Page 8 of Highlander's Rebellious Affair
“To secure his hold on the Lairdship. If he gets a wife, then he gets an heir and, if he gets an heir, then he has the support of the powerful men in the Clan.”
“And ye want to stop him,” she stated, her eyes drifting over his as she tried to understand the reason, he was helping her while realizing he wasn’t helping her, but himself.
“Lyall cannae be Laird over my people, nay while I am alive. Besides, he has a lot to pay for,” he added, and clenched his fists. “I took ye from yer Castle to stop him from gaining more power by weddin’ ye.”
“What happens now? Ye cannae return to yer land with me without facin’ his wrath. What do we do?”
“If we ride further, we can find yer aunt’s cottage and seek shelter there. Hopefully she wouldnae turn us away, and while with her we will figure every other thing out.”
Hope sighed and uncrossed her arms. “That is nae a plan,” she said, and shook her head. “I cannae believe my faither would have married me to that man,” she said and released an exasperated sigh.
“He would have for his own selfish reasons. An alliance with my Clan would also benefit yer faither, as he also has no male heir.” Ian paused and then he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Marry me,” he suddenly said.
6
“Ye’re jokin’, right?”
He shook his head and removed his hand from her shoulder. “I mean it, Hope. Marry me, that way yer faither wouldnae be able to marry ye off to anyone else.”
“Are ye tryin’ to use me to secure yer hold on yer Lairdship?” she asked. “Why would I want to wed ye, I dinnae ken who ye are.”
“Ye dinnae care when ye fled yer home with me.”
“I had to get away from men like ye,” she retorted and turned away from him to walk toward the horse. Ian followed her and yelled,
“Ye have nay where else to go. Marry me, and ken that ye are free from every other man who wants to devour ye.”
She froze on the spot and turned to him. “I saw how they looked at ye, Hope, and I also noticed how terrified ye were of them. Do ye feel terrified with me?”
Hope shook her head in response and he walked up to her, to further sink his crazy idea into her mind. He hadn’t even thought about it himself, but the moment it popped in his head, he knew it was their best bet. “It is a win-win for both of us, Hope. Ye get to nay marry some old dim-wit and I get a wife that will secure my place in the battle for the Lairdship.”
“And just like the others, ye are usin’ me to get what ye want.”
“It is yer only answer, ye ken it is, Hope.”
She frowned and chewed on her lower lip. He felt another stir inside of him as she did, and he pushed it aside and continued, “Ye dinnae have to do anythin’ ye dinnae want to do, I will never hold ye to it.”
“Ye dinnae expect bairns?”
“Nay until ye are ready to bear me some,” he replied and stared deep into her eyes. “Trust me, Hope, when I say I willnae hurt ye.”
Can I trust him? I do not know a lot about him, and I have never been this far from home. What would happen if I owed him and then find out that I do not want to have children with him? What if I do not love him?
He reached out then, and grazed her cheeks with his knuckle and the spiraling thrill that shot up her nerves changed her mind. He made her feel intense heat and passion she had never felt before, and she knew having his children would not be a problem when she already constantly thought of what it would feel like to be in his arms.
She sucked in a deep shuddering breath, and released it while staring at him, wide eyed. “All right, but let us get to Orlaith.”
He said nothing else as he helped her up, then joined her on the horse and they continued their ride. The rest of their journey was quiet. Hope glanced back behind him from time, and he could not tell what she was thinking, but every time she brought her lips close to his, it made him think of nothing else but what her lips would taste like.
No woman had ever made him feel an instant attraction. He had to spend time with them before it happened, but Hope was stirring these feelings in him effortlessly. He didn’t think she even knew what it did to him when she bit her lower lip. To her it was just a random habit.
They neared the mountainous area, and from where they stood, Ian could see the ice crystals of snow covering the majority of the ground, it was a beautiful sight. Lush green fields blended with the crystal white of the snow, the different heights peaking at their own levels, leaving a breathtaking view.
It had not snowed since they left Drummond, but the weather was crisp and chilly still. Right before the path curved up to the mountains, he saw a small cottage teetering on the plains.
“That should be it,” Hope whispered. “Why would she live so far away from the village? It might not be safe out here.”
