Lord.She had behaved so wantonly that her former governess would have reddened in mortification.
A smile spread across her lips at the thought.
She risked opening her eyes when he pulled back, though his arms remained around her waist. His chest was heaving, and in the moonlight, the water droplets on his skin glittered like diamonds.
Her mouth went dry again at the smattering of dark hair on his chest and abdomen, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips when she remembered the press of his hardness against her.
Her eyes flicked to his face, and the heated look in his eyes caused her heart to race even faster in her chest, but she felt comforted to see that he looked just as rattled as she felt. The tips of his ears were red. Whether from the cold or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell, but she found it endearing that this mountain of a man could have such charm.
“We shall marry,” he said suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts.
“Pardon me?” she asked.
He lowered his hands but didn’t move away from her.
“We will be wed, and soon, as I initially proposed,” he explained. “If we’re wed, then the scandal ends, and yer faither’s reputation is saved.”
Violet wished she could correct him, but in the afterglow of the kiss and seeing the determination on his face, she didn’t know how to begin.
The ton was ruthless, and with a man like Lord Westall hellbent on revenge, he would no doubt have spun such a nasty tale to earn him the attention he had so desperately longed for.
The man would no doubt use this to get himself into the circles of those he had so longed to befriend. As such, he wouldn’t let her family off so easily.
The thought of her cowardly father left alone to the whims of such an evil man made her feel some guilt, but remembering how he hadn’t bothered to come for her even after hearing of her fate hardened her heart.
Looking into Ruaridh’s eyes, she nodded and smiled when his brow smoothed. Even if she were to return to England, she would no doubt have been forced into a marriage to a man she didn’t want, who would treat her terribly.
With Ruaridh, she would have peace and the freedom to live a life that was hers.
“I agree,” she said with a firmer nod.
“Alright. Now, let us return to the castle before ye catch yer death.”
“I believe you should be more worried about the cold than I,” she answered with a small smile and a pointed glance at his bare chest.
He gave her a hot look, which made her smile widen, then he bent to pick up his shirt. Her heart raced when he took her hand in his, but she was grateful for the warmth as he led her back to the castle.
The halls were silent when they returned, their footsteps soft on the rushes-covered floors. It seemed the residents of the castle still slumbered, betraying the fact that she hadn’t been gone for as long as she had assumed, even though it seemed almost a lifetime ago since she had gotten out of bed.
She was grateful that there were no eyes that would look upon their disheveled state, but the intimacy of the halls made her remember what had happened between them again. She bit her lip as heat crawled up her neck and cheeks.
Thankfully, Ruaridh remained silent and kept his gaze ahead. His face was blank, betraying nothing as he led her to herchambers, and she itched to break the silence if only to ask what was on his mind. But this would be the first time they shared a somewhat comfortable silence, and the feeling was somewhat nice.
She didn’t realize when they stopped moving, but she heard him clear his throat, and her eyes went to his. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she turned to see that they were outside her chambers.
“Oh,” she murmured.
“I will inform me grandmaither to hasten the preparations for our wedding,” he said coolly. “Ye can work with her to see it done to yer taste.”
Her eyes went wide, and she nodded excitedly.
This was the first time she had been given freedom to do anything for herself, and the gesture touched her deeply. A wide smile crossed her face before she remembered her manners, dipping into a curtsy.
“I thank you for the show of faith,” she offered. “I will do my best not to disappoint you.”
He gave her a curt nod and folded his arms behind his back. “I bid ye a good night, then,” he said.
“And you as well, my Laird,” she returned.
