eyes, and she felt her temper flare again for the amusement she seemed to provide him.
“That would be ridiculous, considering we rode all night and the snow would have covered our tracks…” She shook her head, disgusted by the fact that she was so quick to allow her thoughts to spill from her lips. The man was her captor, and if escape was truly her goal, helping him to know that she had the ability to reason was not in her best interest.
She gasped and turned around to cover her mouth with her hand. Of course! She was such a trusting fool not to see the way of it before. She needed to play upon his ignorance of her and her skills. If he believed her tamed, slipping past him would be simple.
“Are ye truly that upset no’ to be on yer way to the abbey, lass?”
Brina turned to look at him. “Of course I am. What manner of daughter do ye believe me to be? If ye think me so easily knocked from the path of being obedient to my father’s will, I cannae understand why ye might wish to take me to wife.”
His lips curled up into a grin, and she realized she had made yet another error. He took two long steps and closed the distance between them. Sensation prickled along her skin, a feeling that she might have expected because of the icy chill in the air, but she knew it came from him being close. Her belly tightened, just as it had when he had touched her.
“Which is exactly why ye are here, Brina, because ye understand honor, and that is what I need in a wife.”
“There is no honor in this abduction. I am nae just another daughter of Robert Chattan; I am promised to the church.” She opened her hands and tried to appeal to his sense of integrity. “I know that Deirdre stung yer pride, and for that I am sorry, but taking me is against everything righteous.”
“I disagree, lass. There is righteousness in a man keeping his word, and when that man is a laird, there is even more so. Yer father made me a promise, and I plan to make sure he keeps it.”
“He promised ye Deirdre.”
Connor shook his head. “He promised me an alliance that would be sealed with marriage to one of his daughters.”
“Which ye know full well was to be my sister Deirdre. Everyone knows that. It is the only reason Melor Douglas sought her out.”
He closed another step, judging her reaction to his nearness. Brina ordered herself to stand firmly in place, confident in her position because that was something he would understand. Quivering or pleading would only allow him to see her as bendable to his will, so she kept her chin level.
Connor slowly smiled when she held firmly in her stance. She had to tip her head up maintain eye contact because he was now so close.
“I do believe, sweet Brina, that ye would have done better if Melor had tried his hand at seducing ye.”
She scoffed at him, and he chuckled when he heard the distinctly unfeminine sound. “No man has ever tried such a thing, because I am promised to the church.” She threw her hands into the air. “Ye are daft even to make such a comparison.”
He laughed at her temper, his eyes sparkling with enjoyment.
“Now that is my point exactly, Brina. Ye are an interesting combination of feminine wiles and practicality. Ye are nae so concerned with me becoming angry because ye speak to me so directly, because ye are accustomed to being direct in everything ye do.” His grin faded, and his expression became serious. “Ye do nae know how to employ deception.”
She frowned, realizing that her outspokenness was going to undermine her attempt to escape from him. If the man respected her, he wouldn’t lower his guard.
“Yet that is another reason for ye to give me my mare and allow me to depart. Our marriage bed will be a cold one, for I am too old to be taught new ways now.”
His eyes narrowed, but not in anger as she had witnessed before. This time there was an unmistakable sensuality about his expression. Brina stared because it fascinated her to see a man looking
“That would be ridiculous, considering we rode all night and the snow would have covered our tracks…” She shook her head, disgusted by the fact that she was so quick to allow her thoughts to spill from her lips. The man was her captor, and if escape was truly her goal, helping him to know that she had the ability to reason was not in her best interest.
She gasped and turned around to cover her mouth with her hand. Of course! She was such a trusting fool not to see the way of it before. She needed to play upon his ignorance of her and her skills. If he believed her tamed, slipping past him would be simple.
“Are ye truly that upset no’ to be on yer way to the abbey, lass?”
Brina turned to look at him. “Of course I am. What manner of daughter do ye believe me to be? If ye think me so easily knocked from the path of being obedient to my father’s will, I cannae understand why ye might wish to take me to wife.”
His lips curled up into a grin, and she realized she had made yet another error. He took two long steps and closed the distance between them. Sensation prickled along her skin, a feeling that she might have expected because of the icy chill in the air, but she knew it came from him being close. Her belly tightened, just as it had when he had touched her.
“Which is exactly why ye are here, Brina, because ye understand honor, and that is what I need in a wife.”
“There is no honor in this abduction. I am nae just another daughter of Robert Chattan; I am promised to the church.” She opened her hands and tried to appeal to his sense of integrity. “I know that Deirdre stung yer pride, and for that I am sorry, but taking me is against everything righteous.”
“I disagree, lass. There is righteousness in a man keeping his word, and when that man is a laird, there is even more so. Yer father made me a promise, and I plan to make sure he keeps it.”
“He promised ye Deirdre.”
Connor shook his head. “He promised me an alliance that would be sealed with marriage to one of his daughters.”
“Which ye know full well was to be my sister Deirdre. Everyone knows that. It is the only reason Melor Douglas sought her out.”
He closed another step, judging her reaction to his nearness. Brina ordered herself to stand firmly in place, confident in her position because that was something he would understand. Quivering or pleading would only allow him to see her as bendable to his will, so she kept her chin level.
Connor slowly smiled when she held firmly in her stance. She had to tip her head up maintain eye contact because he was now so close.
“I do believe, sweet Brina, that ye would have done better if Melor had tried his hand at seducing ye.”
She scoffed at him, and he chuckled when he heard the distinctly unfeminine sound. “No man has ever tried such a thing, because I am promised to the church.” She threw her hands into the air. “Ye are daft even to make such a comparison.”
He laughed at her temper, his eyes sparkling with enjoyment.
“Now that is my point exactly, Brina. Ye are an interesting combination of feminine wiles and practicality. Ye are nae so concerned with me becoming angry because ye speak to me so directly, because ye are accustomed to being direct in everything ye do.” His grin faded, and his expression became serious. “Ye do nae know how to employ deception.”
She frowned, realizing that her outspokenness was going to undermine her attempt to escape from him. If the man respected her, he wouldn’t lower his guard.
“Yet that is another reason for ye to give me my mare and allow me to depart. Our marriage bed will be a cold one, for I am too old to be taught new ways now.”
His eyes narrowed, but not in anger as she had witnessed before. This time there was an unmistakable sensuality about his expression. Brina stared because it fascinated her to see a man looking
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