The Hunter (Highland Guard #7)(116)

He swore, grabbed a drying cloth that was lying on the bed, and wrapped it around his waist.

But if he thought to cover himself, he’d miscalculated. The damp linen clung to every muscle and molded every inch of the thick club. My, it was pleasantly warm and sultry in here.

“Stop looking at me like that, damn it.”

Her eyes met his. “Would you rather I called the serving girl back?”

It took him a moment, but something finally clicked. He smiled. Broadly. He looked so handsome it made her chest squeeze. “You’re jealous.”

She didn’t deny it. “You can wash yourself from now on.”

He grinned, crossing his arms—probably to distract her. It worked. She sucked in her breath at the impressive display of bulging muscle. Good gracious, she had new appreciation for warfare! “What if I need help?”

“I will help you,” she said through gritted teeth, knowing she was being ridiculous.

“I think I should like to see that. Biddable and subservient in one day. I will make a proper wife out of you yet.”

Her eyes went to his. The jealousy, the jesting, the muscle admiration, all slipped away. Only one thing mattered. Nothing had ever mattered more. “The king agreed?”

“Aye,” he said huskily. In his gaze she could see all the emotion swelling in her heart. “But he did have one condition.”

Janet was suddenly wary. “What kind of condition?”

“I must have your agreement.”

Tears swelled in her eyes when he dropped to his knee at her feet. He took her hand and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry for lying to you. I should have told you the truth. I’m sorry for not holding you in my arms after we made love and telling you how much I loved you. I’m sorry for not having enough courage to fight for us, for not doing whatever it took to make you my wife. I thought I’d lost everything, but none of it mattered without you. I know I can’t change things or make it up to you, but I promise I will try for the rest of my life if you will agree to be my wife.”

Janet stood there in stunned silence. Their roles, it seemed, had been reversed. The man who always said the wrong thing had expressed himself beautifully, and the woman who always knew what to say couldn’t seem to find her tongue.

He began to get a little worried, looking up at her uncertainly. “Janet?”

There was one thing she had to know. “What if I wish to continue my work?”

He paused. “You would still do so even after what happened?”

“What if I did?”

“I would try to talk you out of it. The priest may be dead, but there are others who will eventually put it together like he did.”

“And if you couldn’t convince me?”

He looked as if he would rather be chewing nails. “I would defer—most unwillingly—to your judgment. And I should probably grow just as disagreeable as MacKay when Helen insists on accompanying us.”

A broad smile spread over her features. If she ever needed proof of his love, she’d just heard it. “You, disagreeable? It defies belief.”

He smacked her on the bottom, and she laughed.

But then she sobered. “I should like to continue to help Robert, but I think my days as a courier are over. You were right; I was overconfident about my abilities and perhaps,” she conceded, “even a bit naive about what might happen. I should have exercised more discretion. After two close calls, I think I have overstayed my welcome in the Borders, not to mention run out of identities.”

“Two close calls?” he boomed.

Oops. “I guess I forgot to mention how I came to be working in a drapery?”

“Aye, I’d say you did.”

Janet gave a quick recounting, ignoring the darkening of his expression when she mentioned the squire and knight, and ended with how she’s been forced to leave without saying goodbye to the Hendeses. “Do you think there might be a way to get word to them, and see that they are safe?”

“Consider it done,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, not realizing how much it had been weighing on her.

“I won’t say I’m not glad you won’t be insisting on donning your habit again.”

Janet smiled. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Besides, it would be quite inappropriate under the circumstances.”

“What circumstances?”

She wasn’t ready to tell him that yet. But it had been her coup de grâce if Robert had proved unreasonable. “Don’t think I’m finished, though. I have another plan in the works.”

He groaned. “I don’t even want to ask.”

“Don’t worry, it is nothing too outrageous.”

He made a pained face. “What a relief,” he said dryly. “Janet, unless you have failed to notice, I am still on my knee.” He winced uncomfortably.

Her eyes jumped to his leg. “Oh God, I forgot about your leg.” She dragged him to his feet. “Does it hurt horribly? I’m so sorry for leaving you like that—I didn’t realize you were ill the night I left. I thought you were drunk.”

He smoothed her hair back from the side of her face. “I rarely overindulge in spirits.”

She looked at him. “Because of your father?”

He nodded.