Highlander’s Frozen Heart by Shona Thompson

Chapter Ten

By the time Adelleine made it to the bed, Magnus was already there, sprawled on the mattress with his wine still in his hand. Adelleine had never seen the man like that before, and she doubted that whatever had gotten into him—the drunkenness, perhaps—would last for longer than a night, but it was still strange to see him in such a state regardless.

Adelleine perched herself on the edge of the mattress, and she looked at Magnus with concern on her face. For a while, they both remained silent, but it was Magnus who spoke first.

“I didnae think that anyone would die on this trip.”

“I’m sure,” Adelleine said.

Of course, there was always a chance that something would go wrong. There was always a chance that there would be thieves on the road, brigands who would do anything for an easy payday. Magnus and his men were trained well, though, and Adelleine was sure that it came as a surprise to him that they hadn’t managed to save one of their own.

“How could I let that happen?” Magnus asked, though Adelleine wasn’t certain if he was talking to her or to himself, “How could I let him die?”

Adelleine could tell Magnus that it wasn’t his fault. She could tell him that there was nothing he could have done to stop it, and that the only ones to blame were the brigands that had killed Micheil.

She didn’t say any of those things, because she knew that words wouldn’t change a thing. Instead, she placed a hand on Magnus’ shin, light and gentle, trying to be as comforting as she could.

It seemed to have the right effect on Magnus, Adelleine noticed, once he finally relaxed just a little, the muscles untensing under her hands.

“Ye should come and drink this wine with me,” Magnus said, “I dinnae think I should be drinkin’ so much.”

“You certainly shouldn’t,” Adelleine agreed, and for the first time that night, a laugh escaped her lips, “But I don’t know if it’s a good idea to keep drinking at all. You should rest, Magnus . . . we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“I’m the laird, and if I want to drink, then I’ll drink!” Magnus said with a pout, one that made him look years younger than the lines around his eyes would suggest, though Adelleine knew those wrinkles and the bags under his eyes were not due to age, but rather due to stress, fatigue, and grief.

She couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like had he not been through so much hardship.

“Fine, fine . . .” Adelleine relented, “You can drink. But you can’t sleep in my bed, alright? You have to sleep in your own.”

“Aye, aye. I will, lass,” Magnus assured her. “But I dinnae wish to go to bed just yet. I dinnae wish to be alone.”

How could Adelleine kick him out of the room when he had said such a thing? She couldn’t. She couldn’t leave him all alone.

Besides, if she were honest with herself, she had to admit that she didn’t want Magnus to leave just yet. She, too, wanted the company, the comfort of having someone else next to her, and Magnus was the best company she could have.

In the time they had spent together, she had warmed up to him. Despite her reluctance to trust him ever again and her initial resolve to stay angry at him for the rest of her days, she had come to consider Magnus a friend.

A very handsome friend that she would like to look at more often.

She had told herself that such a romance would be ill-advised, especially since she didn’t even know what she wanted. She had tried to convince herself that all Magnus could and should be to her was a friend, but the more time she spent with him, the more her desire for him grew.

Now, he was in her bed, and he was gesturing at her to come closer.

Adelleine couldn’t resist. She climbed up on the bed, settling next to Magnus with her back against the headboard, and she took the carafe from him, taking a large swig. The alcohol burned her throat as she swallowed, but she savoured the sensation, feeling herself loosening up just a little.

She had had more than enough wine while the four of them were trying—and failing—to eat their dinner. She certainly didn’t need any more, especially not on an empty stomach, but she couldn’t ignore just how good it felt to forget for a while.

“I dinnae even ken who I’m mournin’ for,” Magnus admitted, “I dinnae ken if it’s for Micheil or for Jacob or . . . I dinnae ken.”

“It doesn’t have to be just one of them,” Adelleine said with a small shrug, “You have lost many loved ones. You can mourn for them all.”

“Do ye?” Magnus asked, “Do ye mourn for yer parents still?”

The question gave Adelleine pause. She considered it for a moment, as she didn’t even know herself, but then she shook her head.

“No . . . no I don’t think I do,” she said, “I still think about them often, and when I learnt of Jacob’s death, I began to think about them even more, but I don’t think I am still mourning for them. I remember them, and sometimes the grief comes back, but it gets better. With time.”

