“Aye. I’ve never met another woman like her.”
“Many would call her mannish.”
Braden snorted. “And I’d call them fools. There’s nothing mannish about her.”
Sin didn’t respond, but Maggie could hear him making a pallet on the other side of the fire.
After a few minutes, someone placed another plaid over her. Maggie slit her eyes open to see Braden rising to stand in front of her pallet. He leaned over and brushed his hand gently through her hair, then pulled the plaid up to her chin.
His kindness touched her so deeply that for a moment she could barely breathe.
“Are you going to take the post, or continue to coddle her, Braden?”
Braden turned to look at his brother. “She could use a little coddling, I think.”
And with that Braden left her.
Once they were alone and Braden positioned away from them, Sin spoke to her. “I know you’re awake.”
Maggie fluttered her eyes open to meet his black gaze over the fire. “I suppose Braden knew as well.”
“Nay, he’d never have spoken so freely of you had he known.”
She frowned. “Then, how did you know?”
“Intuition, observation,” Sin said quietly. “Things I had to cultivate to survive. Braden isn’t nearly as suspicious as I am.”
His words confused her. What had made him say such?
“And are you suspicious of me?”
His hard look froze her all the way to her toes. “Woman, I’m suspicious of anyone who acts altruistically. I’ve only known a handful of people in my entire life who were actually kind. The vast majority of people only help others when they know it’ll benefit them in some manner.”
Even more confused than before, she lifted her head to stare at him. “You think I want something from Braden?”
“I know you do.”
“And that is?”
“You want him.”
Shocked by his words, Maggie opened her mouth to argue.
“Don’t deny it.” He cut her words off before she could even begin. “I can see it in your eyes every time you look at him.”
Maggie glanced to where Braden sat on the edge of the forest and wondered if her feelings were as clear to him. Inside, she hoped Braden wasn’t so astute. For if he knew how she felt, that meant he had been deliberately ignoring her feelings all these years, and that cut her all the way to her soul.
“I admit I fancy him,” she said reluctantly, “but that doesn’t mean I want him. A person may fancy a snake is beautiful, but only a fool would try and claim one.”
Sin arched a brow at her. “So, that’s it then.”
Her head began to ache from trying to figure out Sin’s mind and cryptic comments. “What?”
“You’re afraid of Braden.”
“Aye,” she admitted. “I’m not a fool. Braden isn’t the type of man who would stay by a woman’s side. He’d take me, then be off frolicking with the first lass who turned his head. I’ve no desire to be my mother, to cry alone in my bed while the man I love is out for the night with another.”
Sin propped his head against his arm. “You ask for a lot in this day and age, milady. Most women accept the fact that men will forever prowl.”
