“I daenae want to tell ye what I said to scare him,” she growled, catching his eye and holding it. “But I might show ye, if ye have many more rules for me.”
“Is that a threat, lassie?” Creighton inquired, almost delightedly. “I ken what to do with threats.”
Nowheadvanced a step forward, bringing himself within arm’s reach. Not that shewouldreach for him.
“As for bringin’ Laird Bryden here,” she continued, as determinedly as she could manage. “That’s nae true. I would never do that. I need nay man to protect me.”
He stared down at her, eyes focused. He didn’t even appear to blink. How could someone go so long without blinking?
“I almost believe that’s true,” he murmured, mostly to himself. She lifted her chin, resolutely holding his stare.Shehad to blink, but what was the point in staring contests? All the winners got were dry eyeballs. “Did anyone tell ye, Nora, that ye are adorable?”
She flinched backwards at that, eyes wide. “Nay. Nobody ever did.”
“Hm. Now, me question regardin’ ye, lass, is why ye are here. I said that I wouldnae drag it out of ye, but I’m sure ye can see me concerns.”
He stepped forward and to the side, circling her. His shoulder was just inches from hers. She could feel his body heat. Every instinct told her to turn and keep her eyes on him, watching him pace around behind her, the circle tightening. Instead, she remained still, head held high, chin level with the ground. Unbothered.
Or at least, she hoped she looked unbothered. The reality was probably very different.
“See, Laird Bryden and I both want peace,” Creighton murmured thoughtfully. “This bargain is somethin’ we both care about. And I offered me cousin. A fine woman. A lady, ye ken? Somebody close to me, somebody who mattered to me. That was me way of showin’ that I meant business. And then dear, sweet Evander arrives with a woman who is nay relation to him, a healer, a woman who does nae very much seem to want to be here. Can ye nae see why I am dubious?”
Nora swallowed, tilting up her chin. “If I seem reluctant to be here, it’s only because I am nervous. And ye were nae very friendly, were ye?”
He gave a huff of amused laughter. “Fair point. Evander has nay unmarried sister, I ken, but surely he could have dug out a cousin. Or at least the daughter of acurrentcouncilman, nae a fellow dead for years. A lady. Which, forgive me lass, ye are nae. Daenae fret, it’s nae an insult. I’ve met plenty of unpleasant ladies. But that brings me straight back to me original question. Ye do naehaveto be here. So why did Laird Bryden choose ye, and why did ye agree?”
“I care about me clan,” Nora managed tightly. “I care about me laird, too.”
At once, Creighton’s eyes darkened and sharpened. He pressed closer, gaze scraping all over her.
“Oh? Is that the way the land lies? Ye are tryin’ to impress yer laird, then?”
“What? Nay.”
“I daenae ken, that seems reasonable to me. This certainly would impress him. Nobody expects these betrothals to end in marriage, ye ken. It’s all posturin’. So, ye could come to me, be me betrothed for a year, then go home. I imagine the Laird would be very grateful to ye. The whole clan, in fact, would be in yer debt. Ye could get anythin’ ye wanted, anyoneye wanted, perhaps…”
“Nay,” she interrupted, as firmly as she could. “This is nae about Laird Bryden. Certainly nae.”
He circled her again, this time so close that she could feel his warm breath ghosting across the back of her neck. His shoulder brushed hers briefly, a sensation that shot across her skin and made her shiver.
“I daenae ken,” he murmured, voice coming from low in his chest. “If I were Laird Bryden and I wanted to marry a woman below me, I could give her a chance to achieve greatness for herself. Somethin’ to make her seem worthy.”
“Ye think I am nae worthy? Please. And ye do Laird Bryden a disservice. If he wished to marry a woman, he’d do so, regardless of what others thought of her. And he doesnaewish to marryme,” she emphasized, catching his eye and glaring. “Besides, he’s betrothed to yer cousin, or did ye forget?”
Creighton chuckled, a low rumble that made her shiver. He stepped in front of her again, head tilted to one side—appraising.
The tingling sensation did not leave Nora’s skin. She could feel it, tightening as if her skin wasshrinkingaround her. He wastooclose. Before, he had been within arm’s reach, but now there was barely a handful of inches between them. A simple outstretching of her fingers, and she could touch him.
Or he could touch me.
The memory of his hand on the small of her back, too hot and too self-assured, came back to her, a warm glow in her mind. Something bubbled in her gut, a plunging sort of ache that she couldn’t remember feeling before. It tingled, dipping lower in her body. What was it?
Best nae to think about it,she advised herself, her throat tightening.
“If ye have nay more rules for me,” Nora heard herself say, voice shaking only a little. “Then I should like to go back to me rooms. Nae that there’s much else for me to do here, by the way. I am very much a prisoner.”
He stared back at her, and for one breathless moment, she thought he was going to sayno.
“Very well,” he said at last. “Off ye go, then. Try nae to cause too much trouble.”
