Page 52 of The Laird's Masked Passion
“I believe ye cheated.”
“How?”
“By being larger, faster, and annoyingly competent.”
“That isnae cheating.”
“It should be.”
His smile deepened by a fraction, and Elspeth’s stomach did a foolish, traitorous little turn. She hated that smile. A cold Colin was easy to resist. A rude Colin could be met sword for sword, word for word. But this Colin, with amusement warming the hard line of his mouth, was a more dangerous opponent than any man with a blade.
She lifted her chin. “Well? What is this wish ye have so nobly stolen?”
His gaze moved over her face, unlike men who looked at women as if assessing horses or silver. Colin’s gaze was worse because itnoticed the loose strands of hair at her cheek, the rise and fall of her breath, the color she could feel burning in her face.
Then, his eyes found her mouth. Elspeth forgot what breathing was meant to accomplish.
“A kiss,” he whispered.
Her fingers tightened around the dirk. “That is yer great wish?”
“This time,” he added, taking one slow step closer, “without biting.”
Heat rushed up her throat. “That was because ye kissed me against me warning.”
Something flickered in his eyes. “Ye warned me ye would kill me.”
“And yet I showed restraint.”
“Aye. Very merciful.”
She should have stepped away. The yew tree was still behind her, damp bark nearly touching her back, and Colin stood too near already. The garden seemed smaller than it had moments before. The air gathered between them, warm despite the threatening clouds.
“Were ye angry?” she asked before she could think better of it.
“At the wedding?”
“When I bit ye.”
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, “Nay.”
Elspeth blinked. “Nay?”
“I was intrigued.”
That was worse…farworse. A sensible man would have been outraged. A decent man might have been insulted. A barbarian, as she had so frequently named him, ought surely to have been furious. But Colin MacKenzie stood before a church full of horrified witnesses with blood upon his mouth and found her interesting.
“Ye are a strange man,” she whispered.
His gaze dropped again to her lips. “Aye.”
“It wasnae meant as praise.”
“I didnae take it as such.”
Then he lifted one hand and touched her chin. Elspeth’s pulse stumbled.
