Thatcaught her attention. It alsothrew her off guard. Her head snapped up and her eyes rounded.“I—what?”
“Dinna your brother tell you we are to bewed?”
Her mouth worked up and down, but nothingcame out. Her world seemed to spin, everything suddenly feelingsurreal.
“’Twill be okay, lass,” Lachlan said in hisusual commanding tone. “I will make for a good husband. You cannaask for a fiercer warrior to protect you.”
She wasn’t the type of woman who needed aman’s protection, at least not in her time, but who knew whatobstacles she’d face in 1155 A.D.? She was highly skilled at takingcare of herself, but she couldn’t take on the entire world.Veronica didn’t know whether to feel flattered or petulant. Forsome damn reason her heart made the decision to feel flattered, ifbegrudgingly so.
“I’m a great fighter,” Veronica informedhim. Her spine straightened.
“I ken that. I’ve been watching you for manyweeks afore ever you arrived at Victor’s underground fortress.”
Fortress. Hardly. Maybe once upon a time,but the dead were evolving and becoming too smart. Apparently evenby Victor’s standards.
“What I mean is, I’m accustomed toprotecting myself.” Her gaze found his. Something he’d said justsank in. “You’ve been watching me that long?”
“Aye.”
“Why?”
“You fascinate me.”
She stilled. There went her betrayer of aheartbeat again. “I do?”
“Aye. I’ve never known a wench likeyou.”
She frowned at the word “wench,” but saidnothing. She knew he meant no offense by it. Later, when her braindidn’t feel like mush, maybe then she’d explain to him that “wench”was something of an insult now.
That issue aside, she had no troublebelieving he’d never met a woman like her in his time. Those thatdid exist were likely nowhere near the Western world. They wereliving and training in places like Kerala, India. Yes, she was ananomaly in medieval Scotland.
Veronica drew in a deep breath and slowlyexhaled. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. The entiresituation Lachlan just presented her with was a lot to take in.She’d never considered herself the marrying type, much less thekind of woman who would end up in a world where she actually mightrequire some semblance of protection. But then she’d neverenvisioned herself living nine hundred plus years in the past in aworld that viewed women as possessions. She didn’t know what tothink or how to feel. The one thing she did know was she was goingto give Victor a smackdown. He knew better than to promise her inmarriage to anyone, circumstances be damned.
“I especially prefer it when you’re underthe waterfall,” Lachlan murmured, his voice thick. “’Tis a boon tome to be sure.”
Waterf—Oh my God! He meant the shower! Shegasped as a blush stole over the entirety of her body. “I—you sawthat?”
“Many times.”
She licked her suddenly parched lips. Sheshould have been offended, but her damned clit was throbbing. Thiswas all too much. “I—I need to go,” Veronica stammered out.
“When will we speak again now that I’vereturned from the borderlands?”
Her breathing heavy and her mind trippedout, she slammed the laptop shut before she could answer him. Whenit dawned on her that he could likely still see and hear her thanksto Victor’s science fair shit, she had the good grace to flush.“When I’m less embarrassed and know how I feel!” she told thelaird. She shook off the daze that had ensorcelled her. “And tellVictor he’s a dead man.”
Holy shit! What had her brother beenthinking? There wasn’t enough meditation nor medication in theworld to calm her racing mind now. Being attracted to a man—evenvery attracted—was one thing; marriage was another. Was it normalfor a man to marry a woman he’d never met in real life? Maybe inLachlan’s time it was. In her time it definitely was not.
Veronica frowned. She really should havepaid better attention to world history back in her university days.She was paying for that oversight now.
*****
Within the keep’s walls Lachlan’s temper wasgrowing to be nigh unto legendary. He barked out orders, snapped atall and sundry, and hadn’t a care if the household thought he wasmayhap turning into an ogre. Days had passed and still Veronica hadnot returned to speak with him. He now understood that, like asnaught, he shouldna have spoken aboot waterfalls and marriage toher, yet his bedamned tongue had flown freely during their lastconversation. She was bewitching. ‘Twas her fault he was everforthcoming with her, he grumpily decided.
Having retrieved the AI scanner from Victoragain, he took to his bedchamber, sat down, and watched Veronica.She was eating some manner of food and drinking from a cleargoblet. The wench had a faraway look in her eyes. He frowned,wondering what she was thinking aboot. Mayhap what an arse he wasfor watching her under the waterfall? That she dinna wish to be wedwith him?
Lachlan’s jaw tightened. It dinna matter. Hewanted to be wed with her. At thirty and five he should have takena wife mayhap long ago, but none of the submissive virgins paradedafore him had piqued his interest. Veronica was nothing like them.He couldna imagine her ever being too skittish to make eye contact,much less boring him with humdrum conversations aboot sewing,embroidery, and tapestry-making. ‘Twas not in her nature.
He considered all that he’d watched Veronicago through these past weeks. No wench of his acquaintance couldhave survived it. Hell, most men wouldna have survived it either.Yet there she was, eating and drinking, having conquered moremonstrous creatures than he could count. ‘Twas admirable.Everrathing aboot her was intriguing and desirable.