Adelleine was certain that Magnus understood, since he had lost his wife years ago. She didn’t dare bring her up, though. If Magnus was anything like her, then his wife was already in his mind, and she didn’t want to make it worse.

“I dinnae ken what I’ll say to his mother,” Magnus said, “I dinnae ken what I can say to her. How can I look her in the eyes and tell her that her son is dead because of me?”

“He’s not dead because of you, Magnus,” Adelleine reminded him, “It’s not your fault, it never was . . . don’t blame yourself for something that someone else did.”

Magnus didn’t reply to her. He simply reached for the wine, downing half of the carafe in one large sip, and then rested his head on Adelleine’s shoulder, much to her surprise. His hair tickled her skin where it touched her, and Adelleine was suddenly surrounded by Magnus’ warmth, his scent, his touch.

The two of them didn’t exchange a word as they drifted closer to each other. Adelleine had half a mind to pull back, to pretend like nothing had happened, but Magnus’ mere presence was pulling her closer, and she couldn’t resist.

She didn’t know how their lips ended up so close to each other’s. It took only mere moments for them to share the same breath, to breathe the same air, and soon, they were kissing.

Adelleine wasn’t certain whether it was she or Magnus that initiated the kiss, but it didn’t matter to her, not when Magnus’ hand was cupping her cheek, not when she could taste the wine on him, sweet and tart. All that mattered was that he was there with her, and he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Adelleine’s breath left her body in a rush when Magnus rolled on top of her, the carafe of wine long forgotten on the floor. Every inch of her body was covered with Magnus’ own, and she could feel his touch everywhere on her, making her dizzy with lust.

She wanted nothing more than to rid herself of her clothes, to feel, and touch, and kiss all of Magnus, but his hands were lingering on her hips, simply holding onto them as they kissed.

“Magnus,” she whispered, “Magnus, please.”

“Tell me what ye want.”

“You,” Adelleine said. “I want you.”

Magnus didn’t hesitate to give Adelleine what she wanted. In an instant, he pulled her up and his hands began to rip the clothes off her body, though the alcohol made him fumble and curse under his breath every time that the laces of her corset slipped through his fingers. It certainly wasn’t helping that the laces were facing away from him, and Adelleine thought Magnus must have realised it when he flipped her onto her stomach on the bed.

She couldn’t help the moan that he drew out of her as he began to pepper kisses on her neck, while his fingers finally managed to free her from her corset. Then, she felt him pull back from her, and when she turned to look at him, she found him already shirtless.

Adelleine shifted on the bed, so that she was facing Magnus once more, and she trailed the pads of her fingers down his chest, her nails scratching gently at his skin. Her gaze travelled down his body, taking in the hard muscles of his chest and stomach, and her fingers followed suit, tracing the same line as her eyes.

The baron certainly didn’t look like that, she thought.

When her lips found Magnus’ own again, he sighed against her, and the two of them fell back onto the mattress, as they both scrambled to get rid of the rest of Adelleine’s garments. Once the very last one had hit the floor, Magnus kissed his way down Adelleine’s neck, then down her chest, his hands coming up to cup her breasts. Magnus moved lower and lower, his lips barely brushing Adelleine’s skin, and she propped herself up on her elbows with a small frown on her face.

She wondered what it was that he was doing, but she didn’t have to wonder for long.

Soon, she felt a warmth between her legs, and she let out a soft, shocked gasp, her head falling back in pleasure at Magnus’ ministrations. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream, her eyes shut firmly as Magnus swirled his tongue against her, and all she could do was grip onto his hair as wave after wave of that pulsing, torturous feeling crashed over her.

Magnus’ hands left her breasts, then, and made their way to her hips yet again, pulling her closer to him and pinning her down, holding Adelleine still as he pleasured her. Adelleine felt feverish, her entire body on fire as her hips chased the sensation, her hands gripping on anything that they could reach—the sheets, Magnus, the headboard, anything to ground herself.

