Seducing the Highlander (14 page)

Craig scrunched down farther in his seat. That was
not
what he said. Fact was, he didn’t have any other female friends, and he was pretty sure that if he decided to kiss Meriel again, it would be far from a disappointment. And despite her claims otherwise, deep down he believed she felt the same way. It was just her way of coping with the fact that he refused to risk their friendship for a fleeting emotion known as lust.

Meriel saw every small flick of his cheek muscles but did her best to pretend otherwise. The man was struggling with his thoughts and beliefs, which was encouraging. If Craig were anyone else, he would be ripe for all types of persuasion, but not him. She had to come to her own conclusions and so would he. “And while I truly am glad to know we will always be friends,” she said, resuming where she left off, “I still want something more. There are so few men I am physically attracted to, and whenever I do find one, it turns out we are not compatible enough to even have a simple conversation. So when I realized that I not only enjoy this person’s company, but seek it out,
and
that I desire him as well, it . . . well . . . scared me.”

“I’ll bet it did,” Craig said softly, unable to hide the cool tone in his voice. “So just who have you met that you are so compatible with and attracted to?” he asked, already suspecting he knew the answer.

“Who else?” Meriel asked with a shrug of her shoulders. “Hamish.”

“
Hamish?
” Craig repeated, not attempting to disguise his disbelief. He thought he was ready for his friend’s name to roll off her lips, but upon hearing it, his whole demeanor grew in severity. Hamish was a great Highlander, solid soldier, and an excellent friend, but suitor and, God forbid,
husband
? No. The man was incapable of being faithful. Besides, Meriel was just not his type. The women Hamish sought were brazen and open with their advances. The sassier the better. If Meriel really did care about Hamish, she was going to get hurt.

“Aye, Hamish!” Meriel said defensively. “He is . . . well, romantic.
And
good-looking. But he’s also so much more. He’s understanding, smart, funny . . . and, well, you know him.”

Not like that, I don’t
. “He loves Wyenda.”

Meriel’s jaw clenched. “No, he does not. What he feels for that woman is physical attraction, not love. Besides, Wyenda doesn’t appreciate Hamish like she should. She has no idea how special he is.”

“And you do.”

“Every time we talk, I learn more and more just how wonderful a man he is. Or at least we did until
you
came and ruined everything. He used to seek me out to ensure that I was fine, but that ended the day you arrived. I have tried to think of ways to spend more time with him, but except for dinner, he is never here. That is why I need your help.”

Craig exhaled, feeling the breath from his lungs burn his throat. He raked his fingers through his hair again, before turning to look at her. “The man is a rake, Meriel!”

Meriel jumped to her feet. “He is not! At least not any more than you are.”

A year ago she might have been right, but Craig had practically been living the life of a monk since he had met her. “I’m a reformed rake,” he argued. “Hamish, on the other hand, well, I don’t think he could ever change his ways.”

Meriel glared at him for several seconds, her cold gaze drilling right through him. “You are wrong,” she said simply. “He is very different from what people think. He likes to flirt, so everyone—including his
friends
—believes him to be a womanizer. But I can see the person he really is—a kind, sincere, accepting, and surprisingly witty man.”

It took everything Craig had not to flinch at her every word. She was talking about
Hamish
. Craig took a deep mental breath and forced calm into his thoughts. Meriel had known Hamish, what, a few weeks? He had known the man for many years. They had spent days and nights together, battled at each other’s side, and once competed for the affections of the same woman. Meriel had no idea the person Hamish really was—especially his faults, of which he had many. Once Meriel witnessed even a handful of them, this nonsense about her loving him would come to a quick end.

Forcing his body to appear relaxed, Craig stretched out on the chair again and laced his fingers on his chest. “So what is the problem? From what I have seen, he likes and enjoys your company as well.”

Meriel fell back into the chair and threw her head in her hands, biting the inside of her cheek hard. “
That
is the problem. Am I doomed to be only friends with every man I actually enjoy spending time with? Why doesn’t he find me attractive?” She looked up and shot him a penetrating stare. Her eyes were welling with tears. “What’s wrong with me?”

