“Ye made a proper fool out of yerself,” she stated.
To her surprise, he barked a laugh. “Aye, I did. Daenae get me wrong, though. I meant every word I said. I do think ye are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, but I did sound a little much when I was saying it.” He tilted his head over to her, grinning broadly. “Daenae worry. From now on, I will be much more forthright with me compliments.”
Despite the fact that his words made her heart do a backflip in her chest, she managed to say in a normal tone, “I daenae think ye learned anythin’ from this.”
“I did, I did,” he chuckled.
After a moment, she smiled. “And yer last question?”
Again, Matthew was silent. He seemed to be ruminating on it and she waited patiently, content to simple admire his side profile in the meantime. It was truly unfair how handsome he was because right in that moment, Jonet could hardly manage to keep that wall up between them anymore.
He turned to her, leaning closer. Jonet gasped silently, her eyes growing wide. He leaned in so near that his lips were just an inch away from hers, his eyes so close that she could see the brown specks swimming within the green. Whatever her heart was doing before it no longer did. It seemed to have stopped dead in her chest, her breath caught in her throat.
“Me last question,” he whispered, his breath tickling her lips. She could not stop herself from glancing down at it, could not keep from imagining what would happen if she were to lean in just a little closer, “is are ye afraid to love again?”
She looked back into his eyes. There was heat there, a simmering need that need not be spoken. She saw it as clear as day, shimmering just as strongly within her, but she also saw sincerity, openness. As if he would hold her heart gently in his hands if she ever dared to hand it over. As if he would accept every bit of her—her fears, her past, her curse—without question. As if all he wanted to do was love her wholeheartedly if only she would let herself feel again.
That was what pulled the answer out of her. “I am afraid of being hurt again.”
Her answer rested between them. She was tense, waiting to hear his response, afraid of what he might say all of a sudden.
Matthew’s eyes were on her lips as he murmured his next words, “Ye daenae need to be afraid of that anymore, now that I’m here.”
It was the sort of response she should have expected from such a man so insistent on marrying her. Such a person would say anything to get what he wanted, she supposed. Still, Jonet wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him, to let herself love and put her in his hands. She wanted to rely on him. She did not want to be alone anymore and here he was, pledging to protect her.
With all the force she could muster, Jonet thrusted that wall between them again and scrambled to her feet. The connection was broken, and it bothered her much more than it should have. She could not allow that to go on for a second longer. He would have kissed her, and if he had not, she would have kissed him. Then there would be no turning back for her.
“I think we should get back,” she brushed her dress off. “Ye got the answers ye wanted, so let’s go.”
Matthew said nothing as he slowly rose to his feet. Jonet did not look at him. She waited until he was fully standing before she turned to walk back to the horses.
“Ye cannae be alone forever, Jonet.”
She went still, not turning around. Jonet heard the crunch of the stones benetah his feet at he drew closer. “Ye need someone by yer side. Let me be the one.”
Jonet bit her lip. She wanted so badly to turn around, to throw herself into his arms and press her lips against his, that it hurt. She curled her hands into a fist, fighting the urge, not knowing what to say.
After a while, she heard him again as he came to stand by her side. “I think I overstepped today again,” he offered her a kind smile. “Ye’re right. We should head back.”
He walked away, towards the horses. It took a moment for Jonet to uproot her feet from the ground.
The slow ride back to the Castle was made in silence, much like the day before. This silence was heavier, however, and it was clear Jonet was lost in thought. She went on a little ahead
and Matthew was content to simply watch her from behind.
Somehow, Jonet MacTavish atop a horse was an unearthly vision. It was not the mere fact that she handled herself well and had put up quite a fight during their race. It was how she looked while she charged ahead, with her braid jumping, wearing such a happy smile that brightened her face. The image was perfectly engrained into his mind, though he knew she wore no such smile right now.
At that moment she was contemplating, and Matthew was nervous as to what. She managed to hide her thoughts well enough for him to wonder if he really might be getting through to her the way he hoped. He had seen the flash of surprise on her face during his last words, the way her mouth popped open and her eyes followed his every move. She certainly had not expected him to say such a thing, he knew, but was that a good thing?
She wanted me to kiss her. I could tell that much.
Matthew had seen enough in his lifetime to be able to tell when a woman wished to be kissed. Jonet’s eyes were begging for it, even though she hardly moved an inch. With a pride like hers, he did not expect her to ask for it, but Matthew was more than willing to give her what she wanted. He did not think any man would be able to sit so close to her without the overwhelming urge to taste her lips.
Why did she pull away? Just what is she thinking?
Matthew narrowed her eyes at her as the stables grew closer. He was used to playing the long game if needed, but with Jonet, he was feeling a little impatient. He wanted to know how she felt, wanted her to confirm if she truly wanted him gone the way she had expressed. He wanted to know if she even liked him a little.
The closer the stables came, the more Matthew realized that she would soon leave his side. A wave of disappointment came over him at the thought. He had not expected to enjoy himself so much.