"You can either kill me. Or marry me," he said. His suggestion slammed into her with the force of a blow. She reeled back. "No!" He bent and began fishing nails out of the bucket. "No to what?" "To both choices. I will neither kill you in cold blood, nor marry an Englishman." "I'm relieved by the former, but you'll have to explain the latter. Why won't you marry me?" "It isn't obvious?" An intoxicating smile slid across his face. "Not with the taste of you still fresh as the dew on my lips."