Duncan lifted his arm, watching with interest as she cleaned the injury. He wasn’t sure how he had gained it. Probably when he had taken that tumble over the bench while trying to stop Seonaid from starting the bedding ceremony. Whatever the case, he had first noticed it the morning after the wedding, but it had seemed insignificant then. He had only realized this morning that it was beginning to fester. He had thought to take a hot poker to it to burn off the poison tonight after sup. Infection was dangerous. It could take a limb, or worse, a life. Now he watched his wife minister to it and decided to give her herbs a day or so to work, then tend to it himself if they did not.

His gaze slid to Iliana’s face and a slow smile tugged at his lips. She was nibbling away fiercely at her lower lip as she worked, her forehead drawn into a frown of concentration. He would not mind smoothing that frown away and nibbling at her lip himself. And he would. Her wariness was gone now.

“There.” Straightening, Iliana discarded the soiled linen and retrieved a clean one. “I shall bandage it for now, but it shall have to be cleaned again this eve before we retire,” she told him, beginning to wrap the strip of cloth around his arm as she spoke.

“Aye,” he murmured, beginning to tense on the bed.

“You should have shown it to me earlier. “Tis dangerous to allow infection to grow,” she lectured, tying off the bandage. Then she straightened to look over her handiwork. Satisfied, she nodded, then turned toward the table again, intent on putting her herbs away and returning belowstairs. But before she even grabbed up her pouch, she felt Duncan take her hand. Turning, she was surprised to find him now standing.

“I would thank ye fer yer efforts on me behalf,” he rumbled, then tipped up her chin with one finger and dropped his mouth to cover hers.

Iliana went as still as death in his arms. Even her heart seemed startled into stopping. She simply stood there, eyes wide and mouth still beneath his as he rubbed his own lips across them.

One benefit of such a surprise was that she had been startled into holding her breath. At least she’d stopped breathing, which meant she wasn’t breathing in the scent of him as he kissed her. It allowed her the opportunity to simply enjoy the sensations his touch awoke inside her, without suffering his scent. And oddly enough, he was stirring things to life in her with that soft caress.