She gave a dry, bitter laugh, then released the thought that had been haunting her all evening, the one that had finally sent her fleeing her bed in search of relief.
“I’ll marry Ewan,” she said. “But who is to say that will stop Gordon? What’s to stop him from trying to wed Vaila next?”
Any languor that had been in James’ form vanished in an instant. He sat bolt upright, instantly becoming the fearsome soldier once more.
“Vaila is no one’s prize,” he said sternly. “Gordon will nae get his hands on her, not while I’ve breath left in my body.”
This was afascinatingresponse, but, fortunately for the captain, Ailsa was too weary to push him further.
“Nor mine,” she agreed. “But ye dinnae need to be looking at me as though I’m preparing to throw her to the wolves, James. Allow me to remind ye that she is my beloved sister, and that I’ve known her for a great deal longer than a few days.”
For a breath, she thought her words would irritate James. But then he settled back in his chair with a sigh.
“Apologies, Ailsa,” he said. “Perhaps it willnae surprise ye to learn that yer sister has a rare talent for getting under my skin.”
Ailsa laughed at that and, goodness, it felt sowonderfulto laugh after the tension of these past few days.
“But ye’ve hidden it so well,” she teased.
James laughed at that, too.
“What the hell is this?”
Both Ailsa and James jolted in surprise at Ewan’s furious growl from the doorway. His expression was thunderous, but Ailsa thought she glimpsed a hint of hurt beneath that.
James gave his friend a highly unbothered look, and this, more than anything the captain had said, bolstered Ailsa’s confidence that Ewan was as good as James had said. If not, the savvy captain never would have risked such blatant insubordination. They had to be friends in truth, near to brothers.
“Do your eyes nae work, Ewan? We’re having a wee drink and a chat, nay more.”
“Leave.” Ewan was fixed on Ailsa, but the comment was indisputably for James. “I’ll be havin’ a private word with my future wife.”
Ailsa tried not to let on that hearing Ewan’s guttural drawl saymy future wifesent a shiver of feeling through her that struck her as far more like anticipation than dread.
James sighed in exasperation.
“Aye, fine, as ye command, my laird.”
The title he gave his friend was dripping with sarcasm, and the irritated look that Ewan shot his friend said that James would pay for that comment later. James grinned mischievously. Ewan grumbled, then pinned Ailsa once more with his glare.
“Give him hell, lass,” James muttered to Ailsa as he passed her, drink still in his hand.
As soon as he was gone, all the air seemed to vanish from the room.
Ailsa, feeling drawn toward Ewan as if on a string, stood and took a step toward him.
“Ewan,” she said soothingly, despite not knowing where to go next.
He surged forward, grabbed her about the waist, and pressed her against the nearby wall, his hand coming up to cushion her head, so there was no discomfort at the impact. In fact, the chill radiating off the stone walls despite the warmth of the room was… Well, Ailsa couldn’t properly call it soothing, as it heightened the heat coming off Ewan’s body too much to be anything but arousing. But it felt good, that solidity at her back.
Just not nearly as good as the solidity of Ewan’s bulk at her front.
“Is this why ye are hesitant about our marriage, then?” he demanded, fingers twining through her hair. “Have ye set yer cap for James? Because, I remind ye, he is my captain. He willnae go against me.”
Thatwas what he thought?
“Are you insane?” she demanded, determined not to show weakness. She’d dealt with stubborn Scots all her life. Ewan was just another one of those—no matter that her body kept trying to tell her that he was very different.
He narrowed his eyes at her. They were so blue, those eyes. Sometimes she felt certain they could see directly through her, straight into her soul.
