the offer.” Kenzie ignored his chuckle and settled down to eat her dinner, but her mind refused to cooperate. With each spoon of broth and sip of her drink she could feel his attention on her, burning her like a brand. It left her hot and discombobulated.
“Do ye really find me so repulsive?” he asked, waiting for her to look at him. “I know we didn’t have the best introduction, but as a descendant of Gwen’s, I would like us to be friends. May we start afresh?”
Kenzie wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. If she actually grew to like the man, what would her hormones do then? She bit her lip, knowing exactly how her body would react and that was one road she refused to go down. But then, if she befriended the man, she could find out who he socialized with outside of her family. Someone obviously had killed him at some point, and from what history had assumed, it was someone he knew. Being around Black Ben could help her solve the mystery of what had happened to the Laird of Ross.
He continued to eat, and she studied him covertly. He laughed at a tale that Braxton told, and Kenzie watched as his Adams apple bobbed with his reply. Three months and this man would be no more, would be as dead as his wife. She shook her head. No matter his sexual innuendoes, and her reactions to them, no one deserved to die for nothing. And it was sad that he would pass away so young.
Ben caught her gaze, his eyes dark and intense, and heat sizzled between them. “Well, lass. Can we be friends?”
She nodded, her body on edge and not at all calm and assured as she prided herself on being. “I’d like to try.” And in truth she did. Black Ben was a Scottish historical icon. Who wouldn’t want to learn about the man? But that wasn’t her only reason. He fascinated her in a way no man ever had. Whether this was because the date he’d died was etched into her brain, or because the way he lived his life, or his friendship with her ancestral family, Kenzie wasn’t sure, but she wanted to know what made him tick.
“I have a suggestion as to how we may start our new friendship.”
“You do?” Kenzie pushed her plate away and took a cob of bread from the bowl. “And?”
“Do ye ride?”
“Horses?”
He grinned, biting his lip a little. Kenzie couldn’t look away at his perfectly straight, white teeth, that were absolutely clean. “What did ye think I meant when I said ride?” He chuckled.
Heat bloomed on her face. “Very funny. Do be serious.”
“My apologies,” he said, placing a hand over his heart and bowing a little. “But yes, I meant horses, although the direction yer mind went certainly has sparked another image of how we could spend the day.”
“Do you never stop?”
He shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Sometimes.” He paused. “I was going to suggest we spend the day riding ye family’s land. With me, you’ll be safe enough, and I could use some exercise, having been kept indoors these last few weeks. And it would give me some time to quiz ye on where ye came from.”
Kenzie thought about it. A day out riding with Black Ben. To some, this would be a dream come true. A historian’s lotto win. And it would be enjoyable. Yes, he flirted, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle, and no matter what he said, or had said in the past, there was something about the man that resonated trust. He had a violent past with battles and clan disputes, but Gwen trusted him, and Kenzie was certain that he would never hurt her or force anything on her she didn’t wish.
“That sounds wonderful. I’d love to see the lands. Thank you.”
“Ye’re very welcome. We’ll break our fast and meet outdoors first light tomorrow.”
Kenzie woke, her blood singing. She jumped from the bed and dressed quickly, not bothering to ring for her appointed maid. It seemed silly of her to use another person to help her dress or clean, and she’d much prefer to do everything in private, especially since her clothing wasn’t handmade or historically accurate. A maid would notice such things immediately. Having servants wasn’t something she’d ever get used to as she pulled her hair back into a ribbon and tied it up.