Page 45 of The Highlander's Auctioned Bride
“Are ye intendin’ tobribeme now?” she fumed, walking toward him and wishing she was a foot taller, so she did not feel so dwarfed in his presence.
James turned, the faint light from the torches in the courtyard below only illuminating a portion of his face. His dark eyes were in shadow, his brooding gaze fixed on her. He looked like a villain come to whisk her away, and she stopped short, fighting for breath, the familiar beat of arousal beginning to drum in her breast.
James stepped forward, but his gaze was no less angry than hers.
“I am getting’ tired of bein’ accused of things I ne’er intended,” he snapped. “They were gifts. Are ye so intent on us bein’ at each other's throats every day?”
“Me?” she stormed. “Ye are the one who hasnae even apologized for yer conduct last night.”
“I did apologize.”
“Ye didnae. Ye asked me to forgive ye but ye told me the opposite—that ye werenae sorry because ye have to prioritize yerclan.”
“And I dae.”
“Ye dinnae think I ken that?”
James paused, his dark eyes moving back to her face as she huffed angrily and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Dae ye truly think that I expect ye to choose yer wife, whom ye’ve kent for a week over yer own people? Over ariotno less?”
“Then why did ye?—”
“Because ye humiliated me.”
James stepped forward; his face was difficult to read in the half-light, but his stance was far less tense than it had been.
“Maisie—”
“Dinnae try to explain it again, I ken why ye left, but the least ye can dae is tell me to me face that ye regretted missin’ our weddin’ night together. I havenae seen ye for much of the day, and I come back to meaninglessgiftsto make up for it all.”
“I didnae mean for them to be meaningless?—”
“Me faither did it all me life.” James stopped, leaning back slightly as though examining her carefully. “He bought me presents to make up for his absences, and it was good at first, but after years of it I came to resent the very site of them.”
“I thought all lasses liked new dresses.”
She scowled. “Ye arenae even listenin’ to me!” she hissed and turned on her heel, walking back toward the open door and the darkness of the castle beyond.
She did not even make it half a step before she was spun bodily around and pressed against the low wall of the battlements. There were wide gaps between each merlon, and the crenels were low, the edge resting against the small of her back.
Even so, she felt horribly exposed; leaning out over the drop below her, she could feel her hair hanging into the abyss.
“I am gettin’ ever more tired of ye walkin’ away from me in a rage, Maisie Brown.”
“I am gettin’ tired ofyeJames MacLennan and we havenae even been wed a day.”
To her surprise, he laughed and held her a little tighter, moving his hands around her waist.
“I cannae think when ye’re ragin’ at me, it just makes me want to have ye even more.”
“Ye havenae had me. Ye didnae even try.”
“I tried, believe me. I’ve thought about little else all day.”
To her irritation, the rage that had been rumbling beneath her skin started to slowly ebb away, revealing the lust that had never quite faded.
Why daes this man have to ignite me desire like this? Why cannae I just hate him?
