Seducing the Highlander (22 page)

“This is probably my favorite spot on these lands, but not everyone can appreciate it.”

“Wyenda would not like it here?”

Hamish shook his head. “I mentioned coming out here once and got a lecture on how long walks ruin gowns.”

Meriel ripped a section of bread in two and offered a piece to him, choosing to remain silent.

Hamish shook his head no to the offer and then, as if he could somehow discern her critical thoughts, said, “You need to understand Wyenda. She is not like you.” That caused Meriel’s eyes to pop open, but Hamish, who had turned his gaze upward, was unaware. “She believes her beauty is all that makes her attractive.”

Meriel disagreed. In her opinion, a hateful disposition could keep anyone—man or woman—from being appealing, regardless of how many striking features they might possess. But she kept her expression neutral and instead replied, “I guess it is a good thing she has someone who understands her so well.”

Hamish took a deep breath and let it go. He had been expecting a discourse on Wyenda’s distasteful qualities, all of which he knew about long before the dinner party. But what he had not expected was Wyenda’s almost outright admission that she was there to meet someone else. When he had confronted Wyenda after they left, she had looked at him with shock, but not with shame. In her mind, he should have known that she only came with him in hopes of meeting someone else. With those words, he had finally understood Craig’s warning from months prior. He indeed had received a nasty scar to remind him about the folly of falling for beauty alone, but at least he was now free. “I’m not sure she ever had me, or I her, but . . . we do not anymore.” Then he readied himself for what was coming.

Meriel sat in shock. She knew he was waiting for her to say something but was not sure exactly how to respond. So she spoke from her heart. “I am sorry.”

Hamish shifted so that he could look at Meriel. Color flooded her cheeks, for he caught her licking her fingers clean. And yet her gaze was steady and sincere. She did not like Wyenda, but she was not going to detail the reasons why. What she wanted was for him to be happy.

Hamish lay back down, suppressing a groan. He started to count the emerging stars in an unsuccessful attempt to divert his thoughts. What was wrong with Craig? Was the man impotent? Every time Hamish looked at Meriel he wanted to kiss her. And just now, when he spied her innocently—and yet very provocatively—cleaning her index finger, it had taken everything he had not to roll over and pull Meriel into his arms. Only the knowledge that Craig was probably out there, lurking somewhere, spying on them, kept him from acting on what every male gene in his body was screaming for him to do.

Meriel uncurled one of her legs and nudged his side with her foot. “You’re scowling. Why?”

“Just wondering where Craig is,” Hamish grunted.

Meriel brightened and looked around. “You think he is out here? Watching and listening to us?”

Hamish squeezed his eyes shut. Craig was definitely out there. Probably not close enough to hear, but Hamish had no doubt that his friend was keeping a watchful eye on the two of them. And if Meriel ever got that eager look on her face at the mention of
his
name, Hamish intended to throw his good sense away, lock her in an embrace, and give Craig something to look at.

Hamish threw an arm over his eyes, wondering how much longer he could pretend he still felt only friendship for Meriel. “So what is next in your grand scheme to win Craig?”

Meriel twitched her lips and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure. This was as far as I planned.”

“Well, Craig expects Conor to be back any day, so whatever you decide, it will have to be soon.”

Meriel pulled her knees up and hugged them, letting her chin rest on their knobby tops. Hamish was correct. Conor would be coming back soon and she would have to make a choice. “Nothing has worked so far. And since you are no longer trying to make Wyenda jealous, it would not be fair to ask you to continue helping me.”

“Don’t worry about me. And jealousy always works,” Hamish reassured her.

If Craig isn’t jealous by now, then he redefines what a fool is
, Hamish told himself. If his friend did not realize soon that others might be interested in Meriel, he deserved to lose her.
Mo creach
, Hamish swore silently.
Given the way she affects my own body, I should be the one pursuing her.
The only problem with that idea was that with Meriel, it would not be a mere dalliance. It would be serious, and marrying him would be much more than just a statement of vows. Wyenda did not have family or roots, but Meriel did. Still, there was something very appealing about the idea of confronting his past with not just a spouse at his side, but a friend.

