"Are you cold?" Gavin asked, loving the beautiful emotion in Dani's blue-green eyes.
"A little."
He pulled her skirts down to cover her legs, then held her tight to him.
He still couldn't believe what she'd confessed to him moments ago. She loved him. His dream had come true… but in the worst possible location. Now more than ever, he had to protect her and get her to safety.
"Do you think she will kill us?"
"I intend to thwart her, but if 'tis my last night on earth, I only want to spend it with you."
Tears appeared in her eyes. "I feel the same way." She stroked his face.
"I love you, lass. And I would do anything to keep you from being harmed."
"I love you too. I never wanted to leave you, not really." Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, and by the look in them, he knew she spoke the truth. "And I trust you completely," she added.
"I trust you, as well, lass."
She kissed him, and he rolled over her, returning the kiss, hoping to show her how much she meant to him.
"Make love to me, Gavin. Show me how much you love me."
"Aye."
An hour later, Gavin lay awake while Dani slept.
He knew Wilona's plan—to hurt him as much as possible. She would attempt to kill Dani or give her to Alpin. That would be worse because the bastard could rape her more than once then kill her. But none of that would happen. Though he loved Dani more than anything, including his clan, his lands, or Scotland itself, he had to send her away from him, back to her home many centuries away. That was the only way she would be truly safe.
∞∞∞
Someone pounded on Wilona's door, startling her awake. "M'lady!"
She had fallen asleep reclining by the hearth fire, waiting for one of the guards to tell her Gavin had been captured while attempting to rescue his whore. But the fire had long since gone out. Faint dawn light glowed through the window.
She rushed to the door and opened it. "Do you have him?" she asked the guard.
"MacTavish? Nay, but we found one of the lookouts naked and bound in a corner on the ramparts."
"Why? How…" Then the answer came to her. Right before nightfall, that devil had flown onto the roof as a hawk, transformed into a human, then disarmed the guard.
"He's done this! Did he steal the guard's weapons?"
"Aye."
"Capture MacTavish, unharmed." She wanted him to endure far more than physical pain. Instead, mental and emotional anguish as she experienced. She wanted to watch him lose what he cared about most.
Gavin had been here at Raeglen for hours. But where? With the wench? Was he in the chamber with her now?
Cursing, Wilona threw on her cloak against the chill and hastened down the corridor.
Chapter 21
Dani awoke and opened her eyes, Gavin's sleeping face the first thing she saw. Gorgeous. She pushed long strands of his dark hair back from his face. The warmth of her love flowed through her. Remembering with dread that Wilona still had them imprisoned, Dani observed him for a long moment, savoring his striking good looks in the slice of morning sunlight.
Sunlight?Her gaze flew to the part in the drapery.
"It's morning," she gasped and ran her hand down Gavin's arm.
