“Passage?” he barked.
“Aye.” She blinked. “The secret passage behind that wall.” Now that she could stand on her own two feet, she pointed. “It runs from the lower floors toward the bedchambers on this level.”
“We have secret passages?”
‘Twas the incredulity and the wonder in his tone which made her smile. She knew something Alistair didn’t about Oliphant Castle? “Aye,” she drawled.
Then he was holding her hand, tugging her toward the wall. “Show me!”
And ‘twas one command she was happy to obey.
Chapter 10
Alistair found himself holding his breath as he led Lara to the stone wall. She reached the faded blue-and-green tapestry—the one which had hung there as long as he could recall—and lifted it out of the way.
The section of the wall behind it looked exactly the same as the rest of the walls…until she pressed on it. When it popped open with a faint click, he realized what he was looking at was cleverly painted wood instead of stone.
“By St. Elzear’s blessed big toe,” he breathed, running his fingertips along the lookalike stone. “ ’Tis remarkable.”
Remarkable enough he almost forgot about his erection, which was hard enough to pass as one of the actual stones in the castle walls.
Having Lara back in his arms had been divine, but he couldn’t deny that this mystery—and the revelation of a secret passageway behind his wall!—was distracting.
Tugging her behind him, he pulled the entrance open wider and stuck his head into the passage. ‘Twas musty and dry, but with surprisingly little dust. And no ghost.
“ ’Tis empty,” he murmured back to her.
Lara poked him in the back. “Dinnae sound so disappointed,” she teased.
“I wanted to catch the ghost,” he confessed, straightening and turning back to her. “Ye were the one who suggested the ghost must be in the passageway. Mayhap the poor spirit recalls a time when the passageway was a regularly used part of the castle?” He peered down at her. “And how did ye ken of it, anyhow?”
She shrugged, her lips bruised from his kisses, but her changeable eyes twinkling. “My mother is the housekeeper. We ken things.”
“Like secret passageways,” he stated blandly, studying her. “Ye kenned there was an entrance to my solar?”
She spun away from him, grabbing the lit candle from the desk.
When she turned back to him, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and shifted his weight so he was blocking the door to the passage, then frowned at her. He had a feeling she meant to avoid answering his question.
“What?” She held up the candle. “I ken my way through them in the dark, usually, but I figured ye’d want a light.”
“Lara, how did ye ken there was an entrance to my solar?”
She dropped her gaze to his chest. When she started chewing on her lower lip, he knew she was waging war with herself. So, with a sigh, he reached for her, taking the candle in one hand and pulling her against him with the other.
“Love,” he murmured against her hair, “ye can trust me.”
Mayhap ‘twas easier to confess with her face pressed against his chest. He heard her mumble, “I told ye I’ve loved ye for a long while, aye?”
“Aye.”
She shifted her weight. “Well, sometimes—no’ often, ye understand—but sometimes…” She pushed away just far enough to sigh and look up into his eyes. “I’d come here and watch ye. I dinnae mean to be creepy about it, but…I loved watching ye.”
A cold feeling crept through his veins at the things she might’ve seen. “What did ye watch me do?”
“Work, mostly.” She sighed again and lowered her cheek to his chest. He wasn’t sure how he felt about being spied on, but he dropped his chin to her head. “ ’Tis how I kenned ye worked too hard, Alistair. I watched ye. Ye mutter when ye’re doing maths, did ye ken that?”
Nay, he didn’t. “What else?”
She shifted. “I’ve seen ye doing yer calisthenics.”
St. Elzear’s elbows, he did those naked! “I only do that when I cannae get out to training,” he quickly explained. “I’m no’ some kind of—of—”
“Of overworked stand-in laird?” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I ken I should be sorry for spying on ye, Alistair. And I never wanted to make ye feel uncomfortable. But…”
He glanced from the woman in his arms to the empty, beckoning passage. “But?”
“But I cannae be sorry, no’ really. I loved seeing ye try to do something to relax.”
“And naked?” he said drily.
She straightened to grin mischievously up at him. “ ’Twas fodder for my fantasies, ye ken. I used to imagine yer hands on me when I touched myself.”
Her confession went straight from his ears to his cock. He swallowed thickly. She’d touched herself, imagining ‘twas him?
Just like ye touched yerself right here in this room, a sennight ago, at her command. Ye imagined ‘twas her touching ye then, aye?
Aye. And he’d done it thrice more since then.
But…
“And Treenis?” That bastard had a lot to answer for.
She grinned. “Aye, once I kenned what ye looked like naked, Treenis brought me even more pleasure.”
The growl was already growing in Alistair’s chest when she tugged him toward the passageway.
“Now, come along. I’ll show ye the steps down to the level of my chambers.”
The way he was feeling right now—the way his cock was feeling—meant being near her chambers might be a very, very good idea.
Because, as she pulled him into the darkness and the door swung shut behind them, Alistair wasn’t thinking of this new adventure, nay. He was thinking of his hands on her.
“Lara,” he growled, reaching for her. The candle in his hand was the only thing keeping the darkness at bay, but he didn’t need light to see her. Not when he could feel her.
Using his body, he trapped her against the wall, his free hand dragging up her side until he skimmed across her breasts and cupped the back of her neck.
“Aye, Alistair?” She was breathless. Good.
He lowered his head until his lips were inches from hers. “When I make love to ye, ye willnae be thinking of that bastard, will ye?”
In the light of the candle, he could see her eyes, hooded with passion. “Nay,” she whispered, then licked her lips. “I want ye, Alistair.”
“Good.” He sealed the promise by slamming his lips down atop hers, pressing her against the wall. St. Elzear’s tibia, she managed to taste better each time. But he didn’t give either of them time to enjoy it before he was pulling away, leaving her swaying with need. “Remember that, Lara.”
“Aye,” she whispered, and he smiled arrogantly.
Nodding firmly, he straightened and set off down the passage. She called after him, but it wasn’t until he heard her steps and felt her hand on his arm that he stopped.
“Ye’re going the wrong way.”
He glanced into the darkness in the direction he’d been going. “ ’Tis a secret passage. How could there be a wrong way?”