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“How did you meet?” Tarley heard Jessamine ask Nixus and Auri.

But Tarley couldn’t concentrate on their answer. For the life of her, she couldn’t rationalize why Lachlan would change his mind about sharing, unless he’d changed his mind about marrying her. The thought made it suddenly hard to breathe, which made her angry.

“In the woods,” Auri said and turned to smile up at Nixus.

“Magical woods,” Lachlan replied, and his eyes skipped back to her.

“Very,” Nixus said, looking at Auri.

Being out of control was unsettling. Tarley couldn’t get herself back together, sitting there trying to be calm and collected, to smile and behave as if nothing about what was happening at that table was out of the ordinary when her world suddenly felt like it had tilted, and she was sliding away toward a calamity.

Why had he changed his mind?

And why did she suddenly care? She hadn’t wanted to get married, remember?

Dinner progressed at a snail’s pace, considering she wanted to be anywhere but there, but Tarley did her best to keep herself together. Lachlan was being his usual charming self as if nothing had changed between them.

She wanted to both scream at him and clutch him against her.

After helping to clean and sitting politely for too long, eventually he asked her, “Are you ready? To walk back?”

“I’ll hitch up the wagon to drive you,” her father said, moving to stand.

“No.” She reminded herself to look normal. “I could use the walk. And I’ll be with Ollie. Is that okay with you?” she asked Lachlan.

Just then, she wanted to get into a giant fight, and after, she wanted to fuck him, which was ludicrous. She was losing her ability to think clearly.

He glanced at her, a look that connected with the base of her spine, sending warmth right up into her shoulders. Her skin heated, her face reddened, and she was convinced he knew what she was thinking, because he straightened, the tension between them becoming something writhing and alive.

He swallowed, offered her father a tight smile, and nodded.

“But it’s dark,” Tomas said, confused. “I always drive you back–”

“We’ll be fine,” Tarley said.

Her father frowned, but she ignored him.

Auri giggled.

Tarley ignored her sister. “We’ll be fine,” she repeated. “Thank you.”

Her father balked, but Tarley’s focus was completely on Lachlan and the bigger question: why had he changed the plan?

After Lachlan helped her into her cloak, with what seemed great care not to touch her, Tarley offered each of her family members a hug and a kiss on the cheek, exchanging words and laughter as she did. Lachlan expressed his gratitude. And finally, the door closed behind them.

Rather than turn on him there in front of the cottage and demand an explanation, she retraced their steps to the hedge past the barn and across the meadow. She heard Lachlan’s steps right behind her, felt the heat of his presence at her back, both longing to feel his touch and wanting to push him away.

She ducked into the darkened archway of the hedge, the fragrance of the white flowers overpowering. Unable to wait, she turned to face Lachlan, and the moment he entered the shadow of the hedge she grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him forward—but instead of yelling at him, she pressed her lips to his.

His hands framed her face, and he said her name against her mouth.

She pushed him away, bumping against the wall of the hedge with her back. “What the hell, Lachlan. We were supposed to tell them! Why did you do that? You changed your mind?”

“No.” He grasped her hips, pulling her back against him, his lips connecting with her cheek, then sliding back toward her mouth. “Yes. No.”

She let his lips work over her skin, turning her head to meet his mouth while saying, “Which is it?”

“I can’t marry you–”