Page 17 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
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“The nerve…” Morgana huffed as she paced the length of her chambers.
She fiddled with the pendant around her neck as her mind whirled with thoughts of Ryder. How he had towered over her, pressing her against the wall of the castle. The mere thought made her flush.
“I mean, really, who does he think he is?” Morgana complained to the empty chambers.
She had expected her wedding to be an event to remember, but the only thing that caught her attention was the brutality of Ryder’s actions. He exhilarated and terrified her.
Heavy steps fell near the door, causing her ears to perk up. She froze, and for a moment, she thought perhaps the Laird had changed his mind about her company. After all, he had made it very clear that there were certain obligations she had to fulfill. It shouldn’t surprise her one bit that he’d come to claim what he could.
Swallowing hard, she waited for the door to fly open. Only when the steps continued down the hallway and vanished into the stillness of the night did she exhale. The torment of waiting was driving her mad.
“This is ridiculous. Why must I be the one to wait? If we’re goin’ to do this, then I might as well get the deed done and over with, right?” she asked her reflection in the full-length mirror.
The woman staring back at her looked beyond terrified; she looked pale as a phantom and just as frail.
Taking a deep breath, Morgana steeled herself and pushed through her chamber door. The empty, dark hallway stretched before her like fog in a graveyard. An icy tingle started from the top of her head and raced down to her toes, chilling everything in its path.
Her steps were light, leaving no impression of her flight through the corridor. With each step she took, she grew bolder.
For the first time in her life, Morgana felt the stir of desire deep within her.
She stopped at the closed oak door and glanced over her shoulder. Peering through the shadows, she leaned in to listen. With nothing echoing down either side of the hallway, she was certain she was alone. Mustering her courage, she reached for the doorknob.
“What are ye doin’ in here?” the Laird asked the second she stepped into the dimly lit room. “Did I nae make it clear that I wanted to be left alone?”
Morgana’s chest tightened as her heart fluttered like the wings of a bird. She dared to take a step closer as she spotted his dark silhouette in the corner of the room. He towered like a specter of doom.
“Ye said there were certain… duties that ye expected me to do,” Morgana answered. The words scraped her parched throat as if they had grown barbs.
Ryder’s dark chuckle echoed through the room and sent a shiver through her. The sound was both teasing and inviting, as it made her heart rate quicken.
“Is that so? And pray tell, what exactly was it that ye had in mind?” he asked. The playfulness in his tone grated on her nerves.
Had she known he’d only wish to humiliate her, she would have stayed in her chambers.
Refusing to let him tease her, Morgana stood as straight as she could despite knowing that it did not give her an advantage. After all, she wasn’t as intimidating as he was. Not when she was five foot tall. To him, she had to be nothing more than a gnat, buzzing around and annoying him.
She trembled as he stepped closer to her. The heat of him radiated off his skin and seeped into her. The scent of musk, moss, and something uniquely him swirled around her, causing her head to spin.
“As temptin’ as ye are,” Ryder whispered as he stroked the tips of his fingers over her collarbone, “I think ye may have misunderstood.”
Goosebumps followed his fingertips, spreading wherever he dared to touch. It was as if his fingers were hot little coals, searing her skin with each touch. As light as his touch was, it felt as if he were carving into her flesh.
“Have I now?” Morgana managed to ask, finding it harder and harder to control her breathing.
Ryder was intoxicating, and the longer she stayed with him, the more her longing grew.
“Aye,” he answered as he circled her. “Ye see, I have nay intention of touchin’ ye.”
His words were like a gust of fresh air, clearing the fog of his desire from her thoughts.
“What was that?” she murmured as his mischievous grin softened into a smile.
“Ye think I’m the sort of man that will give myself to just anyone?” Ryder asked, his tone teasing yet condescending.
“But I thought…” Morgana trailed off as his gaze lingered on her.