Hamish uncovered his eyes and watched her rock slowly back and forth. “If Craig remains an idiot, do you think you will ever love someone else?” he asked, sitting up so that he was leaning on his side.

“You mean there might be someone out there who appreciates me, understands me,
and
is not afraid of being more than a friend?” she asked sardonically, intentionally avoiding answering his question.

“You forgot attraction. Man cannot live on food alone. He needs passion,” Hamish returned playfully. He picked a handful of grass and threw it at her.

Meriel was stunned. Anyone who knew her would never do such a thing, for her inclination was to retaliate quite massively. Deciding to let it go, she shook her head, freeing most of the bits of grass clinging to her hair. “Women need passion just as much as men.”

Hamish picked up another blade of grass, but this time began to chew on it. “And if that is true, then why have you refused to marry for so long?”

“Because,” Meriel began, and then stopped. Kissing Craig had changed everything. Until then, she had never experienced real passion, but she was not about to say as much to Hamish. So she stuck with her standard reply to the frequently asked question. “I did not understand why anyone would want to go to sleep and wake up next to the same person for the rest of his life.”

That
Hamish understood. “But now you
want
to be married.”

Meriel bit her bottom lip. “Let’s just say that I am no longer against the idea. And with Craig, I would not have to make the compromises most husbands would expect.”

Hamish knew exactly what she was referring to—her propensity for being very messy. But it was encouraging to hear her say that she realized if she were to marry someone other than Craig, that particular habit would have to change. “So what is it about Craig that makes you believe you love him?”

Meriel reached down and picked a dandelion. “You know how you said you understood Wyenda, accepted her as she was, even when most could not? Craig does that for me. He saw me and appreciated me when no one else did.” She blew on the wildflower and watched its seeds fly away. “He took the time to see past my ways and quirks and get to know me. He really is my best friend.”

“A best friend who did not stand up for you,” Hamish grumbled, unable to remain quiet. “I was not happy about how he treated you that night. Only when practically every man in the room was ready to come to your aid did he ask her to leave. By then, I realized the best way to help you was to get Wyenda out of there as quickly as possible so she could say nothing more.”

Meriel arched her brows at the memory. She had been pushing Craig into action. He knew it and consequently rebelled, but she also knew that he would have eventually stopped Wyenda, even if no one else had been present. “So I have hope of inspiring a man’s passions, do I?” she asked, hoping to lighten Hamish’s scowl. It did not work.

“I saw the pain in your eyes. You believed Wyenda’s nonsense. Don’t deny it.”

Hamish’s gaze captured hers. There was no mistaking the dark look. He was truly angry for what had happened to her—and not just at Wyenda, but at Craig and his lack of action to protect her from being hurt. “You’re right. Until the last attack, her words had no impact. But she struck true with her last blow. It was as if she knew I had spent hours getting ready for that evening, debating over my dress, my hair . . . and the effort had gone unnoticed. I could have worn my work dress and single-plaited my hair and I doubt Craig would have noticed the difference.”

Hamish sat completely immobile for several seconds before erupting into laughter. At first, Meriel was taken aback. Here she had just revealed a sensitive piece of herself, and instead of being considerate, Hamish was acting the buffoon. She ordered him to stop, but he continued. Her fury took over and she grabbed the nearest thing she could throw and hurled the half loaf of bread at his head. When that had no effect, she seized his half-eaten plate of food and took great satisfaction when, upon impact, he finally stopped.

Hamish wiped away a tear and glanced at her. Her back was rigid, her arms were crossed and her fingers were digging into her so deeply that she had to be in pain. “
Mo creach
, you really are mad. But you must admit that you gave me reason to laugh.”

Meriel’s jaw clenched. She glanced at her plate, making it clear she was considering throttling him with it.

