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“Because very few survive the first encounter. She said she surprised you with her skills last night.”
“She did. A man who had not possessed my training and skills might have been seriously injured.”
Reynolds chuckled, as did everyone else who had overheard what he said. “I only know the basics of how well you were trained and your prowess in battle but let me assure you that had Winter wanted to seriously injure you, she would have.”
CHAPTER10
WINTER
Aflicker of fire and arousal sparked in Campbell’s gaze as his eyes swept over her body in a caress that was as palpable as the kisses he had imposed on her the night before.
“Now you’ve done it,” she groaned. “You do know telling him that is just a wee bit like waving a red flag in front of an enraged bull in Pamplona.”
Reynolds turned to her. “Have you ever been? I’ve never seen the allure of having more than a ton of angry bovine chasing you down narrow cobblestone streets, but I suspect that was something of a metaphor.”
“Only slightly. As you’ve seen, our guest from the Highlands has little idea of how to behave around more civilized people and even fewer manners.”
“It is obvious to me, my mate, that you have been ill-served by those here at Windsong. You have insulted a guest and one that it would behoove you to ingratiate yourself to.”
“Ingratiate? You arrogant sonofabitch. Next time I won’t bother to restrain my more lethal impulses.”
“You do not seriously believe you could have bested me if I’d wanted to hurt you, do you?” His brogue thickened when his emotions were running deep. He looked at Colby. “And for your information, I’d be very curious in finding out more about this snowplow incident and why you feel the need to head down to the lower forty-eight to run down some sketchy information Winter picked up.”
“Sketchy? I’ll have you know our intelligence network is second to none. Whoever it was who wanted to paint our clowder with a dark brush and sow mistrust among those in Mystic River went to a great deal of trouble to conceal their identity.”
“How did you find that out?” asked Reynolds.
Winter turned and grinned at him. “I appealed to the shifty little bastard’s sense of humanity.”
Everyone at the table laughed. They knew her too well. “In other words, Campbell, she broke the sonofabitch’s kneecap.”
“At least one,” said another—his look of admiration plain to see.
“You send a woman off your estate to gather information for you? What kind ofbawbagare you?”
Reynolds turned to Winter. “Do I want to know?”
“No,” was her succinct response.
“In that case, since the two of you speak the same language, why don’t the two of you try to hash some of this out while I’m gone. Winter, I leave Windsong in your hands. As for you, Campbell,” he said pointing at him, “I will thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head. You are to remain on the property until I return home.”
“I have given you my word.”
“Ah, yes, but I didn’t know how sorely you missed your mate, and I am reminded of all the romantic tales of dashing Scottish warriors stealing women they believed belonged with them and carrying them off willy nilly. I assure you that won’t go over well here. If Winter doesn’t castrate you before she kills you, I will.”
“There are times, Colby Reynolds, I wonder why I put up with you.”
“That’s simple, my dear Winter. It’s because you are female, and I am virtual catnip to she-cats such as yourself.”
Winter rolled her eyes. “You keep telling yourself that, Alpha, and someday someone other than you might believe it. I think I’m done for the evening. Unless you need me, I will retire to my room. I didn’t get much sleep last night with all the running around gathering information and then wrestling with this jackass.” She held up her hands. “Don’t tell me not to call him that. If he didn’t act like one, I wouldn’t refer to him that way.”
She left the dining room and headed for her own chambers. She hadn’t been lying about being tired from not having had enough sleep, but she had also been enduring a low-grade headache and buzzing in her brain ever since they’d gone into town.
* * *
SEAN
Sean watched as she took her leave of them. And that’s what it was. Winter didn’t just leave the dining room, she swept from it like one of the great warrior queens that proliferated throughout Scottish history. He looked at Reynolds.
