He should be lying on the bed, enjoying the delectable sight, not standing here rigidly, his back to her because he feared scaring her. His attraction was inappropriate, but his body didn’t seem to care what his mind objected to. His body found her pleasing and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about that.
Then he heard a gasp and he realized she must have finally seen him standing there. Slowly he turned, keeping his gaze averted. When he chanced looking up, he saw her clutching the linen from the bed to her naked body and staring at him with wide eyes.
But he read no fear in those eyes and that relieved him immensely. The last thing he needed was a hysterical female in his chamber.
“I wanted to see how you fared,” Graeme said.
Eveline nodded, still clutching the linen close to her breast.
“Perhaps I should return when you’re fully dressed.”
She hesitated a moment before offering a slow nod. He wondered at that hesitation and what she’d been thinking as she stared back at him, those eyes so serious and contemplating.
“Right, then,” Graeme muttered. He turned around and hurried from the chamber, closing the door behind him.
He felt ten kinds of a fool standing outside his bedchamber while his wife made herself decent within. She was his. She belonged to him. There was no part of her that he should be denied. But no amount of telling himself that or rationalizing the desire that simmered and boiled in his veins could convince his mind that he wasn’t the filthiest loch slime for thinking of her in that way.
He was still standing there in the hall, hoping no one came above stairs to see him, when his chamber door opened and Eveline poked her head out. She smiled broadly when she saw him and she motioned him back inside.
She was fully clothed now, a fresh, clean dress with a pretty embroidered neckline.
He inched inside the chamber and found her perched on the edge of the bed—his bed—and she smiled when he found her gaze again.
“I’m sorry for what happened below,” he said in a low voice. “Kierstan will serve in the hall no more.”
Eveline’s expression grew somber, and sadness clouded her brilliant eyes.
Graeme sat on the bench in front of the fire, not trusting himself to sit on the bed beside her.
“Do you feel it was intentional, Eveline? Has Kierstan made you unwelcome thus far?”
Her expression became unreadable. She appeared to give the matter some thought, and then her eyes narrowed. She shrugged, but Graeme didn’t believe for a moment she didn’t have an opinion on the matter, but he respected the fact that she wasn’t slinging accusations, even if they were well merited.
He’d worried over Eveline’s ability to understand the situation, how she’d fit in, what kind of problems her presence would cause. But so far, her actions had been beyond reproach and it shamed him that his own clan was behaving so childishly, even if he could understand the motivation behind it.
“I want you to feel welcome here, Eveline. ’Tis important for you to be happy.”
She smiled again, her eyes shining in the glow of the candlelight of the chamber. Then she cocked her head and pointed at the bed and then to him.
His brow wrinkled a moment, and then he realized she was asking him if he intended to go to bed.
In truth, he never retired this early, but now that he was here, it would be awkward to tell her nay and return below stairs.
So he nodded.
She smiled, seemingly delighted that he wasn’t leaving the chamber again. Then she rose and went to the stack of wood for the fire. He glanced over his shoulder to see her shyly skitter past him to add more wood to the fire. He turned quickly, catching her wrist.
She glanced up in alarm, and he purposely made his grasp gentle, but he shook his head.
“You’re not to act the serving wench with me, Eveline. I’ll be happy to add the wood to the fire. Are you chilled?”
She blushed, shook her head, and pointed to him. Something went soft inside him when he realized that she was tending to his needs. She thought since he was retiring that he’d like the chamber to be warm.
“ ’Twas thoughtful of you,” he said, offering her a smile. “ ’Tis not necessary, though.”
He took the wood from her arms and then tossed it into the fire so the flames roared high once more.
When he moved from the hearth, he saw that she’d perched on the edge of the bed and was staring intently at him. She seemed to want to ask him something. He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but there was a hesitant air about her, almost as if she wanted to communicate with him, but feared doing so.
He settled back onto the bench so he faced her. He was determined not to crowd her, to give her plenty of space, and he wanted to appear as nonthreatening as possible.
“Eveline, is there something you want to discuss?”
She twisted her hands in her lap and then glanced toward the pillows on the bed. Then she looked back to Graeme and pointed at the pillow she’d slept on the night before.
She pointed back to herself, then gestured at his pillow and pointed to him.
He frowned, uncertain of what she was asking. She frowned as well and her expression became pensive. Then she pulled back the furs on the bed and crawled beneath them, taking her place on the far side, her head resting on her pillow. She gazed over at him and then patted the space beside her.
His eyes widened as he finally understood her intent. She wanted him to come to bed with her.
Blowing out his breath, he rose, uncertain as to what he should say or do. He didn’t know what her expectations were, and he damn sure didn’t want to frighten her.