Page 42 of Enchantment of a Highlander

“Ye claim ye’re no witch, but since I met ye, I havena been able to sleep for thinking of ye. Especially after ye came to me. Like ye’ve cast some spell upon me, and left me. No warning, no explanation, just left.”

“I did not cast a spell,” Celia said, but then stopped herself from saying more.

He was angry.

And he was right, at least about her seducing him and leaving.

But there was too much to explain.

Too much she did not want to tell him.

“I thought of ye every day ye were gone. Wishing ye’d be here. Wishing ye’d come back to me. Then ye return and ye dinna let me touch ye, but yet let him…” He thrust a hand toward the empty space where Grant had been, his stare never leaving her face. “Him. Of all the filthy men ye could bed, ye let him touch ye?”

Unexpected tears stung Celia’s eyes.

“I’m not a witch,” she said in a strong voice. “And I’m not a whore.”

He braced his hands on the wall behind her and leaned forward. “Did ye strip away yer clothing for him like ye did for me?” His voice broke, “Did ye come upon him like a goddess and let him love ye?”

The unguarded emotion tugged at her heart.

“I refuse to listen to your insults and I refuse to have a discussion with you like this when I’m damned no matter what I say.” Her gaze darted toward the door. “You need to take your leave.”

• • •

Alec heard her ask him to leave, but how could he when she stood so close?

There was a rift somewhere in his mind, torn between his anger at finding her with another man and stupidly wanting to still touch her. To possess her.

Her rosemary scent hovered around them both, baiting him.

“You’re drunk, Alec. You need to go home.”

“And leave ye alone. With him?” Alec spun around to address Grant and found naught but an empty room.

The darkness inside him welled beyond his control. It pounded through his chest and roared in his ears until his muscles strained against the tightness of his skin.

“Ye let him leave?” He turned a hard glare on Celia.

She stood with her back straight and regarded him with a calm that made him want to break something. The alcohol churning in his gut lashed at his insides like whips of fire.

“How could ye let him leave? Is he coming back later to finish what I interrupted?” He put his hands on the wall on either side of her once more.

Her eyes flashed with matched anger. “If you don’t leave this cottage, I will.”

She ducked under his arms and shoved past him, making good on her threat.

Alec’s heart swelled with a frenzy of panic. If she left, he might never see her again.

His hand shot out and caught her arm, his grip firm to keep her from leaving.

She jerked away from him, eyes wide.

Just like his mother.

Alec dropped her arm as if she were made of flames and stared down at his hands. “Celia…” he started. “I dinna…”

She lifted the dagger from her waist and held it between them.