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“I cherish the thought, and if all goes well, I fear it will be me whose hands are always on you.”
Reeve was quick to say, “I’ll make sure all goes well, and your hands are welcome on any part of me anytime.”
“You may be sorry you said that.”
“Never,” he said with an adamant shake of his head.
Her eyes suddenly turned sad, and he was quick to notice. “What’s wrong?”
“Being intimate with you has made me realize how very lonely I have been. No one to talk with, no one to be close with, no arms to comfort me or simply hold me. I had let myself believe that my forced solitude was not a bad life, but now”–she shook her head and placed her hand on his warm, flushed cheek. “I don’t believe I could live without you.”
His arms tightened protectively around her. “You’re not going to.”
“But—”
“No buts,” he said firmly. “We are going to wed, raise a family, and grow old together, and since I cannot live without you as well, we shall die together, or at least within days of each other.”
“That’s a lovely thought; if only it could be so.”
“Have no doubt, it will be.”
“You talk as if you know it is so,” she said, wishing she could be as confident.
“I do know, for I will see to it.”
“See that you do,” she said teasingly, and yawned, exhaustion finally catching up with her.
“Orders already, and we’re not even wed yet.”
“You are not a man to order about,” she said, her eyes closing. “You are a man to love, and I love you with all my heart.”
Reeve felt sleep claim Tara, her body going limp against him, and he held her close, never wanting to let her go. He hadn’t planned on bringing her to climax, but once he started, and he realized how much she desired it herself, he couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop. He wanted her to taste the love he had to offer her.
What he hadn’t counted on was how it had made him feel. It had made him realize how real his love was for her. He hadn’t thought about satisfying his own needs, only hers. And he had never known such a feeling before.
He knew now more than ever that they were meant to be. And he would let nothing, absolutely nothing, stand in his way. It struck him then how that would not be possible. His first pledge was to the true king of Scotland, and he could let nothing stand in his way, not even love. His mission affected too many for him to simply disregard it. And his pledge was his word and his honor.
It troubled his heart to think that he could lose her so that the true king could take the throne, but he also knew that love defied even the most powerful of men and nations. He would honor his pledge, but he would also honor his love for Tara.
She had nearly broken his heart when she had confessed how lonely she had been. He could not imagine not having his family around, or their refusing to speak with him, completely ignoring him as if he didn’t exist. How could her father, her clan, have done that to her? And how had she survived it and retained her sanity?
His heart went out to her, and he wanted to keep her close and protect her not only from her father but from loneliness. He wanted her to know that she need only reach out, and he would be there.
Always. He always would be there.
He wished he could declare, shout, sing out his love for her, but he held his tongue. He knew that was the last barrier they would need to breach before she agreed to marry him. And he would not take the chance of her using it against him. She might believe he loved her, but it was to his advantage not to voice it just yet.
He was glad that they would have some time alone together. He didn’t know how long he could stay with her. Bryce was aware of the situation and had told him that he would send word when the time was right for him or them both to return.
He hoped for more than just a few days. He hoped they would have weeks to love and to let their love take firm root and grow. Then nothing could stop them, not even a curse.
He still wasn’t sure how he would work his way around the curse. How he could convince her that it could not affect them and even how he knew it held no power against their love.
He would take one step at a time, and the first step was getting Tara to see the power of their love. And the more he made love to her, the more time they spent together, the more she would realize that and the better chance he’d have of convincing her that their love was more powerful than the curse.
He made sure their cloaks were tucked around them, the last of the warm ashes having died off and the cold already seeping in through the walls. Their bodies, however, had retained the heat of their passion and were warm and snug beneath the cloaks. He would keep watch over her and listen for any unusual sounds.
He would let nothing happen to her.Nothing.
