beauty. That thought settled in his mind even as he answered her. "I'm not sorry either."
She gave him a disgruntled look. "Perhaps you weren't sorry at the time, but you're sorry now, aren't you?" He shrugged. She felt like kicking him. "You'd better not touch me again, Iain."
"Don't give me orders, lass."
His voice had taken on a hard edge. She ignored it. "When it comes to kissing me, I can give all the orders I want to. I don't belong to you," she added in a much softer tone of voice.
He was looking like he wanted to throttle her. She decided she'd been a little too high-handed with him.
Iain seemed to have a prickly nature.
"I didn't mean to sound surly," she began. "And I know you must be used to getting your way, because you're a laird and all. Still, as an outsider, I really shouldn't have to obey any of your commands," she continued in a reasonable tone of voice. "In this instance, as a guest—"
She stopped trying to explain when he shook his head at her. "Judith, do you agree that while you're in my brother's home, you'll be under his protection?"
"Yes."
He nodded. He smiled too. He acted as though he'd just won an important argument, and she wasn't even certain what the topic had been.
He let go of her and walked away. She chased after him. When she reached his side, she grabbed hold of his hand. He immediately stopped.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you just agreed with me."
"How?"
She wasn't deliberately trying to bait him. He could see the confusion in her gaze. "Until you return to England, I'm responsible for you. You will follow all my commands," he added with a nod. "That's what you just agreed to do."
She shook her head. The man was daft. How in heaven's name had her announcement that he couldn't kiss her ever again led to this twisted conclusion?
"I agreed to no such thing," she said.
She hadn't let go of his hand. He doubted she realized she was still holding on to him. He could have pulled away. He didn't.
"You told me I'd be under Patrick's protection," she reminded him. "Therefore, he would be responsible for me, Iain, not you."
"Yes," he agreed. "But I'm laird and Patrick therefore answers to me. Now do you understand?"
She pulled her hand away. "I understand you think that both you and Patrick can give me orders," she replied. "That's what I understand."
He smiled. He nodded, too. She burst into laughter. He couldn't imagine what had caused that response.
He wasn't left guessing long.
"Does that mean that you and Patrick are both accountable for all my actions?"
He nodded. "My transgressions become yours?" He clasped his hands behind his back and frowned down at her. "Do you plan to cause mischief?"
"Oh, no, of course not," she answered in a rush. "I'm really very thankful to you for allowing me to come to your home, and I certainly don't wish to cause any problems."
"Your smile makes me wonder about your sincerity," he remarked.
"I'm smiling for a different reason altogether," she explained. "I've just realized what an illogical man you are," she added with a nod, when he looked so incredulous.
"I'm not in the least illogical," he snapped.
She didn't realize she'd insulted him. "Yes, you are," she countered. "Unless you can explain how my decision not to let you kiss me again led to this bizarre conversation."
"The issue of my kissing you isn't relevant enough for discussion," he replied. "It holds no importance."
He might as well have slapped her. The hurt from his casually spoken words stung just as much. She wasn't about to let him know he'd injured her feelings, though. She nodded, then turned and walked away from him.
He stood there watching her for a long minute.
Then he let out a weary sigh. Judith didn't understand, but she was already causing problems. His men couldn't keep their gazes off her. Damn, neither could he.
She was a beautiful woman, and any man would notice. Yes, that made sense. That was logical. Yet the raw possessiveness
She gave him a disgruntled look. "Perhaps you weren't sorry at the time, but you're sorry now, aren't you?" He shrugged. She felt like kicking him. "You'd better not touch me again, Iain."
"Don't give me orders, lass."
His voice had taken on a hard edge. She ignored it. "When it comes to kissing me, I can give all the orders I want to. I don't belong to you," she added in a much softer tone of voice.
He was looking like he wanted to throttle her. She decided she'd been a little too high-handed with him.
Iain seemed to have a prickly nature.
"I didn't mean to sound surly," she began. "And I know you must be used to getting your way, because you're a laird and all. Still, as an outsider, I really shouldn't have to obey any of your commands," she continued in a reasonable tone of voice. "In this instance, as a guest—"
She stopped trying to explain when he shook his head at her. "Judith, do you agree that while you're in my brother's home, you'll be under his protection?"
"Yes."
He nodded. He smiled too. He acted as though he'd just won an important argument, and she wasn't even certain what the topic had been.
He let go of her and walked away. She chased after him. When she reached his side, she grabbed hold of his hand. He immediately stopped.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because you just agreed with me."
"How?"
She wasn't deliberately trying to bait him. He could see the confusion in her gaze. "Until you return to England, I'm responsible for you. You will follow all my commands," he added with a nod. "That's what you just agreed to do."
She shook her head. The man was daft. How in heaven's name had her announcement that he couldn't kiss her ever again led to this twisted conclusion?
"I agreed to no such thing," she said.
She hadn't let go of his hand. He doubted she realized she was still holding on to him. He could have pulled away. He didn't.
"You told me I'd be under Patrick's protection," she reminded him. "Therefore, he would be responsible for me, Iain, not you."
"Yes," he agreed. "But I'm laird and Patrick therefore answers to me. Now do you understand?"
She pulled her hand away. "I understand you think that both you and Patrick can give me orders," she replied. "That's what I understand."
He smiled. He nodded, too. She burst into laughter. He couldn't imagine what had caused that response.
He wasn't left guessing long.
"Does that mean that you and Patrick are both accountable for all my actions?"
He nodded. "My transgressions become yours?" He clasped his hands behind his back and frowned down at her. "Do you plan to cause mischief?"
"Oh, no, of course not," she answered in a rush. "I'm really very thankful to you for allowing me to come to your home, and I certainly don't wish to cause any problems."
"Your smile makes me wonder about your sincerity," he remarked.
"I'm smiling for a different reason altogether," she explained. "I've just realized what an illogical man you are," she added with a nod, when he looked so incredulous.
"I'm not in the least illogical," he snapped.
She didn't realize she'd insulted him. "Yes, you are," she countered. "Unless you can explain how my decision not to let you kiss me again led to this bizarre conversation."
"The issue of my kissing you isn't relevant enough for discussion," he replied. "It holds no importance."
He might as well have slapped her. The hurt from his casually spoken words stung just as much. She wasn't about to let him know he'd injured her feelings, though. She nodded, then turned and walked away from him.
He stood there watching her for a long minute.
Then he let out a weary sigh. Judith didn't understand, but she was already causing problems. His men couldn't keep their gazes off her. Damn, neither could he.
She was a beautiful woman, and any man would notice. Yes, that made sense. That was logical. Yet the raw possessiveness
Similar Books
