Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

“ K ai!”

Yet Kai couldn’t listen to Ava anymore. He turned away from her, moving in a wild circle as he thought over everything she had just said. It was like a rain of crossbow bolts had struck him all at once.

Ava wanted to get married? She wished to marry a man like Laird Blair Grant, and worst of all, he was to be her teacher in seduction?

“Have ye lost all yer good sense?” He whipped back to face her, marching toward her. She was so alarmed that she backed up, in danger of colliding with her mare. He reached out sharply, looping an arm across her waist and pulling her forward into safety. “Ye’re going tae marry a man fer yer family’s fortune? Ye’re going tae sell yer soul, bind it to a man, bind yer body tae him–”

“Kai!” She shoved into his chest, but he didn’t let go.

“That’s what marriage is, Ava. Husbands and wives share their bodies. Dinnae tell me ye need me tae go through the mechanics of what happens between men and women.”

“I dinnae bloody need ye tae dae that,” she said venomously, planting both of her palms against his chest.

That touch did something to him. Kai looked down at what she was doing.

He’d made a decision long ago that he would never try to get Ava into his bed, out of fear of losing her. The more he resisted her, the more his attraction had turned into something far deeper. These days, he knew what to call it.

Aye, it’s love.

The thought of seeing the woman he loved marry another, even if he knew she was far beyond his own reach, was like being gutted by a blunted dirk.

“I ken what happens in a marriage,” she insisted swiftly. “I am nae doing this just fer fortune. I am doing this tae protect me sister. Laird Blair Grant’s reputation is nae as bad as Lyla’s suitor. Out of the two, which marriage is preferable?”

Ava pushed away from him, and he suddenly felt the coldness of the wind bristling in through the open doorway of the stable. He wanted Ava back in his arms, where she was warm and safe. “Ye and I both ken it’s a good plan. Better I’m married tae Blair Grant than Lyla is married tae that demon.”

Kai ran a hand over his face for a second, trying to buy some time before he had to answer her.

“Ye ken his reputation,” she pushed on, clearly not intending to give him much time to think. “How dae ye think he would treat Lyla? At least with Blair Grant, there is nay inkling he would be so cruel to his wife.”

Kai didn’t want to agree with her, though the wise voice somewhere in the back of his mind did indeed agree. Lyla’s suitor was known for his sadistic nature. If the rumors were true, he’d taken more than one woman by force. The mere thought made Kai not only physically sick but tempted to rip out the man’s throat with his bare hands.

“Laird Grant may be a good husband,” Ava whispered, her voice much closer than Kai had been prepared for. He lowered his hand from his face, angling his neck around so he could catch a glimpse of her at his side. She was deadly serious now, looking up at him with those hazel eyes, those perfect lips parted a little.

Blair Grant will be the man who gets tae kiss those lips. He’ll be the man she smiles at. He’ll be the one she loves.

Kai hadn’t known this feeling before. For a second, he thought he might fall over with dizziness, then he thought such an idea was foolish, and he was much more likely to ride out into the snow until the cold made his whole body numb. Then, he had a better idea.

“I need a drink,” he muttered, marching for the door.

“What?” She must have abandoned the mare and followed him, for the next thing Kai knew, as he marched through the falling snow back toward the tavern, she was on his tail again. “Ye need a drink now?”

“Me dearest friend has just told me she’s going tae sacrifice herself tae help her sister. Aye, I need a drink.” He jerked open the door, hearing the usual chorus of curses from the drinkers inside who hated the sudden draught. He and Ava scuttled inside.

Ava looked tempted to run again, rethinking her actions to follow him, but he didn’t let her. He caught her hand instead and dragged her back toward his earlier table, urging her next to him.

“Ye’re going tae have tae stop touching me so much,” she hissed under her breath. “Men here really will think I’m selling myself.”

“They’d have tae kill me tae get tae ye,” he said with sudden fierceness. She looked at him, wide eyed, and her emotions rolled off her in apparent waves.

