Chapter 3 #2
Arabella seemed to think about it for a moment, then she turned to Paisley and whispered something into her ear.
Colby could not hear what was said. He doubted that Veronica could hear it either.
But that didn’t matter. What mattered was the result of those words.
Paisley nodded and smiled, not taking her eyes off Veronica even for a moment.
Then, she offered Veronica her hand. Colby could see that it was just a tiny little scratch, which probably didn’t hurt.
Still, Veronica noticed it and she offered to help.
Suddenly, an idea started to form in his mind, an idea that could mean the solution to his problems. Still, he wanted to be certain of it, so he kept watching.
“What is yer name?” Veronica asked.
“Paisley,” the little girl replied in a soft, barely audible voice. He noticed how Veronica leaned forward in a non-threatening manner, taking Paisley’s hand gently into her own.
“That is a lovely name,” Veronica smiled. “It is very nice to meet ye both. I’m Veronica.”
“Veronica,” Paisley smiled, grinning from ear to ear.
“Aye,” Veronica confirmed. “Now, I’ll put a wee bit of this pomade on her your hand, if that’s all right, Paisley.” The girl nodded in confirmation.
Then, Veronica proceeded to smear a little bit of the pomade on Paisley’s hand with gentle strokes, using the tips of her fingers.
Everything was finished in the blink of an eye, and Colby thought Paisley would immediately jump back behind Arabella, only she didn’t.
She remained where she was, in plain view of someone she had just met.
This had not happened in the month that they had spent here, and Colby knew that they had met at least twenty people, with whom they were all initially very distrustful, as was to be expected.
In that respect, Veronica had managed to do something none of them was capable of.
“That should do it,” Veronica smiled, getting back up, and putting the little box back in her pocket. “Now, perhaps ye can tell Laird Ferguson that it doesnae hurt at all. He was too scared when I tried to put some on him yesterday.”
This comment made the girls giggle, but they did it in a different manner than before.
It was equally unrestrained, but softer.
They were actually trying to behave because of Veronica.
They wanted her to like them. Colby was stunned by this.
He knew that fate had brought him the answer to his prayers in the form of this mischievous healer who refused to leave him alone.
Now he could see why fate kept bringing her back to him.
“Why don’t ye lasses go to the kitchen to get somethin’ to eat?” he suggested. “I think Mrs. Fiddley has some shortbread for ye.”
The girls didn’t need to be told twice. They both waved at Veronica as they ran out the door, forgetting to close it behind them.
Colby decided to do that on his own, seizing the opportunity to form this offer in his mind in the simplest terms possible, although what he was about to offer to Veronica would certainly come as a shock.
“So, have ye reconsidered?” she asked boldly once more, determined to make him change his mind. She was stubborn and feisty, that much was certain. Intelligent as well. Kind and sweet. Innately tender and caring. That meant she possessed all the right motherly qualities he required.
He walked over to her, forcing her back against his writing table, trapping her between his arms. There was something about having her in his arms that awakened the animal inside of him, that raw need he had been endeavoring to ignore ever since he had laid eyes on her.
She smelled the same. He inhaled roses in bloom. It was as if she bathed herself in them daily. He was almost certain of it. His manhood reacted instantly with a grave need to satiate this curiosity.
He dared not look down at her gown, which squeezed her thin waist, accentuating her curves and pushing out her breasts. He knew she had done that on purpose, the minx, to tempt him, to make him agree to whatever she wanted.
And it was working like a charm.
“Aye,” he replied, obviously enjoying the look on her face.
For a moment there, she thought she had won. Just for a moment. But the moment he caged her in, everything changed. She knew she ought to have felt trapped, but she didn’t. She could easily push him away. She had so much strength. He did not frighten her, if that was his intention.
However, the way he gazed at her assured her that fear wasn’t his intention. It was something else. Something far more primal than fear. He was toying with her. She would wager anything upon it.
“And?” she asked impatiently.
“Well…” he replied, his voice slow, heavy, laden with honey so thick she thought if she fell into it, she would drown. He was obviously stalling for dramatic purposes, and she could not for the life of her understand why.
She could see little curls of his chest hair, peeking from his shirt, which was carelessly undone, probably as a result of playing with the girls.
It was obvious that his body was the result of a strict regime, making it appear so powerful and breathtaking.
She was certain that in his naked form, not even Adonis could be compared to him.
She tried to banish this thought from her mind because it only distracted her even more. She needed to focus on the matter at hand. She would not leave this time, before she convinced him to invest in her business. She had promised herself that much.
“I will accept yer business proposal—“ he started, and she jumped to cut him off.
“Ye will?” she exclaimed loudly, only for him to shake his head at her.
“Interrupting others,” he said. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. So rude.” His voice was deep. He was teasing her, taunting her, because he knew how much she wanted this.
If she wasn’t desperate, if she only had herself to take care of, she would tell him what an oaf he was and then she would leave, never to return. But she could not afford to have so much dignity. That was why she remained here, pinned to one spot, by this man who held the power over her future.
Yet, despite all this, the grin that he bestowed upon her was pure sin. It awakened images in her mind she didn’t even know she had. Heat pooled between her thighs, making her knees tremble before him. She tried to regain her composure, but that was impossible.
“Ye were sayin’ ye agreed,” she reminded him even more impatiently this time.
“Ye interrupted me flow of thought,” he tormented her, his stare sliding down to her lips.
She hated him. At least, she wanted to hate him, but with that smile, it was very difficult to do so.
She simply wanted him to agree to her proposal so she could be on her way and see as little of him as possible.
However, her true feelings were somewhat different.
His tantalizing baritone made her listen to him with a trembling heart.
Worst of all, she was certain he knew of this effect, for he had probably used it on many a woman before, the scoundrel.
“As I was sayin’,” he finally continued, when he saw she had decided to remain silent. “I will accept yer business proposal and find a merchant for yer goods, on one condition.”
The last part made her frown. This didn’t sound good.
“What is it?” She attempted to sound bitter, but all she managed to do was to make herself breathless with excitement.
He paused for a moment, allowing the silence to lull her into a sense of victory, then he told her.
“If ye marry me.”