Page 49 of The Highlander's Inconvenient Wife
Unperturbed by what was going on, Jasper continued to kiss his way up her arm, stopping to nibble on the flesh of her neck as she barely stifled a moan.
“I was just about to check,” MacAdair answered as the carriage door suddenly opened. “Oh,” he said in shock and averted his gaze to the side as both Joan and Jasper looked at him from their compromising position on the seat. “They seem just fine to me!” he suddenly exclaimed and shut the door with a bang.
“What are you waiting for then?” Avery’s voice sounded confused. “Step aside and let me see my friend.”
Joan looked down at Jasper and laughed as they heard the way MacAdair stepped in her path. “I don’t think ye want to be doin’ that, me lady,” he said firmly. “With all due respect, of course.”
“And why not? Joan is my oldest friend. I demand to see her at once,” she said angrily and moved forward.
“Ye can if ye like, but I must warn ye that she is otherwise indisposed right now,” MacAdair explained for lack of a better term.
“What do you mean… Oh, God…” Avery’s voice’ trailed off as she realized what the man was trying to tell her. “I mean, are you sure? In a carriage, right now?” She seemed shocked and taken aback.
Darragh’s laughter filled the evening air as Joan placed her hand over her mouth to keep herself from joining in on their mirth. Jasper buried his face in her chest and chuckled before kissing the soft flesh of her cleavage.
“I think we should give them some privacy and check back in the mornin’,” MacAdair said through his own laughter. “Or a few days,” he added afterwards.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Joan!” Avery called to her before their feet began to disappear into the night. “Or next week, it doesn’t matter. I think it’s safe to assume that we will be seeing a lot more of you from here on out!”
Joan shook her head inside the carriage and placed her hands on either side of Jasper’s face. “I think that’s a conversation we can leave for a bit later,” she laughed as she kissed him once again with all the love she felt swelling inside her heart.
“Aye, I agree,” Jasper whispered against her lips before drawing her in closer. “I think the discussions can wait a while. I want to feel yer lips against mine for now.”
25
“Jasper,” Joan breathed when they eventually drew apart, “I know you said that the talking could wait for later, but there are a few things I need to say to you now…” she paused, “before anything else happens that rips us apart.”
“What is it, lass?” he asked hungrily as he stopped kissing her neck. “I willnae let anythin’ else come between us.”
“I know,” she replied tenderly, “but we seem to have to worst kind of luck.”
“Aye, that we do.” He breathed in her scent as he took a deep breath.
“I’m afraid of what may happen if I go back; I don’t want to lose you again,” she whispered as she placed her forehead against his and held his face between her hands. “I love you far too much to never have said that I love you.” She took a chance and opened her heart to him, damming the consequences of whether or not he would return her affections.
Jasper seemed to freeze before suddenly reaching up and grasping her hands in his.
She feared for a moment that he would repeat his sentiments from earlier and say that she could stay in his castle, but he wouldn’t be able to make her his wife. The air seemed to fill with an intensity that felt as if it would burst at any second as she held breath in anticipation of his response.
“Ye daenae have to return to England,” he whispered almost breathlessly with his head still pressed against hers. “Ye can stay me prisoner forever… I love ye Joan,” he said with a teasing glint in his eye. “I want in to remain me captive forever as me wife…” his words trailed off in a husky whisper.
Joan thought she would burst from happiness as her lips spread into a smile that would have been brighter than the sun during the day. She wanted to scream yes from the top of her lungs until the whole world could hear her answer. “I love you so much, Jasper. I thought you would never ask me to be your wife,” she managed to reply in a normal voice without yelling, despite the excitement she felt inside.
He pulled her in close and kissed her again with even more passion than he done before, using his hands to trace the curves of her body.
“Jasper, there is just one more thing.” She drew her lips away from his with force as he nibbled on her lower lip.
“For goodness sakes, lass, what is it now?” he growled before chuckling deep in his throat. “Have yer say, an’ make sure ye say everythin’ that ye want to say this time. I willnae be so lenient with ye if ye stop me again.”
Laughing, she held his hands in hers and leaned back. “I just wanted to say that I don’t wish to wait any longer. Given everything that we’ve been through in the past few days, anything can happen.”
“What are ye sayin’?” Jasper searched her face in the rapidly fading light inside the carriage. It was getting to the point where all they could see were their silhouettes in the light of the moon that filtered through the curtains.
“I’m saying that I want you here and now, Laird MacShaw. I don’t want to wait any longer.” Her voice was husky as she leaned in close, kissing his neck before nibbling at the nape of his neck. “I can’t wait until we get married.”
“Now that’s a request I can satisfy,” he growled deeply, placing his arms around her body and drawing her in closer.
Joan groaned with pleasure as he pulled her down on his lap, sliding his hands up her thighs as the tips of his fingers kneaded her flesh.
