When Brighit broke the surface, she dragged in air as quickly as her lungs were able. He tamped down a rush of concern for her. It was obvious she’d heard their approach and hidden from them. Her choice to do so under water deserved no sympathy.
“What d’ye here, Brighit?” Darragh stood tall over her where she trembled in the water. “I do not see the men yer father insisted ye take with ye. Just. This. Morning.” He turned about, even opening his arms, pretending to look for them. “Where have they gone off to? Surely they should be whipped for such disobedience.”
Her wet shift and long brown hair were plastered against her skin. She looked so innocent and vulnerable. The thought of what could have happened to her cooled any sympathy for her condition. “Did ye leave with no one to protect ye? Yearea foolish lass.”
Her eyes flashed and before he could stop her, she was climbing out of the lough.
“I do not need to be guarded! My father is overprotective.”
He sucked in a breath, backing away as if he’d been struck. Her brazen move left him speechless and fighting, without success, to not take in every inch of her unabashedly displayed body. A fine body it was with long, shapely legs, and a narrow waist, no wider than the span of both of his hands.
“Wh-what are ye about now?” he asked, irritated with himself for revealing his own uncertainty, but she showed no indication she’d noticed it.
“I’m leaving. Isn’t that what ye’re suggesting? That I return to the village, where I will be well protected?”
When she stilled, his eyes widened in an effort to remain on her face, the angry slash of her brows and her wide, demanding gaze, andnotthe erect nipples atop her glorious, full breasts or the dark patch betwixt her thighs.
“Well?”
Her tone was demanding, and he struggled to focus on what she had asked. When he finally did, he tightened his jaw and narrowed his gaze right back at her.
“I’m notsuggestinganything. Ye’ve no business being out here alone, Brighit, and well ye know it. ’Tis not the time to be sneaking off. There are dangerous men about that could easily take advantage of an unprotected lass.”
Brighit shoved past him, ripping her gown from his loose grasp, leaving the scent of ever greens and honeysuckle in her wake.
“Ye know nothing about it,LordDarragh.”
She’d taken to using the title for the sole purpose of irritating him ever since her family’s visit to Alba where her uncle lived. They’d been visited by Norman knights, friends of her parents. The deference paid to them as landed warriors was a stark contrast to their own system of nobility.
She continued, “Ye’venot been here long.”
When she faced him, he gave up the fight. The air in his lungs expelled as he finally gave in to the urge to let his gaze travel along each enticing curve. He took a step toward her, then halted when Brighit’s eyes flashed, in surprise or fear, he couldn’t be certain which. She dragged the gown over her head and then hugged herself, covering her breasts, admittedly the area his gaze had lingered the longest—they were exquisite breasts. Her expression remained defiant even as her teeth began to chatter. Darragh pulled the fur-linedbraitfrom his shoulders to drape it around her and her sweet scent drifted to him, enticing him to linger near.
“Anyone could have come upon ye. Anyone.” He kept a firm tone despite the leanings of his imagination.
“But it was ye.” Irritation seethed from her. She tilted her head to pull her long, dark hair out from beneath the covering. The curve of her elegant neck beckoned him nearer still. The only thing that stopped him from lowering his lips to her soft flesh was the decision that this—her neck—was where his assault of her senses would begin on their wedding night.
“I’ll see ye to yer father now and tell him what ye’ve done.”
“Do not.” Her plea brought her hand up, just short of actually touching him. “I beg ye, Darragh.”
The quiet words hung between them. The first time his name had been uttered by her with no hint of derision or sarcasm since his clan’s arrival a week earlier. He took a breath, ready to reply, but halted. Her eyes were rounded a little too much. Her brows raised that perfect amount. The lass was working her wiles on him, damn if she wasn’t.
He’d almost reassured her that he would stay silent as long as she would promise never to do it again. And he would have been the worst of fools. Shewoulddo it again. Brighit would always do as she pleased. Only now, instead of being forthright, she was being sneaky. Instead of verbally sparring, she was trying to charm him. That was something the other lasses did, but hadn’t she shown him a thousand different ways that she was not like other lasses?
He paused before he gave her his reply. “As ye wish. I will not tell Sean.”
Her face immediately relaxed, and she dropped her gaze. He’d swear there was a hint of smile on her lips.
Darragh crossed his arms about his chest. “Heis only yer father.”
Her gaze flew back to him and she narrowed her eyes.
“A father sees to a lass only until she is wed.” He smiled. “Iam the one ye need to worry about.”
Her brows slashed down. “Ye have no say over me.”
“Iwill control everything about ye.”
