Page 61 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
She bit her tongue, regretting the words. She had let her guard down and spilled too much, but thankfully, Lachlan did not press her about it. He got behind the table and showed her how to portion the grains again, his arms moving with years of practice and skill.
She stood transfixed, watching him command the room with effortless authority, finally understanding why the entire clan followed him without question.
He does it so well.
He rolled up his sleeves, and she caught herself staring at his arms. His muscles flexed, even though he had no use for much power in separating grains.
Marian swallowed as she remembered how those muscles had felt around her waist that day in the corridor. Her pulse quickened.
She shook her head slightly, as though that would force the memory of his touch out of her head.
I am only watching him to learn.
She shook her head again, and he paused this time, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Are ye all right, Mairi?” he asked.
“Yes,” she responded quickly. Too quickly.
“Ye keep shakin’ yer head?—”
Marian had never come up with a lie any quicker than she did. “That is because I… I am ready to try again. With the grains.”
She raised her chin slightly, sealing the lie with a confident posture.
Lachlan stepped aside, creating room for her in front of the bag of grains. “All right,” he said. “Yer turn.”
Marian dipped her hands into the bag for the second time, holding her fingers together to keep the grains from slipping between them. She scooped up a small portion and poured it into the closest bowl without spilling a drop.
She glanced at Lachlan, rolling her eyes at the unimpressed expression on his face. Then she tried again, scooping a bigger portion this time.
“Ye’re doin’ it wrong,” he muttered in her ear, reaching over to adjust the portion she had measured.
He leaned over her. His chest barely touched her back, but their hands brushed for more than a brief moment. His hand closed over hers as he scooped out some of the grains, making sure that the portion was the same as the last.
“Like this,” he murmured.
Marian’s heart skipped a beat. Her stomach fluttered with a mix of strange feelings that made her weak in the knees. For a fleeting moment, she forgot about the grains entirely.
“Then perhaps you should have explained it better,” she replied quietly.
Lachlan stepped away from her, his breathing heavier than earlier.
“Me Laird,” a voice suddenly called from the entrance, and they both jumped.
It was Jamie, back with the sacks he’d gone to fetch.
“Where do I put the sacks?” he asked.
Lachlan turned to face him, his jaw tighter than ever. “Ye arenae new here, lad,” he grunted. “Daenae ask me such daft questions.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The sun had already begun to set when they finished sorting grains in the store.
Lachlan walked a few paces ahead of Marian as they left, his steps slower than they had been that morning. He could hear her footsteps behind him, slow and possibly tired from all the challenges he’d been throwing at her for the past two days.
It will be over if she just complains.
