Page 6 of Tempting the Highland Devil
Yvaine’s response was another laugh. This one made Arran rub the back of his neck. She pressed a hand to her lips as if trying to control herself, and her small frame shook with her laughter.
The breeze blowing around them suddenly hollered heavier and ruffled against the strands of her hair till it was all over the place. Yvaine struggled to keep her hair at bay, and out of impulse, he reached out to help.
Arran smothered down her hair with both hands, and his gaze landed on hers right then. His heart sunk deep when he realized she had tears in her eyes.
“Are ye cryin’?”
She shook her head almost immediately. “Nay…I just…This is absurd. For a moment, I thought ye were askin’ to marry me and save me from an eternity of misery with a stranger.”
That prick settled in his heart again. Marriage was not an option for him. He had vowed a long time ago to ensure his father’s line ended with him.
His chin hardened, and Yvaine cleared her throat again.
“Marriage between ye and me would be worse than marryin’ some other Highland laird ye dinnae ken.”
Her eyes widened like his words shocked her, but he continued as a bitter taste arose on his tongue. “All we do is argue. We would make a terrible match. Besides, yer braither would have me head before we even made the announcement. It is a terrible idea.”
“Is that what ye truly believe?” she asked in a faint voice, and staring into those misty eyes made his heart ache in a way it never had before. Arran battled with the emotions rising inside him.
“Does it matter what I think? This is about yer need, and this competition will be held regardless of how much ye fight with yer braither.”
“And to what aim would ye sabotage the competition? If ye dinnae intend to wed me for yerself… In the end, Duncan will confuse yer determination for intent, and he will propose that ye wed me instead. What will ye do then?”
Arran’s hands paused from stroking her hair. His fingers brushed over her cheeks and felt the softness of her skin.
There were only a handful of times he had let himself touch Yvaine. Each of those times, he told himself it was because he had no other choice. It was either to save her from a fall or hand her something when they were all gathered.
He never even let himself dance with her because he feared he would want more. Now, he couldn’t stop himself from brushing a finger on her lower lip.
A soft whimper fell out of her lips, and her full lashes closed to shield her eyes from him. A frenzied drumroll began in his heart, and he took a step back for his own safety. He couldn’t trust himself with her, it seemed.
“Why do ye want to do this? Do ye intend to let Duncan ask ye to wed me? Out of pity? Ye intend to wed me because ye think I will be miserable, but ye want it to be my idea?”
Arran raked his fingers through his hair. “I am doin’ this to help ye, and weddin’ ye is nay goin’ to happen.” He allowed the chill in the air seep into his heart and stop the maddening rush of its pace. “Think about it, and tell me what ye want to do.”
Without giving himself the chance to think of her lips one more time, he stormed away from her, mounted his horse, and galloped away.
Arran arrived at the castle some minutes later and found Duncan standing in front of the keep with Amelia and Lily.
They all had expectant looks on their faces, and he kept his expression steady, so he did not give away his unease as he marched towards Duncan.
“Is my sister all right?” Duncan asked, his tense eyes and furrowed eyebrows giving away his worry. “I am sorry I accused ye of nay wantin’ the best for her. I ken ye willnae hurt Yvaine intentionally, and I trust ye.”
Duncan’s apology worsened the weight of guilt crushing down Arran’s heart. His friend was right to worry about his sister with him.
I just offered to ruin his plans at finding her a match. Hell, I almost kissed her. I am nay to be trusted, especially with Yvaine.
He nursed scandalous thoughts about her, and they kept getting out of his control, no matter how hard he tried.
He nodded stiffly, because he feared speaking would only give his emotions away at that point, then he stood and faced the sun with Duncan.
A long time passed as both men stood in silence, and Duncan finally broke it. “I am doin’ what is right for her. Ye ken I am. I worry that she will always be alone, and I willnae rest until I ken she is well provided for. That is why I’m doin’ this...”
Arran turned his head to look at his friend now. Duncan’s expression was enough to break his resolve to stay silent, and he found himself searching for the right words to express himself.
“I have ken Yvaine since she was a bairn. I watched yer maither cradle her when she was born, Duncan. I do care about her, and I understand if ye dinnae want me alone with her till she finds a match but…”
“Nay,” Duncan refused. “I want ye to teach her to fight and defend herself. Regardless of whom she marries, she needs to be strong enough to do that.”
