Page 92 of Highland Hero
“Me?” She felt indignation rising. “Youwere the one avoiding the topic.”
An eyebrow rose. “I was?”
“Yes.” She lifted her chin. “You acted like nothing had happened this morning when I came in to the breakfast room.”
The brow went higher. “Ye wanted to me to announce what we did to everyone?”
Her face heated. “Of course not. I just thought… Oh, never mind.”
“What I wanted to do this morning was kiss ye senseless.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“Aye.” He smiled. “And I would have liked to carry ye back upstairs and have my way with ye all over again, but there was nae time.”
“Oh.” A perfectly inane, stupid word, but all she could manage.
“Would ye have liked that?”
She nodded, her brain still not quite functioning fully. Finally, she managed to find words. “I would like to do it again.”
“I would as well, but I doona want to make ye my leman.”
“Leman?”
He thought. “Ye English would call it mistress, I think.”
“Ah. I do not wish that, either. But according to Sima, we are already married. In Scotland, anyway.” She felt herself blush. “Besides, we have already consummated…”
“The deed, aye, but I took care nae to get ye with child, so ye doona have to agree to the handfasting. No one at Strae Castle needs to find out.”
Juliana studied him, swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the answer, but she had to ask. “I will not hold you to any promises you did not want to make. Doyouwant to be free?”
He took a moment before he answered. “When I spoke the words at MacLean’s, it was a means to get ye away from Neal Cameron. But even then, I kenned I would honor the vow.”
“But did youwantto?”
“Mayhap nae then.” He shrugged. “I had nae thought to get married for years. I certainly dinna think it would be to a Sassenach. And I wanted a biddable lass when I did decide—”
“You need not finish. None of that describes me.” Juliana lifted her reins. “Let’s just ride, shall we? The sooner we can get home—”
“Wait, lass.” He grabbed the reins. “Ye dinna let me finish.”
She lifted a brow. “I am sure that is not necessary. You made your point. I do not need any more—”
“Will yehush? Just this once?”
She pursed her mouth and glared at him.
He gave her a wary look. “What I was going to add, was—ye have changed my mind. Somehow, ye managed to get under my skin.”
Her brow lifted again. “That hardly sounds like a compliment.”
He smiled. “It may nae sound like one, but ’tis, lass. I have never had such feelings as I have for ye.” The smile broadened into a grin. “Ye are the only woman who has managed to irritate me enough to ken I doona want to let ye go.”
“Such flattery,” Juliana said. “My heart is fluttering so, I may swoon.”
“Ye doona swoon.” He tilted his head. “I cause your heart to flutter?”
