Ah, no, he had frightened her, which made Conor rebuke himself for his impatience to see her again. Somehow he forced himself to walk more slowly toward the bedchamber, though his heart still pounded and his mouth had suddenly gone dry.
Was he some green youth to feel so unlike himself? No woman had ever affected him this way—and he knew then he would be lost if Annalise Burgoyne didn’t become his bride.
Drawing a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited for her permission to enter, Conor determined to do anything to please her.
Aye, anything…
Chapter 9
“Conor? Is that you?”
Still startled by the hard slam of the door a moment ago, Annalise doubted she had ever felt her heart racing so furiously as she heard him murmur, “Aye.”
A husky sound. A deep masculine sound that gave her shivers and made her feel flushed, she couldn’t deny it.
She felt suddenly as if she had no voice to bid him to enter, she was so nervous and yet yearning to see him again, though she could do no more than stare stupidly at the door.
“May I come in?”
She nodded, then laughed sheepishly to herself that he couldn’t see her, and somehow uttered a soft assent.
Almost a whisper, really, but he must have heard her for the door opened and Conor entered the bedchamber…not striding in at all as he’d done before, but with a quietness to him that she didn’t know he possessed.
He stood there staring at her and she, at him. Neither of them saying a word while Annalise’s heartbeat thudded harder and her face grew warmer—until a smoldering log dropping through the metal grate in the hearth made her jump.
Conor, too, seemed a bit startled, and he glanced from the fire back to her, clearing his throat.
“Orla said you wished to speak to me.”
“Y-yes, I asked her to find you.” Annalise blushed deeply, her voice sounding to her like the squeak of a mouse. Swallowing hard as she tried to compose herself, she nearly jumped again when Conor took a step toward her.
A tentative step that showed he was uncertain as to why she had summoned him. She could well imagine what he must be thinking…that she despised him still and intended to mock his unexpected offer of marriage. Yet she didn’t despise him, nothing could be further from the truth!
Conor has fallen in love with you or would never have objected to his father’s will.
So Orla had told her, and Annalise knew now with Conor standing only feet away from her, his eyes searching hers, that she was falling in love with him, too.
Her enemy. How could she have ever dreamed of such an astounding turn of events when her future had been all but decided for her by her father and Maurice? Annalise winced at the thought and shoved her husband-to-be’s face from her mind, her hands trembling from a desire so strong to reach out to Conor even as he began to turn away.
“I see my presence is distressing you, so I will go?—”
“No, no, I’m not upset at all!” Annalise blurted, rushing forward to catch him by the arm. “I wanted to thank you for offering to marry me. It was so kind and honorable…and more than I deserve for what I’ve said to you?—”
“That you despise me?”
Conor had turned back toward her and stood so close now that she felt the warmth of his body emanating from his tunic. Annalise bobbed her head and stared up at him as his darkened gaze seemed to bore into hers.
“In truth I did at that moment, but not now, Conor. Not now…” Annelise faltered as his expression almost looked amazed, and then he lifted her hand that had clasped his arm and brought her fingers to his lips to kiss them.
His breath even warmer against her flesh as her knees suddenly felt weak and she uttered a soft sigh of surprise at the gentleness of so formidable a man.
An Irish rebel no less, Conor’s voice low and husky as he drew her closer, her body now flush against him.
“If my father had asked you in the feasting-hall if you accepted my offer of marriage, what would you have told him?”
Annalise didn’t blink as warmth rushed to her face, Conor’s embrace tightening around her even before she murmured, “Yes, I will marry your son, Lord, and gratefully remain here with your clan.”
“Because it’s the lesser of two evils?”
