Seducing the Highlander (23 page)

Craig had not been able to hear a word that was spoken, but he could see plenty. And none of it was good.

Hamish’s demeanor was consistently anything but that of “friend.” He had practically ogled her all evening, and what he was thinking even the most obtuse could discern. Near the end, when Hamish pulled her down next to him, Craig had been poised to rescue her the moment Hamish succumbed to his baser desires. But the man had only held her hand, and not even for very long. And while nothing overt was ever tried, Craig recognized a seduction scene when he saw one.

For once, Hamish was not choosing to play his typical flirtatious role when attempting to lure a woman. And why would he? After all the times Craig had spoken to Hamish about Meriel, Hamish would know that constant flattery and stolen caresses were not the way to gain her attention. No, instead Hamish taught her how to skip stones, asked her questions and actually listened to her answers. Something his friend would not have done unless he was truly interested. And he was. Meriel was unlike any woman out there. She was funny and smart and utterly sincere. Qualities that could entrap a man if he wasn’t careful.

But how Meriel felt about Hamish—that remained a mystery. All women were puzzles and difficult to understand, but Meriel—she could drive a man mad.

Sitting on the ground, watching her and Hamish interact from a distance as he hid behind a bush, Craig had plenty of time to think. Everything Craig knew about Meriel, every instinct he had, told him that she had concocted the story about her being interested in Hamish just to make him jealous. Usually Laurel was the mastermind behind such plots, but Craig was certain that while his sister-in-law might be an active and no doubt willing participant, she was not the architect. Laurel just did not know him well enough. But Meriel did.

Looking back, Craig had to admire her skill in developing such an intricate plan. It was quite reminiscent of her father’s style, which relied heavily on understanding human nature.

She had made sure she was not convincing in her plea for his help. If she had been, he probably would have done the exact opposite of what she asked and done everything in his power to keep her and Hamish apart. But while not convincing, she was consistent—key to making him wonder if there was some small truth to her claims of falling in love.

He had expected not to be included in her and Hamish’s time together, but the one meeting he did attend, Craig was fairly certain that it too was orchestrated. Even the kiss he’d shared with Meriel that day was suspect; no woman with a pulse could be that blasé when he could barely speak afterward. It was just another way to rattle him.

Pretty much
everything
she had said and done since his arrival had been designed to create some kind of an emotional outburst from him.

Until tonight.

While Meriel’s posture had mostly varied between normal, neutral, and friendly, more than once she had been all too willing to accept Hamish’s obvious advances. When Hamish had offered his not-so-subtle rock-throwing instruction, Craig had waited for her to get mad or at least pull away. If
he
had been the one to give her such advice, Craig knew without a doubt that her elbow would have been planted in his gut.

And that was not the only time her reaction caught him by surprise. Throwing grass on Hamish? Starting a food fight? Nudging him with her foot? What was going on? If Craig didn’t know better, he would swear Meriel was falling for Hamish’s charm.

Just the thought sent a shiver of rage down Craig’s spine. All this time, Meriel and Hamish had pretended to like each other only to fall prey to their own trap.

Craig was not sure how, but he needed to end this budding relationship and soon. Conor would be back any day, and Craig was not about to leave Meriel behind to pursue a
real
relationship with anyone. Especially not Hamish.

 

 

“You cannot be serious,” Craig muttered in disbelief, slumping back into the hearth chair. He had planned to use a number of ploys on Meriel to discover just what she and Hamish had discussed for four hours, but they had barely sat down for their nightly chat when she told him that Hamish wanted to see her again and why.

Meriel tucked her feet underneath her to get more comfortable. “I was just as shocked, and believe me, I tried to talk Hamish out of his offer.”

“You need to try again,” Craig said gruffly. “No man should suffer the wrath of your mean streak.”

Meriel visibly bristled in her chair, letting Craig know that her recollection was quite different. “And I could live for a hundred more years and never encounter a bigger tyrant than you.”

Craig suppressed a snarl. He was in a bad mood and had been all day. Twice he had run into Hamish, who was indeed in what several people had described as “a chipper mood.” The fact that more than one person had mentioned his friend’s unusual level of cheerfulness meant that Hamish’s disposition was real and not for show. Now that he knew why, Craig wanted to shake his friend until his sanity returned.

Had not Craig described on more than one occasion the fiasco that had resulted from his own attempt at the impossible? When it came to teaching Meriel how to ride, the woman had been and always would be impossible on the subject. For no one could have been more patient than he. He had given her simple instructions, one that a five-year-old could have understood, and even said as much at the time. “The man has no idea what he is in for,” Craig huffed under his breath.

Meriel’s hazel eyes glinted directly into Craig’s blue ones. The long, deep look they exchanged infuriated her. The man honestly believed if
he
could not do something, then no one could. “You know, Hamish has taught me several things in the past few weeks. Perhaps his success is based on the outlandish concept that I am not an idiot for being ignorant.”

Craig was far from convinced. “Maybe. But you and I both know that if you were truly acting like yourself during his little training sessions, Hamish would not be so eager to teach you how to do anything, let alone ride. I caution you with justification when I tell you to reject his offer. And if you do not, I have complete faith the shrewish side of your personality will reign once again. Even if I
am
watching.”

Meriel’s lips thinned with anger, but Craig knew she could not deny that there was an element of truth to what he said. She was not an easy pupil, and Craig was positive that the only reason she had not explained this to Hamish was that she knew Craig had been somewhere nearby. But he realized too late that to state it out loud like he had would prompt a response from her—and not the one he wanted.

“You are wrong,” Meriel said crisply. “And I intend to prove it by accepting Hamish’s offer.”

