Page 36 of Tempting the Highland Devil
“I dinnae show mercy to men who try to hurt the people I care about,” he answered. “I have shown kindness many times but nay for a situation like this. Ye might think me a brute, Yvaine, but I am nay. I am nay some irrational man who kills people because he feels like it. That is me faither, nay me!”
She only stared at him after his sudden outburst, and as the silence around them stretched on for longer than a second, he realized he could not be this close to her without wanting to kiss her again.
I cannae do this.Arran backed away from her. “We should leave this place. We dinnae ken how many more of these men are out there lookin’ to kidnap ye.”
He mounted his horse and waited till she climbed on hers. They rode away from the clearing and made it to the inn hours later than he had initially planned for them to rest.
* * *
Arran paid for a room and led Yvaine up the stairs to the tiny cubicle where they were to spend the night. It was not the ideal wedding night. There should be candles and a warm bath with sweet smelling oils.
He would come to her and kiss her slowly, tenderly, while taking off her clothes, so he could take in the full length of her curvy body.
As he thought of what would be if he allowed himself to feel all the emotions she evoked in him, he knew what would happen if he shared a bed with her tonight.
I would not be able to stop myself from making love to her.It was a risk he couldn’t take. Not tonight and not ever.
“I will head back outside and watch our surroundin’s for the rest of the night. Try to rest; we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow.”
“Where will ye sleep?” she questioned as he made it to the door.
Arran left the chamber with heaviness in his heart. The only thought that made sense to him was protecting Yvaine. He did not just need to protect her from whoever this new enemy looming in the dark was.
He had to protect her from himself.
19
Yvaine could not find sleep the entire night, so she watched Arran from the chamber’s window. He had trained with himself for most of the night then sat on a tree stump and stared at nothing in particular.
She wished she could figure out what went on in his head.His thoughts, his desires.Yvaine knew now that there was a depth to his resistance of the passion they shared.
If she could convince him to not be so scared, if she could help him see that emotions did not make him weak, then perhaps he could open up to her more.
The rest of the journey to MacGregor was quiet, and it was almost dark when they arrived. Arran was greeted by almost a dozen men in front of his keep.
“Welcome home, me laird,” the first man greeted and bowed. “We have awaited yer return a long time. The people are…”
“I willnae be takin’ any visitors or meetin’ with any of the councilmen. Ye all can continue with everythin’ ye have been doin’ before I returned. I shall live as if I am nay here.”
Arran walked into the keep after he shunned the man greeting him. Yvaine stood on the same spot for a long moment and tried to understand what he just did.
“I am James, me lady,” the man said as he turned to her. “We heard of the laird’s weddin’ even though we were nay invited to watch ye two tie the knot. Welcome to MacGregor. I shall do my best to serve ye.”
James bowed his head, and Yvaine smiled when he looked up at her again. “Thank ye, James,” she said to him. “I shall do my best to be a good lady of the keep.”
James walked with her into the keep, and Yvaine instantly noticed the heavy silence and darkness that enveloped the walls of the castle.
The servants scurried past them to go about their duties with simple greetings, and the other guards roaming the castle grounds also did not pay much attention to her.
Yvaine admired the huge walls of the castle. The formidable height of the pillars stunned her. Yvaine grew up in a castle too, but MacLennan had nothing that compared to the majestic view here.
As they climbed the spiral stairway and headed for the first landing, she saw the stone walls and the visage of his clan symbols embedded into them.
“Yer castle is bonnie,” she complimented as James showed her to a chamber. Yvaine thought it would be even more lovely if they opened up the drapes and allowed the hues of sunlight in.
“The laird’s chamber is right next to yers,” James said with a smile. “A maid shall be with ye shortly to provide all ye need.”
James bowed then walked away from her. Yvaine dragged in a deep breath then she went into the large chamber James showed her.
