Page 42 of A Wife for the Highland Villain
Lily’s body sagged, and she felt her legs grow weak. Without wasting more time, she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, pressing her palms into her face. Her chest ached, and her lips still tingled with the memory of his kiss.
Nay, this cannae be. Nae again.
She swallowed and tried to think of something else.
Ian.
She thought of how he had convulsed hard and how she had struggled to treat him, helping him cling to life. She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if she hadn’t been there. What woulddefinitelyhave happened.
She shivered and felt a cold sweat break across her skin. She thought of the men she had seen in the hall, the way their eyes had filled with relief at her presence. They trusted her. They needed her.
And Dr. Moseley?—
Her jaw clenched, and rage flared hot in her chest.
Bloodletting. That was his cure.
Cutting men open, draining them, leaving them weaker than before. How many had suffered needlessly at his hand? How many might already be dead if she had not come when she did?
Her stomach churned, and her hands curled into fists. She leaned back until her shoulders met the cushions. Her head dropped against them, and she stared up at the ceiling, unblinking.
The air pressed close, almost suffocating. She considered stepping outside, but that would mean having to seehim.
No, she couldn’t put herself through that. Not again.
She thought of her mother again, the last words she had spoken. Words that still rang clear.
“Tying yer self-worth to a man is the biggest mistake ye can ever make, sweetie. Ye cannae let that happen. Ever.”
Her chest tightened.
Was that what had nearly happened? Had she almost given herself to him again, so easily? And for what? A kiss, a few sweet words, the heat of his touch?
She felt the tears pool in her eyes. She hated him for what he did to her. Even worse, she hated herself for letting him back in so easily. She couldn’t believe she had almost let him have his way with her.
Had she truly been that weak, or was he just so irresistible?
“This cannae happen again,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and almost broken. “It willnae.”
Her hand dropped to her lap, and her fingers twisted into her nightshift. She closed her eyes, but sleep did not come. She couldn’t feel anything except the ache in her chest.
Ten Years Ago
The sun had not yet crested the horizon, but the cabin was warm with the muted morning light already.
Lily’s eyes flew open, squinting slightly against the morning light. She was still giddy from the events of last night, and she knew that because her cheeks felt rather warm.
She had gotten married the previous day, and for some reason, it was still immensely hard for her to believe. She feared that if she blinked too hard, everything would disappear.
Her heart swelled at the thought of him, of the words he had whispered after, that he wished their first night together to be on land.
She had held onto that promise. She had dreamt of it. She had dreamt ofhim.
Her thoughts were still wrapped in those soft daydreams when the door burst open and Valerie appeared in the doorway. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide with something Lily could not place at first.
“Ye havenae heard?”
Lily blinked, startled by her sister’s sudden intrusion. “Heard what?”
