“Emma—”
“I cannae marry a man I daenae trust. And third, ye’re never to grab me or drag me anywhere again.”
Jack leaned back a little and studied her, a surprised smirk on his lips. He then moved away from his desk and crossed the space between them. Before she could protest, his hand settled on her waist, light over the fabric. She felt the shape of his palm through the fabric and felt something quiver inside her.
“So I’m nae allowed to do this?” he asked, sliding his palm around the small of her back.
“Nay,” she uttered. “Remove yer hand.”
He removed it at once, but his expression did not shift. He lifted a finger to her chin and raised her face to his. There they were, those shiny green eyes.
Those shiny andmischievousgreen eyes.
“What about this?” he asked.
“Nay,” she said, her voice sharper. “In fact, ye’re nae allowed to touch me.”
He stayed where he was for a heartbeat, then stepped back. Her cheeks felt hot, and she hated that he might see it.
Jack’s lips twitched. “Fine. I willnae touch ye. At least nae unless ye ask for it.”
“Oh, I willnae,” she said confidently. “That is never going to happen.”
“Is that what ye think?”
“‘Tis what Iken.”
The words hung between them like a line on a map. A line neither of them could cross for some reason.
Emma kept her eyes on him. “Me rules stand, Jack.”
“And mine,” he added, unable to hide the surprise on his face at the mention of his name.
“Then we agree on one at least.”
“Aye.”
For a brief moment, none of them spoke. The moment felt too hot, too tense for any of them to break for some reason. She wanted to look at him with nothing but venom, and yet the only thing she could see was him shirtless. She couldn’t stop thinking about the fight she had seen that morning, and she hated just how cocky he looked at the moment.
“I’d better get back to breakfast,” she muttered, exhaling before her mind could stray even further.
She turned around and opened the door, feeling the cooler air of the corridor hit her face. She stepped out and pulled the door shut. Then, she stood for a moment longer outside the study to catch her breath.
What in God’s name is wrong with ye, Emma?
CHAPTER 9
Five Days to Her Decision
Jack satat the long table, the ledgers pushed aside so Troy could spread his reports. The fire burned steadily, warm against the stone floor.
Dinner that evening was not a grand affair, even though Olivia and Catriona were present. Jack could feel their eyes on him even as they conversed.
Troy was speaking about patrol routes, and Jack listened, though his eyes were fixed on the flames. The discussion was familiar. It was about protecting their borders, the welfare of the riders, and other things he normally would be more interested in if he weren’t distracted by something else entirely.
As if the universe had listened to his innermost thoughts, a shift in the air suddenly pulled his gaze to the far doors, and his eyes landed onheras she walked in.
The light caught her first. Her gown shone faintly with each step she took, in the bright blue quiet. Her hair was pinned loosely, and a ribbon lay on the curve of her neck. The noise in the hall seemed to die down, and for a moment, Jack forgot the map, the guard list, the hour.
