Her heart was beating like a rabbit’s, in quick bumpy jerks. She could only shake her head. Who could have guessed he had such temper in him?

“I’ll accept that you don’t know you love me, won’t clear your eyes to see that we’re meant. But I won’t have you disparage what I am and spurn everything I and my family for generations has struggled for.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“You think the land just sits, pretty as a picture, and waits to be reaped?” The candlelight threw shadows over his face, making it as fascinating as it was dangerous. “There’s blood spilled for it, and more sweat than can be weighed. Keeping it’s hard, and keeping it’s not enough. If you’re too proud to accept it as yours, then you shame yourself.”

Her breath was shuddering out. She had to force herself to draw it in slowly. “You’re hurting me, Murphy.”

He dropped his hands as if her flesh had burned them. He stepped back, his movements jerky for the first time since she’d known him. “I beg your pardon.”

It was his turn for shame. He knew his hands were large, and knew their strength. It appalled him that he would have used them, even in blind fury, to put a mark on her.

The self-disgust on his face kept her from giving in to the urge to rub at the soreness on her arms. However huge her lack of understanding of him, she knew instinctively he was a gentle man who would consider hurting a woman the lowest form of sin.

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said slowly. “I was angry and upset, and trying to make the point that we’re different. Who we are, what we want.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets. “What do you want?”

She opened her mouth, then shut it on the shock of finding the answer wasn’t there. “I’ve had a number of major changes in my life over the past couple of months, so I still need to think about that. But a relationship isn’t one of them.”

“Are you afraid of me?” His voice was carefully neutral. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, I’m not afraid of you.” She couldn’t help herself. She stepped forward, laid a hand on his cheek. “Temper understands temper, Murphy.” Almost certain the crisis had passed, she smiled. “Let’s forget all of this, and be friends.”

Instead he stopped her heart by taking her hand, sliding it around until his lips pressed tenderly into the palm. “ ‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite.” ’

Shakespeare, she thought as her body softened. He would quote Shakespeare in that gorgeous voice. “Don’t say things like that to me, Murphy. It’s not playing fair.”

“We’re past games, Shannon. We’re neither of us children, or fools. Here now, I won’t hurt you.” His voice was soothing, as it was when he gentled a horse. For she’d gone skittish when he’d slipped his arms around her. “Tell me what you felt when I kissed you the first time.”