Page 10 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander
“Because it’s more than enough time to show ye who I really am. Nae the brute ye fear or the stranger ye mistrust. I dinnae wish for a wife who thinks that she must guard herself every moment in me presence. That her husband would take that which isnae freely given. Seven nights of courtship, if ye follow.”
She was stunned into silence by his revelation. Calculating and strategic as it was, it was also thoughtful and vulnerable.
Damon continued, “This marriage is founded on duty, aye, but if we are to lead this clan together, there cannae be hesitation or room for doubt between us. Melissa spoke with me, ye ken?”
“Aye, I am aware. Though she didnae tell me what ye spoke about.”
“She worries for ye and me. She worries that we got married out of necessity and duty.”
“But wedid, Damon,” Lilith pointed out.
His name had dripped past her lips, not for the first time, but the way his eyes darkened at the sound of it was not lost on her.
“Aye,” he managed, “but sometimes duty is all we are given. Even so, we choose how we bear it. If we are bound to this path, let it at least be one we both understand and accept. Nae one filled with doubt or unanswered questions.”
“It doesnae matter how much time passes. I willnae give ye an heir. I cannae?—”
“An heir is a necessity, Lilith, whether ye like it or nae. The clanneedsstability. It’s already changed hands once.”
Lilith held her breath as he spoke against the spot below her ear, where he had kissed her just moments ago, his voice soft but unyielding as he moved his lips from one ear to the other.
“Make nay mistake, lass. I’m a man who doesnae believe in draggin’ matters on. If we cannae build trust in each other by the end of the seven nights… then I’ll leave it be. I willnae force this. I’m only askin’ ye to consider that our union, though built on duty, can be one of mutual respect and purpose. Webothdeserve that much.”
His lips were hovering just above hers as he finished.
He has a way of speaking that just irritatingly makes me feel like an immature child throwin’ a fit! How does he do that? How do these words flow out of him so easily?
Her brother’s words echoed in her mind.“Men will say anything they think ye wish to hear in order to get what they want. The higher up the man, the better their vocabulary.”
Calculating, indeed.
Lilith narrowed her eyes, suspicion creeping in. “And what would these seven nights involve?”
“Again, nothin’ ye dinnae agree to,” he assured her. “Ye will always have the choice. But give me the chance to prove ye wrong.”
She wanted to argue, to tell him how pointless it was, but the intensity of his gaze held her captive. For a fleeting moment, she saw something in his eyes—a flicker of tempered emotion beneath the immovable iron frame.
“Fine,” she said at last, her voice quiet but wary. “But ye will fail. I willnae change me mind.”
“Let me worry about that, lass,” Damon replied, his lips quirking into that infuriating smirk again.
As he finally stepped back and dropped his hands, giving her space, Lilith felt a new and intoxicating mix of relief and curiosity. Her hand drifted up to her neck, where his lips had lingered, the sensation still burning her skin. A new itch that she, for some reason, needed him to scratch.
Damon’s eyes followed her movements hungrily, and his features darkened before he turned around and left her alone in his chambers. The air was thick with the echoes of his touch and the unspoken promises in his words.
This is goin’ to be a long seven nights.
4
Gain Clan McCallum’s trust.
Marry into the clan.
Produce an heir as soon as possible.
Strategically secure his position.
Tonight, that simple, direct, efficient plan was thrown into chaos.
