gowns in the stores, surely.
He stayed close, restraining himself from wrapping his arms around her; Hugh contented himself by brushing her hair from her shoulder. He leaned down, kissing the skin below her ear he’d exposed, and cursing the high neckline of the chemise she wore.
She shivered. He saw it. Juliette couldn’t hide it from him. She didn’t move away, either.
“I’m waitin’, lass.”
Juliette whirled on him. He didn’t miss her white knuckled grip on the saffron tunic. “You’re gonna be waitin’ a long time. I. Don’t. Want . You .”
Undeterred, Hugh stepped forward and dragged two fingers down her cheek. “Yer no’ bein’ honest, Juliette.”
She swallowed and he wanted to kiss her throat. “I am.” But her words shook. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll leave. Be out of your hair. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“I’m thinkin’ I’ll keep ye.” Hugh reached for her chemise, undoing the top two buttons on the neck.
“No.” Juliette flashed him a black look and batted his hands away. “You promised.”
“Ye didna let me finish.” He let her shove him away and straightened, swallowing a smile because it would make her even angrier.
“What?” She arched a fair eyebrow, her expression shouting distrust.
“Stay wit’ me one more day.”
“Why?” Juliette cocked her head to one side.
“I want ye, lass.”
“One day isn’t going to make me fall into your bed with my legs open.”
Hugh chuckled and reached for her. She wasn’t quick enough to evade him, and he plastered her to his chest. He inhaled her sweetness instead of kissing her like he wanted to. Juliette smelled like the floral soap women of his clan always bathed with. Making it was his aunt’s specialty.
“Let me go, Hugh.” Her voice was whisper, not demand. She trembled against him, the saffron tunic an unfortunate obstacle to feeling her breasts against his chest. The thick fabric, along with Juliette’s hands, were pinned against him.
“Nay.”
They stared at each other and silence fell.
“I willna hurt ye,” he said finally.
“I know.” Juliette swallowed again, but her voice was steady.
She believes me.
Hugh ignored how his stomach flipped. “Stay another day.”
“Is that an order?”
“Aye.”
Juliette frowned. “For the record, I won’t sleep with you.”
“Ye did sleep wit’ me.” Hugh smiled.
She pursed her lips. “You know what I mean. I won’t have sex with you, Hugh MacDonald. I mean it. We just met, and I don’t do that sorta thing.”
“Are ye innocent then?”
“You mean, am I a virgin?”
Hugh nodded.
“No, not for a long time.”
“Are ye wed?” His gut clenched as he awaited her answer, but he banished that foolishness.
“I was once.” Juliette gazed up at him. He couldn’t read her expression, or the emotions that darted across those eyes.
“I am sorry fer yer loss, then.”
She shook her head, her golden locks shifting with the movement. “He didn’t die. He cheated. I caught him in bed with another woman, so I left. We divorced. You know that term?”
Hugh nodded. “Aye. ‘Tis no’ somethin’ oft done, but I know of it.”
“It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago. I moved on.” She averted her gaze.
Hugh wanted to tilt her chin up to force her to meet his eyes, but he didn’t. If Juliette was having a moment of pain, she needed to move past it on her own. Wasn’t any of his concern, really. “I was wed once, as well.” He cursed the dose of honesty that fell from his mouth.
Why did you say that?
Her eyes were wide when she looked back up at him. “What happened?” Her question was innocent and held no malice, but it was Hugh’s turn to avert his gaze.
He released her so fast she stumbled, but he couldn’t reach to steady her.
Juliette frowned—he could see it in his peripheral vision, but the painting in the corner was suddenly glaring.
It took all his attention, even though he didn’t
He stayed close, restraining himself from wrapping his arms around her; Hugh contented himself by brushing her hair from her shoulder. He leaned down, kissing the skin below her ear he’d exposed, and cursing the high neckline of the chemise she wore.
She shivered. He saw it. Juliette couldn’t hide it from him. She didn’t move away, either.
“I’m waitin’, lass.”
Juliette whirled on him. He didn’t miss her white knuckled grip on the saffron tunic. “You’re gonna be waitin’ a long time. I. Don’t. Want . You .”
Undeterred, Hugh stepped forward and dragged two fingers down her cheek. “Yer no’ bein’ honest, Juliette.”
She swallowed and he wanted to kiss her throat. “I am.” But her words shook. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll leave. Be out of your hair. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“I’m thinkin’ I’ll keep ye.” Hugh reached for her chemise, undoing the top two buttons on the neck.
“No.” Juliette flashed him a black look and batted his hands away. “You promised.”
“Ye didna let me finish.” He let her shove him away and straightened, swallowing a smile because it would make her even angrier.
“What?” She arched a fair eyebrow, her expression shouting distrust.
“Stay wit’ me one more day.”
“Why?” Juliette cocked her head to one side.
“I want ye, lass.”
“One day isn’t going to make me fall into your bed with my legs open.”
Hugh chuckled and reached for her. She wasn’t quick enough to evade him, and he plastered her to his chest. He inhaled her sweetness instead of kissing her like he wanted to. Juliette smelled like the floral soap women of his clan always bathed with. Making it was his aunt’s specialty.
“Let me go, Hugh.” Her voice was whisper, not demand. She trembled against him, the saffron tunic an unfortunate obstacle to feeling her breasts against his chest. The thick fabric, along with Juliette’s hands, were pinned against him.
“Nay.”
They stared at each other and silence fell.
“I willna hurt ye,” he said finally.
“I know.” Juliette swallowed again, but her voice was steady.
She believes me.
Hugh ignored how his stomach flipped. “Stay another day.”
“Is that an order?”
“Aye.”
Juliette frowned. “For the record, I won’t sleep with you.”
“Ye did sleep wit’ me.” Hugh smiled.
She pursed her lips. “You know what I mean. I won’t have sex with you, Hugh MacDonald. I mean it. We just met, and I don’t do that sorta thing.”
“Are ye innocent then?”
“You mean, am I a virgin?”
Hugh nodded.
“No, not for a long time.”
“Are ye wed?” His gut clenched as he awaited her answer, but he banished that foolishness.
“I was once.” Juliette gazed up at him. He couldn’t read her expression, or the emotions that darted across those eyes.
“I am sorry fer yer loss, then.”
She shook her head, her golden locks shifting with the movement. “He didn’t die. He cheated. I caught him in bed with another woman, so I left. We divorced. You know that term?”
Hugh nodded. “Aye. ‘Tis no’ somethin’ oft done, but I know of it.”
“It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago. I moved on.” She averted her gaze.
Hugh wanted to tilt her chin up to force her to meet his eyes, but he didn’t. If Juliette was having a moment of pain, she needed to move past it on her own. Wasn’t any of his concern, really. “I was wed once, as well.” He cursed the dose of honesty that fell from his mouth.
Why did you say that?
Her eyes were wide when she looked back up at him. “What happened?” Her question was innocent and held no malice, but it was Hugh’s turn to avert his gaze.
He released her so fast she stumbled, but he couldn’t reach to steady her.
Juliette frowned—he could see it in his peripheral vision, but the painting in the corner was suddenly glaring.
It took all his attention, even though he didn’t
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