They hurried off together, leaving Murdock and Leona alone on the blanket, surrounded by the remnants of their meal.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Without Skye’s bright chatter and Rufus’s steady presence, the awareness that had been simmering beneath the surface all afternoon rose between them.
Murdock was suddenly acutely aware of how close Leona was sitting, of the way the sunlight played across her skin, of the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Of how much he wanted her.
“We need to talk,” he said, his voice rougher than intended.
Leona turned to look at him, wariness replacing the easy joy that had lit her face moments before. “About what?”
“About me wantin' to rip yer clothes off any time ye’re near me.”
The blunt words made her eyes widen, color flooding her cheeks. But she didn’t look away. Didn’t retreat.
“Murdock…”
“Daenae.” He shifted closer, close enough to see the pulse fluttering in her throat. “Daenae tell me ye havenae noticed. Daenae pretend this tension between us isnae real.”
“I never said it wasnae real.” Her voice had turned breathy. “But acknowledgin' it and actin' on it are two different things.”
“Are they?” He reached out, tracing the line of her jaw with one finger. Felt her shiver under his touch. “Because right now, lass, the only thing stopping me from laying ye down on this blanket and showing ye exactly how real it is, is the knowledge that me daughter and yer brother are less than fifty yards away.”
Leona’s breathing had quickened. “This isnae about desire, Murdock. It never was.”
“Isnae it?” He let his hand fall away, but kept his eyes on hers. “Leona, we cannae pretend we’re just friends playin' at courtship. The attraction between us is real. The connection is real. I offer marriage, a great escape to yer problems. Why can ye nae see sense?”
The frustration in his voice was palpable, edged with the sexual tension that had been building between them for days.
“Why canyenae?” She leaned forward, her eyes flashing. “Would ye condemn me to a life without love simply because ye desire me? Because it’s convenient? Because it solves the immediate problem?”
“I’m trying to keep ye alive, woman!”
“I ken that!” Her voice rose to match his. “But what kind of life am I living if it’s just survival? If it’s just existing from one day to the next with nay joy, nay passion, nay… nay love.”
“Better a life without love than nay life at all.” The words came out harsh, final.
“But life without love is nay life at all.” Leona’s voice broke slightly. “It’s just breathin'. Just going through the motions. Me parents taught me that.”
“So what if I cannae give ye that?” Murdock heard himself ask, the admission torn from somewhere deep and painful. “What if the best I can offer is protection and desire and… and this?” He gestured between them, at the tension that crackled like lightning. “What if that has to be enough because anything more, anything deeper, is something I’m nae capable of?”
“Yearecapable of it.” Leona’s voice was fierce now. “I’ve seen ye with Skye. I’ve watched ye with yer people. Ye love, Murdock. Ye just daenae trust it.”
“Trust has nothin' to do with it.”
“It has everythin' to do with it!” She shifted closer, close enough that he could feel the heat of her body. “Ye’re afraid. Nae of Ragnall, nae of war, but of this. Of lettin' someone in. Of givin' them the power to hurt ye.”
“Ye think I daenae ken that?” His voice dropped low, dangerous. “Ye think I havenae spent years buildin' walls precisely to prevent that? To keep meself safe, to keep Skye safe, to never, ever become the kind of man me faither was?”
“Yer faither? Ye said he wasnae very good.” Leona’s brow furrowed. “But what does he have to do with?—”
“Everythin'.” The word came out like a curse. “He has everythin' to do with it.”
Murdock stood abruptly, needing to move, to put distance between them before he said something he couldn’t take back. But Leona stood too, following him, refusing to let him retreat.
“Then tell me,” she demanded. “Tell me what ye mean. Help me understand why ye’re so convinced that what I’m askin' for is impossible.”
But before he could find the words, the sound of hoofbeats reached them. Fast and urgent.
