Page 45 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her heart racing, her body still tingling with the memory of his touch, her mind reeling with the intensity of the moment they’d just shared.
She watched him go, her emotions warring inside her, her heart aching with a confusing mix of anger, frustration, and something dangerously close to desire.
13
Hunter’s frustration simmered as he strode out of his study and down the hall, trying to force his thoughts away from the image of her stubborn defiance.
I need to get some air.
Erica was recklessly brave to have followed him all the way back to the castle without a single word, her small but purposeful footsteps echoing behind him. His pulse thundered, a mix of fury and something far more potent roiling within him.
He shouldn’t be feeling this—shouldn’t want to turn around, pull her against him, and silence her with a kiss. But she’d pushed him to his limit.
He felt a tug on his arm—a gentle but unyielding pull. It stopped him in his tracks, snapping him back to the present, and at that moment, the tension broke.
“Hunter, look at me,” he heard her say from behind him, her hand on his arm burning him like a red-hot iron.
He spun around, his eyes locking onto hers, and without giving either of them a chance to think, he claimed her mouth in a deep, demanding kiss filled with everything he’d been holding back.
Erica’s breath hitched as his lips met hers, her body instinctively arching into him. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders, and he could feel the fire in her touch, an equal frustration and desire seeping out of her and into him. She tasted like wild freedom—something he hadn’t allowed himself to chase but found impossible to resist.
“Ye are mine now, Erica,” he whispered against her lips, his voice hoarse. The words left his mouth in a rush, surprising even him. “Every part of ye. Yer body, yer heart… and ye arenae allowed to get hurt. Nae ever.”
His words seemed to sink into her, and for a moment, the whole world froze. Her grip on his shoulders tightened, her breaths becoming labored. He could feel the way she trembled beneath his hands, her eyes dark with a desire he recognized all too well.
Christ above, I need more.
She opened her mouth as if to speak, but he cut her off with another kiss, deeper, rougher, pulling her close so there wasn’t an inch between them. His hand slid around her waist, and he pressed her against him. Her heart pounded under his touch,mirroring his own, and he felt as if he was sinking, pulled under by the intensity of the moment.
The door to her chambers was just a few steps away.
Without breaking their kiss, he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside, the world around them blurring into insignificance. She held onto him, her breaths coming fast, her lips soft and eager beneath his. He nudged the door closed with his foot, shutting out everything but her.
Once they were inside, he set her down, his gaze intense as he drank in the sight of her.
She was beautiful, her cheeks flushed, her hair slightly disheveled from his hands, her lips parted and swollen from his kisses. And damn it all, he wanted her. Needed her in a way he hadn’t needed anyone in a long, long time.
“Ye drive me mad,” he murmured, his voice rough as his eyes roamed over her. He reached out, his fingertips stroking her cheek before trailing down to her collarbone. “Reckless, stubborn woman… but ye are mine.”
Erica shivered at his words, her eyes never leaving his, and he saw something flicker in them—something vulnerable, hesitant even. But then, she jutted her chin, her lips curling into a faint smile as she whispered, “Maybe I am.”
Those three wordsunraveledhim. He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers, his hands trailing down her sides as he pulled her flush against him. He felt the heat of her skin under his touch, the way her body responded to his, and a thrill shot through him, stoking his desire.
Slowly, he guided her toward the bed, his lips trailing down her neck, tasting her sweet skin. Her hands slid over his shoulders, then tangled in his hair, and he could feel her pulse racing under his lips. He wanted to savor her, to make her feel just how fiercely he wanted her with every touch, every kiss.
But still, something niggled at the back of his mind. It urged him to suppress the urge to claim her fully—it was the reason he hadn’t done it till now, despite the privacy they had in her room.
They were husband and wife, and he hadn’t claimed her still.
But she read me letter. She kens well enough that I willnae claim her and why.
The guilt of moving on had been debilitating at times, and he found himself surprised that it wasn’t bearing down on him as strongly at that moment. Living with the anxiety of letting down his family by moving on but also failing to move on was something that had never left him.
His eyes refocused on Erica. Her brown strands framed her face, and he felt that tugging sensation again.
I cannae leave her like this, I’m in too deep. I have to have more of her. I need it.
Hunter knew what he had to do, and he took a steadying breath before leaning down further.
