Page 19 of Married to the Highland Devil
“I am rather clumsy, it seems.” She laughed. “Thank you for saving me again.”
Duncan smoothed a hand over the side of her face, and she heard his sigh. “What did ye want to ask me?”
“Is this how you wanted to get married? Do you really want to get married to me?”
“I…” He stopped, sighed, then dropped his hands from her face. “I have never been in love,” he told her. “In fact, I dinnae ken what that word means. I have me maither, me sister, and me clan to care for. I… I needed yer dowry to make sure that my clan survives, and… Let us just say that I have never imagined myself married, I just knew that I would have to get married someday.”
“I appreciate your honesty,” she told him. “I want to be of help to you and your clan, Duncan. I know I might not be of much help, but I can help the healer. I know a lot about herbs, and I—”
“Ye can do whatever ye want in my castle,” he told her. “Ye willnae have to worry about corsets or teas and crochetin’.”
They roared out their next bout of laughter, and both fell silent at the same time. Amelia’s heart began pounding again now, and she closed her eyes, hoping that the nearness she felt was because he was about to kiss her.
She found herself anticipating his kiss and imagining what his lips would feel like against hers. Amelia could not believe that she wanted him to kiss her. She gulped in hard and held her breath while waiting.
Duncan did not kiss her. Instead, he pulled the covers over her body and stroked her back again.
“Will you leave tonight too?” she asked in a low voice.
Amelia wanted him to stay, but if he preferred to go outside and practice his fencing, then she had no problem with that.
“I will have to practice my fencin’,” he told her. “I need to practice my fencin’.”
“Oh,” she gasped, and he kissed her forehead before she could say more.
“Goodnight, Amelia.”
“Goodnight.”
He did not move after that, but she felt him withdraw and missed his warmth immediately. Amelia forced herself to sleep, but it did not work. Duncan was honest, and she respected that, but his words also made her realize what their marriage would be.
She did not love him, and he did not love her. Perhaps they could be friends, and he would protect her. But it was a typical marriage of convenience, and it was more than what she would have hoped for.
She wouldn’t ask for more, no matter what her body was craving.
9
Fencing helped Duncan keep his mind in check. He knew wanting her was wrong. He could not use her for her dowry and still crave her like this. He pushed his sword through the air again because it felt like he needed to cut something.
He didn’t know how long he had practiced outside. It drizzled a little, then it stopped, and the heavy wind began blowing at him again. He stopped when his arms started to hurt, and he finally blew air through his lips.
Duncan found a spot on the ground to sit then he lowered his head in his hands and shut his eyes tight.
What do I do?
He had never felt this way. Amelia invoked feelings of warmth and raw hunger in him at the same time.
They hadn’t even made it to his clan yet, and he was already thinking of taking her. He thought of it all the time. Each time she was near, each time he watched her.
He wanted a kiss. Just a tiny brush of his lips against hers would be enough.
Would it?
He did not think he could get enough of her if he tasted her lips.
Duncan spent most of the night outside then he finally returned to the chamber to sleep but couldn’t find Amelia there.
The moment he noticed her absence in the bed, his heart did a speedy dive in his chest, and knots formed in the pit of his stomach.