Shock.

He was a little disappointed that after all this time, the fact he was so protective of her would be a shock at all.

The barmaid came past the two of them, asking for their order with nothing more than a jerk of her chin.

“Two whiskies. None of that watered down beer ye’re passing around,” he added, to which she colored pink before she ran off.

Kai said nothing for a minute. His foot bobbed up and down restlessly as he stared at Ava, who was now doing her best to busy herself adjusting the weapons in her belt to be comfortable. As soon as the whiskies came, Kai downed his and ordered another. Ava stared at him, open mouthed.

“Are ye certain of this?” Kai asked her, speaking at last as he got his mind organized.

Ava had always been beyond his reach. He knew that. She was too perfect, too beautiful, too good and loyal in heart, not to mention a talented and admirable warrior. In contrast, he was broken, haunted by the past, and he had little to offer the daughter of a laird when he was just the younger brother of another laird, spending his time as a scout. She was always going to marry someone else someday, he had just kept hoping that day wouldn’t come yet.

“I am certain.” She spoke with unrestrained determination now. She even sidled a little closer to him on the bench, prompting him to lay one hand across the back of it. If he shifted his arm a little, he could have wrapped that arm around her shoulders, but he restrained himself. “Ye ken Lyla and me. Which of us is better able to defend themselves? If Lyla was bound tae such a man…”

He nodded in agreement at once. Ava was the warrior. She could fight to protect herself if needed, but Lyla was smaller in build, and she was shy. She sometimes found it hard to fight her corner. Bound to a vicious man, she would crumple like snow.

“Ye’re desperate, arenae ye?” Kai read the emotions rolling off her. She reset herself on the bench, leaning toward him. Those hazel eyes were so close now, pleading, open and honest.

Kai often had to use persuasion to make others open up to him with his air of charm and confidence, and his ability to read their emotions made him an even better persuader. Sometimes, he was even a manipulator, but never with Ava. He had never once conned her or persuaded her into talking about something she did not want to. Her openness now, meant everything.

He couldn’t deny her anything, not when she was so in need of his help.

His whisky was put down in front of him. He picked it up and knocked half of it back, distracting himself with the burn in his throat for a minute before he allowed himself to talk again.

He had to come to peace with what he was about to do.

If I help her dae this, Ava will truly never be mine.

That feeling of being gutted by a blade grew worse, but his mind was made up all the same. She had always been beyond his reach.

“I’ll dae it.”

“Dae what?” she murmured, nearly dropping her own cup of whisky.

“I’ll give ye the coaching ye need tae seduce a man, Ava.”

“Ye will?” Ava leaned forward sharply, such a smile of relief spreading across her face that the waves of emotions rolling off her now hurt him a little.

It pained him that Ava had never considered the thought that their friendship could have been something deeper. Clearly from her smile, it had never even been an inkling in her mind.

He downed the whisky, needing more of that distracting burn.

“First lesson.”

“What? Here? Now?” Ava said in disbelief.

“Have ye got a better idea?”

“I hadnae thought about it. Time is important, I suppose.”

“Perfect, then we’ll start now.” He had no intention of letting their seduction lessons drag on any longer than they had to. “Besides, yer first lesson is an easy one.”

“Oh good.” She put down her tankard, setting her spine straight as she turned to face him fully on the bench.

“Eye contact.”

“I ken how tae look a man in the eye, Kai.”

“Dae ye?” He wasn’t so sure. He’d seen Ava get flustered more than once. She was confident on the battlefield, and she often put up a wall of ferocity to protect herself, but holding a man’s eye? No, he hadn’t ever seen that unless she was calculating how to beat one in battle.

“Of course I bloody dae.”

“Hmm, then show me.”

“What?” She pinkened. It was a delectable shade of pink. It made Kai think of other ways to make Ava blush, ways that would have her shifting in that tartan skirt of hers, rubbing her thighs together. He had to push away such sexual thoughts.