Craig shook his head at the foolish but expected announcement. The first and only time he had tried to teach Meriel how to ride a horse had been more than just a disaster. And it was not as if he were the only one to have been scathed by the experience. Craig remembered asking her father about her riding skills and Rae Schellden had let go a streak of swear words that ended with “never again” and “death.” Her sister, a superb horsewoman, had a similar reaction. Looking back, Craig should have put more stock in their experience. But he had not, thinking that he and Meriel had a unique bond that would enable him to do the impossible.

What resulted was their biggest and nastiest fight, and it had nearly destroyed their friendship. They had locked horns almost at the onset. He quickly learned that nothing could penetrate that stubborn will of hers when she was dead set against learning how to ride.

He thought she had been unwilling to listen and try; and she declared him to be a dictator, issuing not advice or help, but orders. After a week of not speaking to each other, her father had intervened, stating that he was not going to let two obstinate people and a pitiable horse ruin his clan’s army and chase off all his servants. Realizing that Rae Schellden was right and that his negative attitude was affecting how he was interacting with his men, Craig agreed to leave the incident in the past and never bring up the subject of teaching Meriel how to ride a horse again. And so had Meriel. Another fact she had conveniently forgotten.

Craig considered mentioning her oversight but decided against the idea. Nothing could penetrate that stubborn will of hers, which was something Hamish was soon going to discover if she actually followed through with her threat.

Craig began to search for another tactic that might dissuade her from accepting Hamish’s offer, which would result only in pain, when he mentally skidded to a halt. He could kick himself. Too quickly he had thought to interfere when he should have been eager to support such an idea. Aye, he had thought to keep Hamish and Meriel apart. But this was an exception.

Craig’s and Meriel’s friendship had lasted because time had been on their side. Hamish had such no advocate. So while the man might have the seeds of desire for Meriel right now, an hour into their first riding lesson, not even feelings of friendship would remain.

Craig caught the large grin forming on his face just in time. It was quickly replaced with a grimace. How could he suddenly change his position? The answer came to him, for he did not have to. He had already goaded her into considering accepting Hamish’s offer. Now, all he had to do was prick her pride just enough to ensure she actually went.

“I do not think you really will accept,” Craig announced confidently. “You are saying you will, just to get a rise out of me, but it won’t work. You and I both know that neither you nor Hamish will last an hour before you are yelling at each other. And an hour is being generous.”

Meriel stiffened. “Sometimes, Craig, you rival your brother Conan when it comes to being an ass.”

A chill hung on the edge of her words, and Craig realized his prick had been more like a stab. Even though he truly believed what he said, that a fight would ensue upon any attempt to instruct her on anything dealing with a horse, Craig had not meant to be so offensive. He was about to say as much and apologize, when Meriel once again surprised him.

“But I have to admit that I have given you—and mayhap one or two others in my family—reason to believe that I would be hostile to any attempt to teach me how to ride a horse. But I think this time it might be different. I’ve changed. I no longer shirk from learning new things and meeting new people. And Hamish knew just what to say to actually make me look forward to the challenge.”

Her head had fallen against the back of the chair, and her eyes were staring at the arched ceiling of the Great Hall. Meriel’s thoughts were obviously not with him, but somewhere else. Craig considered demanding to know just what Hamish had said to make her so willing, but long-developed survivor instinct made him bite his tongue. He was not going to encourage any ploy that she might be using to try to make him jealous.

Meriel lifted her head and smiled. “You got quiet.”

Craig furrowed his brow. Outwardly he was not saying much, but silently he was devising one very long lecture that he intended to give her sometime in the near future. “Sounds like you have made up your mind.”

“And you?”

“What about me?” Craig shot back.

Unfazed, Meriel answered, “We started talking about what our day would be like tomorrow. So far, all we have discussed are my plans. Do you have anything interesting scheduled? Fallon have some dastardly deed he is going to inflict upon you?”

Craig adjusted his position in his chair and tried to think about his own day tomorrow. If Fallon did need him, it had better be able to be accomplished in the morning, for in the afternoon he intended to watch the end of Hamish’s and Meriel’s growing friendship. But he was not about to admit that to her. “Nothing of any import,” he finally replied.

Meriel sighed and rose to her feet. She walked toward the door, stopping to give his shoulder a squeeze. “Good night.”

Craig instinctively lifted his hand to clasp hers, only becoming aware of what he was doing when she let go. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, hoping to hide his sexual frustration. “Where are you going?” he demanded more abruptly than intended.

Meriel ignored the gruffness of his tone and gave him an affectionate smile he had often seen her give little Brenna. “To my room, of course.”

“Don’t you want to talk some more?”

“What about?”

He gave her a small shrug. He had no answer to her question. They had never had to think about what they discussed. In the past, they had more to say than time available, and he could recall many a night when she or he would reluctantly call their conversation to an end. But not tonight.

Meriel laughed gently and waved good-bye before making her way across the room. Craig could only stare. It was not as if he had nothing to say. He did. More than ever before. He just didn’t know how. Talking with Meriel had always been so effortless, but that was when he was not analyzing everything she and he did and did not say.

Craig was still dithering about whether or not he should call her back when Meriel stepped out of the room. Just before the doors closed, he could hear her say hello to someone. Her voice had been full of life and eagerness. And Craig could not deny what it was he was feeling—he was jealous.

He tried to convince himself that Meriel had been hailing Laurel or Maegan or one of myriad people around the castle, but despite his best efforts, an image of Hamish, smiling his obnoxiously large grin, came to mind. Craig could hear him chattering on about his day, and Meriel, who could find nothing to talk about a few minutes ago, easily conversing back.

Feeling possessive about a conversation was ridiculous, and yet Craig could not squelch the notion that her thoughts, frustrations, hopes—anything that she wanted to talk about—belonged first and foremost to him. He was her best friend, damn it. Or at least she had been. He was being replaced and he was just letting it happen.