Aye, this is what she wanted. All she wanted.
Whether he would have given her what she desired, she would never know.
The door opened. “MacGowan, I... ah, hell, sorry.”
They’d jumped apart at the sound of the door, but it was obvious from Lachlan MacRuairi’s expression that it had been too late. He’d seen more than enough to know what he’d interrupted.
Thom had instinctively moved around to shield her from the other man’s view, but there was no hope of him not recognizing her.
“I’ll come back,” MacRuairi offered.
“Just give me a few minutes,” Thom said.
But the discovery, like a bucket of icy water, had brought Elizabeth harshly back to reality. Perhaps for the first time, she realized exactly what she was risking by being with him.
Everything.
If MacRuairi told anyone...
The flames in her cheeks were doused in icy sheets of panic.
“No!” Elizabeth exclaimed, and then less adamantly explained, “I was just leaving. Joanna is waiting for me. I was running an errand for her. It’s a secret. From James.”
She realized she was babbling and snapped her mouth closed.
“I’m sure it is,” MacRuairi said wryly, an amused quirk twisting his lips. When her cheeks flamed again, he added, “Don’t worry. Douglas won’t hear about your secret from me.”
Understanding what he meant, she breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t say anything.
Disaster had been averted... but for how long? She couldn’t keep doing this. Why couldn’t she stay away from him? Were her feelings deeper than she realized? Were they making her lose sight of what was important?
She felt the sudden urge to run.
Thom caught her arm before she could flee. “We aren’t done here, El.”
She looked up at him, feeling her heart squeeze with a fierce jumble of emotions—the biggest of them longing. She longed for him with every fiber of her being. “I know.”
He would find her later, and they would settle this. Once and for all.
Apparently satisfied, he dropped her arm and let her go.
Thom muttered a curse as the door closed behind her. That wasn’t the way he’d hoped the afternoon would end.
He’d almost had her, damn it. She’d been so close to admitting her feelings for him. Hell, if he’d known all it would take was seeing him with another woman, he would have tried that a long time ago.
He still couldn’t believe it: she’d been jealous. Didn’t she realize the only woman he’d ever had eyes for was her?
But he hadn’t been able to resist teasing her. God knows, she’d been torturing him enough the past week with Randolph, and letting her think he might be considering marrying someone else for a few minutes seemed a pittance by comparison—especially as it forced her to confront her own feelings. They’d been right there on the edge. A little push was all she needed.
Although he had to admit he’d gotten a little off track with that kiss. Maybe he should be glad MacRuairi had interrupted them.
“Sorry about that,” MacRuairi said. “But here’s a suggestion. Next time you think about putting your life and future on the line by touching Douglas’s sister, you might want to latch the door. Christ, anyone could have walked in here.”
Thom winced, knowing he was right. “Aye, I’ll try to remember that.”
MacRuairi gave him a hard look, although with MacRuairi there wasn’t really anything else. “I won’t ask what the hell you are doing.”
“Good.”
