Page 36 of Highlander’s Beautiful Liar

As if she knew what he was thinking, Cora grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I cannot be mad at you, Kane, when I lied about my identity when I was freed. I do remember when you brought me dinner, and I remember that there was kindness when you freed me and helped me eat.”

“Did any of them lay a hand on ye?” Alec hissed. It hadn’t occurred to him that anyone other than Seth would have hurt her, but for all he knew, every man here could have laid hands on her.

“No. Only Seth.”

“Seth was not like his father,” Kane said in a low voice. “Yer father was a good man. I hear ye didnae get a chance to know him. For that, I am truly sorry.”

“Perhaps I can get to know him more by getting to know all of you.” Her voice shook just a little, and Alec realized that he was disgusted.

Disgusted with himself.

He didn’t trust her, but he had to admit to himself that she’d had one hell of a year. Taken from her family. Witnessed the murder of her father. Imprisoned and abused by her half-brother, and now married to a stranger.

And what had he done to make things easier for her? Not a damn thing.

After dinner, he held Cora’s hand as he walked her out of the room. When they were out of Gavin’s sight, she tugged her hand away and wrapped her arms around her body. “I think I might take a walk before bed. I fear I ate too much.”

“Cora.” Before she could run from him, he reached down and snagged her hand. “Despite how our marriage came about, ye are my wife now. If ye tell me that ye are no longer hiding anything from me, then I will believe it.”

Raising her chin, she stared at him. Her beautiful green eyes were filled with anguish, and he mentally cursed himself. He’d wanted to put aside the animosity between them, but she was still keeping things from him. “What am I to do with ye?” he whispered.

“I do not keep anything from you that will harm you or your status here in the clan!” she cried out as she put her hands on his chest. “I was afraid after Seth and…and I did not know if I could trust you. I am sorry for that. I can see why you are angry with me, but I need you to know that what I keep from you now, I keep because I am just not ready to share with you. Not yet.”

“Your family? Cora, if ye wish to see yer family, I can make that happen.”

“No.” She shook her head. “No, it’s best if they continue to think that I am dead.”

“Why?” He couldn’t imagine letting his family think that he was dead. Connor, and even Grace, would go to the ends of the earth to discover the truth if there was any doubt. To him, family was everything.

“I can see what you’re thinking.” Letting her hands drop away, she turned from him. “The Thistles are not blood, and they need to look after their daughter first. She is entering her first season in London. It will go easier if there isn’t a scandal involved, and my history is fraught with scandal.”

“Then I am yer family now.” Yanking her up against him, he leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. There was an aching need inside of him to lift her skirts and see just he affected her, but he kept the kiss light and easy even though it threatened to drive him insane. “Ye will not keep things from me.”

“How can I tell you anything when you hate me?” Pulling away from him, she shook her head. “When you do not trust me? We may be family in the eyes of the law, but you don’t see me as a wife. Not really. You got what you wanted from me, Alec, and I will continue to play your games, but when the King’s man is gone, I think maybe we should just leave each other alone.”

He let her walk away, let her walk into her own chambers and close the door. But he wasn’t done with her.

Not by a long shot.

14

Cora had just started working on the buttons of her dress when the door opened behind her. With a shriek, she whirled around, but it was only Alec, and there was a fire in her husband’s eyes as he closed the door behind him. “This isnae yer room,” he growled.

“I have not moved my clothes just yet.” Her heart hammered against her chest as she stared at him. She’d said nothing untrue. In fact, she thought he would welcome the idea that she would not want to pursue a romantic relationship with him, but he looked infuriated.

“Ye doona make declarations and then storm away from me.”

The fabric of her dress, not loosened, fell from her shoulder, and she pulled it back up. “If you want to have this conversation, then perhaps it can wait until after I’m dressed.”

“Oh we are going to have a conversation, but I am not going to wait. Turn around,” he hissed as he stalked toward her.

Thrusting her chin up, she considered telling him just where he could go, but she turned instead. As soon as his knuckles brushed against the bare skin revealed by her loose dress, she inhaled sharply. The man could anger and arouse her in a span of seconds, and she hated that. She hated that he had such power over her without even trying.

“I doona hate ye, Cora. I never have.” The dress loosened even more as he slowly undid the rest of the buttons. “Distrusted, aye, but never hate. Since ye have been here, ye have been imprisoned, beaten, and threatened. That ends now that ye are my wife.”

There was such tenderness in him that was at odds with the fury and power that she witnessed when she spied on his training sessions. Her heart fluttered, and she sucked in her lower lip as she turned to him. “I am offering to leave you in peace. I would think that would make you happy.”

Slowly, he tugged down her dress until it pooled at her feet. Her shift beneath was so thin that it offered no protection against his intense gaze, but she didn’t bother to cover herself. Already, liquid heat pooled at her sex, and her chest was flushed with need.