Page 10 of Tempting the Highland Devil
Yvaine quickly hugged the sides of the cloak close to her body, and he saw her teeth chatter. “Ye ruined me mornin’. That is what ye should be sorry about.”
She looked around, and he knew she was checking to make sure there was no one around them.
“Ye dinnae have to be afraid when ye are with me. Nay one will dare hurt ye. I won’t let them. Ye should ken that by now.”
Yvaine chuckled and shook her head. “I do ken that. Ye and Duncan treat me like I am nine summers old. In yer minds, I am a wee lass who doesnae ken how to care for herself. It is why me braither is intent to marry me off to some man who will do the job, and ye are bent on makin’ sure I pick the strongest of them in the end.”
“I offered to sabotage the competition for ye…That is me ruinin’ me friend’s plan for ye, Yvaine. Do ye understand that?”
Yvaine cocked her head to one side. “I still dinnae understand yer offer then. Why do ye insist so? I know deep down ye agree with me braither that I’m a helpless lass. And as much as I hate to admit it, ye are right. Those arrows would have killed me if…”
Her words sliced through him and made him forget all reason. He shook her by the shoulders. “Stop. Dinnae say things like that. Ye are nae helpless, and ye need to have a choice in the matter and…” Arran trailed off because he knew he was lying again.
He had told more lies these past few days than he ever had.
I offered to help because the thought of her belonging to anyone else is ridiculous.It made him mad with rage, and he could not show any of those feelings because it would mean he wanted her for himself.
And I do not.
“I am nay a bairn, Arran. If I decide to marry in the end, then I will. Ye dinnae need to shield me from every man.”
She turned away from him, walked to the riverbank again, then lowered herself to the log to sit. Arran stared at her back, watching her stare at the water.
Sighing, he combed his fingers through his hair and moved towards her.
“Do ye ken what yer braither said to me yesterday?”
Yvaine did not respond before he continued. “He thinks that I mislead ye in some way. That ye refuse to marry because somehow ye think…He’s afraid that we…”
Yvaine turned to him while he searched for the right words. Arran never felt nervous with a woman.Even with her.He usually had words lined up in his head, and Yvaine always had an answer for him.
It was why he enjoyed being around her most times.And why I enjoy being in MacLennan.
She blinked and waited for him to speak, but he could not explain the words in his head, so he simply stated. “Ye must marry, Yvaine. It is the right thin’ to do.”
Yvaine scoffed. “The right thin’ to do?” she asked and shook her head. “Ye just said I should have a choice.”
“Ye always have a choice, Yvaine,” he interrupted and shook his head. “Ye ken that. It is why I offered to help ye. I understand that ye dinnae want my help, but isn’t it better than havin’ to marry just any man who wins the competition?”
“I still dinnae understand why ye want to help when ye dinnae want to marry me for yerself. I asked ye before, Arran.” Arran was drawn to her as she spoke, and somehow, he inched closer so he could inhale a whiff of her scent.
His eyes moved with her lips, and he forgot to breathe as the sensations rocking through to his core drowned him.
“I want to find love and marry a man who will be me partner. Nay some brute laird who thinks he can control me because he won some stupid contest. I ken ye dinnae understand that considerin’ ye dinnae intend to marry anyone, but…” she trailed off, and when the tip of her tongue darted over her lip again, Arran nearly groaned.
He imagined the things he could do to her. Those lips caught his attention as she nibbled on them. Blood rushed to his head, and he felt the first wave of dizziness consume him.
Arran pushed down the lump in his throat till it hit the pit of his stomach hard.Dinnae think about it.He barely heard her words as he stared at those luscious lips.
What would they taste like?He already knew how warm she felt in his arms, but her taste…That would be better than any wine I have ever tasted.
“Either way, I willnae be marryin’ anyone, so there is indeed nay need for a competition.”
Arran knew he had to back down then, but the rage of his growing hunger for her scared him.I cannae risk doin’ this.Wanting Yvaine was disastrous. He could never give her the life she wanted.
“I cannae let that happen,” he said before he snapped out of his thoughts and rose to his feet.
“What?”
