Page 56 of Love Beyond Wanting
She’d known for all these years?Why did the women of this castle seem to feel the need to keep such secrets?
“And ye dinna tell him?”
“What good would that have done, lad?I dinna believe he would ever see the child.I saw no need to cause Nicol pain.”
“But ye are his wife, Freya.There should be no secrets between ye.”
Freya laughed, a full, loud laugh that echoed throughout the garden.“What fool told ye that, Maddock?Every person has their secrets.They are necessary, and often they are kind.”
He frowned.“I’m not sure if I agree with ye, Freya.”
“’Tis fine.I doona need ye to agree with me.Now.”She gave his knee a pat, and as always, it passed right through him.“I can see that there is something that troubles ye.Go and work it out with her, lad.’Tis never good to stay angry with those we love.”
Chapter 36
Iwoke in the middle of the night to Maddock’s body pressed against mine, his lips kissing me along my jaw.
“Kate, I need to tell ye something.Please, lass, wake up.”
My eyelids fluttered open in the darkness.“Mm?What is it?”
“In truth, ’tis two things, but I willna tell ye either until ye are rightly awake so I know ye heard me.”
“But I was sleeping so well.”
His hand trailed down my body, his thumb dragging across my stomach as his hand dipped between my legs to cup my center.I lifted my hips and groaned as I pushed against him, urging his fingers to move.
“I’ll make it worth yer while, lass, but first…” He pulled his hand away.“We must talk.”
I could see nothing.The room was pitch black, but I sat up in the darkness as I reached for his hand.
“That’s cruel, Maddock, to tease me that way.”
“’Tis not teasing ye if I mean to make good on my promise.”
“Well, good.Just tell me whatever you need to so you can resume what you were doing.”
He kissed me softly in the darkness, and I smiled against his lips.
“I’m sorry, lass.I wish ye’d had more faith in me, but I canna fault ye for keeping the word ye gave to another.I shouldna have raised my voice to ye.I willna do it again.”
I leaned forward to search for his lips so I could kiss him.
“Thank you for that.I accept your apology.What’s the second thing?”
“I love ye.I love ye so much it hurts.I love ye in a way I dinna know ’twas possible.”
I was grateful for the darkness.It kept him from seeing the tears flooding my cheeks.
“Do you really?”
He reached for me in the darkness, pulling me close to him as he wrapped his arms around me.“I do, lass.I love ye now, and I verra much expect I shall love ye forever.”
I kissed him again and slipped my own hand down to latch onto him.
“I love you, too.Now, it’s time for you to make good on your word.”
There was a knock on the door early the next morning, but I stayed in bed as Maddock hurried to dress himself so he could answer the door.
