatting over her and examining the wound. When she tried to look, he cupped her hand in his and brought the pouch to her lips for another drink. When he returned to his ministrations, his hands shook and he cursed himself. He’d tended to hundreds of wounds to keep his men alive. This was no different. But it was. Kate’s skin was cool silk, milky white, and no matter how hard he tried, his littlest finger kept brushing against the swell of her breast while he tried as gently as he could to remove the packing Mae Stewart had used on her.
Kate remained still until she saw Graham approaching with a glowing dagger pointing straight at her. “Nae!” She struggled to gain her feet, but Callum’s hold on her remained firm.
He lowered his lips to her ear, closing his eyes when her intoxicating scent wafted through his nostrils. “Come, Katie lass,” he whispered. “Ye have faced doun the Devil. Ye willna turn Campbell on me now, will ye?”
She clutched fistfuls of his plaid and smothered her face into his chest when Graham came closer. “Do not burn me!”
Warding off Graham momentarily, Callum held her, knowing firsthand how badly this was going to hurt. “Another drink, Kate. It needs be done. I willna have ye die on me.”
“Aye, I’m of more value to you alive.” She pushed away from him, glared at Graham, then squeezed her eyes shut.
She did not remember Graham leaving, or if she screamed. Just Callum’s arm around her, cradling her while he sealed her wound shut with Graham’s blade. She was certain he asked her forgiveness a time or two while the hot metal seared her flesh. She was also acutely aware of the warmth of his muscles and the controlled strength he used to hold her still. So close, she took in the angle of his jaw tightening beneath a dark dusting of facial hair. His mouth, so firm and decadently shaped.
“You kissed me in the water.”
“Aye.”
“Think you might ever do it again?”
He stopped tending to her arm and looked down into her drowsy gaze, wanting to kiss her now. “I’m afraid I might.”
“Will you make certain you are dressed next time?”
Her words were slurred enough to make Callum smile as he went about finishing his task. “If I must.”
“You really should smile more.”
When his brilliant blue eyes settled on hers again, she tried to show him how it was done, slanting her lips just before she belched loudly enough to rival Angus on his drunkest day.
“There, you see? Just like that.” Her eyelids drifted closed, but she fought to stay awake. “Aye, you are quite a handsome man when you smile. Though you are handsome when you frown, as well, Clalum MacKreglor. Damn it, that hurts.” She cried out softly when he poured some of Angus’s brew over her shoulder, as she had done to his leg.
“I’m done, Kate.” Tenderly, he adjusted her kirtle so that the fabric did not touch her flesh. His fingers grazed her face and then paused when she moved closer to his touch.
“Thank you for not killing my brother.”
Callum did not move his hand away but stroked her temple with the backs of his fingers.
She opened her eyes, addling him thoroughly. “I see two of you.” She smiled again but then grew serious.
“Clalum?”
“Aye, lass?”
“If you did not kill my father, then who did?”
Chapter Twelve
K ATE WOKE UP many hours later, propped against Callum’s chest while he kept his horse at a slow pace and his arms closed loosely around her. Her head ached from front to back. The
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