She closed her eyes and prayed for tolerance. She was riled and trying not to let it show. 'Let me get this straight. You could love me, but you could never live with me. Have I got it right, now?'
'Just about,' he drawled out.
'Since you've felt compelled to make your position clear, I believe I shall do the same. Even if I should suffer the misfortune of falling in love with an arrogant, opinionated, obstinate Spartan like you-which, I might add, is about as likely as being able to fly like a bird-I couldn't possibly marry you. So you see it doesn't matter a twit that you believe a life together is out of the question.'
'Why?'
'Why what?'
'Why can't you marry me?'
She blinked. The man was making her crazy.
'I must return to England…'
'So that the bastard who beat you near to death can have another opportunity to kill you?'
'I will protect my Uncle Morgan at all costs.'
He didn't like hearing that. He clenched his jaw, causing the muscle to flex, his frustration more than apparent.
'And when you find your sister, will you ask her to give up her life as well?'
'No, I won't,' she whispered. 'If I can find Arianna's treasure…that will have to be enough to placate my uncle's captor.'
'I find it curious that in all the time we've been together, you've never once said his name.'
'We haven't been together all that long.'
'Why haven't you spoken his name? You don't want me to know who he is, do you, Gillian?'
She refused to answer him. 'I would like to sit down. Would you excuse me please?'
'In other words, you're through discussing the matter?'
She started to nod, then changed her mind. 'As a matter of fact, I do have one more thing to say to you.'
'Then say it,' he ordered when she hesitated.
'I could never love a man who finds me so lacking.'
She tried to walk away, but he caught her by her shoulders and pulled her back.
'Ah, Gillian, you're not lacking.' His head slowly bent toward her. 'You're… just… so… damned… sweet.'
His arms went around her and he roughly pulled her against him. His mouth brushed against hers. The mere touch of her sweet lips was so intoxicating that what happened next was surely inevitable and meant to be.
Brodick stopped running.
His mouth covered hers with absolute possession. Yet there was an urgency there as well to make her feel the way he was feeling. He knew she cared about him, but he wanted and needed much more. The music and the crowd and the noise were completely forgotten in that suspended moment of time as Brodick kissed her long and thoroughly. He felt her tremble when his tongue swept inside her sweet mouth with blatant ownership, and he tightened his hold around her waist, thinking that he never wanted to let go. Then he felt her twine her arms around his neck and lean into him until their thighs were pressed against each other. She met his kiss with an equal fervor that was so honest and giving he actually shuddered with raw desire.
He was thinking hard about throwing her over his shoulder and finding the closest bed when someone shouted and he came to his senses in a flash. He ended the kiss so abruptly, her arms were still around his neck when he stepped back.
It took her several seconds to realize where she was and what had happened, and when her head finally cleared, she was promptly horrified by her own shameful behavior. Dear God, there were at least sixty strangers watching, and what would her Uncle Morgan say about her sinful exhibition of lust?
She was so confused she didn't know what to do. She wanted to tell Brodick never to kiss her like that again, yet at the same time she wanted to demand that he do exactly that, and right this minute. What was happening to her? She didn't know her own thoughts anymore. Angry and frustrated, she lashed out at him.
'You will not kiss me like that ever again.' The command shook with emotion.
'Yes, I will.'
He sounded gratingly cheerful, and she wasn't about to stand there arguing with him. She turned around and tried to walk away.
He grabbed her hand and jerked her back. 'Gillian?'
'Yes?' she replied, rudely refusing to look at him.
'Ramsey's here.'
Her head snapped up. 'He is?'
Brodick nodded. 'You will remember my kiss when you meet him. In fact, you're going to be thinking about it the rest of the night.'
It wasn't a hope; it was a command, and she didn't know which offended her more, his arrogance or his bossy disposition.
'I will?' she challenged.
He smiled. 'Yes.'
Determined to have the last word, she took a step closer to him so she wouldn't be overheard and then said, 'I will not love you.'
He took a step toward her, no doubt trying to intimidate her, she supposed, and then he leaned down close to her ear and whispered, 'You already do.'
Chapter Fourteen
Every unattached female in the Maitland clan sprang to attention the second Laird Ramsey and the Sinclair entourage entered the hall. A collective sigh went up from the young girls, who acted very like a covey of quail following Ramsey as he crossed the long hall to get to Iain Maitland.
Brodick watched Gillian's reaction to the Adonis. Before Ramsey came inside, Brodick had suggested rather firmly that she sit in the corner and wait until the greetings were over to speak to him.
Her response to his friend pleased Brodick considerably. Unlike the other women, she didn't leap to her feet and go chasing after the laird. Instead, she appeared curious and somewhat relieved when she spotted Ramsey's little brother, Michael, trailing behind him. 'Twas a fact, she seemed far more interested in finding out who was with him. With a worried look on her face, she intently studied each man walking into the hall. When she suddenly relaxed in the chair, Brodick realized she had been waiting to see if the traitor was in the group.
Dylan was the last to enter. He immediately went to his laird to give his report, and when he was finished, he asked, 'Where is Lady Gillian? I don't see her dancing with the others.'
Brodick nodded toward the corner. Dylan turned, spotted her, and then smiled. 'She wears our plaid,' he remarked proudly. 'Is she not the most beautiful lady here?'
'Aye, she is,' Brodick agreed quietly.
'Laird, this is a celebration, yet I notice milady sits all alone. Why is that? Are the Maitlands ignoring her? Does the clan consider her an outsider? Hasn't Iain told his followers that she is the sole reason they have something to celebrate? By God, don't they realize Alec would be dead if it were not for her courage and strength?'
With each question he posed, Dylan became more outraged until his face was red with anger. The possibility that Lady Gillian was being slighted obviously infuriated him.
'Do you believe I would allow anyone to ignore Gillian? Find your soldiers and you'll know the reason why she sits all alone. They won't let anyone near her.'
Dylan glanced about the hall and relaxed. His anger quickly turned to satisfaction. Robert and Liam had stationed themselves near the hearth so that they could easily intercept any eager soldier foolish enough to attempt to get to Gillian. With the same determination, Stephen, Keith, and Aaron had taken up positions on the opposite side so that they could effectively block access to the lady from both the entrance and the south side of the hall.
Brodick changed the subject then. 'How did Ramsey take the news that it was Michael they wanted?'
'I didn't tell him.'
