He didn’t finish—deliberately. He didn’t have to. And her blush turned scalding. She couldn’t believe that he would mention their lovemaking all these weeks later. She, despite her wish to the contrary, thought about it frequently, too damned frequently actually. But he should have all but forgotten it by now.
And then, as had been typical of him in each of their last encounters, he said completely out of the blue, “Why are you encouraging him? He’s old enough tae be your da.”
She didn’t pretend to wonder whom he meant. “What has that to do with anything?” she asked him. “And he’s far fromold, Lachlan. James is in the prime of his life, perfectly healthy, physically fit, and women find him very attractive, myself included. Or is it that you don’t think two people of widely differing ages can have anything in common? I’d have to disagree there, since James and I have already discovered a wealth of things we share an interest in.”
He mumbled something under his breath before he grouched, “But can his kisses make you forget yourself, darlin’? Does he fire you with passion the way I do?”
It took every ounce of will she had to keep from blushing yet again and to reply in a thoughtful tone, “Hmmm, I don’t know, he hasn’t kissed me yet. Perhaps I should find out. But I would imagine, considering he’s had more years to practice that sort of thing, that he’d be quite good at it by now.”
“Then let me refresh your memory, so you can make a better comparison—”
“Don’t you dare!” she hissed. “Are you mad? We’re not alone here.”
He was grinning widely, now that he’d managed to disturb her. “Och, what a pity. But I suppose I can wait until we are alone.”
She gasped. “The devil you will—I mean, you can get any notions of kissing me again right out of your head, Lachlan MacGregor. I won’t be allowing it, and besides, why ever would you want to?”
“Kiss a beautiful woman?” He smiled. “Did I no’ warn you how fond I am of doing that?”
It occurred to her then that he was teasing her. She might have realized it sooner if she were used to being teased, but she wasn’t. Her reserved nature pretty much kept people from taking that liberty with her. But Lachlan was a bold devil. Just because she didn’t seem teasable, that wouldn’t stop him. And she wished she could figure out exactly when the teasing had actually started, and how much of what he’d just said he really meant.
For his efforts, though, she gave him a sour look. “Yes, you did warn me, and I’m sure you’ve been quite busy of late doing just that, with so many beautiful women around. And I wonder now if that isn’t why Jane lost her temper this morning with her mother, that she was so set on having you because you’d turned her head with a few kisses.”
He snorted. “That little paragon of exactitude? I dinna trust a lass wi’ no apparent faults, and rightly so, as ’twas proved that lady has at least one fault in the extreme.”
“I have a temper myself,” she reminded him, trying to tamp down her relief that he hadn’t been interested in Jane at all. “But that didn’t stop you from—”
“You’ve got spirit and courage, darlin’. There’s a big difference there, if you dinna see it.”
Of course she blushed again. The man was really doling outtoomany compliments her way lately, and she wished she knew why. Was he trying to make amends to her? A few compliments could hardly make up for one’s lost virtue, and she had yet to even face the consequences, when she would be forced to tell whomever she married. But then some men tended to be quite illogical in their thinking, so hemightassume he was clearing his conscience in that fashion.
“Well—Jane wasn’t the only beautiful woman around lately,” she pointed out. “So I imagine you’ve still been busy. Lady Edith—”
“Hasn’t enough sense tae ken when she’s being a twit,” he was quick to cut in. “She’d drive a mon tae drink in a matter o’ days wi’ her witless chatter.”
She almost nodded, since that had been her opinion as well. But she was having to deal with contradictory emotions, annoyance that he was shooting down each point she was making, and delight that two of the women she’d been so sure he would court hadn’t interested him at all.
But there wasn’t a thing he could say against Monica Elgar. Even Kimberly had been drawn into liking her, she was such a nice person. And shedidwant Lachlan to admit he’d been kissing someone else. She wouldn’t like hearing it, but she was sure that knowing it would help her to stop thinking about him so much.
So she said, “What about Lady Monica?”
He sighed at that point. “If you didna notice, Kimber, that lady is no’ more’n five feet tall, if even that. Every time I’m near the lass, I get the urge tae lift her up on my hip like a wee child.”
In exasperation, she asked, “Then who have you been kissing?”
“As it happens, darlin’, no one.”
She blinked. “Why not?”
“Perhaps I’m waiting for you tae come tae your senses and have me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. And just as quickly, her temper shot up. Teasing again, and this time she really didn’t appreciate his humor. Obviously, he just wasn’t going to tell her whom he was amusing himself with now while he continued to pine over the duchess.
She took a sip of her chocolate, then set it down to put her gloves back on. “Well, if that were true, Lachlan,” she said with a tight little smile, “I’d probably suggest you hold your breath while you’re waiting.”
For an insult, it surely missed the mark. He laughed.
“When you get angry like that, darlin’, d’you ken your eyes flash wi’ green fire? ’Tis verra tempting.”
