Page 25 of Married to the Icy Highlander
Ceana nearly fell over herself as she tried to stop him. She caught the hem of his kilt and tugged on it, forcing him to land heavily on his arse. Despite how amusing the undignified look on his face was, she forced herself not to laugh.
“Do ye truly have to go so quickly?”
Neil quirked an eyebrow. “Is there something in particular that ye wish to say to me, wife?”
She knew what he was angling for. She could feel it in his accusatory tone, and there was absolutely no denying that it was tempting. Her body reacted to the mere suggestion far more quickly than it ought to have. Her face flushed despite her best efforts.
If she were to beg, then what would happen? Surely he couldn’t possibly think that now was the appropriate time.
“Nay, I only mean that unless ye have far more pressing matters to attend to, why dinnae ye spend the hour with me to fulfill yer end of the bargain?” Ceana released the hem of his kilt and let her hand fall back to the blanket.
For a long moment, she thought that he was going to deny her and turn her away. She thought that he was going to set another rule. Instead, he remained where he was and helped himself to what was left of their dinner without another word.
“Where did ye go tonight?” she asked, hoping to break the ice just a little bit.
But of course, he was not willing to answer her question.
“I am nae askin’ about the inner workings of yer business, M’Laird. I only meant to start a conversation with ye. Surely ye do ken how conversations work?” Ceana continued with more attitude than she had initially intended. “Or perhaps Jeanie got yer personality when she was born?”
Neil’s eyes narrowed on her. “Ye think that ye’re a funny one, do ye nae? Or do ye make a habit of disrespectin’ yer husband?”
Had she sensed malice in his words, her answer might have been different. But, as was everything else, his words felt like achallenge. The man sitting across from her was a puzzle, and she had no idea how to start solving it.
“Is it disrespect to ask why ye seem incapable of speakin’ civilly?” Ceana pushed further. “Or am I only allowed to speak about things that ye approve of beforehand?”
“I went to the pub in the village.”
“Which one?”
“Is that important? Let’s talk about something interesting.”
“Do ye have any hobbies?” Ceana asked, smoothing her skirt around her legs and sitting up straighter so that she could see him better.
“Ye want to spend the hour talkin’ about hobbies?” Neil scoffed incredulously. “I dinnae understand how sittin’ here and talkin’ about such unimportant things will help ye get to ken me better.”
“Well, I have nay desire to go out on a hunt with ye, M’Laird, so I cannae exactly see ye in yer natural habitat.”
“Why, do ye think I would let anything happen to ye?”
“I am nae goin’ to sit around and wait for a man as if I am a simpering fool.”
“Nobody would ever mistake ye for a simpering fool, wife,” Neil said.
It almost sounded like a compliment. Ceana didn’t even know how to respond.
She huffed, frustrated as she stared at him. Though he seemed to like arguing with her even more than he liked speaking in a normal tone. Was it always going to be a struggle with him? Why did she want to win so badly?
“Are ye always this difficult to talk to, M’Laird? Ye ken, ye are really messin’ with this overly approachable air about ye.”
She turned away from him, feeling highly defeated. What was the point of speaking to him if he was going to be so damned stubborn?
“How am I supposed to get to ken ye?”
“Nae by askin’ nonsensical questions,” Neil retorted. “Ask something real—something that ye actually want the answer to.”
“What is yer biggest fear?” Ceana asked the first thing that came to mind, leaning forward on her hand, never breaking eye contact with him as she waited for him to bluster and deflect.
But he leaned in and narrowed his eyes at her. “The Loch Ness Monster,” he answered flatly.
