Page 34 of Married to the Highland Devil
She reached out as if she wanted to find him, and the moment her hand brushed his, Duncan knew there was no holding back.
“Amelia,” he growled before he spun her around and crashed his lips down on hers with the sole intent of kissing every inch of those lips that drove him insane with need.
* * *
Amelia kissed him back. He squashed her against his body, and as his hands swooped around her waist, she let him lift her off the ground and push her into the nearest wall before setting her down again.
The whisper of his hot breath kissing her face made her quiver. His lips brushed against hers one more time before he cupped her face with both hands.
Their lips curled over each other, and his tongue swept over hers, licked, suckled, then drew hers in. She was breathless, her mind spun, and her body vibrated with tremors she had never experienced before.
“Amelia,” he groaned harshly this time as he released her and groaned.
Amelia’s right hand moved to her lips, and she struggled to breathe. Her blood pounded so fast in her ears, and tears burned the back of her lids. She did not know if she should speak or cry.
“Amelia,” Duncan called again, and she felt his touch when he put a hand on hers.
His fingers were always warm, and the spark his touch ignited in her was more than she could bear, so she flinched out of his reach.
“Stay away from me,” she muttered in a shaky voice.
Why is he doing this to me? Why kiss me after everything he said the last time? Why did I kiss him back? Wasn’t I so angry with him?
Amelia blew air out of her lips and mentally counted to three to calm her nerves.
“I shouldnae have done that. I apologize, Amelia.”
“Right,” she finally said. “You want our marriage to be one of convenience only, and you do not want me, so what you did doesn’t really match your words,” she stated flatly as cold slowly replaced the frustrating heat burning through her just seconds ago.
“It isnae that,” he began. “Amelia, ye must understand that—”
“There is no need for your explanations, Duncan. You have made yourself clear before. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall wait in the garden for Dahlia to return and take me to my chambers. I do not wish to be around you at all.”
She hoped he would say something else even though she just told him to leave. Amelia’s heart craved more of him, but she had to stop the want and protect herself.
All she heard next was the thudding sound of his retreating steps as he walked away from her and left her heart breaking again.
This time, a tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away furiously.
Why does this upset me?
She had not expected anything when she had agreed to marry the Scotsman and move out of her father’s estate. He was the nicest of all the men who had called on her, and she had chosen him because there had been a connection from the start.
Duncan did not care for that, or perhaps he had felt nothing for her when they had met, and he felt nothing now.
Pushing back her sobs, she managed to walk into the garden again, as it was only a few steps away, then she stood there, raised her head to the sky, and let the cool night breeze wash away all her frustrations.
Amelia did not need Duncan to be happy here. She had Yvaine and Elspeth, and they were nice to her. She would make do with her days and be happy without him if that was how he wanted things to be.
So be it.
She would bury every tingle and growing desire to be around Duncan or be with him because it was not meant to be.
It was the right thing to do, and it was Duncan’s choice, but why did her guts ache just at the thought of never being close to him or kissing him again?
16
Duncan and Arran practiced their sword skill in his moors. He needed to get all the frustration out of his system. The past two days had been terribly hard because he had to control himself and shun every part of him that wanted to toss his tasks aside and go over to Amelia.