Her completion drew a scream out of her, and Adelleine clamped a hand over her mouth to silence herself, her thighs trembling under the force of her climax. Magnus continued lavishing her with attention, his ever-inquisitive mouth never stopping and instead pushing her through her zenith, until her flesh was too sensitive and she couldn’t help but withdraw from him, her hips shying away from his touch.

She was still breathless when Magnus shuffled up the bed, lying down next to her, but the first thing that she noticed was the obvious strain in his trews. Adelleine’s hand reached for Magnus, then, but before she could touch him, he grasped it in his own and laced their fingers together, pressing a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“This night was for ye,” he said, “I wanted to pleasure ye.”

Adelleine said nothing. She didn’t know what to say to him, after all, but she simply settled against his chest, letting Magnus wrap his arm around her.

Within minutes, she was asleep, lulled by the sound of Magnus’ heart.

When she awoke once more, it was morning, the sun shining brightly through the window of her room. She soon realised that she was cold, as though the heat that she had been enjoying throughout the night wasn’t there anymore, and then she noticed that was because Magnus wasn’t by her side anymore.

He was still in the room, standing by the window, fully dressed, and suddenly Adelleine felt the need to cover up her body. She grabbed the sheets, pulling them around herself, and only then did she speak to Magnus, hesitantly getting his attention.

“You’re awake,” she said, for lack of anything better to say.

“Aye.”

She couldn’t decipher Magnus’ tone. She couldn’t understand much about him, and his one-word replies were no different to her, though if she were to guess, she would say that Magnus was regretting the previous night.

“I . . . last night, it was a mistake.”

Adelleine froze, her throat suddenly closing up and her stomach tying itself in a knot. That wasn’t what she had been expecting to hear from Magnus.

Perhaps it had been the wine, she thought, or perhaps Magnus had simply felt lonely, and that was why he had come to her. She had been mistaken to think that he could share her feelings, that he could ever possibly have any feelings for her at all.

It was one night, it seemed, and nothing more.

“It was . . . it was out of line,” Magnus continued, when Adelleine didn’t say anything, “Forgive me. I should have never done it.”

Adelleine was alright with that, she told herself. She didn’t have any other option, of course, as she wasn’t about to fall to her knees and beg Magnus to want her back, no matter how much she wanted him. She had known from the start that she shouldn’t be seeking out a romance with him, and yet she had been foolish enough to allow the events of the previous night to take place.

It had been her own mistake, she thought. She should have never given in to her desires in the first place.

“We’ll never mention it again,” Adelleine said.

It didn’t matter to her what else Magnus was going to say. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to hear it, because she was certain that it would sting, and she had had enough heartbreak to last her a lifetime. It was better to simply nip whatever there was between them in the bud, and never speak of it again, no matter how drawn to him Adelleine was.

Her words seemed to catch Magnus by surprise, but he didn’t object to them. Instead, he simply nodded silently, and a part of Adelleine was relieved.

The night they had shared had been nothing short of amazing for her, but it was what it was—just one night. There was no reason for it to become something more for them,

“Weel . . . that’s settled, then,” Magnus said with a definitive sigh, “I’ll let ye dress, and then we’ll leave. We should have already been on our way by noo.”

Magnus didn’t even give Adelleine time to reply before he left the room, closing the door swiftly behind him. Adelleine only allowed herself to slump back onto the mattress once she heard Magnus’ footsteps retreating, and then she gave herself one moment to gather up her pieces, before she stood and dressed in a hurry.

She didn’t want Magnus and his men to have to wait for her, though she dreaded to face Magnus once more.

The man had seen her naked, she thought. He had done things to her that no other man had, and Adelleine would have let him—no, would have begged him—to do so much more, but there was no going back from the words that had been exchanged between them.

Her corset felt different once she put it on, struggling to lace it on her own. All of her garments felt different, her very skin felt different, and she could only blame Magnus and his hands for it, the hands that had burned trails on her body, the hands that she already craved again.

Adelleine looked at herself in the mirror and proceeded to quietly scold her reflection. She was being silly, foolish, attached to a man who was perhaps attracted to her, but didn’t want anything more from her.

Adelleine fixed her hair and dusted her clothes with her hand. Then she walked to the door, and prepared herself to look at Magnus in the eyes.