some Lycans who don’t even know you’re alive because you have some misguided notion that one of them is in your future.”
He bumped another finger. “Two, you drugged the Hythe’s poor groom with something even I’m not familiar with and then convinced a Lycan to fold the groom’s body up in the carriage.” He ticked off a third finger. “Three, you forced me to leave my search for a good meal in order to escort you home.”
“Do ye always get so surly when ye’re hungry?” she shot at him.
He groaned aloud. “Probably. Do you always have a quip for everything?”
“Probably,” she replied. “Are ye finished with yer list? If so, I’d like ta go back ta Castle Hythe.”
He appeared to mull it over in his mind. “No, I’m not finished.” He ticked off another finger. “Four, you vex me to no end.”
“Now are ye done?” she asked.
“For the moment,” he replied.
“Then listen ta me and listen ta me well, Alec MacQuarrie. From this moment forth, ye will stop tryin’ ta be my protector. Ye can stop tryin’ ta bemy friend, if that’s what ye desire. Because I canna stand the broodin’ and the anger any longer. Yer circumstances have changed, yes, but yer choice of how ta behave is yer own. I’ll no’ have any part ofye from this day forth unless ye can approach mewith civility. And an occasional smile would be nice too.”
“Sorcha—” he complained.
“Ye had yer turn. I’m no’ finished,” she snapped.
“Oh, well then, please continue,” he said with a sarcastic sweep of his hand.
“Ye may no’ have any hope for love or anyone to share yer life with, but I do. I want more than anythin’ ta be a wife ta a husband who loves me. Ta wake up beside him every day and know that no matter what happens, he’s mine. And I’ll do whatever it takes ta find one. So, help me God, if ye stand in my way, ye will see the full force of my powers.”
“You control plants, Sorcha,” he scoffed. Then his eyes narrowed. “What else can you do?”
“My husband will be the one who shares those secrets with me,” she said, knowing her tone was as brittle as old parchment.
“Bloody hell,” Alec said under his breath as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “How did such a perfectly normal night become such a mess?”
“I believe that was when I told ye that ye’re worth more than ye think ye are,” she said.
“You don’t know—” he began, his voice tight and controlled.
“I ken that I want ta be alive. And ye want ta die. Or at least make yerself miserable for the rest of yer days.”
“That’s not true,” he interjected.
She continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “I haven’t even been kissed.” She looked up at his face, searching for an expression of bemusement. But what she saw there surprised her.
“Never?” he asked.
“Never,” she repeated.
“Then I think we should remedy that right now,” he said.
Before she could even gasp, one arm slid around her waist and he tipped her chin up with his crooked index finger.
“You deserve one good kiss.”
She could barely croak out her next words. “And ye think ye’re the one to give it ta me?”
Before she could even move, his head dipped toward hers.
Chapter Six
Alec had wanted to kiss her since he had first seen her face in the moonlight, her pale skin glowing with something he wasn’t willing to look further into. She was absolutely radiant. She’d given him a well-deserved setdown, as only she could do. Sorcha, with her innocence and wise counsel. She wasn’t willing to let her dreams of romance and love be pushed to the side, and particularly not by a jaded man like him.
He brushed with gentle fingers at the little lock of hair that kept falling across her forehead as he bent and kissed her cheek, lingering there longer than he should. But he was enjoying the thump of her heartbeat. It was beating like mad, like his grandmother’s knitting needles used to clash together when he was a
He bumped another finger. “Two, you drugged the Hythe’s poor groom with something even I’m not familiar with and then convinced a Lycan to fold the groom’s body up in the carriage.” He ticked off a third finger. “Three, you forced me to leave my search for a good meal in order to escort you home.”
“Do ye always get so surly when ye’re hungry?” she shot at him.
He groaned aloud. “Probably. Do you always have a quip for everything?”
“Probably,” she replied. “Are ye finished with yer list? If so, I’d like ta go back ta Castle Hythe.”
He appeared to mull it over in his mind. “No, I’m not finished.” He ticked off another finger. “Four, you vex me to no end.”
“Now are ye done?” she asked.
“For the moment,” he replied.
“Then listen ta me and listen ta me well, Alec MacQuarrie. From this moment forth, ye will stop tryin’ ta be my protector. Ye can stop tryin’ ta bemy friend, if that’s what ye desire. Because I canna stand the broodin’ and the anger any longer. Yer circumstances have changed, yes, but yer choice of how ta behave is yer own. I’ll no’ have any part ofye from this day forth unless ye can approach mewith civility. And an occasional smile would be nice too.”
“Sorcha—” he complained.
“Ye had yer turn. I’m no’ finished,” she snapped.
“Oh, well then, please continue,” he said with a sarcastic sweep of his hand.
“Ye may no’ have any hope for love or anyone to share yer life with, but I do. I want more than anythin’ ta be a wife ta a husband who loves me. Ta wake up beside him every day and know that no matter what happens, he’s mine. And I’ll do whatever it takes ta find one. So, help me God, if ye stand in my way, ye will see the full force of my powers.”
“You control plants, Sorcha,” he scoffed. Then his eyes narrowed. “What else can you do?”
“My husband will be the one who shares those secrets with me,” she said, knowing her tone was as brittle as old parchment.
“Bloody hell,” Alec said under his breath as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “How did such a perfectly normal night become such a mess?”
“I believe that was when I told ye that ye’re worth more than ye think ye are,” she said.
“You don’t know—” he began, his voice tight and controlled.
“I ken that I want ta be alive. And ye want ta die. Or at least make yerself miserable for the rest of yer days.”
“That’s not true,” he interjected.
She continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “I haven’t even been kissed.” She looked up at his face, searching for an expression of bemusement. But what she saw there surprised her.
“Never?” he asked.
“Never,” she repeated.
“Then I think we should remedy that right now,” he said.
Before she could even gasp, one arm slid around her waist and he tipped her chin up with his crooked index finger.
“You deserve one good kiss.”
She could barely croak out her next words. “And ye think ye’re the one to give it ta me?”
Before she could even move, his head dipped toward hers.
Chapter Six
Alec had wanted to kiss her since he had first seen her face in the moonlight, her pale skin glowing with something he wasn’t willing to look further into. She was absolutely radiant. She’d given him a well-deserved setdown, as only she could do. Sorcha, with her innocence and wise counsel. She wasn’t willing to let her dreams of romance and love be pushed to the side, and particularly not by a jaded man like him.
He brushed with gentle fingers at the little lock of hair that kept falling across her forehead as he bent and kissed her cheek, lingering there longer than he should. But he was enjoying the thump of her heartbeat. It was beating like mad, like his grandmother’s knitting needles used to clash together when he was a
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