Page 44 of Highland Storm

“Nay, I willna stay in a room with ye,” protested Phoebe. “It wouldna be right. I’m a woman and ye’re a man.”

“Very guid,” said Hawke with a wry smile. “I’m glad ye noticed.”

“That’s no’ what I mean. I mean . . . it wouldna be proper.”

“Would ye rather stay out in the barn with Caleb and Lennox? Because I can arrange that,” Hawke told her.

Phoebe’s stomach was already turning from the smell of the polecat. Plus, she didn’t want to be anywhere near that cur, Lennox. “Nay, I’ll stay with ye in the room,” she finally agreed, since it was the lesser of two evils.

“Now that it’s settled, let’s get inside and have ourselves some food and ale.”

“Hell with the ale,” said Logan, making a beeline for the tavern. “I want some Mountain Magic.”

“Nay, none of that tonight,” Hawke told him. “We need to stay alert. We’ve got a job to do.”

“A job? What job?” asked Phoebe.

“Never ye mind,” grumbled Hawke, pulling Phoebe into the tavern with him.

“A h’ay penny to enter,” said the bouncer at the door. He was a burly Scot that kept the customers in line. By charging money to enter, it assured there would be enough funds to fix any damage done by unruly men who became drunk.

“Hello, Albert,” said Hawke, knowing the man.

“Hawke.” The large man smiled and nodded. “I dinna realize at first it was ye. It’s been a while since ye’ve been here. But who is the lass?”

“She’s no one,” Hawke answered, making Phoebe angry.

“No one? I’m Phoebe Mac–”

She was cut off by Hawke’s mouth closing down on hers. Suddenly, she forgot about everything except Hawke’s lips caressing her mouth. She went weak in the knees from such a strong, powerful kiss from this admirable warrior.

“Oh, she’s yer wench,” said Albert with a nod and a grin. “I understand. Go on in, Hawke. Ye ken there is no charge for Callum’s family and their doxies.”

“What did ye call me?” asked Phoebe, shocked by the man’s accusation.

“Here’s a coin for yer trouble,” said Hawke, handing one to the man anyway. By habit, the man bounced the coin on the wet board he held to make sure it was real. Hawke pulled Phoebe along with him as he headed inside the tavern.

“I dinna like what he said about me,” sniffed Phoebe, looking over her shoulder. “Why didna ye tell him the truth about who I am?”

“Ye do that, and every enemy of the MacNabs inside here will be out for bluid,” Hawke explained. “It’s best not to let them ken ye’re a MacNab. That’s the reason I didna want Lennox inside.”

“Oh,” she said with nod. “So is that also why ye kissed me? Just so I wouldna tell anyone who I was?”

“Nay, Phoebe,” said Hawke, stopping and lifting her chin with two fingers, looking deep into her eyes. “I kissed ye because I wanted to.”

“Ye lie.” Her jaw clenched in aggravation. “I dinna like when ye play yer silly games.”

“It’s no’ a game,” he told her.

She glared at him, knowing better.

“Oh, all right, mayhap that was why I kissed ye. But I also wanted to kiss ye again just because I enjoyed it the first time.”

“I dinna believe ye did.”

“What do I have to do to prove to ye that I like kissin’ ye and bein’ with ye? And ye canna tell me that ye dinna like the kiss because I saw how ye clung to me and yer legs quivered beneath ye.”

“I’m yer enemy, Hawke,” she reminded him. “We both ken that after the exchange between the clans, we’ll never see each other again. Therefore, I dinna think it matters what either of us feels. It was a mistake and I willna allow it to happen again. All I want is to get back to my faither.”