Page 44
“Ye don’t think my singin’ be beautiful, then?”
He watched her with an unreadable expression, then slowly, a half-smile tugged at his lips. “Ye know what I think, Miss ’Ollow?”
“What be that, then?” she asked, delighted that he was playing along.
But when he took a slow, deliberate step toward her, her smile vanished. Why did he suddenly appear like a fox watching its prey?
She tried to move back, but the door prevented her departure.
His eyes captured hers as he took another step, his gaze flickering down to her lips. Was he…
Her thoughts ceased altogether as he reached toward her, about to slide his hand round her back. What was he doing? Better yet, what was she doing? Why was she not stopping him? And why did her heart race so?
He drew ever closer, though his hand had yet to make contact with her back. The smell of those lemons, however, had already wrapped her up in a soothing embrace.
“I think…” he whispered, pausing right before her, “that I be better at flirtin’ than ye think I be.”
Before she could register what was happening, a click sounded behind her, and the door opened.
She blinked. He hadn’t been reaching for her, he’d been reaching for the door. And he hadn’t been about to kiss her. He’d been teasing her.
With a smile that revealed just how pleased he was for having gotten the better of her for once, Mr. Honeysett finally pulled away. He gestured for her to enter his home, then with a tip of his head, he bade her farewell and made his way back toward the cellars.
Morvoren stared after him, her heart skipping a beat when he took one final glance back at her before disappearing around the ridge.
Blast, if he wasn’t right. He was better at flirting than she’d given him credit for. Now how else was that fisherman going to surprise her?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Trevik left Miss Hollow, intent on heading straight for the cellars, but he was only a few steps around the first ridge when he spotted Edern still standing outside of his home.
He gave a pleasant nod. “’Ow ye doin’, Edern?”
He continued walking, hoping the man would let him pass without grief, but he should’ve known better.
“A word, Trevik?”
Trevik’s shoulders tensed. He should have known he wouldn’t have made it back home without being spotted carrying Miss Hollow. What would it look like to all of Tristwick, especially the Cardys? But what was he supposed to have done, force the woman to crawl back to his house?
“I was on me way to the cellars, Edern. Can it wait?”
“’Twill only take a moment.”
Trevik finally stopped with an innocent look. “All right. What be the matter, then?”
Edern pulled the pipe from his mouth, his lips instantly twisting. “I just be wonderin’ what ye were doin’ with that sea-maid in your arms.”
Well, at least the man was forthright with his issues. “Miss ’Ollow aggravated ’er ankle a bit more, so I ’ad to carry ’er ’ome. And as I said ’fore, she ain’t be no sea-maid.”
“Are ye certain that be all ye was doin’?” Edern asked, skirting right past Trevik’s words.
Heavens, what did the man think Trevik was doing? And why did Edern feel he had the right to interrogate him anyway?
“I only be askin’ ’cause I ’eard rumors about the two of ye,” Edern clarified. “’Bout the two of ye fancyin’ each other.”
Trevik barked out a laugh. “Miss ’Ollow and I, fancy each other? Well, ye needn’t worry ’bout that.”
Of course, there was that strange reaction Trevik had had when he’d helped her down from the boulder and the way his heart had stuttered as he’d carried her home. And, of course, when he’d teased her at the door about flirting…His heart quickened, but he readily set it aside. The woman was attractive, yes. But that didn’t mean he fancied her.
