Choosing the Highlander by Jessi Gage

Author:Jessi Gage [Gage, Jessi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 23627787
Publisher: Jessi Gage
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Och, Wilhelm had forgotten all about the sack when he’d insisted Constance ride Justice. He’d planned to tell her about it gently before showing it to her. Her finding it like this couldn’t be worse for the fragile trust growing between them.

“You’ve had it the whole time.” She spoke as if her lips had gone numb. Her gaze was sharp as a brooch pin. Those eyes of every color accused him of keeping this from her to hurt her rather than to protect her.

“Not me. Terran.” He took a tentative step toward her. Then another. “He found Ruthven’s men pawing through it before he set the fire, and he took it. I did not intend for you to find it thusly.”

Clutching the sack to her chest, she backed away from him. “Of course you didn’t. You were holding onto it, waiting for the moment it would benefit you in some way. You’ll never stop with the questions, will you? And now you have something to hold over me. Right here. Proof that there’s something wrong about me, that I don’t belong here.”

Her chest rose and fell too quickly. Her pitch rose again until her voice trembled with unshed tears. He was learning this behavior indicated a crisis of emotion.

He reached out a hand, hoping she would trust him and take it. “Easy, lass. I am not your enemy. Never will I hurt you. Never.”

She ignored his offered hand, his offered comfort. “Surely, you’ve seen inside. Terran too. Oh. Of course.” Her gaze went distant, as if she’d forgotten he was there. She might have been talking to herself. “This explains why he threatened me. No wonder he questions my loyalty.”

“Terran threatened you? When?” He took another step closer.

His rising agitation robbed his movements of subtlety. How dare his cousin treat Constance harshly? He would have words with him when they met again.

Constance backed up again, quicker this time to match his increasing pace. “And you. You’ve been so nice to me, but it’s all to get me to let my guard down, isn’t it? I should have known. No one is nice just to be nice. Everyone wants something. What do you want, Wilhelm? What do you want from me?” Her back hit the peeling bark of a birch tree. The sack dangled from the fingers of her right hand.

He wasted no time capturing her shoulders. The firm touch was not only to soothe her but to soothe himself as well. Now that he had her stationary, he could explain.

Her captivating eyes grew wide with fear. She mistook his intent. “What are you going to do with me?” Her voice was steady.

He admired that about her. No matter how frightened she was, it never showed in her voice. But this questioning his honor after all they’d been through would not do. It would not do at all.

“I was considering kissing you,” he said. ’Twas the truth.

She blinked.

“Mayhap even ravishing you here against this tree. Taking you again and again until you ken beyond all doubt I’ll never keep secrets to use against you.

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