Page 86 of Wedded to the Heartless Highlander
Her heart swelled at the tenderness of the gesture, and for the first time in days, a smile graced her lips. She drifted back to sleep, the weight of his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of her emotions.
24
The tension in the castle was palpable. Every flickering light and every creak of the old stones seemed amplified. Erica paced the length of Hunter’s chambers, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as if to shield herself from the weight of the past few days.
Hunter had ordered a dozen of his men to remain with her, and their silent, stoic presence made her feel more trapped than protected. She glanced at the heavy wooden door, her heart lurching every time she thought she heard a sound beyond it.
Hunter stood near the window, his tall frame rigid as he surveyed the courtyard below. His gray eyes were sharp and unyielding, but there was something softer in them when they flicked to her. It was fleeting, gone before she could decide whether it was concern, guilt, or something else entirely.
Eventually, the silence between them became too much.
“How much longer are we supposed to wait like this?” she asked, her voice tight with unease.
“As long as it takes,” Hunter replied without looking at her. His voice was clipped, but not unkind. “Until I’m certain ye and Lily are safe.”
Erica stopped pacing, her eyes narrowing on him. “Ye dinnae ken how long it’ll take? Am I just meant to stay here like this forever?”
Hunter turned to her then, his expression unreadable. “It’s nae about how yefeel, Erica. It’s about keeping ye alive. And, nay, this willnae take forever.”
His words stung, but she didn’t back down. “And what about ye? Where will ye be when this threat comes for me?”
“In the thick of it,” he said simply. “Where I belong.”
Her chest tightened at his response. She wanted to yell at him, to tell him that his stubborn sense of duty didn’t make her feel any better. But before she could say anything, he strode toward her, closing the distance between them.
The atmosphere shifted drastically.
“I ken ye are angry,” he murmured, his voice low and steady. “And ye have every right to be. We’ve both made mistakes… butthis isnae one of them. Keepin’ ye and Lily safe is the only thing that matters to me.”
Erica swallowed hard, searching his face. “Ye have made mistakes? Is that supposed to be an apology?”
Hunter’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might retreat into his usual stoicism. But then he exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair.
“Look,” he began plainly. “I ken well enough that it was wrong of me to put the blame on ye. In the heat of the moment, I accused ye of leadin’ someone on, when it’s clear to me now that this… bastard is delusional. I just—It’s just that…”
Before Erica could even think to respond, he captured her lips in a kiss that was tender but full of frustration. The moment his lips brushed against hers, time seemed to stand still. The tension, the arguments, and the hurt all dissolved in that single touch, replaced by something raw and unspoken.
His kiss was gentle at first, tentative as if testing the waters, but it quickly deepened, becoming a fervent claim that sent a shiver through her. Erica’s hand instinctively rose to his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heart beneath her palm.
Hunter pulled her closer, his hands settling on her waist. His touch was firm yet reverent, as if she might slip away if he didn’t hold her tight enough. Erica melted into him, her body betraying her desire.
How could someone so infuriatin’, so guarded, make me feel this bare, this wanted?
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathing hard, their foreheads resting against one another.
Erica opened her eyes, meeting his stormy gray gaze. She could see the conflict there, the mix of longing and guilt that mirrored her own.
“And then ye go and do somethin’ like that,” she murmured, her voice trembling.
Hunter let out a breathless chuckle, his lips curling into a small, reluctant smile. “Aye, I imagine I’m nae easy to follow either.”
“Easy isnae the word I’d use,” she quipped.
“Nor I,” he said, his insinuation plain.
Erica nodded. “Fair,” she relented. “What explanation do ye have for this, then? One minute ye blame me for everythin’ and make me feel so small and insignificant, the next… ye do this?”
His expression turned serious, his hands tightening on her waist as he searched her face. “Because I cannae let this night pass without ye understandin’. I was wrong to doubt ye. Wrong to think for even a moment that ye had betrayed me.” His voice grew quieter, heavy with emotion. “I said some hurtful things in the heat of the moment. It was all wrong. I let me fears blindme to the truth—that ye have done nothin’ but try to make this… arrangement work, even when I’ve made it nearly impossible.”
