Page 4 of Claimed By a Ruthless Scot
Good.Let me be forgettable.
And then her eyes fell uponhim.
He did not belong… at least, not entirely. While others slouched or sprawled, he sat straight-backed at his table, wearing a coat that was well-cut though travel-worn. Dark hair fell neatly at his collar. A day’s stubble sharpened his jaw that looked as if it had learned restraint the hard way. His eyes were green, the sort that noticed everything and judged little, warm despite the seriousness of his expression.
Attractive,Elaina allowed, against her will.
She thought, with sudden and unwelcome clarity, that he looked like a man one could rely upon, the sort her mother would have approved of, and that made him far more dangerous than a rogue ever could be.
She looked away at once, annoyed with herself. When she glanced back, only to confirm her own foolishness, she found his gaze already upon her. For a heartbeat they merely stared. His expression was curious rather than bold. Then, to her alarm, his mouth curved into the faintest smile.
She dropped her eyes, but it was too late.
By the time she had convinced herself she imagined it, a shadow fell across her table.
“Forgive me,” a voice said easily, “but I find meself unwilling tae pass the evening wondering whether I ought tae have spoken.”
Elaina looked up despite herself.
“Aye?” she said coolly.
He inclined his head. His green eyes divulged amusement. “May I sit?”
“I didnae invite ye.”
“Nay,” he agreed. “But ye did nae forbid me either.”
She hesitated. Refusal would draw attention. Acceptance might invite more danger than she could afford.
“Very well,” she said at last. “If ye insist.”
“I dae,” he replied, already pulling out the chair opposite her. “Dae ye mind telling me yer name?”
“I dae,” she retorted.
“Well then, mysterious lady, it is still a pleasure,” he said, as though the word meant more than courtesy.
He glanced at her empty table. “Ye look as though ye have nae eaten.”
“That is none of yer concern.”
He smiled. “Then allow me tae make it mine.”
Before she could protest, he signaled the barmaid. “Bread and stew,” he ordered. “And whatever passes for drinkable ale.”
“Ye are bold,” Elaina told him sharply, glancing at the door for one brief moment.
“I am merely observant,” he countered. “And ye, me dear lady, are hungry and wary, almost as if ye’re prepared tae flee at a moment’s notice. Am I so dashingly dangerous that ye are already looking for ways tae escape me attention?”
She stiffened. “Ye presume far too much.”
A flicker of irritation at herself and at him, too, ran through her. She should have stopped indulging the conversation.
“Perhaps,” he allowed. “And yet, here we both are.”
His gaze lingered on her as if he had all the time in the world.
Against all reason, she laughed, feeling utterly surprised at herself. She cursed inwardly.
