Page 35 of The Veiled Wish of a Highland Bride

“Taken away? By… death?”

“Well, aye. But before death came upon her, she was nae mine, ye ken. She married another but died in the process of bringing his child into the world.”

Mia didn’t know what to say, but he continued.

“I always believed in love and marriage before then. My parents truly loved each other, and I grew up watching that love. Perhaps that was why when I fell in love with this other lass I fellcompletely. My parents’ love burned a fire in me so bright that I vowed to have the same for myself. I presume she never felt the same way, because she left me for another. Shortly after, my father died and my ma was consumed by her grief. It was then that I realized that there is too much loss involved in love. I fear it might nae be worth it.” He swallowed. “My mother is still at Castle Ledoch. She rules alongside me, giving her counsel where I need it. But she never did recover from my father's death.”

Mia felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes as the tale continued. “True love can never claim to be true if it does nae involve a fear of loss,” she said, her gaze fixated on Archibald. “Perhaps I ought to tell ye something about me, too. I feel I owe ye a story.”

Archibald chuckled. “Nae necessarily.”

“Well, I want to.” She smiled at him. “My childhood was nae so braw at all. Whenever my father got drunk he hit my mother. Eventually, my mother left, but now all the memories I have of her are not so fair. I have been terrified of drunks ever since. I cannae stand a lad or a lass who reeks of the stuff. I get so scared that my heart starts beating in my chest like it wants to jump out of a cage.”

“I am sorry about that, Mia. I did nae ken. Ye did tell me about yer parents, but I did nae ken about yer fears.”

Mia sniffled. “How could ye have kent? I have never told ye before. I have never told anyone before. Ye are the first.”

Looking away from Mia, Archibald gestured to her slightly swollen ankle. “May I take a look?”

Mia understood his need to change the topic of conversation and gladly welcomed it.

“Aye.”

Archibald touched her ankle tenderly, kneading it gently. Knowing this much about him now, she felt her heart swell with affection for him.

She loved this man, him and all his intricacies.

“I am leaving tomorrow,” he said abruptly, not taking his eyes or hands off her ankle.

Mia could almost feel her heart stop. She had gotten so used to having him around that she was certain the keep would feel stranger without him. She wanted to go with him, to be where he was. And yet she could never utter a sin like that aloud.

Mia knew, perhaps she had always known, that Bram could never love her. Would he grant her freedom now that she had found the one her heart yearned for? What kind of future would she have as a woman who deserted her husband for another man? No one in all of the clans would understand. She was certain of that.

Nevertheless, at this moment she didn’t care for it all. All that she knew was that this man she loved was here, right now, and he would not be here still come morning.

She moved closer to where he was sitting on the bed curiously watching her, and she placed her hand on his cheek. She drew the line of his brow with her thumb, glancing at his lips as she moved even closer. As she touched her lips to his, her eyes fluttered to a close. It all felt so right.

He moved his lips to the rhythm of her own, slowly deepening their kiss, their tongues performing a passionate dance. Mia moaned as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, her womanhood aching in anticipation. Her entire body seemed to respond to him by screaming, “Touch me!”

She leaned further into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing him towards her. She pulled away from him and undid her loose nightgown. The look in his eyes when he stared down at her naked body was worth a thousand looks from other men.

He divested himself of his clothes. They were now both naked, pawing at each other with the fevered passion of two people who could never get enough of each other. Before long she lay flat on the bed, taking him with her, her legs wide open to let him in.

Without a moment of hesitation and with his eyes boring into hers, Archibald thrust into her and silenced her moans with kisses.

As they moved in harmony, Mia thanked the heavens for the day she had crossed paths with him. Their climax was violent and caused them to shudder as all the tension from their bodies was released into each other.

Before they fell asleep in each other’s arms, their bodies fitting snuggly together, a thought crossed Mia’s mind, and it scared her to death.

This is the first and last time we'll fall asleep heart to heart.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

As Archibald's eyes fluttered open, a smile spread across his face.

Mia lay at his side, blonde hair sprawled across the pillow and her arms—the sun had only begun to rise, spilling soft morning light into the room.

He stared at her for a moment, studying the curve of her lashes and the way her eyeballs stayed unmoving beneath her closed lids. This woman was everything he had ever wished for and more. Moving gently so as not to wake her, Archibald rose from the bed and slowly began to dress himself. He hated the thought of leaving her without a word, but he knew he had a prince to host.

---