Page 61 of Married to the Highland Devil
“Maither,” he called, and Elspeth turned towards him. He saw tears in her eyes even though she wore a smile, and he could tell that they had been talking as a way to console each other.
“Duncan,” Elspeth said, “join us. We were just talkin’ about Yvaine. She loves sittin’ in the garden. All I can do is talk about her.”
Amelia smiled, and Duncan could only stare at her even while his mother talked.
“Sit with us, Duncan. Your mother was just telling me about when Yvaine was younger.”
“Aye, it is true,” Elspeth chirped. “She used to sit here and talk to me about travelin’ to England. She has always wanted to come to England.”
“She will come back safely, and I will take her to England if she wants to go,” Amelia said, and Duncan reached for her hand.
His mother excused them after some time, leaving them alone.
He cleared his throat because he did not know what to say to Amelia at first, but then he finally found his words. “We should go for another picnic. Our last one was cut short, and I want to spend time with ye.”
Amelia angled her head and looked at him. “You confuse me, Duncan,” she said then licked her lower lip in a way that made him stare at it for far too long.
“Amelia…”
“When I first came here, you said you wanted our marriage to simply be one of convenience, and then you left me, did not show up for days. Then you kissed me that day in the garden, and then you almost died, and I couldn’t… Then, last night you….” she trailed off and shook her head. “You said you did not want me.”
“I said that to protect ye,” he argued.
“From what?!” she yelled and rose to her feet. “I spent the entire day thinking about it, Duncan. Do you want me or not?” She was panting now, and Duncan too.
“Amelia, listen to me.”
“No, you have to tell me what it is that you want, Duncan. Do you want me? Like last night? Or do we have go back to the way it was before? Because I—”
“I want ye, Amelia,” Duncan spoke at the top of his voice to stop her from saying more. “I have wanted ye every second, every minute, and every day. I want ye now. You have no idea how hard it is for me to stay away from ye.”
He closed the rest of the distance between them and put his hands around her waist, unable to stop himself from taking her lips for the kiss he had been longing for since the start of the day.
Duncan drowned in her taste, the feel of her in his arms, and the plush softness of her body. He wanted all of it, and he did not want to stop.
Amelia buried her fingers in his hair, and he kissed her, toyed with her lips, and he stroked his way down her back to press her closer to him.
When he finally released her lips, she drew in a deep breath and staggered away from him.
“This is what I want, Amelia,” he said. “What I want is you.”
A smile broke out on her lips, and it warmed Duncan’s heart. He could not tell what would happen tomorrow, or in the coming days, but at that moment with Amelia, he was happy.
Complete.
27
Amelia worried about Yvaine. Another day had passed without her return, and Amelia could tell it was hard for Duncan to stay calm while he waited for Arran’s return. Duncan trusted Arran, and so did Elspeth. They both had faith that he would return Yvaine safe and sound.
Amelia had no reason to worry herself. At least not about Duncan. What she worried about now were the rumors. She stood with Dahlia in a corner of the hallway, listening to the servants’ murmurs as they went about their duties.
Duncan had visited the village again today, and Amelia had wanted to stay busy, so she had asked Dahlia to walk her to the garden where she could handpick flowers to replace the ones in her chamber.
“I hear she is a witch,” one servant said to the other, her voice the same edgy whisper that carried on since Amelia had started eavesdropping.
Amelia felt a heavy pang in the pit of her stomach as she listened in on their conversation.
“She is cursed. The bad omen befallin’ our clan is all our doin’. They say she shall bring doom.”
