"Aye," Leah answered as Killian reached for the fork and stabbed a boiled potato. He glared a warning at her. The way she slowly opened her mouth caused little bumps to ripple through Killian's body. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have her lush lips all over him.
"Now there's a good lass," he whispered, letting the words drip off his lips like water from a duck's back. Leah's ire burned within her gaze as she chewed the food meticulously, refusing to drop her seething glare. It was a look Killian had grown to adore. It wasn't quite menacing enough, but he could see she was deadly serious.
"Tell me about Mason," he prompted, offering another bite of the food.
Leah arched her eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest. “I’ll tell ye whatever ye want me to so long as ye let me go.”
The play was clearly over. It pained him to have to let her go. He'd grown accustomed to her body resting on his legs and warming him. But the jig was up. The crowd had been appeased and Fraser no longer stalked the shadows.
"Now ye want to talk about yer brother?"
"If I dinnae want to ken, I wouldnae have asked," Killian answered as he let her slip off his lap and settle into the empty seat beside her.
"He's doin' better. Although I daenae think that lanky man should be seein' him anymore. He always makes Mason so aggravated and I daenae think it's good for his recovery," Leah said. It didn't take long for Killian to realize who Leah was referring to.
"Alan?" Killian asked.
"Aye, that's the name."
"Alan is a good man," Killian answered as he served Leah some of the lamb. "We both have learned a great many things from that man."
"Mason told me that Alan was the only one who stood up for ye after the accident," Leah said. Shock and dread raced through him like a stiff wind. He swallowed hard as he stared at her for a moment.
"Accident? Is that what they've called it?" Killian hissed as he tried to tame the fire smoldering in his bones. "And what do ye ken of the accident?"
"Nothin'," Leah answered, the conviction in her tone left nothing to doubt. "Just that there was a horrible accident involvin' ye and Mason and yer faither. Only, yer faither dinnae make it."
Killian shuttered as the memory pranced dangerously close to the edge of his mind. Letting such thoughts have free rein was never a good idea. Killian rolled his shoulders back and cleared his throat.
"I daenae think that this is a topic for dinner," Killian said with every ounce of emotion drained.
"Nay, perhaps it's nae," Leah said as she placed her napkin on the table. "I'm afraid I've lost me appetite."
Frustrated, Killian tossed the utensils down and pursed his lips into a tight line. Why did he always find a way to ruin things? A small gasp of shock escaped Leah as she sat straighter.
"Sit," he ordered. Noticing the fear flickering in her eyes, Killian pulled in a long, deep breath as he scraped off the "please" from the tip of his tongue.
"I daenae like bein' made a spectacle of," Leah said as she glanced to the bay windows. "Ye said we werenae to go public until after the party. We still have two weeks."
"Aye, but things are progressin'," Killian said. "And I didnae ken how else to get ye alone to tell ye. I could have brought ye into me study, but by closin' the door it would ruin yer reputation."
"Me reputation? Since when have ye cared at all about that?"
"I daenae," Killian answered. "But seein' as how most of society does, I ken what it would happen to ye should they all think somethin' more is goin' on between us. We must do things properly, as tedious and annoyin' as it is."
"Hence the dress?"
Killian glanced up from his plate of food to really take in Leah's dress. A smirk danced on his lips as he thought of how easy it would be to rip it off. Then, their uninvited guests would be sure to get a show. But Killian wouldn't do that to Leah, not when she managed to get under his skin.
"Happy accident," Killian answered. "I didnae have a clue as to what the dress maker came up with. But seein' as how ye daenae have very many and the one ye did have was tragically ruined."
"Tell me the truth, did ye put the soldier up to doin' that?"
"As cunnin' as that was, I had nay part in the matter. But ye cannae say ye’re nae a bit accident prone."
Leah's cheeks flushed a soft rouge as she settled back into her seat. Killian found it amusing watching her jump from oneemotion to the next. How easy it was to ruffle her feathers, but at the same time, he wondered why he was enjoying it so much. Was it the way her nose crinkled as she mulled over his words? Or perhaps the way she continued to steal glimpses of him despite the ire lingering in her gaze.
"I believe ye, but why did ye do it this time? Ye daenae owe me anythin'," Leah said. "And if it's some sort of bribe, well, I'd rather walk back to me room in me shift than continue to wear it."
