Maisie's cheeks flushed, part pride, part embarrassment. "I have nay choice," she said quietly. "I'm nay one's prisoner by choice. I'll nae give ye the satisfaction of breakin' me."
Caiden's hand twitched involuntarily, craving to reach for her but knowing he must hold back.
Instead, he sat heavily opposite her, folding his arms across his chest.
"So," he said, "I've a plan, ye'll stay here, play the part, and we'll see where the truth lies. The thief's moves willnae go unnoticed for long. I have eyes and ears everywhere."
His eyes gleamed with a mixture of menace and something softer, something almost regretful.
Maisie swallowed hard, sensing the depths of the game they were caught in. "Stay here? For how long?"
"Ye will send another letter to this merchant of yers. The one from the letter ye hold with ye. Ye will write and direct him to meet with another buyer that will pay a higher price."
She gasped. "Ye mean to use me as bait?"
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Maisie's heart thumped loudly in her chest. "Ye cannae do that."
Caiden's voice cut through her awe like a sharp blade. "Ye stand there like ye've seen a ghost, Maisie."
Maisie flushed but held her ground. "Yer plan makes nay sense at all. By now, me whole village has heard I have gone missin', so a letter from me will be noticed."
He stepped closer, the scent of peat smoke and leather filling the space between them. "Ye're playin' a dangerous game, challengin' me so freely." His eyes glinted with warning and something else, something warmer.
Maisie met his gaze, though her heart hammered. "I'm nay one's fool. I can handle more than ye think, Caiden." She bit her lip, refusing to admit the quickening beat in her chest.
"Aye, but I'm nae a man ye want to test." He closed the distance, his voice dropping low. "While ye're in this castle, ye'll do as I say and ye'll nae leave me side. If I ride, ye ride. If I'm in me study, ye'll be right there."
"And what if I choose nae to obey?"
He smirked, the cockiness of a laird shining through. "Then ye'd find out just how controllin' I am."
Maisie's defiance wavered for a heartbeat, and she quickly looked away, cheeks warm. The firelight danced in his eyes, and for a moment, she almost forgot she was a captive, not a guest.
She folded her arms tight, eyes flashing with stubborn fire. "I daenae ken why ye think I'd do anythin' foolish. Surrounded by yer men, there's nay chance I could escape, but I'll nae be yer pet to follow at yer heel like some wee dog." She gave a sharp scoff, daring him to argue further.
Caiden's gaze darkened, his jaw clenched. "Me word is final, Maisie, and unless ye fancy sleepin' in me chambers tonight, ye'll stop yer quarrelin'."
He stepped closer, the heat of his body brushing hers, igniting a tension between them that she dared not name aloud.
"I'm warnin' ye, lass. Keep this up, and I'll nae be gentle."
Maisie's breath hitched, her pulse quickening despite the anger she wore like armor. She hated herself for this growing pull, this tangled mess of wanting and fury wrapped up in one man who'd taken her captive. Her heart screamed betrayal.
How could I have attraction for a brute who's stolen me freedom? Yet every time his eyes meet mine, the fire within only grows stronger.
"Ye think ye can scare me with threats?" Maisie challenged, chin high and voice sharp. "I am nae a coward. If ye think I'll break under yer stare, ye're sore mistaken." She dared him to close the distance, to test her resolve.
Caiden's eyes darkened like the brewing storm outside, and he moved until only inches separated them.
"Aye, and ye continue to test me, Maisie. But be warned, the next step I take might nae be for gentle words." His voice was low, thick with something fierce and dangerous, as if daring her to push him further. "I could kiss ye right here and now, and ye'd nae be able to stop me."
Maisie's breath caught, a shiver running down her spine despite herself. She met his stormy gaze with equal defiance, her lips curling in a smirk.
"If ye think I'm afraid of ye..."
Caiden's lips twitched, the barest hint of a smile breaking through the storm. "Ye've got courage, Maisie, that much I'll give ye. But I'm nae man to be toyed with. So, mark me words, we'll find out what ye're made of, whether ye like it or nae."
