Page 95 of A Highland Bride Taken
He couldn’t understand why she thought that he, who men feared, would need protection when he had done nothing but reject her heart time and again.
He knew she loved him, and he had stayed away, knowing he was to blame. Yet he had struggled to keep the distance between them. He was always drawn to her, even when he knew he should stay away.
Admiration for her blossomed in his chest as he looked at her. His woman, his wife.
She had stolen his heart in bits and pieces with her selflessness and beauty. She owned his heart, but he had been too damn stubborn to admit it. Now, he knew his heart was fully hers.
Seeing her now in his arms, clinging to him as though he were something to be cherished and loved, he could no longer hold back his feelings.
“Ye dinnae have to thank me, husband,” she said with a smile. “I was only doing me duty.”
“Ye didnae have to come,” he reminded her, staring into expressive green eyes that told him every word he had already heard her lips say. “Ye could have been in the castle, warm and protected, yet ye rode here in the cold. Nay one would have faulted ye for staying.”
She beamed at him, looking beautiful in the moonlight. His men and Darragh’s faded to the background as he watched her lips.
He wanted to kiss his pretty wife and tell her he loved her, and he wanted to do it now, among other things. His body stirred as she leaned into him, her hand on his abdomen.
Instantly, the wound on his side was forgotten, and the only pain he felt was between his thighs as his cock swelled with need for her.
“Me place is by yer side,” she declared firmly. “At yer side is where I shall stay.”
His heart soared again, and he cupped her face in his hands.
“I am most lucky to have earned yer loyalty,” he breathed. “And I am most fortunate that I get to love ye for the rest of me life.”
Her eyes went wide at his admission, but he didn’t want any words to ruin what he had planned.
He slanted his lips over hers, feeling as though he was finally taking the first breath after being underwater. He heard the uncomfortable shuffling of feet around them, but her moans egged him on and made him forget that they weren’t alone.
Now that he had confessed his feelings for her, he felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and all he wanted to do was sink into her warmth. Instead, he pulled back, smiling when she whimpered.
“Later, wife,” he whispered in her ear and turned to the men. “Find the boys.”
Magnus took over and ordered Darragh’s men to take him to the boys.
It was only then that Campbell became aware of the fact that he was still covered in blood. The boys might be frightened if they saw him in such a state.
“I should?—”
“Uncle Campbell!” they cried, rushing to them.
He could barely process what was happening before they launched themselves at him. He shared a look with his wife, who had tears in her eyes.
“Aunt Mabel!” they cried, turning to hug her as well.
She squeezed them tight, burying her face in their hair in turn, rubbing their backs as they cried.
Magnus stepped beside him and smiled at the scene. “Do ye want to sleep here, or do ye want to return to the castle?” he asked.
Campbell eyed McCormick Castle with all the disdain he could muster and shook his head. “Find a carriage in this Godforsaken place and prepare for our return home,” he instructed.
While it made more sense to stay and ensure they were all warm for the rest of the night, he itched to be rid of the remnants of his grandfather’s legacy.
His family was whole again, and he wanted to ensure they were in his home, warm and cared for, as soon as possible.
Magnus nodded and set about making preparations, and soon Campbell handed Mabel and the boys in a carriage and wrapped them in a blanket.
She gave him a grateful smile, but he saw a hint of desire in her gaze and winked. She lowered her eyes, which caused his smile to widen.
