Page 49 of Sinbound to the Highlander
He shrugged, “Why nae?” he placed his knuckles under her chin and admired how the soft silver light played over her face, “The moonlight becomes ye.”
One wide-eyed look from those large jade eyes, and a softly hitched breath, Evan was lost. Framing her face with both hands, the kiss they shared was tender. Freya’s fingers slipped from the front of his tunic, to splay across the broad span of his back. She was pressed on his chest so tightly; he could feel her heartbeat.
Evan firmed his grip and kissed her hard, his tongue coaxing past her lips and glided over hers, pleased that she twined his tongue with his. He tasted something sweet, like the filling of cherry pie, but under it was her natural sweet taste. Evan loved how she opened to his gentle invasion and clung to his body for stability. His teeth nipped and tugged at her lower lip and eked a small moan from her.
“Mine,” he groaned against her mouth. To give in to the hot desire racing through his blood was wrong, yet she offered no resistance when his arms enveloped her, and he pulled her flush on him.
“Yers?” Freya asked, breathless, “How can I be yers when ye are engaged to me sister? I cannae be yers, and I will never be. I feel as if I am betrayin’ her. She will hate me for the rest of me life, and this will put discord in the family I now have.”
She made to pull away, but Evan stopped her, “I willnae marry Elspeth.”
Freya spun, and her eyes were aflame, “Daenae ye promise me somethin’ ye cannot give. It’s too much for me, to have this hope, thisyearning…” she grabbed at her chest, “that someday I’ll be as fortunate as me sister, when I ken it will never come.”
He grabbed her shaking shoulders, “Listen to me. I will make it right.”
“Will ye?” Freya asked, doubtfully. “Yer Maither told me this morn’ to nay ken of meself as less than Elspeth, and I fully intend to act on it, but even so, I may never be yers.”
“Ye let me worry about that,” Evan said, pushing her head into the crook of his neck, and stroking from her shoulder blades to the middle of her back. “I gave ye me word, and I will make it so. I’m happy Maither told ye that ye daenae need to see yerself as lower than others, ye just need to be who ye are. A lovely woman with the heart of a saint, and one whom I’m beginning to love.”
Freya jerked, but she did not have much space to shift away, as his arms caged her close, “Daenae be scared, Freya, I ken the word ‘love’ carries a weight with it, but I am nae afraid to carry it.”
When he let her an arm length from him, her eyes were bright with unshed tears, “I believe ye.”
Dropping a kiss on her forehead, Evan held her back on his chest, “Do ye doubt the druids have cast love spells here?”
Her body shook with a soft laugh, “What have I done to make ye love me?”
Nosing at her hair, Evan smiled, “That’s the beauty of love,m'eudail, ye dinnae have to do anythin’ to make me love ye. Love is a force on its own.”
He bent his head and kissed her temple, “I’ll nay let you go,” he whispered vehemently.
Wetness trickled down the side of his neck and, sorrowful, Evan bowed his head to kiss away the tears that trickled down her face. She sighed, and wrapped her arms tightly about him.
“Be strong for me, Freya. I’ll see us through this,” he pleaded.
“Ye have all me trust, but please daenae break it,” Freya responded.
Sliding his hand around the back of her neck, “I willnae.”
I’ll have to break this engagement, but I worry it will make things worse for her. How will I do this without it hurting her in the long run?