Craig swallowed, searching for a way to answer, glad when she broke her teary gaze and returned to burying her face in her hands. He was not about to explain how he thought she was more than just attractive. She was mouth-droppingly beautiful. And if Hamish was not picking up on her interest, he was either a fool or his friend was really and truly caught in Wyenda’s nasty web.

Clearing his throat, Craig said, “Nothing is wrong with you. It’s just that right now Hamish has eyes for someone else.”

“I know he likes Wyenda and believes that she is misunderstood, but I met her and she is
awful
,” Meriel said through her fingers, muffling the sound.

“I know that,” Craig groused. “I’ve even warned him about her, but believe me when I say Wyenda is something each man has to figure out for himself.”

Meriel was thankful her face was still in her hands. She had been playing her role perfectly until a few minutes ago. There was a fine line between emotional and melodramatic, and she feared she might have gone past it. But with Craig’s last comment, the distress she had been feigning now felt quite real.
Craig had once gone after Wyenda?
Meriel knew she should not be surprised after seeing firsthand the woman’s stunning beauty, but to know that Craig had once been interested in the vile woman was more than a little annoying.

Meriel refocused her thoughts, reminding herself that her future was at stake and that Craig was significantly more wary of being manipulated than most. Any second, he would sense the trap she was laying and escape before she had a chance to spring it.

She took a deep breath and sat back up, hoping her expression reflected sincere concern—for she really did worry about Hamish and his affections for the
àpas.
“I thought he would have realized her insincerity by now. I have even imagined myself helping him through the recovery,” she added, digging her fingernails into her palms, praying the pain would mask the lie. “Hoping that maybe if he leaned on me, Hamish would see me as more than just a ‘nice, sweet’ girl.”

Craig choked. Meriel
nice
?
Sweet?
She was both, but the way she phrased it made her sound insipid and boring—both of which she was decidedly not. And more importantly, he knew that Meriel did not think of herself that way either. His suspicious nature once again came to life. “So since Hamish is still pining for Wyenda, I take it your plan to ‘help him pick up the pieces of his heart’ is not working.”

“Not at all. The man is not ready to give up on her, and I fear that before he does, Papa will have demanded my return home. So I am coming to you for help.”

“Help?” Craig squeaked unintentionally. “How do you expect me to help? This,” he swirled his finger at her, “is Laurel’s area of expertise. I hate the concept of matchmaking.”

“I could ask her, but after what you and I went through this past year, I am not looking to trick Hamish into admitting something he does not feel.”

“And you think Laurel would do that?”

Meriel scrunched her nose and then shook her head. “Not intentionally, but look what happened with us. Every time someone tried to ‘prove’ we had feelings for each other, it only made us more resolute to stay just friends.”

Craig scowled. Meriel made it sound like the reason they were friends was because of pride. Once again, the notion that she was not being fully honest with him came to mind. Every instinct he had told him that the conversation they were having had varying layers of truth. Could he have been right all along? Was this a ruse to make him jealous?

“Hamish and I initially spent quite a bit of time together,” Meriel continued. “I think he thought he was protecting me in your stead. Our friendship started to grow and he was just starting to take notice of me when you arrived.”

“So your lack of success with Hamish is
my
fault?” Craig barked.

Meriel twitched her lips and frowned. “I never said that.”

Craig noticed how she did not refute his accusation either. “Then exactly what are you saying?”

“I only want a chance for Hamish to get to know me! Unfortunately,
with you here
, he no longer has a reason to spend time with me.”

Craig sat up straight in his chair, his blue eyes radiating disbelief. “Let me make sure I understand what you are asking.
You
, want
me,
to help
you
, catch Hamish.”

She nodded.

Craig felt as if he had been struck by lightning. For a few seconds he was too stunned to do anything more than stare at her as thoughts ricocheted through his stunned brain. Then almost at once they stilled.

