Iain moved his gaze to Archibald.“Ye are safe with me, Marion. Only me. And Archibald should ken that I’d feel thatway.”
“Why are ye so churlish?” Archibaldasked in a goading voice.
“Ye think me churlish?” Iainchallenged, his temples pulsing with ire. “This is mildly annoyed, but if yetake my wife’s hand again, I’ll show ye just how churlish I can be. Ye ken?”
“Oh, I ken,” Archibald said with asmile directed at Marion, not Iain, which only served to make Iain angrier.“I’ll take my leave and let ye walk yer wife back in thesafetyof onlyyer company.”
Iain nodded. “That seems a wisechoice.”
Archibald laughed and looked atMarion again. “I’d say ye have the answer to yer question,” the man said beforeturning and departing.
“What question?” Iain demanded.
Raw hurt glittered in her eyes asshe stared at him. “You’re jealous,” she said, her voice coming out as a chokedwhisper.
For a moment, he was too surprisedby her accusation to offer a response.Jealous?Him?The womanwas daft. “I dunnae get jealous.”
“I know,” she groaned.
Confusion pricked him, and he ran ahand across his stubble. “You seem distraught by that.”
She pressed her lips together andglared at him. “Your keen understanding fills me with wonder,” she muttered.
He narrowed his eyes. “If anyoneshould be angry, Marion, it’s me.”
A flush colored her cheeks and hereyes flamed brighter. “You wouldn’t be angry that I went to the seer withArchibald if you trusted me!” she snapped.
He was about to deny it when itstruck him like a hard blow. She was partially correct. He would still be angrybecause she put herself in danger, and Archibald assumed too much by thinkinghe could protect Marion on his own, but her accusation was true in that hewasjealous. He became jealous every time another man looked at her or dared totouch her. It was irrational and unlike him, but it wasn’t her. It was him.
“It’s nae because I dunnae trustye,” he said.
Her eyes grew wide. “Then why?Archibald told me you were never like this with Catriona.”
He stilled at the mention ofCatriona. Marion was right, he’d never gotten angry when a man looked atCatriona overly long or touched her to aid her, and he would not have mindedCatriona asking any of his men to accompany her somewhere for her safety. Buthe had known Catriona all his life and had trusted her fully. He did not yetreally know Marion. His gut tightened as he looked at her. He wanted to knowher. God help him, he did.
He sighed. “I dunnae trust myself;therefore, I dunnae trust ye. So I suppose ye’re right. I’m sorry.”
He expected her to become angrierat his words, but she stepped close to him and put her small hand on his arm.“What do you mean you don’t trust yourself?”
“I dunnae want to get close to ye,”he admitted.
Her jaw went slack even as her bodygrew rigid. She removed her hand and started to step away from him, but hegrabbed her arm and held her still.
“Let me go,” she demanded, hurtunderlying her tone.
“I kinnae.” He swallowed hard. “Idunnae want to let ye go. Even as I fight against getting close to ye, ye’repulling me toward ye. Don’t ye see?”
“I am?”
Her voice held a depth of hope thathe feared he would destroy with his own demons. But he’d not lie. “Ye are,” hereplied. “I need to think on some things.”
“How long do you need to think?” sheasked, making him laugh.
He circled his arm around her waistand tugged her close until her soft breasts pressed up against his chest. Whenhe inhaled, her freesia scent filled his lungs. “I kinnae say for certain.” Hedidn’t know if he could ever give her what he knew she wanted, but he wasn’tgoing to say so and cause her undue pain. He was struck with a thought, though,that he could not keep from her. “Do ye trust me fully?”
“I do,” she answered withouthesitation.
“But ye were jealous, so it mustmean ye dunnae trust me.”
