Page 11 of Tempting the Highland Devil
“Yer braither is right. Ye should allow the competition and find a match before the end of the year. It is the best thin’ to do.”
He saw the spark of annoyance in her eyes as she rose to her feet too. “I dinnae see how ye can force me to do that. If I say nay, then I mean nay.”
“Ye will change yer mind…”
“How? How can ye make me?” she challenged him, and usually, that would spur the urge to argue with her, but today, it stirred a different range of emotions. “If ye think that ye can force me to…”
“This is to protect ye, Yvaine.”
“Protect me from what!” she yelled as her eyes clouded with tears, and her forehead creased together in tight lines. “Yesterday, ye said that ye are on me side, but now ye are on me braither’s side? How can I trust ye?”
She took off his cloak, dumped it on the ground, and marched away from him with intent to get to her horse.
“Ye were just attacked, Yvaine! Yesterday, I believed ye were in yer right senses, so I volunteered to help ye…Today, I realize ye are nay, and so this is nay longer yer decision. The only decision ye get is choosin’ the man ye will marry!”
She struggled to get on her horse as he spoke, and Arran thundered again, “Do ye hear me?”
Yvaine rode away on the horse without glancing back at him. Arran picked a tiny rock from the ground and tossed it into the waters angrily. He hated the tension she stirred in him.
She must change her mind.He had to make sure she did because one of these days, he would lose his mind and take her for himself.
That cannae happen.It would be cruel to take Yvaine for himself when he knew he could never give her the life she deserved.
6
He’s terrible. I don’t know what I ever saw in him.
Arran infuriated her. Yvaine still fumed even after her hot bath when she joined her brother and the rest of the family in the dining hall for breakfast.
The hearty pottage served did not interest Yvaine much, so she settled for some of the fish and vegetables. She could barely eat any of her breakfast though, not when Arran stared at her intently across the table.
Duncan cleared his throat after some time and lifted his quaich to drink. “Yvaine,” he began, and she whipped her gaze up to look at him. “Arran tells me that durin’ yer ride this mornin’, ye were attacked by some archers he dinnae see. If he was nay there to protect ye, then ye might have been hurt.”
Yvaine saw his scowl and reacted with a disgruntled groan. “Did Arran report that to ye?” she retorted before daggering Arran with another furious look. “Did he also mention that I fell in the river because of him and nearly hurt my head when he shoved me to the ground without care?”
“I did that to save ye,” Arran answered almost immediately.
“Did ye?” she questioned and tilted her head to one side. “I think ye did it out of spite,” Yvaine continued.
Arran rolled his eyes and pushed his plate aside. Yvaine was aware of everyone else at the table staring at them with an amused look, but she did not care.
The air was charged with tension, and it had everything to do with the way Arran looked at her. Even though he would deny it if she ever mentioned it, Yvaine felt the heat in his gaze. She suspected it was because he wanted her. But then again, it was hardly a surprise that Arranwanteda lass. Still, it felt good.
Yes,and the knowledge filled her with trembles she knew she should not feel. She could admit to herself that she did not want the competition because of that fiery sensation he invoked in her each time he was near.Or every time he touches me.
Yvaine held his eyes with the same intensity he stared at her with, and everyone else evaporated in thin air, so it was just them at the table.
“I dinnae care what happened this mornin’,” Duncan announced and drew her back to reality. “Ye willnae leave the castle without a guard anymore until we find out who tried to attack ye two. Also, ye will begin trainin’ with Arran and Lily while we make preparations for the competition, and yer marriage feast that will follow.”
The mention of the competition made Yvaine tense. “What? Braither I told ye that…”
“Yvaine please, that is enough!” Duncan interrupted her.
She looked from him to everyone else at the table that watched the scene. Amelia and Lily stopped eating. Yvaine looked to her mother, and Elspeth offered her a shaky smile.
“We all discussed this,” Killian spoke gently, and Yvaine could hardly contain the tears that threatened to spill… “Learnin’ to defend yerself is for the best, and durin’ the competition, ye will find a man who interests ye eventually. There will be tons of them.”
“Maither?” Yvaine called for Elspeth in a wobbly voice. “Ye will let braither do this?”
