The Hawk (Highland Guard #2)(46)

“I’m surprised that you can break away from your men for so long. Don’t you have work to do? Like toss that big sword of yours around?”

His mouth curved wickedly. “I assure you I never toss my sword around.” Her cheeks heated when she realized that he wasn’t referring to armor, but to something else entirely.

“I didn’t mean …” she stammered.

He laughed, taking far too much delight in flustering her. “Have you been watching me, Ellie?”

“Of course not!” she protested, but her cheeks fired even hotter. He knew she was lying—the devil.

It wasn’t as if she’d gone looking for him. She’d simply been near the edge of the cliff the other day and happened to look down to the beach where the men had set up camp and noticed him practicing with his sword, battle-axe, and war hammer. Until she caught herself she’d been mesmerized by the vicious strokes that passed for “training,” marveling at the power and strength that he wielded with each blow.

She was used to watching the formal fighting of knights, but there was nothing civilized about the unharnessed, ruthless fighting style of the Highlanders. It was only natural that she would be curious. She conveniently ignored that her curiosity had been focused on one impressive form in particular.

He seemed content to walk in silence, although he would occasionally point out a farm and identify its owner, or an interesting plant or vista. It was comfortable. Too comfortable. As if she could be happy walking beside him for a long time.

The errant thought shocked her back to reality. Heaven help her, she needed to get home before she completely lost her mind. “How long are you planning on staying here?” she blurted.

“Careful, lass,” he said with one of his dazzling smiles, “or you’ll hurt my tender feelings by making me think you don’t enjoy my company.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t bother,” she said. “Flash that irresistible grin at someone who will appreciate it.”

His blue eyes danced with mirth. “Irresistible? You think so?”

He truly was incorrigible. She couldn’t imagine what he was like as a boy. She pitied his former nursemaid. “To most women, I would imagine.”

“But utterly wasted on you?” He shook his head. “You are a hard woman to impress, Nurse Ellie.”

“Not hard, just impervious to obvious ploys.”

“Is that so?” he asked, a glint of challenge in his gaze. “You didn’t seem so impervious the other night.”

She forced a steadying calm to her voice that was belied by the sudden leap of her pulse. “That was a mistake,” she said carefully.

“Is that what you call it?” he challenged sarcastically.

His arrogance grated. To him she was a poor, plain nursemaid who must be grateful for the momentary attention of a man like him. She would never let him know how much it had affected her. How even now, gazing up at him in the sun, seeing that soft mouth twisted in a wry grin, all she could think about was how incredible his lips had felt on hers. And the weakness was humiliating.

He was so sure of himself. Well, she was sure of herself, too, and she would not be drawn in.

She mustered up her most breezy, nonchalant expression. “We both know it was nothing. A natural result of closeness, the late hour, and the heat of the room. You could have been anyone.”

He stopped and grabbed her arm, his face impassive except for the slight tightening around his mouth. “Your mature grasp of the situation is quite reassuring.”

There was a hard edge to his voice that made her skin tighten with heat. “We are both adults. You don’t need to worry that I’ll set my sights on you.” She laughed nervously. “I’m hardly likely to fall prey to a man like you.”

His jaw locked, and his blue eyes bore right into her. “Is that so?” he drawled dangerously.

Never dare a daredevil. She realized her mistake at once and tried to make him see she hadn’t meant it as a challenge. She was just trying to be practical, but he’d taken it as a criticism. “I only meant that we are too different. Look at us.” The differences should have been obvious. “I’m sure I’m not the type of woman that you usually kiss.”

“You think you know me so well?”

“I know your type. Lighthearted, charming, unflappable. Women love you and you love them back. All of them. Life is your private joke and you never take anything seriously.”

“You’re wrong,” he said in a dark voice. “Some things I take very seriously.”

Her heart beat a little faster at the way he was looking at her. As if he intended to show her exactly what he meant, and this time she didn’t think it would be by a simple kiss. He was far more dangerous like this. Intense. Angry. Brutally male. Her heart took a funny little jump as she stood there frozen, knowing she should step back but unable to force her feet to move.

“You know what I think, Ellie? I think you liked that kiss quite a lot. I think you wanted more. Much more. I think you wanted to let go for once and experience life. I think that you have been responsible for so long, and cut yourself off from feeling anything, that you’ve forgotten how to have fun.”

She gasped at how close to the mark he’d hit. Was she so obvious? She felt a horrible stinging behind her eyes. “So you think I’m some dried-up virgin who could use a little excitement, and you decided to take pity on me?”