“Test me,” he called from the other side of the door as if he had read her mind.
Quickly she stripped out of her gown and into her shift, then hastily slipped under the blankets, drawing them up to her chin so that when Errol opened the door he would only see her head.
Just as he’d warned, he walked in without a care for whether or not she was dressed.
She pressed her lips together as she watched him move about the room. First, he stoked the fire in the fireplace and added another thick log, so they would be set for the night. Then he sat in the chair and watched the dancing flames for a few minutes afore he removed his boots.
He stood and pushed his trews down, his tunic fell mid-thigh, covering his buttocks, but she could see the muscles of his shapely legs. Strong legs that had been honed into hard muscle from hours upon hours of training.
Holding her breath, Moira waited for Errol to remove his tunic, but to her disappointment, he kept it on, extinguished the candle and climbed between the throws on the floor.
For a long time, she lay there quietly, until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Errol?”
He sighed. “Aye?”
She smiled, she kenned he hadn’t fallen asleep, but then grew serious when she thought about what she was going to ask him, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.
“Is something amiss? Did I do aught wrong?”
“Nay.”
One word. That was all he said. Of course, she wasn’t happy with that answer and pushed on. “I dinnae believe ye. Ye’ve hardly said aught to me today. After the day we spent yesterday, it doesnae makesense. Surely I have done something to upset ye.”
“Moira, cease and let it go.”
“I willnae. I realize we havenae spent a lot of time together, but we have spent enough that ye should ken me better than that. What has changed?”
She heard him blow out a long breath.
“Naught has changed. I only realized that what we were doing was foolish and something that cannae continue.”
“Why no’? Ye cannae tell me that ye didnae enjoy our kisses, Errol MacLeod.”
“That is the reason why. I shouldnae have been enjoying them as much as I did. Need I remind ye that ye are a Hart? In no circumstance would what we have done be acceptable. ’Tis easier if we cease now, afore either of us get hurt.”
But it was too late for that. She was already hurting. Missing his touch. His kiss. His strong arms wrapping her in a warm embrace.
“On the morrow we will ride to our destination and then we are done with this wild chase. Ye will return home to Hartsmoor, and I will return to MacLeod Keep and life will go on as it was afore.”
“Can ye really just forget about what has happened betwixt us that easily?”
“Naught happened, Moira. Naught that mattered anyway.”
She gasped at his bluntness. He was lying. He had to be. She’d felt the caring in his touch. Seen the softness in his eyes. Those were real. And they meant something. He may not want to admit it, but it was true.
Even truer was the stabbing pain she felt at his admission. Like she had just been punched in the stomach.
Swiping at the tear that slipped from her eye, she clenched her fists. She refused to let him see how he affected her.
Nay, she didn’t need him to continue on. He had told her of the location whilst they supped earlier. She only needed to go Northeast,and it would take her to the final destination. She would find the final clue without him.
Being the bigger person, she would uphold her end of their deal and ensure that he gets the percentage of the treasure they had agreed upon, but other than that? There would be naught.
As she waited for Errol to fall asleep, a plan formed in her mind. Once she was certain he was asleep and would not wake, she would slip out of bed, quietly dress, then grab her bag and leave the room, hoping that the door would not creak and awaken him.
It seemed to take hours, but finally Errol’s breathing evened out, and every so often, he let out a soft snore, which she found endearing. But she couldn’t think about that. He wanted them to keep apart? Well, she would help him along with that.
