How could she have ever found it charming before?
Kaden reached out and placed a hand on her hip, pulling her back to him before she could stop him. His touch was different than the last time—harder, bruising, and possessive. There was something in his dark eyes as he looked down at her.
“Ye would be fine with me touching another woman like this? Feeling another against me?”
Of course she wasn’t.
“Unhand me,” she hissed, pushing at his chest in protest.
“Because let me tell ye, if another man tried to put his hands on ye like this, tried to feel yer softness, tried to hear the sounds ye make when ye come undone…” His words faded into a possessive growl that shuddered right down her spine.
Her shoves weakened slightly, but she couldn’t let him think that she was surrendering. The boldness of his words caused an embarrassed flush to creep up her face.
Damn her, she couldn’t even stop that.
“Have ye nay shame?!” she snapped. She attempted to pull away, but Kaden only tightened his grip. “Ye are hurting me!”
It wasn’t completely true, but he didn’t need to know that.
Kaden held her gaze for a moment longer before pulling away from her. The moment his grip on her waist loosened, she practically danced out of his grip and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Whatever ye think it is that ye saw—” he started.
“Dosenae matter,” she interrupted.
Kaden sighed. “Nay, it’s important that ye listen to me.”
“Listening to ye is what got me here in the first place!”
Emily no longer wanted to have this conversation. She wanted to be anywhere other than here. Perhaps she could smuggle some of the books that she needed into one of his carriages, pack up her things, and be on her way.
She didn’t know where she would go, but perhaps her mother would have pity on her and would lend her some supplies or money for a stay at an inn or something of the like. Then, she would be able to take a little bit of time to collect herself and figure out her next move.
Emily knew that if she could just publish her own book, she would be able to provide for herself. Couldn’t she?
But the notion of leaving Kaden, even knowing what she knew now, hurt.
She didn’t want to leave. But what choice was he giving her?
Kaden pulled her journal from behind him and held it out to her. She had left so quickly that she hadn’t even really realized she had left it behind. She reached out nervously and took it, clutching it protectively against her chest.
He hadn’t read any of it, had he? If he did, what did he think?
He was entirely too quiet.
“I didnae come here to fight with ye,” he said gently. “I ken that ye are upset. I will make peace with ye.”
Emily wanted to make a sarcastic retort about how a man like him was unlikely to even know what peace looked like, other than reading treaties from other lands. But she refrained. Barely.
“Tomorrow morning, ye will accompany me somewhere.”
Emily’s eyebrow arched. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him. Her heart was still hurting.
“I willnae.”
“Ye will. I’m nae asking.”
“Obviously.” Emily turned so that she didn’t have to look at him any longer.
