Page 48 of Taming the Scot
“There’s no doubt ye must come through for them,” Lorne said, and the others agreed. And he was grateful they’d not continued their exploration about Bronwen. He wasn’t sure how to figure out his feelings to himself, let alone anyone else.
“Want me to do some digging into Will and Hector?” Malcolm offered. “There has to be something I can dig up to help with those bastards. I’ve always had a bad feeling about them.” Due to his work with the War Department—mostly clandestine—everyone tended to trust Malcolm when it came to his judgment of others, and Euan was no exception.
Euan nodded, relieved that Malcolm had offered. “That would be great if ye could.”
Euan’s gaze trailed back toward the ladies and Bronwen. She was perched on the edge of her chair, hands folded in her lap. He could tell that she was nervous, but she wore an enchanting smile on her face all the same and appeared to be deeply engrossed in whatever it was the other lasses were talking about.
“Whoa…” Alec said, letting out a low whistle.
Euan shot his gaze back to his friend. “What did I miss?”
The three men were gaping at Euan as though he’d grown a hoof out of his forehead. He frowned, now confused about whatever it was they’d picked up on that he was ignorant to.
“Ye’ve got it bad,” Lorne said with a soft chuckle and a slow shake of his head.
“Aye, bad,” Alec said with a snort. “So bad.”
“I do no’ even know what that feels like, and even I can say, my man, ye have it bad,” Malcolm added, brows raised nearly to his hairline.
“What have I got?” Euan took a mental check of every part of his body, which felt fine. He wasn’t feverish. Had he come down with spots? He checked his hands, touched his face. All felt and looked well.
“Love,” Lorne said, nodding toward the lasses again. “Ye love her.”
Euan let out a low sigh and nodded. “Aye. Do no’ scare me like that. I thought I’d come down with a deadly disease.”
“Some men think it is the same,” Alec added with a chuckle.
“I’ve been aware of the diagnosis for some days,” Euan jested, trying hard not to look over at the woman he was talking about. If his friends had seen it so quickly, was it obvious to everyone else? Even the woman in question? “But I do no’ think she reciprocates or that she wants what I have to offer.”
“Why’s that?” Lorne asked.
Euan’s memories flicked back to the ballroom when he’d begged her to tell him what had happened, and how in the end… “Because she made me promise when I find a bride this season that I’ll set her free.”
“Oh,” Malcolm said with a grimace.
“That does no’ seem to bode well for ye,” Lorne added. “So ye took her as a lover then?”
Euan shook his head. “Nay, no’ a lover.” Though he’d been close. She’d been able to hold him back, and he’d realized he wanted her for more than a few rolls in the sheets.
“Have ye kissed her yet?” Alec asked tentatively.
Euan stared hard at his friend, holding in his thoughts when they demanded to be set free. “Why?”
Alec grinned, and Lorne nodded as they glanced at each other, apparently privy to something Euan didn’t know about. “The ultimate test, my friend. How many times?”
“Two, almost three times.” But he wished it had been more. Wished he were over there kissing her right now.
“Then it’s settled,” Alec said with a perfunctory nod. “She does no’ find ye disgusting.”
The men let out guffaws of laughter, which drew the women’s attention, and Euan wished he could slug all of them into silence. The best he could do was avoid eye contact with Bronwen, only doing so made him feel as though he were more obvious.
“Tell us the joke,” Skye insisted, followed by a string of agreement from his other sisters.
“Nay,” Euan said.
“Why no’?” She pouted, but Maggie, expert elder sister that she was, drew her attention back to their feminine conversation.
Despite that, however, when Euan raked his gaze over the group, he caught Bronwen’s gaze. She was peering at him through her lashes, a touch of pink on her cheeks. Had she guessed what they’d been discussing? If so, he hoped she didn’t think he was laughing at her. Because, for the love of God, the last thing he wanted to do was laugh at her. Nay, he wanted to laugh with her. To share in the joys of literally everything. When she wasn’t so serious, Bronwen had a sense of humor that rivaled most. Hell, he’d laughed more in the last few weeks than the last few years.