Craig almost sighed in satisfaction and quickly suppressed the smile invading his expression. It did not matter if this was a ploy to make him jealous or an earnest effort to seek the affections of his friend. Either way, helping her worked to his advantage.

If
Meriel really did like Hamish, she would get hurt and return home to Caireoch and her life, and things would finally get back to normal. There, he could ensure she avoided ever getting emotionally mixed up with the wrong man again. And if he was right and this was nothing but a very clever ploy, then Meriel was about to learn a well-deserved lesson.

If Meriel wants my help, then she shall have it.
It was time she realized why McTiernays were known as expert strategists. Rule one of any strategy may be to know all the players, but rule two was just as important—never tip your hand. “I cannot imagine anything more foolish than a man helping a woman catch the heart of another man.”

“Then I will ask Laurel,” Meriel replied through tight lips.

“Laurel?” Craig yelped, sitting upright. He had forgotten about his sister-in-law. Getting her involved would be a disaster. If asked, Laurel would help even if she had promised Conor not to interfere while he was away. In her opinion, it would not be meddling because she had been asked. But what really scared Craig was that Laurel was known to pull off miracles. If anyone could actually succeed in getting Meriel and Hamish together, she could. No! If anyone was going to “help” Meriel, it was going to be him. “I thought you didn’t want to involve her.”

“I didn’t, but—”

“So what do you want me to do? Talk to Hamish about you? I could always tell him you are a good kisser.”

Meriel narrowed her eyes in warning. “All I need are valid reasons for Hamish and me to spend time together.”

Craig’s face went grim. “Seems a little simple,” he replied. In truth, it was far too simple. Such straightforward tactics would not work if she really wanted to catch Hamish, and they certainly would fail to make him jealous. But mostly, her request made it highly difficult for him to ensure Meriel would experience all of Hamish’s qualities, many of which Craig knew would drive her insane.

“Should there be more?” Meriel countered. “You once said that anyone who was privileged enough to spend time in my company would desire only for more.”

Craig’s eyebrows furrowed and his mouth took on an annoyed twist. The woman remembered everything and could recall it whenever it was most convenient for her. He had said that early into their friendship, and he had
meant
that he was surprised that no one took the time to see the astounding person she really was. If this scheme had involved anyone but Hamish, Craig would be actively figuring out a way to end this silliness, but his friend was too set in his womanizing ways to be a real threat. Besides, as a man, Craig knew exactly what attracted his sex and just what pushed them away.

“Fine,” Craig grumbled, staring at her long and hard. She had a sparkle in her hazel eyes. One suspiciously like Laurel’s when she tricked Conor into doing something that he never would have agreed to if he’d known his wife’s true thoughts. Craig almost hesitated, but then remembered that either way—scheme or no—helping Meriel was to his advantage. “I’ll come up with something, but if Hamish still does not desire your company by the time Conor returns, will you vow to give up and come home?”

Meriel swallowed and waited for several long seconds before agreeing to the stipulation. “I promise.”

Craig smiled, happy to see that twinkle significantly diminish.
Aye. It is I who have tricked you
, Craig lauded to himself. He might have chosen never to pursue Meriel in order to keep her in his life, but he was not about to let anyone else have her.

Meriel was his.

He
was her confidant, her friend, and the one she went to with her problems. And when this was all over,
he
would be the one she leaned on in both good times and bad. She did not need anyone else. She would never need anyone else.

 

 

Hamish’s hand snuck out and grabbed Meriel’s arm just as she emerged from the Great Hall, dragging her into the shadows. More than a week had passed since Craig’s arrival, and Hamish had naïvely hoped she had given up whatever plan she had been hatching. Then, right after dinner, she had winked at him just as he was leaving. His gut had been in knots ever since. In a moment of weakness, he had agreed to participate in a scheme to inspire jealousy, which would work to each other’s benefit, but now he was not so sure. Craig was his close friend, and if the man wanted to screw up his life, he should be allowed to do so
without
assistance.