“The man I punched back in London suffered a nasty bruise for two weeks.” Emma took a step forward, unsure as to where the urge to do that came from. “I would not only try.I wouldsucceed.”
“Really? In that dress?”
“In any dress.”
He huffed, near a laugh, then caught himself. “Ye are reckless.”
“And you are infuriating.”
“I keep saying I am a man with a knife in the dark,” he said. “Ye keep treating me like a boy caught stealing jam.”
“Perhaps because you behave like one,” she retorted. “Do you often sneak out to brood with your toys?”
“Toys,” he echoed, hand on the dagger’s hilt. “This toy keeps the castle walls standing.”
“And nearly cut my neck.”
He rolled his eyes. “Well, it is nice to see that there is a word in play here.Nearly. Plus, ye shook me.”
“Oh, then I am sorry I startled you,” she drawled, refusing to let it go. “I did not know the punishment for that was a dagger at my throat.”
“I wasnae startled,” he said, straightening as if to show that he was more manly than he looked. A position Emma didn’t think was possible. “I was just nae ready.”
“Then be ready for this. Next time, tell someone where you are going.”
“All right, then. Would ye like me to give me enemies a schedule of me movements in the process?”
“Well, tell Isobel,” she suggested. “Tell David. Tell the dog, for all I care. Tell anyone who will keep you from scaring your bride.”
“Bride,” he repeated, as if tasting the word to test its shape. “Ye are certain about everything now, are ye nae?”
“It will be accurate,” she said. “Two days from now.”
“Unless ye keep leaping from bushes. Then we will have to marry ye to the hedge.”
“I would love to see you try,” she scoffed.
Despite her instincts telling her not to, she stepped forward. He should not have noticed, except that he also chose that moment to move closer as well.
“Daenae tempt me,” he murmured, smiling now.
They were two feet apart,close enough that she could see the lighter ring in his eyes.
The wind moved through the pines and stilled again. He took a half step, not closer but not away, a shift that felt like patience.
“I daenae ken how ye do things where ye come from, but if ye do intend to chase a man through the woods, perhaps it would be bestnaeto come alone,” he said. “That was foolish.”
“It wasnecessary.”
“Necessary. Ye seem to like that word a lot, do ye nae?”
“Well, if you have gone through the things I have, you will find that the word comes in handy a lot.”
He sighed, then let the last of his annoyance go. “Ye are ice and fire, Emma Huntington.”
“I prefercapable.”
“Well, that too.”
