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The lure of the challenge was enough to make her give in, yet it was more than that. He still had not pulled away, only tilting his head to the side as his lips curved into a smile. He seemed to search her eyes as he spoke and Jonet was frozen there, as though a woman in a trance.
Unable to help herself, she licked her lips. Matthew’s gaze dipped downward as her tongue darted out, watching every move. Like a man starved.
Jonet did not know how she found her words. “I accept the challenge, Matthew.”
Slowly, he lifted his eyes to her, and a wide, victorious grin crept over his face. He had the sort of smile that brightened the room—one that was capable of making her body react in ways she had never felt before.
“Wonderful.” He leaned away and she was finally able to breathe properly. Sort of. “Let’s head over to the stables then, shall we? I can hardly wait to get started.”
He led the way, leaving Jonet staring after him. She could not figure him out. What was certain was that she did not trust him. Not the honey-covered words he doled out with such ease, but now, she was beginning to wonder if she had him pegged wrong in the first place.
Quickly, she tried to catch up to him. Matthew had a pep in his step as he walked, as if he truly could not wait to hop atop a horse. Unbidden, the image of him climbing on top of a mighty steed, his muscles bunching beneath his shirt and his long, powerful legs commanding the horse with ease. The sight made her knees weak, but she could not stop thinking about it, could not stop herself from imagining the sweat running down his neck, down to his broad chest covered in hair that she wanted to run her fingers through—
Jonet flew out of her mind when she realized there was someone standing in her way. She drew to a quick halt before she collided into them.
“Jonathan!” she gasped.
Jonathan did not look surprised at
all at her distracted state. If anything, he seemed a little annoyed, though she was shocked he did not wipe the look from his face when he turned his attention to Matthew.
“Will ye be leaving the Castle, Jonet?” he asked.
“Aye,” Jonet attempted a calm manner. “I will be goin’ for a horse ride. Jonathan, this is Matthew McDulaigh, a merchant. Matthew, this is the cousin of me faither’s brother, Jonathan Barcley.”
“It’s nice to meet ye,” Matthew said in a friendly manner.
“Aye. It is nice to meet ye too.” Jonathan sounded curious. Jonet supposed he was wondering if Matthew was there to ask for her hand. She supposed anyone in the Castle would be curious if they learned that, knowing what they did.
If Matthew noticed his behavior, he did not show it. Jonet did not want to linger any longer. She was eager to get to that race Matthew had mentioned. “We should be goin’, Jonathan,” she stated. “I shall see ye at dinner, aye?”
Jonathan nodded at her. Whatever she had seen before was wiped away in an instant and he gave her his usual warm smile. “It is sure to be one ye’ll enjoy, Jonet, considerin’ we’ll be eatin’ the meat I caught.”
“I cannae wait for it,” she offered an honest smile before she nodded in farewell and stepped around him. She was not unused to such sudden and short meetings with him, and completely forgot about the encounter as she walked away, her mind reverting back to the challenge Matthew had posed.
“Are ye two close?” came Matthew’s voice, cutting into her thoughts.
“Jonathan and I?” She had to think about it. “We are close enough. He is busy a lot of the time since he’s trainin’ to be a war chieftain, but we are friendly.”
“Ah, I see.”
Jonet glanced up at him.
Is that a hint of jealousy I hear? Do I want it to be jealousy?
The fact she was even asking herself that question bothered her to no end and so she quickly tried to put it aside, focusing instead on the fact they were exiting the Castle and approaching the stables.
“Georgie!” she called once they were inside the stables, surrounded by the smell of horses and the whinnies echoing throughout the large space. Georgie, the young stable boy who had been shoveling hay into a nearby stall, stopped what he was doing and rushed over.
He was a lanky boy, just fifteen, with sandy hair and eyes the color of mud. He was always eager to help, rushing from one task to the other with no sign of slowing down. Georgie grinned broadly at Jonet, chirping, “How can I help ye, Miss Jonet?”
Jonet was always happy to talk to Georgie. He had such a happy personality that it was hard to be done when in his presence. She held a hand out to Matthew at her side. “Would ye find a horse for Mr. McDulaigh?”
Georgie turned to Matthew and gave him an even broader smile, as impossible as it seemed. “Of course! I ken just the one for ye.”
“Do ye now?” Matthew drawled as he followed behind Georgie when the boy took off, keeping up easily with his long, hurried steps. Jonet trailed behind them.
“Aye! This one came from the same mare as the horse Laird MacLagain uses all the time.” Georgie came to a stop at a large brown horse, one of the few that Jonet usually steered clear from.
