“You are trying to tempt me with sin,” she accused, but even so, her body leaned to him.
“Absolutely,” he agreed with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
No matter. Her smiles had probably lost their reach as well. She was sadly, sinfully, shamefully attached to this criminal she’d known a few hours, attached with strings of affection and laughter and fiery, hot passion. But that did not mean she would leave her safe life behind. It was madness for him to suggest it.
Madness more, that her heart leapt when he did.
“You cannot be serious, Tadhg.”
He leaned his forehead to hers. “As sin, I am.”
“But that is not…possible.”
“Aye, it is.” He shrugged. “We walk away. Together.”
She burst out in laughter at his solution. “You make it sound easy.”
His smile faded. “It is uncomplicated, not easy.”
She stared into the dark eyes so close to hers, and in a flash of tenderness, skimmed her fingertips down his scruffy cheek to his mouth. He turned and caught one between his lips. A pain sliced through her heart, hard and fast, like a knife.
“Tadhg, I cannot simply walk out of my life.”
“Why not? You did not sound so pleased with its hardships earlier.”
He’d listened well. The realization made her skin prickle. “Yes, but that was…that was just talk.” Something about him almost frightened her now.
“I do not ‘just talk,’ Maggie.”
His use of the affectionate nickname now seemed weaponly. Hard and thrusting.
“One cannot simply go about doing whatever one wants in this world,” she retorted, and his eyes went stone-hard.
“Why not? I’m full weary of doing what everyone else wants. So are you. Come with me.”
Yes.
She heard the cry from deep inside: Yes, yes, yes. Run away with him.
No.
Some things were possible and others were not, and this was not a possible thing. Successful merchants did not run away with criminals. Even if they had had carnal relations with said criminals only a few moments earlier.
Reckless fools did that. Magdalena was not reckless. She could not afford to be, ever again. Look to what happened in the past…what had happened here, up against the wall, and on the bench…what was happening right now, in her heart, at the invitation of this outlaw to leave the brown drudgery of her life and leap off into the bright unknown.
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I cannot.”
His face was flat, almost blank, but very, very hard.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist.”
Chapter Thirteen
TADHG WATCHED her face change, dissolve, flatten. What had been bright—eyes, smile—went dark, and what had been lithe and curving—lips, hips, her fingertips on his shoulders—stiffened and went rigid.
“You jest,” she suggested weakly.
He shook his head.