Page 55 of When the Laird Conquers

“Exactly,” she said without thinking.

A dark laugh rumbled in his chest. “Ye need to stop provokin’ me, Sunshine.”

She suddenly realized what she had said and blushed furiously, feverish heat flooding her cheeks.

Obviously, that was not what she meant, even if she didn’t quite understand what exhausting endeavors might entail. Although she had enough of an idea from reading Christine’s journals. It made her stomach flutter, and her nerves jitter to think of him and her… tangled up together.

“A game,” she said hastily. “Do you have cards?”

Gordon groaned and got out of bed, not bothering to reply as he vanished out the door.

She blinked at the spot where he had just been, confused. Was he coming back, or had she asked one question too many? Truly, when she had been planning to run to Scotland and plead for the protection of a laird, there had been no mention in her brief research of how grumpy these lairds could be.

Waiting in bed, she was about to get up to distract herself when Gordon walked back in and tossed a pack of cards onto the blankets.

Relief washed over her as he resumed his place at her side, sitting up against the headboard, his arm tucked behind his head.

“What do ye want to play?” he asked.

“Vingt-et-Un?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I daenae speak French, Sunshine.”

“But you know the game? Twenty-one?” she said as she took the deck and began to shuffle.

There were countless ways in which she could have shuffled, for she had taught herself well over the years, but she chose the simplest way, not wanting to give away how good she was.

“Aye, I ken it.”

“Well, in an attempt to make it interesting, how about this. If I win, I get to ask you a question that you must answer with more than two words,” she suggested, for there were things she wanted to know that she knew he would not reveal voluntarily.

He rolled his eyes. “And what if I win, eh? What do I get?” He paused, his gaze intense. “Daenae forget that I am a soldier, Sunshine. I’ve likely played more games of cards than ye’ve had cups of tea.”

Ah…

She had forgotten about that. Rather, she hadn’t even considered what soldiers might do when they weren’t fighting. It made sense that they would play games to while away the hours.

“That is fair.” She hesitated, thinking. “I don’t know. What do you want if you win?”

His grey eyes shone. She couldn’t tell if it was the reflection of the lanternlight or if the light came from within, but his gaze burned. A blistering warmth that flushed across her skin and penetrated deeper, into her chest, prompting her heart to beat faster.

What did a look like that mean?

She had to remind herself to breathe as she waited for his response, suddenly wondering if she should have just tried harder to drift off to sleep.

“If I win,” he answered, his voice thick, “ye remove yer nightdress.”

“What?” she blurted out.

There was no way she had misheard, but after he had put distance and boundaries between them last night, she couldn’t quite believe her ears. What had changed to make him want to see her naked?

Did he take a peek while I was in the bath?

Or was it the fact that he had not peeked that had been bothering him?

“Having regrets already, Sunshine?” he asked wryly.

Sitting up straighter, her chin tilted, she flashed a smile and declared, “Not in the slightest, because I am definitely going to win.”