Page 126 of The Highlander's Auctioned Virgin
Elinor stayed silent.
“He made me into something I hate,” Ciaran forced out. His voice was firm, but she could still hear the pain behind it. “A weapon he could aim wherever he pleased. And when he was gone, I kept thinking it was only a matter of time before I turned into him. That if I let meself want too much, it would break me. And it would break ye, too.”
He took a deep breath, though it sounded more like a hiccup.
Elinor continued to listen, certain he would stop talking if she opened her mouth.
“I pulled away because I thought it would keep ye safe. Because I thought it was the only thing I could do right. Protect ye.”
Her hands balled into fists. “Ciaran, Iloveye,” she confessed, her voice wavering. “But I willnae live out me days under the constant shadow of yer fear. I willnae wake up wondering if ye’ll shut me out when another enemy of yers shows up. Ye’re a feared man, so I assume ye have many.”
She swallowed, deliberately breaking her words.
“I cannae spend the rest of me days wondering if ye’ll run from me because it is easier than believing ye deserve joy, just like any other man.”
He looked up at her then, and for the first time, his green eyes were clear, no longer shadowed or guarded.
“I daenae want to be the Hound anymore,” he said finally. “I am tired of being known as one thing.”
Her throat closed around the ache she felt in her chest, and she took a step closer. “Then daenae . Ye can be me husband. Ye can just be me husband.”
“I daenae ken how,” he said, his voice soft.
Her hand rose to his cheek. He leaned into her palm, his eyes fluttering shut. “We’ll learn it together.”
He opened his eyes, and they let the silence linger for a while. Then, he leaned in and sealed his lips over hers. The kiss was tender and passionate, like it was their own way of ending the conflict.
Except it hadn’t fully ended. Elinor realized that halfway and pulled away, catching her breath.
“There is one more thing,” she murmured.
Ciaran arched a curious eyebrow.
“I thought the agreement was enough,” she began, her voice low. “But it isnae. I want to be a maither, Ciaran. I want to carry yer child. I want us to build something better than what either of us was given. I want a bright future for both of us. For our clans.”
His hand came up to cover hers, and his thumb gently brushed her knuckles.
“I’ll give ye anything ye want,” he vowed fervently. “Everything. I love ye. God help me, Elinor, I love ye.”
She let out a small laugh that sounded more like a sob. “Took ye long enough to admit it.”
His mouth curved up in a smile. “I was always a stubborn bastard.”
“Aye,” she uttered, smiling through her tears. “But ye’re me stubborn bastard.”
He laughed and leaned in again. Their lips met.
The kiss deepened quickly. Ciaran’s lips moved against hers passionately, almost stealing her breath away, while he slowly backed her up against the wall. His hands roamed down the back of her dress and tugged the laces open with quick, certain movements.
Elinor tried to catch her breath when he broke the kiss and took one look at her, but he resumed the kiss almost immediately. Her lips pulsed as he slowly pushed her dress down her body and watched it pool around her feet.
He pulled her shift over her head and tossed it to the side. The cold air in the cabin nipped her skin for the briefest second, but the growing heat inside her chased it away almost immediately.
He took a step back, his gaze darkening with each passing second.
“Look at me.” His voice was low but laced with authority.
Elinor kept her eyes on him as he yanked his shirt over his head. His chest glistened with sweat, broad, solid, and slightly dusted with dark hair. Her eyes drank in the view, and she felt her nipples stiffen slightly in the cool air.
