Page 15 of The Highlander's Twisted Deal
He regretted letting Ava think that he had ill intentions towards her. In truth, it hadn’t occurred to him that she would think so badly of him. Looking back, there was no reason why she shouldnothave thought that way. It was a bad start.
Callum couldn’t say why, but he was somehow very, very keen that Ava should think well of him.
“I have a proposition for ye,” he said, breaking the silence first. “If ye would care to hear it.”
She arched one eyebrow. “I’ll hear it, but bear in mind, I can kill a man and leave no trace.”
He had to smile at that. “I shall bear that in mind. By the way, I must hear that story sometime. There is a story, isnae there?
The smile faded from Ava’s face, and he wished he hadn’t been so flippant.
Get a hold of yerself, man.Why should ye care if she likes ye or nae? Ye never cared in the past what others thought.
“What is yer proposition, then?” Ava asked at last.
Callum sighed, leaning back in his seat, swinging one long leg over the arm of the chair. Furniture was never built for men of his size.
“There’s nay point in beating around the bush,” he conceded. “There is only one way to say this. I am under great pressure to marry. I suggest that ye and I engage in a pretend courtship to satisfy me councilors.”
There was a brief silence. Ava blinked rapidly, and he forced himself to wait patiently for what she had to say.
“A courtship?” she managed. “Ye want to get married?”
“Are ye nae listening, lassie? We willnae wed. We just need to act as if we will. At the moment, all of me council meetings end the same way—them begging me to wed, and me refusing. Me aunt constantly begs me to think of marrying. Me uncle brings it up at every opportunity. I have a clan to run, I cannae be doing with this. I just want a wee bit of peace.”
To her credit, Ava had recovered quickly. She leaned forward, resting her interlaced fingers on the table. “Why me? Why a random, strange woman from another clan?”
“Good question. The truth is, I dinnae trust anyone here to keep it secret. These things get out. I need someone who has as much to gain from this as I do—someone who willnae try to trick me into marriage. Ye strike me as a woman like that. Fate threw ye me way, and I intend to take advantage of that.”
She pursed her lips, considering. “I take it there is something in this for me?”
He inclined his head. “Ye are right. First of all, I saved yer life earlier. We’ll call that debt quits, right away. Ye need safety, and ye need money. I can offer both. Enough gold that ye willnae have to work as a woman of the night—real or pretend—and ye will have the opportunity to start a new life. Here or elsewhere, it’s up to ye. And, of course, I can get anyone ye care about away from Clan MacCarthy.”
Her eyes widened at that. “There’s me maither, Niamh, the healer who tried to speak up for me. There was another lass, too, a dark-haired one, Elsie…”
He waved a dismissive hand. “Aye, I’ll bring them here right away if ye agree to me proposition.”
She watched him for a long moment, her fingers drumming on the table just as his had been.
“A false courtship?” she repeated. “No… no sleeping together, nothingofficial, nothing like that?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“And nobody would need to ken of me past? We could just tell them I’m a healer?”
“Aye, we could. I’m the Laird, so it’s unlikely anyone will question me choice of bride. And when the courtship breaks off, I’ll be suitably broken-hearted, earning meself a wee bit more peace and quiet.”
Ava pursed her lips, still watching him. Her intense gaze was sending tingles down Callum’s spine. He shifted uncomfortably, willing his thoughts to go in a more chaste direction.
“Maybe this is a foolish question,” she said after a pause, “but why dinnae ye simply get married? Choose a nice lass, and settle down? I hear that being in love is a pleasant thing.”
He’d expected this question. It was the question fired at him at every council meeting in varying stages of frustration.
“I’m nae the marrying kind,” Callum responded coolly. “Oh, I’m nae against marriage. It seems fine enough to me, but I’m nae the sort of man who… who can share the ones he loves easily enough. Marriage isnae ownership, after all. Love and marriage dinnae bring out the best side of every man. I ken that well enough. I’ve seen it.”
Ava frowned, just a little, and he knew she was longing to ask him again.
Dinnae,he prayed, and for once his prayers were answered.