“Show me.” Kai looked around the tavern. He caught sight of a young man who kept looking Ava’s way, clearly taken by her fine looks and blonde hair. “With him. Hold his gaze. Just fer a few beats. It’s even easier than raising a sword. Trust me.”

Ava sighed, clearly frustrated with him. She sat taller and tried to hold the man’s gaze, but she looked away fast, turning her chin down. The young man turned away as well, clearly disappointed.

“Well, at least ye are nay longer blushing pink in embarrassment. Ye’re bright red now.”

“Kai!” She elbowed him, making him chuckle at her frustration.

“Ye can hold me gaze though, cannae ye? Look.” He shifted his arm from the back of the bench, brushing his fingers along the back of her neck to get her attention. She whirled her head around so fast, her braid flicked past her shoulder. She looked at him in shock, those hazel eyes wide. “See?” he whispered. “Ye are nae looking away.”

“Ye dinnae count.”

“Why nae?”

“Ye’re nae really a man, are ye?”

“I beg yer pardon?” His jaw dropped as she blushed even redder.

“Ye ken what I mean.”

“Truly, I dinnae. I can find ye many women who can testify tae ye that I truly am a man, Ava.”

“Oh, I ken ye could.”

“Or would ye prefer me tae undae these trews and prove it tae ye myself?”

“Stop playing around.” She elbowed him again, a little harder this time. He had to rub the sore spot on his chest, trying not to laugh at how much she was fidgeting. Her emotions had changed now. She was growing increasingly nervous.

“Very well, if I dinnae count, then practice on me. It may make it easier. Look me in the eye.” He leaned toward her, prompting her to jerk her chin upwards. She stared at him with something more like suspicion. “Come, Ava, softly. Ye think ye are going tae charm a man intae yer bed by glowering at him?”

“I’m trying tae charm a man up the aisle, nae intae me bed.”

“Same thing.”

“It really isnae.”

“Ava, it really is.” He hardened his voice. “Only yer task is harder. Ye want Blair Grant tae desire yer bed fer life.” He tried to keep the anger out of his voice. After tonight, he had a feeling he would detest Blair Grant’s guts forever. “Now, look at me softly.”

She raised her chin and looked at him, though it was more impassive.

“Maybe smile at me,” he whispered, sidling along the bench closer to her. His arm was now so close to her shoulders, he was barely a hair’s breadth from her. She had inhaled sharply, the surprise wafting off her. “Lift an eyebrow, something tae show ye are interested by what ye see.”

Yet she didn’t. She just runed redder in the face.

“Like this,” he whispered, smiling at her with ease. Her stare now deepened to a thorough frown. “Ava, ye’re supposed tae be trying tae charm me. Ye look more battle-ready right now.”

“Oh, this is hopeless.” She broke her gaze and looked around the tavern. When she stared at one man in particular, Kai had to fight not to laugh.

“Ye look as if ye want tae take his head off with a sword.”

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” She looked down at her tankard and slumped into the bench, her shoulders now brushing his arm. Kai was tempted to pull her into his side, nestle her there, where he could keep her safe from harm.

“Dinnae lose yer courage,” he urged. “Ye’re the bravest woman I ken.”

“I am?” She looked up at him in surprise.

“Course ye are.” He smiled at her. “If ye can master the sword, ye can master seduction, trust me. Ye just need some confidence, and ye need tae see that any man would be gasping tae be in yer bed.”

“Is… is that really what ye think?”

Kai was the one who was now tongue tied. They were both staring at each other, and for the first time, Ava did not look ready to take his head off with a sword. She looked soft, inviting, those hazel eyes rather sweet in the way they gazed at him.

They kept staring at one another in silence, until two drunks arguing nearby made Kai look away fast.

“Aye, I dae think that.” Kai thought it best to move on fast, without Ava paying too much attention to what he had said. “Well, ye’re getting the idea of holding me gaze, so let’s move ontae the next lesson.”