against having Aedan as the man she would build a life with, support and love…there was really no question at all.
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Do you really mean that?”
“I do.” He paused, his face deadly serious. “I want ye to be my wife. I don’t want any of the women who’re here.”
“But Aedan,” she said, not fully convinced, “I have some ancestry of Scots in my blood, but I’m not Scottish born, nor do I come with a powerful clan or army. You are giving up a lot to marry me.”
“I want you. No one else, no matter how much power they may wield. Damn my previous stance of who would make the correct wife for Laird MacLeod. I want ye to be mine. Always. I love ye, lass.”
His tone was serious and she bit her lip, loving his declaration. “So, you don’t want me to help you find a wife anymore?” Abby grinned, liking the idea more and more. Not that she’d been helping much in that regard, since she’d been sleeping with and keeping Aedan to herself these past weeks.
“Well, if I remember correctly, ye haven’t exactly been doin’ what I asked ye to do. I’ve not had a report from ye in a week or more. And do ye not want to say something back to me?”
“I must confess I’d pretty much forgotten to do it, but I’m not sad that I did. Not if it means you’re only looking at me.” And right now he was looking at her with so much affection that had she been standing, her legs would’ve given out. Her first impression of him had been so wrong. Aedan was as far from a Neanderthal as one could get. “I love you, too.” Emotion welled up inside and forgetting her headache, she clasped his stubbled jaw and pulled him down for a kiss.
Their lips touched and the slow, intoxicating seduction soon blazed to a wildfire between them, their tongues sliding, tasting, teasing the other. He nipped her lip, and she gasped when he pulled her up to straddle his legs, her wet, needy core against his cock.
He was long and hard, and Abby undulated against him. She needed release, to feel alive and joined with him, to remove the awful memory of what others had tried to do to her. It’d been too long since they’d been together this way.
A light knock sounded at the door and neither of them were quick enough to pull away. Gwen walked in and stopped, her mouth agape with shock. Abby didn’t move from Aedan’s lap, and instead she smiled tentatively to hide her embarrassment. “Hi Gwen.” Heat rushed to her cheeks.
“Good morn, yourself,” Gwen said, shutting the door quickly.
Aedan sighed and placed her back on the bedding, pulling the blankets up to her waist, and quickly meeting her gaze. He looked pained, and no doubt frustrated as hell after what they’d not been able to finish. Her own body burned with unsated need, and she clasped his hand, squeezing it a little. He turned and faced his sister.
“Are ye after something, Gwen?” he asked, his voice calm, a touch of boredom even.
“Me?” his sister said, pointing to herself. “I’m not after anything, but I can see you are. I wanted to check on my friend, whom, by the way, ye seem to have forgotten, took a nasty hit to her head.”
“I’ve not forgotten.” His voice rang out with disdain. Abby bit her lip to stop the silly, loved-up grin that threatened. He didn’t like his sister’s accusation that he didn’t care for her, and would take advantage of her in such a state.
Abby sighed. He’d not taken advantage of her, he could have her anytime and anyplace. It was official; she had it bad for the Scot.
“Perhaps you ought to tell your sister the news.”
Aedan looked at her and frowned. “What news?”
Abby rolled her eyes. “The news about us.” She rubbed her temple, shaking her head at his aloofness.
“What news?” Gwen asked, looking back and forth at them.
Aedan continued to stare at her, a small smile spreading across his lips. “So you’re agreeing to my question then, lass?”
She grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. “Aye, I am, lad.”
“What is going on here?”
Abby laughed at the annoyance in Gwen’s tone and took pity on the poor woman. “Aedan and I are going to be married. He’s asked for my hand, and I’ve said yes.”
Gwen smiled, clapping her hands together in joy.