“Ye must always look me in the eye if ye daenae want to be punished.”
Her eyes widened, and she finally looked at him.
“Ye daenae get to touch me however ye want,” she snapped, but there was no real bite to it. She was looking away from him again.
Fergus cupped her jaw with one hand, putting pressure so that her mouth popped open.
“I’m to be yer husband. Ye should get used to me touch, lass.”
His hands swept down her back, hovering over her buttocks, and Jeane’s breath started to come faster. He could practically hear her heart pounding as close as she was.
He leaned down to kiss her, but he was only able to brush his lips across hers before she pulled away.
“I told ye,” she said, her brown eyes flashing. “Ye daenae get to do whatever ye want.”
Fergus could not help but smirk as he looked down at her.
This lass was fiery, and that only made him want her more.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jeane could not breathe, and her heart was racing. Fergus was so close that he could lean down and kiss her again any time he wanted. And shewantedhim to. She wanted him to so badly that her fingers itched to reach out and clutch at his tunic.
“Are ye askin’ me to stop?” Fergus asked in a growl, stepping closer.
Nay.
But she did not say it. Could not say it. He did not touch her again, just stood in front of her, his hands by his sides now.
Jeane felt flushed all over, heat pooling in her lower belly, and she could not figure out why. What was it about Fergus’ demands that made her want him so badly? She had been running from the idea of marriage since she came of age because of her father, but now the idea seemed a solution for her.
She just was not sure. And she was not sure that she would ever be sure because Fergus keptdemanding,and she wanted him to want her. Wanted him towantto marry her, not just want her as a healer.
“I didnae agree to marry ye. I willnae,” she said fiercely, facing him but stepping farther away from him.
“Ye wish to marry someone else?” His voice went low and dangerous again, his expression shuttered, but his dark eyes nearly black with rage.
“I didnae say that. Daenae put words in me mouth,” she argued, but Fergus did not seem to be backing down.
“Be careful, lass. Any man who touches ye other than me will meet his Lord.”
“Ye cannae just threaten to kill anyone who touches me,” she said, exasperated, and Fergus just barked out a dark laugh.
“I can do whatever I want,” he said smugly, and she wanted to hit him. She wanted to kiss him.
She did not know what she wanted.
“Nae to me, ye cannae,” she argued, but she did not pull away. “Ye have nay right to tell me who I can and cannae marry. I ran from me father because he wanted to tell me who I could love, and I willnae marry a man I daenae want.”
She knew the words were a lie as soon as they came out of her mouth. Shedidwant Fergus—more than she had ever wanted anything but freedom. Fergus had threatened that freedom, and she wouldn’t let even him deprive her of that. Not to mention, she did not want to be married to someone cruel—and she was not sure if Fergus was cruel or just jaded.
He had taken her by force. She could not even be angry about that anymore because it had allowed her to get away from her father, but it still made her wonder. What kind of man was Fergus?
She needed time to figure it out, to know exactly what her next step should be.
“Ye daenae want me, little mouse?” he asked in a low, almost hurt voice, and her eyes darted to his. She found them deep, so dark brown they were almost black, staring into her as if they could see right through her.
“Ye daenae wantme!” she burst out, and Fergus glared at her, letting out a scoff.
