She hadn’t moved from her spot on the floor. But her confusion hung in the air, and their heavy breathing filled the silence.
He needed to say something. But what could he? How could he possibly explain the complexity of relationships the McKenna matchmakers had? And that he had to be extra careful when it came to his own match?
If all the matchmakers had been blinded by their emotions, then maybe he couldn’t allow himself to have a marriage with any feelings—at least initially. Maybe it was better if he entered into a relationship that was cordial and agreeable. Something platonic. More like a business exchange. Not this burning passion he felt with Zaira, a passion that made him lose his mind and all self-control.
Aye, that was it. In order to succeed where all the other matchmakers in his family had failed, he had to take an opposite strategy. He needed to be clearheaded and form a match based on logic—a logic that would put solid character qualities over feelings like the ones he was having with Zaira.
No matter how difficult such a strategy might be, especially with Zaira, he had to do it.
19
What had happened between her and Bellamy? One minute he was kissing her like he could never get enough of her. And the next moment, he was cold and distant.
She wanted to say something, ask him what was wrong. But a part of her was afraid of what he would say, that he would reject her again.
She pushed up from the floor, needing to stretch after sitting for so long. The quietness in the bank basement was eerie, and she guessed the robbers had finished cracking the safe open and already made their getaway.
So much for being the heroine and saving the day. Instead, she was an utter failure in this adventure she found herself in. Not only hadn’t she discovered a way to free herself and outwit the crooks, but now she’d made a fool of herself with Bellamy. Again.
She hadn’t misread him, had she? His touch, his kisses on her fingers, even his putting his arm around her, had all made her feel as though he truly cared about her. No onecould kiss with so much emotion behind it the way he just had and then pretend like it didn’t mean anything. No one else was present for them to impress like at the party, and he couldn’t tell her he was just acting.
“Bellamy?” She couldn’t let it go. It just wasn’t in her nature to do so.
She could almost feel him stiffen.
“What’s going on?” The question tumbled out. “For a pretend relationship, our kisses aren’t very pretend.”
He exhaled a long sigh. “I’m sorry—”
“Please don’t apologize.” Her chest squeezed. “Instead, give me the explanation I deserve.”
“’Tis a long story.” His voice was laced with frustration.
“We have plenty of time for a long story.” They had nothingbuttime at this point.
“Oh aye, so we do.”
She waited for him to keep going, to reveal that perhaps he already had a secret relationship with another woman, or that he wanted to wait until he was famous with his painting before he allowed himself to get serious, or that he had a terminal illness that would prevent him from a long-term relationship.
Okay, so maybe the last reason was something that belonged in a fictional story. But the other two reasons were possibilities. “Do you care about another woman? Is that it?”
“Ach, the devil. Do you really think me capable of cheating, Zaira?”
“I don’t know. Then is it your art? You want to get established or famous as a painter before you get married, don’t you?”
He blew out another tense breath. “No, that’s not it.”
Her muscles had tightened with each of his answers. “Then what, Bellamy? Why are you avoiding whatever this is that is happening between us?”
There, she’d said it. She’d admitted their relationship was more than playacting. Thankfully he couldn’t run away from her, was trapped in the same room, and had to say something.
He was silent for another long moment. Then he spoke in a low, raw voice. “You should know something about the McKenna matchmakers. They’re unlucky in love.”
She nearly scoffed but then voiced her response as calmly as she could. “How so?”
“Matchmakers in my family, for as far back as anyone can recall, always end up in bad marriages. They’re lucky in finding love for others but unlucky for themselves.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
