Page 28 of My Scarred Laird
He stepped toward the light more, “I just doona tend ta be around females without a shirt.”
She turned to him, “Why?”
He raised his bad hand to rub at the back of his neck, “Isna it obvious?”
“Your scars? Ye think that bothers me?”
“They doona?”
Islay walked over to him, “Nay. Your scars doona bother me in the least.”
Callum looked down at her, "Ye arena like any woman I have ever met."
Islay smiled, "Good. Come, we need ta tend ta your wounds."
He followed her obediently, sitting where she indicated, and he let her fuss over him for a few moments.
"Why are ye here Islay?"
She stopped her ministrations for a moment, "Why do ye ask that?"
"I, just want ta ken who ye are. Who is Islay? What is yer last name?”
She let out a small breath, “I’m Islay Brodie.”
He pretended to think on it for a moment, “Any relation to my betrothed Daracha Brodie?”
She looked away from him, then down at her hands, which she wrung together, “Aye. She is my sister.”
He lifted a brow, “What are ye doing here then?”
She took a deep breath, then said, “My sister didna wish ta marry ye. She is tae scared of the rumors that swirl about ye ta find out if they are true or not. She also didna wish ta leave our family home. She believes it is where she is meant to stay for the remainder of her days. And she wants ta find love for herself. She didna ever want ta have our father choose for her.”
“So, then why are ye here? Just ta tell me all this? Ye could have told me when ye first arrived, I doona fault ye. Or yer sister. There are a lot of things about me that most wouldna wish ta be saddled with.”
She looked into his eyes, “I didna come here for that only. Ye see, my father wished for us ta find happiness. To find love. And he hoped that the matches he secured for us would have been it, but Daracha didna believe it. I didna either. But while she wanted ta stay in our families holdings and see if she could find love in her own way, I ken that I wasna meant ta stay there. It didna make me happy. I ken there was something more out there for me. When I heard your name, there was something about you that called ta me. I had ta answer that call.”
“Really?”
She nodded, “Aye. I wanted ta ken who ye were, I wanted ta see ye for myself and find out if the rumors were true, or if they weren’t. I didna listen ta speculation. I needed to find out for myself.”
Callum was shocked speechless once more, “Ye wanted ta ken who I was? What did ye discover then lass?”
She took a step toward him, “I found out what a good man ye are, what a good Laird ye are ta your people. How well ye treat yer people. Ye are a great warrior. Ye ken everyone’s name in yer clan, though most doona give ye the time of day in return. Ye actually care. Ye care about them. About the people who mistrust ye. I have seen a few Lairds who care not about their people, but ye do.”
He was shocked once more, “So, why are ye here then? Are ye here ta take yer sisters place as my bride?”
He studied her, then she nodded, “Aye. I am. I came ta ken who ye are, and in doing so fell in love with yer home, yer people, and ye.”
He could take it no longer, and leaned up, cradling one side of her face with his ruined hand, and took her mouth in a blistering kiss.
They were a little clumsy at first, but after a few seconds, they fell into a kiss that left them both breathless, and panting.
She kissed him again, sliding her hands around his neck, plastering herself against his half-naked body, causing his erection to jerk to life.
“Ye taste so fooking good.”
She moaned, running her tongue along his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth for her, letting her lick into his mouth with her little tongue, acting like a cat eating cream.
