“Ye are making me curious on purpose,” Kaden stated, waiting to be proven wrong.
Emily shook her head. “Nay, it’s just that it’s a personal matter. If we are to live wholly separate lives, I daenae see why I should have to tell ye anything about me personal affairs.”
“Ye are the most intriguing lass that I have ever encountered.” Kaden heaved a sigh.
“And I take it that ye have spent a lot of time conversing with ladies? I would imagine so.”
Aside from his sisters? No, he supposed that he was right about that part. He hadn’t spent much time with more than a handful of women in his life, in or outside the bedroom. Though it was good to know that she thought so little of him.
“Agree to me conditions, or we daenae have a deal,” Emily repeated. “And I might decide to tell ye a little bit about me dream.”
There was no denying that he was more than a little curious.
“Fine, I willnae touch ye unless ye ask me to.”
Emily scoffed. Clearly, she didn’t believe him.
“I willnae,” Kaden insisted. He started to lean closer to her, but with that thing in her arms, he couldn’t do it. “Unless ye are saying that all men are just beasts with nay ability to control themselves? For a lass who doesnae want to be stereotyped…” he trailed off, relishing the flash of indignation across her face.
“I willnae be asking ye anything of the sort!” she huffed.
He could get addicted to the way her skin flushed so prettily.
“We shall see about that.”
Stubbornly, Emily stuck out her hand in his direction to shake, as if that was the only way she could think of to seal the deal, but he saw her eyes stray to his lips.
“Unless ye want a kiss for it?” Kaden reached out his hand to hers, just teasing her with his words.
She huffed. “Incorrigible!”
He shrugged. “Perhaps I am.”
Emily grabbed his hand and shook it a touch too firmly to prove her point. Then she spurred her horse faster, taking off down the trail and very easily leaving him behind.
Kaden chuckled to himself.
Just what am I getting meself into?
He couldn’t believe that he had just agreed to do what he had never planned on doing: seducing his own bride!
Yet, when she was around, it was almost simple, like the time before his captivity. Speaking with her made it feel like the past years had never happened. But of course they had, and he needed to stay focused as she did.
If nothing else, now his council and his mother and sisters were going to leave him alone. They could stop bothering him about everything. It was over and done with. They didn’t need to know anything more about him and Emily’s arrangement, aside from the fact that he had found a woman to marry him.
His end of the bargain was fulfilled, and in a year or so’s time, they would have a bairn, and nobody would be able to say anything to him anymore.
When Kaden exited the forest, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Though her father was still standing there, waiting for him with Peter.
As soon as Kaden stopped his horse and dismounted, the older man invaded his personal space.
“Well? What happened? Who won?” Hamish asked, curling his fingers around the reins as they were thrust into his hand.
“I will have me carriage sent here within the week to collect Emily’s things for the wedding. I shall have me maither and sisters make all of the arrangements to host the event on me lands,” Kaden informed him, and even Peter seemed surprised by the outcome of the race. “We will get married next week.”
11
“Be careful with that!” Emily called out to the servants offloading her trunks from the carriage.
