Page 36 of The Highlander's Auctioned Virgin
“Aye. Ye. Was that nae why ye organized this ridiculous series of tests for lairds from all over the Highlands?”
“I still daenae understand.”
Ciaran crossed to the side of the cabin, grabbed another stool, and dragged it over to her.
Elinor watched the veins in his arms bulge as he approached her. She could almost feel his arms around her again, pressing her against him, exploring her.
She shook her head sharply to dispel the thoughts the instant he placed the stool before her and sank onto it.
“Ye have to admit,” he started, “even if we daenae desire one another– ”
“Oh, I daenae think there is a word that can explain just how much I daenae desire ye.”
“Elinor– ”
“Me dislike of ye cannae be explained. ‘Tis massive. Huge.”
“Elinor– ”
“And ye cannae use lust to establish desire. Lust is blind, so ye cannae use it at all. That means whatever happened between us last night cannae be an indicator of any kind of– ”
“Elinor!” Ciaran snapped.
That shut her up. She swallowed and looked straight at him.
“I am certain that I have gotten the picture ye’re trying to paint, alright?”
She nodded.
He looked away, furrowing his brow in confusion when he noticed the glare she had leveled at him.
“I am merely saying,” he continued, “that none of the other lairds found ye yesterday.”
It suddenly clicked into place like wooden mill gears.
“None of them except me. Ye cannae deny that all those cowards left ye to fend for yerself.”
Elinor swallowed thickly.
“They left ye alone in the harsh weather, with little to nay care for what might have happened to ye,” Ciaran pointed out. “Ye cannae tell me that any of those lairds have the qualities ye are seeking in a husband.”
Silence descended on them, the realization dawning on her like the morning light.
“Unless, of course, cowardice was one of the qualities ye mentioned. Remember, I wasnae there when ye started.”
Elinor bit the inside of her cheek.
He was right, of course. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, he was right. He was the only one who had shown up at the lake despite the storm. He had won the auction, and it hadn’t even started.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
“Are ye certain ye daenae want more meat?”
She shook her head slowly. “We will return to the castle soon anyway.”
His words echoed in her mind.
A killer? What was the point of the auction if she ended up with a man who killed for a living? She could not believe this was her life.
