his wanting to get rid of her was why she was so obsessed with him. She always had found the unattainable more interesting than the freely offered. If she could only set everything straight between them, then he might not be so intent on getting rid of her.
Maybe then she could stop dreaming about his body.
Face already heating, she hurried over to where Malcolm waited. As he grasped her waist, she placed a hand on his chest, thinking to stop him.
Now was the time to talk it out.
“I have a couple of things I need to get off my chest.”
Malcolm, however, appeared in no mood to stand and talk. He responded with a frown and lifted her to her saddle as if she were no more than a sack of feathers.
“You’d best be keeping everything on yer chest, my lady. Though the sun promises to shine on us this day, it will no be so very warm for a good many hours.”
“No.” She shook her head, waiting for him to mount his horse next to her. “I meant that there are things I need to say to you. To clear the air between us.”
She sighed at his confused look. “Fresh new start”would need to include her thinking about what she said before she said it.
“There are those at the castle who will fash themselves over our not having returned last night. We need to be on our way. But certainly you are free to speak as we ride, my lady.” Another little frown. “Into the clear air, if it pleases you.”
She deserved that one.
With a click of his tongue, he pulled his horse ahead of hers, leading the way. That was okay. She could talk loud if she needed to.
“First thing, let’s start with this whole ‘my lady’ business. I have a name, not a title. It’s Dani. I’d appreciate your using it. We’re not real big on royalty where I come from.”
“We have a few issues of our own with royalty.”
Of course they did. She’d seen the Braveheart movie. “So you understand, then. You call me Dani, I’ll call you Malcolm. Deal?”
He slowed his horse, waiting for her to pull up beside him. “As laird of the MacGahan, I’m usually addressed as—”
“Look, I’m a cook and a waitress, but I don’t want people using my job title to talk to me. You might be the laird, but you’re also Malcolm. It
is
your name, right?”
They sat in silence for a short time as he appeared to contemplate her argument.
“I concede yer point, my . . . Dani.”
He tugged at his reins, starting his horse forward, and she followed his lead, staying close to him. She wasn’tfinished yet. In fact, she was working her way through a mental list. She might have missed the perfect opportunity for the next item, but oh well. His ego would just have to deal with her apology.
“Good. Second thing is, I feel bad about that bruise on your jaw. I’m sure it was just a lucky punch and had everything not been so . . . weird, I never would have been able to hit you that hard.”
His fingers stole up to his jaw and when he turned to look at her this time, his face broke into a grin that took her breath away.
“You’ve a good arm, Dani. A fine, strong hit that would have surprised any man.”
Maybe he wasn’t so arrogantly alpha as she’d thought. She was on a roll. Two down and one to go. Saving the hardest for last.
“Okay, so, I know you’re not happy about having me here, and I’m sorry that I’ve caused a problem for you.”
She paused for a breath and he slipped into that space.
“I told you before, you’ve no blame on that count. You canna control what actions the Magical Folk take. They’ve their own way of thinking and their own intent. Yer but a pawn in whatever game Elesyria thinks to play. You’ve no call to apologize to me for being here.”
It would be so easy to leave it at that. So easy to let him believe as he did rather than to confess what she suspected to be the truth. But easy now would lead to complicated later on, and she would not beresponsible for starting her new life off on the wrong foot.
“No, I am
Maybe then she could stop dreaming about his body.
Face already heating, she hurried over to where Malcolm waited. As he grasped her waist, she placed a hand on his chest, thinking to stop him.
Now was the time to talk it out.
“I have a couple of things I need to get off my chest.”
Malcolm, however, appeared in no mood to stand and talk. He responded with a frown and lifted her to her saddle as if she were no more than a sack of feathers.
“You’d best be keeping everything on yer chest, my lady. Though the sun promises to shine on us this day, it will no be so very warm for a good many hours.”
“No.” She shook her head, waiting for him to mount his horse next to her. “I meant that there are things I need to say to you. To clear the air between us.”
She sighed at his confused look. “Fresh new start”would need to include her thinking about what she said before she said it.
“There are those at the castle who will fash themselves over our not having returned last night. We need to be on our way. But certainly you are free to speak as we ride, my lady.” Another little frown. “Into the clear air, if it pleases you.”
She deserved that one.
With a click of his tongue, he pulled his horse ahead of hers, leading the way. That was okay. She could talk loud if she needed to.
“First thing, let’s start with this whole ‘my lady’ business. I have a name, not a title. It’s Dani. I’d appreciate your using it. We’re not real big on royalty where I come from.”
“We have a few issues of our own with royalty.”
Of course they did. She’d seen the Braveheart movie. “So you understand, then. You call me Dani, I’ll call you Malcolm. Deal?”
He slowed his horse, waiting for her to pull up beside him. “As laird of the MacGahan, I’m usually addressed as—”
“Look, I’m a cook and a waitress, but I don’t want people using my job title to talk to me. You might be the laird, but you’re also Malcolm. It
is
your name, right?”
They sat in silence for a short time as he appeared to contemplate her argument.
“I concede yer point, my . . . Dani.”
He tugged at his reins, starting his horse forward, and she followed his lead, staying close to him. She wasn’tfinished yet. In fact, she was working her way through a mental list. She might have missed the perfect opportunity for the next item, but oh well. His ego would just have to deal with her apology.
“Good. Second thing is, I feel bad about that bruise on your jaw. I’m sure it was just a lucky punch and had everything not been so . . . weird, I never would have been able to hit you that hard.”
His fingers stole up to his jaw and when he turned to look at her this time, his face broke into a grin that took her breath away.
“You’ve a good arm, Dani. A fine, strong hit that would have surprised any man.”
Maybe he wasn’t so arrogantly alpha as she’d thought. She was on a roll. Two down and one to go. Saving the hardest for last.
“Okay, so, I know you’re not happy about having me here, and I’m sorry that I’ve caused a problem for you.”
She paused for a breath and he slipped into that space.
“I told you before, you’ve no blame on that count. You canna control what actions the Magical Folk take. They’ve their own way of thinking and their own intent. Yer but a pawn in whatever game Elesyria thinks to play. You’ve no call to apologize to me for being here.”
It would be so easy to leave it at that. So easy to let him believe as he did rather than to confess what she suspected to be the truth. But easy now would lead to complicated later on, and she would not beresponsible for starting her new life off on the wrong foot.
“No, I am
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