Page 31 of A Virgin for the Icy Highlander
Ellie giggled. “Tell him, Gracie.”
“Well, I was just telling Ellie that the most important people have lions and tigers in their portraits,” Grace replied, mirth in her beautiful eyes. “Of course, we weren’t able to find a lion or a tiger to pose for us…”
“So we added Snowflake!” Ellie exclaimed, pointing to a big white splotch with two smaller blue splotches for eyes.
“Surprise!” Grace said cheerily, clapping her hands. “What do you think of it? Ellie has worked so hard on getting it just right for you.”
I think it’s the most baffling thing I’ve ever seen, and cannae be called a portrait under any meaning of the word…But it’s the most I’ve seen Ellie smile.
“It’s… very pleasant,” he said instead, conscious of not hurting his daughter’s feelings.
She was still beaming from ear to ear and looking up at him as if she wasn’t the least bit afraid of him. Instead, she just wanted to please him.
The kitten hissed at him, prompting him to gently set it back down on the floor.
“I’ll admire it while ye’re havin’ yer bath,” Hunter added firmly. “Yer maid is lookin’ for ye, and ye’re more in need of one now than ye were earlier.”
For a second, Ellie looked dismayed, but as she glanced down at herself, taking in the mess, her smile quickly returned.
“Ye should hang it behind yer desk, so ye can always look at it,” she suggested excitedly, before hurrying out of the study, the kitten following closely behind. The creature turned and gave Hunter one last hiss before trotting out of the room.
Still, Hunter meant to save his scolding for someone else.
“What is the meaning of this?” he asked Grace coldly.
A man didn’t fight a war and not understand when he was in the middle of an ambush.
He turned and closed the door, so he could be certain that no one would interrupt or come rushing in to rescue Grace from the explanation that he was owed.
“I am afraid I do not understand,” Grace said.
She picked up the easel and the painting, then carried them closer to the window.
“What jest are ye tryin’ to play?” he pressed sternly. “It began at dinner last night, and ye’re still playin’ it. I suspect that if I dinnae say aught now, it will continue.”
She wouldn’t look him in the eye. “There is no jest, M’Laird. I don’t know what you are referring to.”
“Ye’re nae discreet, lass,” he said, stalking forward, putting himself between her and the door.
She stood frozen by the window. Her back was pressed against the wall, her cheeks flushing a pretty pink that made her green eyes sparkle. When she met his gaze, there was a flicker of guilt within it. The graze of her teeth against her lower lip did nothing to convince him of her innocence… though he was sorry that he wasn’t the one biting her lip.
He raised his hand to her chin, cupping it gently. “Are ye tryin’ to change me mind about the weddin’?” He stepped closer, the gap between them a little more than it had been last night, in the throes of their dance. “All ye need to do is ask. Ye’re nae a prisoner here. Ye’re nae bein’ forced to be here. So, if ye want to leave, then by all means…”
Dinnae dare to leave me sight,his mind whispered.
Her skin felt soft against his hand, her jaw so delicate, her mouth so tempting that one dip of his head would see his hunger satisfied. His hunger for a kiss, at least.
“No!” Grace gasped, her eyes widening in something like panic. “No, M’Laird, that’s not it at all. I… I… It’s just… I…”
“Ye what?” he demanded to know.
She stared up at him, her hand coming up to close around his wrist like she meant to push him away. Instead, she left her hand there, as if to keep herself steady.
“I have been here for two days,” she said, her throat bobbing. “I know I shouldn’t expect to know everything there is to know about you in such a short amount of time, but… do you know how hard it is to get to knowanythingabout you?”
He had no reply for her.
“You were frantic because your daughter didn’t speak to you, butyoudo not speak,” she continued in earnest. “You do not smile. You do not… react in any way, aside from some mild scolding. You just told Ellie that her portrait wasvery pleasant. What is she to make of that? Can you imagine how difficult it is for her to get to know you—a child who has no notion of how to engage with you—when even I can’t make head or tail of you?”
