Page 43 of The Highlander's Dangerous Bride

She hurried down the hall, into her chamber, and went to close the door. But it would not close, and when she looked down, she realized why not. Arne’s boot was stuck in it.

“What are ye doin’? Get yer foot out, will ye?” she snapped, pushing all her weight against the door, trying to make him remove his foot. But her effort was in vain because he merely pushed his way in and closed the door behind him. Powerless to do anything else, she squared up to him. “What d’ye mean by forcin’ yer way in here? Will ye please leave?” she snapped, angry and close to tears.

“I’ll leave when ye tell me what’s wrong with ye,” he said, standing his ground.

She scoffed. “As if ye dinnae ken!”

“If I did, I wouldnae be askin’ ye.”

“Ye tellin’ Thorsten I’m dead, that’s what’s wrong with me. How d’ye think that feels, tae hear him say his ma’s dead and askin’ me all about heaven and if he can go and see her. D’ye think that’s easy tae hear?” she ranted, her fists clenched at her sides.

He shook his head in obvious disbelief. “That’s bloody rich comin’ from the woman who chose tae abandon him as a baby,” he growled.

“Dinnae keep sayin’ I abandoned him!” she almost screamed in frustration, her soul rebelling against the very idea. “Ye ken very well, I had nae choice.”

“Ye had a choice. Ye chose nae tae tell me about yer husband and ran away instead,” he said coldly. “What else was I gonnae tell him when he asked me where his ma was?”

“I dinnae ken, anythin’ but that I’m bloody dead! How am I gonnae ever be able tae tell him I’m his maither now!”

“Well, I noticed ye left the door open there, eh? Tellin’ him that naebody kens if folk come back from heaven or nae.”

“I had tae, I didnae want tae upset him by tellin’ him otherwise.”

“Very clever. So, ye’re pavin’ the way fer when ye miraculously appear in his life, alive and kickin’ I suppose.”

“Ach, what’s the point? Ye’ll never understand,” she said.

He took a step closer to her, so they were standing only a couple of feet apart. “I understand enough tae ken how jealous ye are of Muriel. Ye hardly spoke tae the lassie, but she’s done naethin’ wrong.”

“How would ye feel in me shoes, Arne? What if ye had tae watch another man actin’ like a faither tae yer bairn?” She struck at her chest with her fist. “Aye, I’m jealous. It hurts me!”

“I cannae believe yer actin’ this way. ’Tis totally unreasonable, and ye’re nae bein’ fair tae Muriel. Did ye expect me tae care fer him all alone, with nae help, and then just turn up when ye felt like it? She’s been there for Thorsten when ye were away God kens where.”

“Aye, and I suppose she’s been there fer ye as well, has she? How very cozy fer ye! I’ll bet she’s kept ye warm in yer bed at night, eh? Why d’ye nae wed her and ye can all be one happy family?!” she burst out before she could stop herself. As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them, and the look of shock on Arne’s face told her she had made a bad mistake in letting him know her jealousy was over him. Choking down a sob, she turned away.

Hardly had she moved when she felt him grab her by the shoulder and spin her around to face him. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment, then he took hold of her by the waist with one hand, and with the other he gripped the back of her head.

She was completely unprepared for the passionate force with which his mouth suddenly came down on hers, possessing it entirely. As his tongue slid tantalizingly between her lips and explored her mouth, a fire ignited deep within her.

Instinctively, she opened her mouth and entwined her tongue with his, closing her eyes and abandoning herself to the heady feeling of his touch, which she had craved for so long. As the kiss deepened and intensified, she put her arms around his neck, entwining her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. He crushed her to his body, his mouth ravaging hers hungrily.

Her entire body trembled as an almost overwhelming wave of desire washed over her, engulfing her completely. She let the fire burn within her, eagerly answering his questing tongue with her own. How she had missed him! It felt incredible to be kissing him again, and she never wanted it to end. Tingles ran over her skin like tiny flickering flames, and heat pooled between her legs, her whole being infused by desperate want.

But it did end, and when they finally broke apart and stepped back, Raven stood dazed, trembling, her chest rising and falling rapidly as they looked into each other’s eyes. The kiss and her own impassioned response to it had left her shaken to her core.

Part of her exulted , for did the kiss not mean he still wanted her, as she wanted him? A flicker of hope rose in her breast. For so long, in the lonely misery of her locked chamber at Castle McDonald, in the depths of her heart, she had imagined this happening so many times. She had ached to be back in the arms of the man she adored, knowing he loved her, with no lies between them to poison their happiness. Or perhaps he was just taunting her now that he knew for sure how she still cared for him and was even jealous of the nursemaid.

For what seemed to her like an eternity, neither of them spoke. Raven waited on tenterhooks, her lips still tingling from the feel of his mouth on hers. She was not even sure she could speak. All she could hear was her fluttering breath, the pounding of her heart in her ears, and his ragged breathing as they continued to stare at each other.

But then, when he continued to say nothing and made no move towards her, the fragile hope inside her of a reconciliation waned and died, and the stabbing pain of another rejection pierced her heart.

“That shouldnae have happened,” he said, his voice low and gruff, sounding as though he was angry with her as well as himself. “It was a mistake. It willnae happen again.”

His harsh dismissal was like a blow to Raven’s stomach, and she stood frozen to the spot in a state of agony until he turned and strode from the room without another word. Only then could she move, and she rushed to slam the door and lock it before she threw herself on the bed and let the tears she had been holding back flow into the pillow.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

In the privacy of his chamber, Arne was swearing and calling himself an idiot under his breath as he paced from door to window, wall to wall. His mind and body were still reeling from the kiss.

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