made a vain
attempt to concentrate on my work in the garden in an effort not to look at Devon.
I felt strangely at ease around Devon, despite my undeniable attraction to
him. Under my father’s watchful eye, any man who had dared to flirt with me
would have been killed. I found that I quite enjoyed Devon’s apparent interest
in me. It made me feel wanted, powerful and normal. I warned myself to remain
cautious and not to let my new-found liberties cloud my judgment.
“How’s Brennan?” I
asked, concerned for Leti’s betrothed, but hoping this would be a safe subject
of conversation. I needed to alleviate the delicious burn of Devon’s eyes on
my skin temporarily so that I could collect my rational thoughts.
“His fever has
gone down, and he seems tae be doing better. I thought that he was a goner for
sure,” Devon remarked coolly. “My sister would have killed me. I can’t thank ye
enough for what ye did for him. He’s like my brother, ye ken.”
“You’re welcome,”
I responded, secretly euphoric that my healing techniques had done anything to
help Brennan.
We sat quietly for
a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. I continued to harvest bulbs from
the garden and Devon twisted a sheath of grass between his fingers. I felt his
gaze upon me in the way that one knows when they are being watched, even
without actually looking up to meet his eyes. I felt him watching me, studying
my movements. Having only met Devon last night, I had judged him to be a
leader, a warrior who cared deeply about his men. He also appeared to have a
lighter side complete with a bawdy sense of humor, which was contrary to the
preconceived notions that I had regarding what a barbaric warrior should be
like. Maybe his sense of humor had been amplified by the whisky that he had
consumed last night, but I was beginning to believe that it was just part of
his nature.
I glanced over
at the man leaning against the stone wall, casually twisting the long piece of
grass between his fingers. I sensed something that I had not picked up on last
night. Maybe it was caution, but Devon was clearly trying to figure something
out about me. He was observing me cautiously, trying to avoid my notice. It
was hard not to notice this giant of a man. He was handsome and his presence
was commanding. I felt his gaze flicker from the grass twisting in his fingers
and burn across my skin. I also felt when his gaze shifted back to his hands
and the grass he was twisting between his fingers. My heart raced as the
thought crossed my mind that he might be onto my rouse, might be figuring out
that I was not in fact Ms. Berkshire.
I felt his gaze
settle on me once again and I looked up from my work, meeting his eyes straight
on. He smiled slightly, as if he had been caught at something that he should
not have been doing. His eyes held contact with mine for a moment longer that
was comfortable and I felt the color rise to my face as he so openly looked at
me with those green eyes.
“Are ye about
done?” he questioned, still smiling slightly so as to reveal the dimple that I
had noticed last night while he was asleep atop the table.
Suddenly horrified
with myself for appraising him so openly, I felt my face flush with color.
“Done with what?”
I questioned haughtily, feeling immediately embarrassed by the intensity at
which we were looking at each other.
He took joy in
teasing me and was calling me out for ogling him. I made a mental note to
distance myself from him. I sensed that playing with Devon McClain would be
like playing with fire. Not wanting to get burned, I knew that I should keep
my distance from this man.
“Diggin’ in the
dirt, lass. What else? I’ve the afternoon off due tae my shoulder and I’d
rather not waste my entire time sitting here watching ye dig in the dirt.”
“Don’t let me stop
you then. Get on your way,” I said wondering why he didn’t move
attempt to concentrate on my work in the garden in an effort not to look at Devon.
I felt strangely at ease around Devon, despite my undeniable attraction to
him. Under my father’s watchful eye, any man who had dared to flirt with me
would have been killed. I found that I quite enjoyed Devon’s apparent interest
in me. It made me feel wanted, powerful and normal. I warned myself to remain
cautious and not to let my new-found liberties cloud my judgment.
“How’s Brennan?” I
asked, concerned for Leti’s betrothed, but hoping this would be a safe subject
of conversation. I needed to alleviate the delicious burn of Devon’s eyes on
my skin temporarily so that I could collect my rational thoughts.
“His fever has
gone down, and he seems tae be doing better. I thought that he was a goner for
sure,” Devon remarked coolly. “My sister would have killed me. I can’t thank ye
enough for what ye did for him. He’s like my brother, ye ken.”
“You’re welcome,”
I responded, secretly euphoric that my healing techniques had done anything to
help Brennan.
We sat quietly for
a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. I continued to harvest bulbs from
the garden and Devon twisted a sheath of grass between his fingers. I felt his
gaze upon me in the way that one knows when they are being watched, even
without actually looking up to meet his eyes. I felt him watching me, studying
my movements. Having only met Devon last night, I had judged him to be a
leader, a warrior who cared deeply about his men. He also appeared to have a
lighter side complete with a bawdy sense of humor, which was contrary to the
preconceived notions that I had regarding what a barbaric warrior should be
like. Maybe his sense of humor had been amplified by the whisky that he had
consumed last night, but I was beginning to believe that it was just part of
his nature.
I glanced over
at the man leaning against the stone wall, casually twisting the long piece of
grass between his fingers. I sensed something that I had not picked up on last
night. Maybe it was caution, but Devon was clearly trying to figure something
out about me. He was observing me cautiously, trying to avoid my notice. It
was hard not to notice this giant of a man. He was handsome and his presence
was commanding. I felt his gaze flicker from the grass twisting in his fingers
and burn across my skin. I also felt when his gaze shifted back to his hands
and the grass he was twisting between his fingers. My heart raced as the
thought crossed my mind that he might be onto my rouse, might be figuring out
that I was not in fact Ms. Berkshire.
I felt his gaze
settle on me once again and I looked up from my work, meeting his eyes straight
on. He smiled slightly, as if he had been caught at something that he should
not have been doing. His eyes held contact with mine for a moment longer that
was comfortable and I felt the color rise to my face as he so openly looked at
me with those green eyes.
“Are ye about
done?” he questioned, still smiling slightly so as to reveal the dimple that I
had noticed last night while he was asleep atop the table.
Suddenly horrified
with myself for appraising him so openly, I felt my face flush with color.
“Done with what?”
I questioned haughtily, feeling immediately embarrassed by the intensity at
which we were looking at each other.
He took joy in
teasing me and was calling me out for ogling him. I made a mental note to
distance myself from him. I sensed that playing with Devon McClain would be
like playing with fire. Not wanting to get burned, I knew that I should keep
my distance from this man.
“Diggin’ in the
dirt, lass. What else? I’ve the afternoon off due tae my shoulder and I’d
rather not waste my entire time sitting here watching ye dig in the dirt.”
“Don’t let me stop
you then. Get on your way,” I said wondering why he didn’t move
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