Page 68 of A Virgin for the Highland Beast
“Nay,” Hunter answered.
“And why nae?” Emma asked, as she found herself a bit shocked by his refusal.
“Cause ye’ll tell me ye dinnae want any bairns,” he answered.
“Well, lucky for ye, I do. And I expect ye to give me at least one wee lass to call me own,” Emma said as she strained her neck to plant a kiss on his lips.
“Good, because I wasnae about to argue wit’ ye about it,” Hunter said. “And as for the number, I’d say we have four.”
“Do ye, now? And why four?”
“Well, ye want a daughter, and I want a son. There’s two. And they’d need someone to play wit’ and grow up wit’, so it makes sense to shoot for four,” Hunter explained.
Emma shook her head as she pushed his arm off her. “Well, it seems ye’ve planned our whole life together,” she said with a smirk as she rose and sauntered over to the wooden tub. “And here I thought ye’d want a bit of surprise and wonder sprinkled in.”
Hunter sprang to his feet and moved to the window. Emma watched as he cracked it open just a bit before joining her next to the tub. She no longer needed to ask why he did the things he did, she was content with the way things were.
Slipping into the tub, Emma kept her eyes locked on Hunter. She was surprised to find the water neither too hot nor too cold, but somewhere right in the middle. Hunter climbed in behind her and slipped down into the water.
“Dinnae ever leave me again,” Hunter said after a few moments of silence.
Emma snatched his arms and wrapped them around her body. “Never,” she answered. “I’m yers now, and there’s nothin’ in this world that will change that fact. I love ye, Hunter. Wit’ all me heart.”
“As I love ye, wit’ me body, me blood, and me life.”
EPILOGUE
Three Months Later
“Out wit’ it, Archie,” Hunter grumbled as he focused on the ledgers.
Hunter was fully aware that rent for the tenants was due and the crops would need looking after as well. The harvest season was nearly on them, and he’d need all the help he could get.
“Ye’ve got men in the foyer waitin’ for ye,” Archie said as Hunter arched his eyebrow and glared at him for a moment.
“Is that so? And who is it, this time? If it’s Lonnie, I’ll nae waste me time wit’ that fool. Just tell him to be on his way and let whatever ails him be,” Hunter said, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.
The last time Lonnie had come to Hunter for help, he had left with a foul attitude and spirit.
“’Tis nae Lonnie, M’Laird,” Archie answered. “In fact, I believe it is the lady’s clan come to speak wit’ ye.”
Hunter dropped his head. He knew the day would come when Clan Clyde would seek retribution for him slaying their Laird. Panic shot through him for a moment as he leaned back in his leather chair.
“I was wonderin’ when they’d show up,” Hunter mumbled. “Fetch Emma or Nora. Let one of the Knoxes speak wit’ them first. I’ll be there in a moment.”
Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly rose to his feet. There was no telling which way the meeting was going to go. All he knew was that he needed a way to keep the tension low. Glancing at the corner of his room, the solution presented itself.
With a smirk on his face, Hunter moved over to the corner of the room, snatched the bottle of his finest whiskey, and made his way to the foyer. If there was one thing that would keep the men subdued, it was a fine liquor.
“Good day to ye,” Hunter said as he greeted the four burley men who were waiting in the foyer. Lifting the bottle to the sky, he flashed them all a smile and greeted them with a pleasant tone. “I hope yer travels were safe and uneventful. As we wait for me wife, I was hopin’ ye all would join me in the drawing room?”
“We didnae come here to drink or be bamboozled,” one of the men to his left said.
“Angus?” Emma’s lighthearted voice rang out through the foyer, giving Hunter great relief. “I’m so pleased to see ye, but what has brought ye here?”
Hunter stepped aside as she pulled the weathered man named Agnus into her embrace. If Agnus was younger, Hunter wouldn’t have been able to ignore the jab of jealousy.
“We were told to come here if anythin’ were to happen to Geoffrey,” Agnus answered.