Hamish sat up and waited for her to look at him. “You have to know how beautiful you were that night. When we walked in and Wyenda saw you, she immediately tried to turn around and leave, but I would not let her. She does not like to compete for attention, and you, Meriel, were by far the most striking thing in that room. Couldn’t you see the look of lust in most of the men’s eyes? Trust me, I did, and I am certain that Craig was just as aware. Wyenda was actually voicing
her
fears. That you actually believed them . . . well, is very amusing.”

“If you start howling one more time . . .”

Hamish raised his hand in surrender. “I promise. But Meriel, you are incredibly alluring to a man, even when you don’t try. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed how hard it has been for me to keep my distance.” Hamish froze, realizing what he had just admitted.

Meriel rolled her eyes and relaxed. “You are good for the ego and are an exceptional liar. Two essential qualities in a friend.”

To hide his relief, Hamish hunched forward as if she had just stabbed him in the stomach. “You wound me, my lady. My ardor is real.”

Meriel giggled and got to her feet. “I would like to meet the woman who could truly snatch your heart, for I don’t think it has yet been taken.”

“All you have to do is find your reflection.”

Meriel ignored his flirtatious comment and stared down at him, tapping her finger against her lips as if in deep thought. “She is going to be quite stubborn, I think. More wild than refined, and definitely quite beautiful. But that is not what is going to draw you to her. It is how she can and will challenge you that will keep you interested. I can just hear her now, openly defying your orders and completely unrepentant. Aye, the woman who will win your heart will be your match in all things.”

Amused by her babble, Hamish turned up his smile a notch. He could not think of a description
less
likely to be his ideal woman. “I’m not sure I want a woman who can beat me in a sword fight. And I doubt Craig does either.”

“Ah, but what Craig needs from a woman is far different. Being continually challenged would only turn him sour. He has enough people around him doing that all the time. What he needs most is an anchor. Someone he can rely on, knowing she will always be on his side. Someone like me,” she finished with a grin and a curtsy.

Hamish narrowed his eyes and reached out to pull her down next to him. “My turn to describe
your
ideal mate. You should be with someone who makes you laugh. Someone who knows how special you are and makes you feel valued in all that you bring. Not just your skills with a needle, but your thoughts and opinions.”
Someone like me
, he added to himself.

Meriel took a deep breath and let it go. “We all long for that,” she whispered. Then more cheerfully said, “Who knows, maybe we will cross paths with our soul mates on our way back to the castle.”

Hamish heard the hint, but he wasn’t ready to leave. Not until he had secured another promise that they would get together. Craig had had his chance. And courting was Hamish’s most practiced skill set. It was time Meriel stopped seeing him as a friend, but as a man.

Sitting up on his knees, he helped her put their things back in the basket. “You know, I was thinking that I should teach you how to ride a horse.”

Meriel paused just as she was about to put the jug of ale in the basket. “You are teasing me.”

“I am being earnest. Spend a day or two with me and I promise you will be riding the horse rather than merely staying upon its back.”

Meriel thought about it for a quick second, for the idea of being able to ride without a constant fear of falling off and being trampled was indeed quite alluring, but quickly dismissed it. “Trust me. Others have tried and failed miserably. Even Craig, and it almost ended our friendship before he finally accepted that I am hopeless when it comes to horses.”

“Then I accept the challenge,” Hamish announced with an enormous grin, picking up the basket to head back.

Meriel stared at him incredulously. “I offered you no such thing!”

“Ah, but you did. And I’m not going to take no for an answer. We start the day after tomorrow.”

 

 

Craig stood up and stretched his limbs the second the two figures were out of sight. This was the last time he was going to put Meriel’s virtue above his own personal comfort. In fact, he was done playing chaperone and matchmaker. If the silly woman wanted to have a picnic with a known rake in the middle of nowhere, then she would do so at her own peril. He was not following them on their next excursion to spend another four hours watching Hamish struggle with his desire. If she did not realize her near folly, then that was on her.