Page 23 (1/2)

"You can’t do this," she whispered, her voice cracking

"What?"

She aze followed the htened and she forced hard resolve into her voice "You can’t just kiss me whenever you feel like it"

He smiled slowly and her stomach flipped at the curve of those well-formed lips "The occasion called for it"

"No" She shook her head "No more I can’t do this if you continue to kiss me and touch me every time I turn around" As she uttered these words the desire ebbed from his eyes, replaced with cold aloofness He didn’tHe understood

"That’s the way it’s to be then? I can’t so much as touch you without your express welcome? Will you send me an embossed invitation? Is that how I shall know?" he bit out

He was angry, but she preferred that to his heated gazes and roa lips and hands "I-I-I explained--"

"Yes, I suppose you did I just did not fully understand until this er on ive me Now I comprehend"

My wife Just those words froh her

"We’re not married," she retorted

"Indeed Not yet"

"I don’t understand your" she groped for the right word and gave up, reht "You need an heiress I’m that You claimed no need for an heir"

One dark eyebrow lifted "Indeed I only need the funds that you bring" He looked her up and down, his expression so cold it chilled her heart "I don’t need you"

She flinched even as awareness swa from her, he stalked across the roo in herpanic that he’d change his mind and didn’t want to marry her at all Blast it! When had she become such a contrary creature?

"Wait!" she cried "I still need to speak to you about a ht that be?"

"I need your promise"

"Another one?"

She nodded, herher wish She’d be saving her family and he wouldn’t demand a place in her bed What more did she require?

"I need your promise that I can use funds to help s can reside with us if need be"

Soaze, a hint of the softness he’d shown her in the library when he coone "Of course"

She released a sigh "Thank you"

He nodded "Be ready to leave in thethe tension froed his oal and accomplished exactly what she’d set out to do

So why did she feel so eht of McKinney Castle, Cleo felt a mixture of awe and fear Appropriate, when she considered it Those were an

As they trodded along the orn road, she peered out the carriage hat was to becos, too She bit her lip She still needed to broach the specifics of collecting them with her husband-to-be Not that they had doneon the journey north Most of her tiuerite, and her husband, Ash Courtland

They’d all acco The word made her stomach twist She wondered how soon the ceremony would occur now that they had arrived Apparently the local village had its own church with a Reverend Ss With the exception of his sister, Fiona, they were all here, and Logan had expressed his wish for them to witness the occasion

Her sto a rock structure that she could only sur to rise up froain of the great, sprawling castle It was soes Tarps blew in the wind, covering sections of the left wing, evidently where the rock wall had relented to time and now required renovation

The nape of her neck prickled and she swung her head around Her gaze landed on Logan riding alongside the carriage His shadowed eyes watched her, the dark gray assessingno doubt trying to decipher her reaction to his hoside hers "That’s it?"

Her face burned at his loud question She quickly ducked back inside to avoid Logan’s watchful gaze

Jack followed, dropping back against the plush velvet squabs "Well, I have a fairly good idea what he plans to do with your dowry"

Marguerite sly "Money well spent, yes? To improve your ho it was expected She was glad for Marguerite’s presence Actually, she was glad for everyone’s presence Even Jack It felt less daunting--ale finally rolled into a courtyard, wheels and hooves clacking noisily over the ancient cobblestones In uerite nodded at her, indicating she should be the first to descend--the first to greet her new home and all its inhabitants Contrary to the unease and doubts rolling through her, she vowed to wear a happy countenance

Logan stood there, hand held out, ready to assist her She met his eyes as she accepted his hand Ash stepped in behind hi Cleo in the hands of her husband-to-be