Page 67 of Highlander Redeemed
He stood as if to leave her, then stopped. “I kent it all along.” He hooked his thumbs into his belt, and looked away from her. “I was so proud when you chose me that I did not want to believe your heart was given elsewhere, though ’twas clear to everyone but you. If you are guilty of lying to yourself, so am I, and I cannot hold you solely responsible for what happened between us.”
Scotia realized in that moment that Conall truly was no longer the lovesick lad she had dallied with, any more than she was the same lass. They had both grown up, and now they were both taking responsibility for their actions. “I thank you for that understanding. It is more than I dared hope for.”
He gave her a curt nod, looking down at Duncan once more. “Do not hurt him, Scotia. He does not deserve that.”
She tried to swallow, but the lump in her throat made that difficult as she looked down at the man who had stolen her heart before she even knew it. “I will never hurt him on purpose again,”she finally said. Conall seemed content with that answer and left them by the fire alone.
“That was well done.” Duncan’s voice was raspy and quiet, as if he did not have the energy to push it fully into the air. “Do you really love me?” He opened his eyes enough to peer up at her.
“I do. Can you forgive me for all the trouble I have caused you and the clan? I truly did not see how my actions hurt so many others.”
“And now?” he asked, sitting up beside her and twining his fingers with hers.
“Can you ever see me as anything but a spoiled wean?”
“I already do, Scotia. Can you not tell? You have proved yourself changed over and over again in the past few days.”
“I need you to know that I will do everything I can to be worthy of your love, your trust, and of my position as Guardian of the Targe. I need you by my side, Duncan. I am my best self when I am with you. I need you to be my friend, and my champion, as you have been my entire life.” She looked down at their joined hands for a moment and let the multitude of emotions this man set off in her settle into one, the love for him that nearly overwhelmed her. She raised her gaze to his. “But I want more.”
He said nothing, but she thought he was holding his breath.
“Duncan, I love you more than I can say, more than my heart can hold. I cannot imagine a day without you by my side ... and in my bed.” She waggled her eyebrows at him, teasing him even in this serious moment, but also telling the truth. She sobered. “If you feel even half of what I do, please say that you will be my Protector, my husband.”
Now it was she who held her breath, but the grin that spread over his beloved face took away any doubt that he would not want her.
“You will be the death of me, my warrior lass. I love you with all my heart. I would be proud to be your Protector, and prouder still to call you wife.” He pulled her close and kissed her, softly atfirst, and then more deeply, infusing the press of his lips, the slide of his tongue against hers, with so much longing, so much passion, a searing heat flashed through her, pooling low in her belly as a desire unlike any she had felt before nearly overwhelmed her.
“There is one condition, though,” he said against her lips, as if he’d only just thought of it. He pulled away from her just far enough to look her in the eye, leaving her breathless and unsettled. His grin was gone, replaced by a familiar serious expression.
“What?”
“I dinna want to wait. Not a single day. I have waited a long time for you, Scotia.” He ran his fingers over her cheek, then slid his hand down her neck and over her chest, letting his fingers lightly skim over her breast. Her breath hitched at his feathery touch. “I am done waiting.” The rasp in his voice, as if he fought to hold himself in check even now when he knew she was his, opened her heart so wide it ached.
She laid her palm against his cheek and lightly kissed his lips, only now noting the scrape of his whiskers against her skin. “I am done waiting, as well, Duncan, and I would say our vows right here and now, but we need the entire clan to celebrate with us.” She quirked one eyebrow at him. “I’ll not have you backing out three days hence, saying vows were not said.”
He smiled and sighed. “You are right. We need to do this before everyone. You are a Guardian, and if I am to be your Protector, we must be wed in front of the entire clan. So today, at the caves, before the sun sets again.” He scrambled to his feet and pulled her up and into his arms for another searing kiss that had them both holding so fast to the other there was no room between them.
“Ahem.”
Scotia heard the sound but did not think anything of it as she lost herself in the feel of his hard chest pressed against her breasts, the softness of Duncan’s lips, the slip of his tongue over hers, and the heat of his desire that was oh so evident.
“Ye might want to stop what you are about to do with Kenneth’s daughter, seeing as he is standing right here.”
The kiss continued until the words finally filtered through. She stopped the kiss, and they looked at each other for a moment. Laughter danced in his eyes and threatened to bubble out of her, carried into the air on sheer joy.
“Duncan, ye might want to take a step away from the lassie,” Uilliam said.
“Oh, nay,” Scotia whispered against his lips. “You do not want to do that.” She glanced down between them and laughed when Duncan’s face turned pink. She kissed him quickly and spun in his arms, keeping him behind her. She laid her hands over his where they rested around her waist and faced her father and Uilliam with a smile she had no intention of hiding. The two men were scowling at the two of them, but ranged a little behind them were a grinning Nicholas and Rowan on one side, and a grinning Jeanette and Malcolm on the other.
“I think we are caught, Scotia,” Duncan said, pulling her back so she leaned against him. “I’m afraid the only thing we can do to make this right is wed.”
Kenneth started to speak but could only bluster and cough, his face going red. Uilliam pounded him on the back, shaking his head and laughing at his friend.
“I ken she is your wayward lassie, Kenneth, but she has always been his. It just took far longer than it should have for the two of them to realize their fate. A wedding is the only way to make sure she remains his trouble for as long as they live.”
“Uncle,” Rowan said, “Scotia is a Guardian and every Guardian must have a Protector.” She leaned into Nicholas’s side, their arms looped around each other’s waist, and lay her head on his shoulder. She looked peaceful and relaxed as she had not in a very long time. “Can you think of a better, more experienced Protector for our Scotia? Indeed, I would say he has been training for the position Scotia’s whole life.”
Jeanette laughed. “Aye, that he has, but do you think Scotia will have him?”
