He leaned over the table, and her laughter died in her throat as she realized how close he was to her again.
They hadn’t been that close since they’d come back from the cabin, and it shocked her how easily her body responded to his. She wanted to lean in, to close the distance between them, but she resisted the urge.
Instead, she reached over the table and plucked a square of chocolate from the box. She popped it into her mouth, letting the sweet taste melt over her tongue.
“Human,” she finished with a smile.
Finlay laughed at that, straightening again as he fished out another square for himself. They were quiet for a moment, but the silence that filled the room was not tense or awkward. It was comfortable, almost companionable, and Thalia found that she quite enjoyed it.
“Do ye remember that night about two years ago? In the gardens of MacCabe Castle.” His eyes had locked onto hers again, and there seemed to be another question in them, yet for the life of her, she could not decipher it.
“Aye, I remember,” she said, wondering why he decided to bring that up now.
“Ye told me then that ye had assumed the ‘Highland Wolf’ nickname had come from battles I had won,” he continued. “Itwas true, at first. They did call me a Wolf because of that, but then I grew a reputation with the lassies who started using it as well. Now, that is mostly what I am ken for.”
The sweetness of the chocolate turned bitter in her mouth. “Does it bother ye?”
“Well, it doesnae please me.” He scowled.
Thalia wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she fell quiet again.
Finlay sighed, turning back to the fire behind him. He grabbed a rag, removing the kettle from its hook and setting it down on the table. He went to a cupboard and grabbed a cup from one of the shelves. Carefully, he poured the warmed milk into the cup and slid it across the table towards Thalia.
“Thank ye.” She took it gratefully, blowing on the top before taking a small sip.
The warm liquid was comforting as it went down her throat, and she felt her entire body relax.
If only those women could see this side of him. Then they wouldnae be so quick to call him a Wolf.
“What if ye could prove them wrong?” she asked. “I could help.”
Finlay scoffed. “Ye’ll do nothin’ of the sort.”
“Nay, think about it!” She set her cup down and rounded the table so they could be face-to-face. In her excitement, she didn’t even think about the dangers of being that close to him again. “During our betrothal, we could show the world this side of ye. Then, they would surely stop callin’ ye?—”
He grabbed her by the shoulders, interrupting her. “During ourfakebetrothal, we will continue our lives as they are now. I willnae have ye meddlin’ in me life any further. Is that understood?”
Her breath hitched. His tone was harsh and angry, yet she remembered her conversation with Daisy about how people can misplace their emotions.
She looked at him,reallylooked, and saw that it was not anger in his eyes, but fear. Realization dawned on her like a blanket. Something was holding him back, but she knew she would not get through to him tonight. It was late, and they were both exhausted.
“Aye, me Laird,” she replied, stepping out of his grip. “I understand perfectly.”
She whirled, swiping up her cup of cooling milk, and left the kitchen. Her thoughts raced, and in her effort to calm herself enough to sleep the rest of the night, she feared she had only made it worse.
Every step forward she made with Finlay felt like three steps back. Every time he opened up to her a little more, he would ruin it by shutting her out.
She would have stomped back to her room if she hadn’t been so worried about waking someone by accident. She was agitated and flustered again by his indecision. Perhaps tomorrow, things would be easier again in the light of day.
CHAPTER 21
Thalia waited patiently outsidethe castle, yet it seemed that Finlay was running late. It was still early, the sun barely scraping the tops of the trees as it began its ascent.
They had both had a late night, so she was happy to give him some grace since he had gone to bed later than her, yet her patience was wearing thin.
She tapped her foot on the stone steps where she sat, agitation crawling over her in a way that made her skin itch. They were supposed to go to Inverness to purchase a new dress thathehad insisted on. Now she was stuck waiting for him.
“Ye’re still here?”
