Page 84 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
“I said, come with me,” Evander repeated and reached for her arm.
Keira dropped her hands from Arthur’s neck and let Evander drag her through the room, away from people and toward the courtyard, where the moon cast an incandescent glow on the lush green grass.
“What are ye doing?” he asked once he let her go.
“Dancing. ‘Tis a thing people do when?—”
“Dinna play that game with me now, Keira.”
“I am nae,” Keira huffed. “’Twas always the plan, was it nae? Ye said ye can help me find a husband at the cèilidh. I am doing it now—finding a husband.”
“That was before,” Evander argued.
“Before what?”
He swallowed, the words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.
“Ye see, that is why I have to find a husband and get out of here as soon as possible,” Keira whispered.
She turned on her heel and made to walk back into the Great Hall. But before she could take two steps away from him, he reached for her wrist, halting her again.
“Ye cannae marry another man, Keira.”
She turned back to him, a blank look on her face. “And why should I nae?”
“Because ye’re mine.”
“I am nae yers.”
“Ye are.”
“Nay, I’m nae. Because if I were yers, ye would have done something about it all these days. Ye want me, but ye dinnae want to marry me. In what universe is that supposed to work?”
“Ach.” He moved closer to her. “I’m doing something about it now.”
Keira narrowed her eyes at him. “What? Ye plan to claim me?”
Evander’s eyes drifted to her lips and then back to her face, his chest heaving. “If that is what it is going to take.”
“And if I refuse, what will ye do?”
“Ye want to see what I’ll do?” Evander asked, not oblivious to the change in the atmosphere.
“Why dinnae ye show me?”
He reached for her, but his hand paused midair. He withdrew immediately.
Keira nodded. “That is what I thought.”
She turned around and resumed her walk back to the Great Hall. But then she felt it again—his hand on her wrist.
He spun her around, yanked her toward him—her free hand landing on his chest—and her lips crashing into his. They remained in that position for what seemed like an eternity.
Then, his lips began to move against hers, full of unquenchable hunger. One hand curled around her neck, and the other grabbed her waist and pulled her even closer to him.
The kiss was charged and filled with tension and more. It felt like they both poureddaysof pent-up frustration right into that kiss, completely disregarding anything around them.
Suddenly, they heard a clap, and they froze, their lips still locked… until they slowly pulled back.
