When MacCarrick went to the counter to pay, the shopkeeper bent forward to present the bill - and her cle**age - to him. If Annalía hadn't been here with him, would he have kissed the eager woman? Taken her into what would've been solely his room and bedded her? What an unusual, infuriating thought. She sauntered up to him, then took his arm, giving the woman a glare. She winked at Annalía.
The French!
On their way back to the inn, she was acutely aware of every woman who sneaked a glance at him. She'd never seen him around women like this and didn't like it, even though he seemed oblivious.
When in Paris, she'd seen gloriously handsome men walking by, and though she didn't sigh out loud like her girlfriends, she'd noted them appreciatively, but the looks these women gave MacCarrick were more sensual, more lascivious.
More...knowledgeable? They knew something about him that she didn't, which was maddening. So she kept his arm, and he didn't seem to mind. When she pointed out something and accidentally brushed him with her br**sts, he hissed in a breath. His reaction to such a small touch was surprising and thrilling. She would make sure she did it often.
Now she gazed up at him, studying him as they walked along. He was exceedingly tall and broad shouldered. Of course, she'd known he dwarfed most men, but she'd always found his size intimidating, not attractive as other women seemed to see it. Though to be honest, there were things she did find attractive about him, now that she could look at him without...blinding hatred.
He had incredible eyes. Black like jet, but now she noticed they were flecked with silver. His face was hard, with rough features, but when these were put together, it was attractive, if one liked brooding and scarred. His hair was black as his eyes, and thick. She liked that, too.
She found herself asking, "MacCarrick, why did you become a mercenary?"
He scowled at her question. "What does it matter?"
"I'm curious about you," she said. When he didn't answer, she added, "I will answer any question you have, if you answer this one." No response.
She squeezed his arm, and he finally said, "Highland regiments were returning from far-off places talking about the money to be made abroad. After their service, some of the soldiers signed on with a foreign crew, and I joined them."
"It didn't bother you? Killing for money?"
He tensed and grated, "That's a second question."
"Then ask yours."
He pulled her into a shaded area and put his fingers under her chin. "Do you think about the night I kissed you in the study?"
She could feel her face heating.
"Do you?" he asked again.
"I might from time to time," she said, striving for an airy tone. "It was my first kiss."
"And when I touched you at the posting house? Do you think about that when you stare out the coach window?"
Her lips parted. How did he see so much? "MacCarrick," she began in a steady voice, though she felt anything but, "that's a second question."
"So it is." He shocked her by brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek before taking her arm again. "But I have my answer now."
Chapter Twenty
The moment she opened the door to let him in after her bath that night, Court knew he had a problem, and was actually thinking to himself, Court, we have a very serious problem.
Anna, breathless and smiling, with her hair down and curling about her bare shoulders was bad enough. That and Anna in a blouse with damn little underneath it to conceal her full br**sts and clad in skirts that begged to be snatched to her hips as he turned her to a wall?...
"Why are you dressed to go out?" he demanded.
"The maid who brought my bath up told me there's going to be dancing tonight. I love to dance."
"You ken you canna go tonight. Too risky."
"I thought you'd say that, but I am asking you to please let me go." She took his hand between hers and clasped them to her chest, exactly as Court had instructed at the posting house. "I know you'll keep me safe."
"Have you forgotten the danger you're in? You just opened the door without asking - "
"If the knock is really high and hard that means you. And I haven't forgotten - that's why it's so important to go tonight. MacCarrick, it was made very clear to me when I was shot how short life can be, and if you knew how much I have to make up for, you'd let me go!"
She looked so young, so eager, and damn it, there was a hint of desperation in her eyes. He'd wondered how she could lightly brush off the attacks, and now understood she hadn't at all.
"Will you let me pretend for one night that I don't have this hanging over me?"
He finally said, "You'll have your night, then. But you canna go out like that."
"Why not?" She glanced down at her blouse and skirt, then frowned at him.
He scrubbed a hand over his mouth and muttered, "Your hair's down."
She smiled coyly and confided, "I know it is," as if she'd pulled off a bold coup to have it free.
"Only the young women wear it so."
She put her hand on her hip. "I am a young woman."
"You're a lady, as you like to remind me incessantly. So you should dress as one."
"You're right, of course." She twisted her hair around behind her, tying it into a knot, just like that.
He exhaled as though put out, then offered his arm to escort her down. Once on the street, he braced for the torture of her br**sts grazing him, fearing she'd discovered today to do that on purpose.
Still he walked proud to have a lady like her by his side. Even as he wanted to kill the men who ogled her, and envied him....
Some children ran by, laughing, and she smiled after them. "Thank you for taking me out, MacCarrick," she said with a sigh, resting her head against him.
Her voice was so pleasing and the gesture so welcome that he almost regretted one of his reasons for agreeing to do so tonight - he planned to give her something more to think about when she stared out the window.
Annalía was determined to enjoy herself tonight and as she and MacCarrick walked to the center of the village, the music, the laughter, and the excitement around them helped relax her. As did the glasses of wine MacCarrick had gotten for her, though he didn't touch a drop. She felt warm and reckless and dimly noted that she couldn't seem to stop touching him. "MacCarrick, do you think I look pretty?" Where had that question come from? Did she care about the answer? Yes. Yes, she did.
"You know very well how you look," he said, but ran his gaze over her appreciatively.
With a laugh, she asked, "Am I the type of woman who could bring you to your knees?"
He caught her gaze. "Depends," he began in a low, husky tone, "on the context."
The look in his eyes made her shiver, though she didn't understand what he was implying. "Context? Then right now, right here."
"Right now, right here, you're the type of woman that drives a man to drink."
She gave him a mock scowl to match his. "Take me to dance, MacCarrick."
"No."
Her face fell. "Why not?"
"Canna keep watch."
"Oh." Of course, he wouldn't be able to. She thought about returning to the inn, but just then a daring young man marched up and asked her to dance. She glanced back at MacCarrick, but he appeared as though he couldn't care less, which vexed her, so she accepted. As she'd known it would, her hair fell loose with the first turn.
After that, she danced with man after man. The whole experience was heady, though she had the regrettable habit of comparing each partner to the Highlander. As if he were the template others should aspire to? His manner was gruff, and she'd certainly seen more handsome, genteel men. Still, she wished he would look at her as these men did. As if they were besotted. As if they were on the verge of spontaneous poetry. MacCarrick always seemed to be studying her, yet never letting her know what he had decided.
But life was short and she was young. Another man swept her into a dance and she laughed - not a practiced ladylike laugh but a full-hearted one. And why not? Wasn't she already ruined? She'd been kidnapped by a gang of mercenaries. In fact, barring pirates, she couldn't call up a scenario where one could possibly be more ruined than that.
Young and ruined - there was a lot of freedom in that. Salut to young and ruined! She laughed again at her thoughts, and the man leaned in to whisper in her ear that she was lovely beyond words and that he wanted her.