right as rain. And it looks as if you do too.”
Jamie’s mischievous eyes narrowed as a slow, rumbling laugh poured out of him. “Ye were the one, aren’t you?”
“The one?” she echoed.
“The bit of lace. The ’igh kick,” he mocked. “The one who’s made my brother’s life absolutely miserable.”
She drew herself up. “I am not usually in the general habit of making anyone’s life miserable.”
“Perhaps ye’re not in the habit of it,” he said, with eyes that were not quite so merry now. “But ye certainly have done it. And Oi can’t really forgive you for it.”
She took in another breath, astonished. “I don’t follow.”
“Well,” he carelessly studied his fingers, and yet, there wasn’t a careless bone in his body. He crackled with energy. “Seeing that ye haven’t seen my brother in almost a year, Oi reckon. . . Oi suppose that’s no surprise. Ye’ve made him a right beast to be around. Are ye here to make him happy or to make him more miserable?”
“Well, I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I do hope it is happy.”
“Good.” Jamie slammed his hand down on the desk. “He needs a bit of happiness, and Oi’m tired of seeing him look like a misery guts all the time. But Oi don’t see how him getting involved with a fancy piece like ye will make him happy.”
A fancy piece.
She’d never been described thus. She rather liked it. “He and I have an interesting relationship, I grant you.”
“Grant me?” Jamie snorted and folded his broad arms across an equally broad chest. “Fancy telling me about it?”
“No, I don’t think so,” she said, not prepared to speak of her business with just anyone, even Heath’s brother. “Would you like to tell me about yourself and your brother?”
“Oi don’t think so,” he replied with a wink.
She sighed. “Well, then, we stand at an impasse.”
“Oh, no, no impasse here, my girl,” he said darkly. “If ye and Oi are to be friends, we must sit down and have a drink, don’t ye think? Peace in the family and all that.”
She pondered this.
She did not know this man at all. And he was definitely different than his brother. There was a sort of charming quality to him, but a dangerous one.
Was she even safe in the same room with him?
“I must know your intention,” she said boldly. “Is it to befriend me or to skewer me?”
“It depends, don’t it?” he all but purred, leaning forward. “On your intentions.”
This astonished her.
She’d never been asked her intentions with regards to a man before.
Generally, it was men who were asked what their intentions were.
“Since you put it thus, we should,” she said. “I’m more than happy to sit for the interview.”
His brows rose the tiniest bit in surprise. . . and respect. “Right, I can see why he likes you. You’re no frightened rabbit, are you?”
She thought back to a time when Heath had accused her of being a rabbit. Was it something about her? Was she like a bunny in some way? She certainly didn’t think so.
So, without further ado, she drew her shoulders back, crossed to the chair in front of the fire, and sat down. “Let us begin,” she said.
“What do you want from my brother?” Jamie demanded without ceremony. “A bit of rough?”
She scowled. “I don’t know why everyone is so certain that that’s the only thing I could want from him.”
“What do you mean everyone?” Jamie asked.
“Well, he said something similar to me when we met. If you must know.”
“And he said what?” Jamie uttered softly, almost frighteningly. “You want a bit of rough? Because that’s not what Heath is for. He is rough, but not in that way. He ain’t here to service the ’igh kicks’ need for a little danger.”
She swallowed. “No, that’s not what I want. I want him.”
“Do you, now?” Jamie said, crossing to the opposite chair, throwing himself down, and lounging.
She licked her lips. “Yes.”
“It’ll never work,” Jamie warned, sticking one booted leg out.
“Why not?” she queried.
Jamie folded his arms over his chest again, eyeing her like she was a first-class idiot. “Ye’re a fool if you’re asking that question. Ye know why not as well as I do. Perhaps you should just turn around, go back out, and don’t give him any sort of false hope.”
She lifted her chin. “I have no intention of giving him false hope.”
“Don’t you?” Jamie mocked, his eyes hard as stone. “Ye’re going to marry him, set up a nice little house, and have lots