Page 66 of A Forbidden Night with a Scot
Only once had she come close, meeting him all alone in a hallway as he walked to his study, but then Samuel himself had been quick to walk away, shouting over his shoulder that he was not going to ruin his chances, so even if she did manage to get to him, Alicia doubted he would do anything more than send her away with a smile and a promise that one day, they could finally be together.
But which day? It’s already been so long!
Alicia was getting impatient. Had it been an arranged marriage like the one her father had been planning for her, she would already be married, but just because it was Samuel, he refused to give them his blessing until Samuel had proven himself.
“Ye wished tae speak with us, Faither?” Alicia asked as she and Samuel took a seat across from him. Once again, Samuel stayed away from her, choosing to sit at the far end of the couch, so that there was an entire arm’s length between them.
Still, her father regarded them both with unwarranted suspicion for a moment before he spoke. “I’ve finally received a letter from Laird MacTavish,” he said, and Alicia’s breath was cut short as she waited to hear the rest. She could only hope that Laird MacTavish wasn’t too displeased by the change of plans, and that he wouldn’t try to marry her still, even when he had found out the whole truth. “He says the marriage willnae proceed fer now. He is withdrawin’ his offer until further notice.”
Alicia frowned. “What does that mean? Could he still change his mind?”
“I suppose he doesnae wish tae offend anyone,” said Samuel. “He doesnae want the marriage, but he leaves the possibility open just in case.”
“That is what I think, as well,” said her father. “An’ so I can give ye me blessin’ now that this matter is finally closed.”
At first, Alicia feared she had misheard her father, but then he smiled at her, that warm, kind smile she knew and loved. Without hesitation, she jumped off the couch and rushed to her father, falling into his arms, happy tears filling her eyes as he embraced her tightly.
“Dae ye mean it, Faither?” she asked, pulling back just enough to look at him.
“I dae,” her father confirmed with a nod. “I want ye tae be happy, Alicia. Are ye happy?”
“O’ course I am,” Alicia said, her grin so wide it hurt. “I am so happy, Faither.”
“An’ ye,” he said, turning his attention on Samuel, who froze on the spot. “Ye’ll take care o’ her. If I hear even one complaint, I will dae what I should have done an’ behead ye with me own sword.”
Samuel raised his hands in surrender, eyes innocently wide. “Ye ken I always take care o’ her, Gavin.”
Humming noncommittally, her father stood and gave Samuel one last, warning look before he left the room. Though they were still not as close as they had been once, her father was warming up to Samuel again, slowly but steadily, and Alicia hoped it was only a matter of time before they were best friends again.
With her father gone, Alicia had thought that Samuel would finally grab her and kiss her, but instead, he only stood and smiled at her before he walked out of the room, leaving her behind on the couch, entirely bewildered. By the time she came to her senses and stood to follow him, Samuel was already several paces away, and she had to rush to catch up with him, her shoes clicking against the floor.
“Samuel!” she called, and he came to a halt, looking at her over his shoulder. “What are ye doin’?”
For a moment, he looked as perplexed as she felt. “I am goin’ tae me study. I have much tae dae.”
Alicia couldn’t help but sputter, hands gesturing wildly around her without any words coming out of her lips. It only served to confuse Samuel even more, and he turned around fully to face her, eyebrows climbing to his hairline.
“Will ye nae even kiss me?”
“Ach.”
Alicia expected him to say more, but when he didn’t, she waved her hands around again, silently demanding an explanation.
“Well, I thought Gavin may nae like that,” said Samuel. “Perhaps we should wait until we are husband an’ wife.”
Alicia could hardly believe her own ears. It had already been so long, and now Samuel wanted them to wait even longer. “Well,. it is certainly rather late fer that!”
For a moment, Samuel hesitated, but then he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her into the first room he found—a small broom closet with a tiny window that let in some of the sunlight, dusty and hardly in use. Before Alicia could protest about the location, though, Samuel captured her lips in a sweet kiss, onethat had her melting in his embrace after so long without any contact.
Suddenly, she didn’t care if they were in a broom closet. All she cared about was being close to him, kissing him, touching him, getting all the pleasure she had missed for so long.
“Samuel,” Alicia whispered as she ran her hands down his shoulders, his chest, his stomach, feeling the grooves of his muscles under his clothes. She hadn’t touched him in so long that now every touch felt as exhilarating as the first time, and she was mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the slight twitch of his body under her hands, the rippling movements of his muscles.
In the silence that followed, Samuel and Alicia stared at each other, their gazes locking for what seemed like an eternity. Then, Samuel surged forward and claimed her lips once more, only this time, the kiss had an urgency that only served to heighten her desire for him.
He wanted the same thing, Alicia knew. He desired her as she desired him, and now that they were alone, there was no stopping what they had begun.
Samuel’s hands slid just as greedily over her body, his touch eager and possessive as he grabbed every part of her that he could reach. When he pinned her against the wall, Alicia chuckled softly, arching her back to press her body against his, reluctant to have any space at all between them.
