Page 101 of The Cruel Highlander's Bride
A silent vow passed between them as their lips and tongues moved together, stronger than the ones they made on their wedding day, because of its honesty.
There were no more secrets hindering them; they came together with only openness between them. As their lips and tongues joined, so did their souls.
EPILOGUE
“Iwant to take ye home,” Magnus whispered as he reluctantly pulled away from his wife. His voice was heavy with the need he felt for her. “We’ll come back, as soon as we can, but I want ye in me bed tonight.”
And every night after tonight.
But one thing at a time.
“Please,” he added.
After everything, he felt confident that he wasn’t coercing his wife into something she didn’t want, so he wasn’t above a little begging.
Thankfully, she didn’t make him ask a third time. “Aye,” she whispered back. “I need to talk with me maither before we leave, but aye, I want that, too.”
“Good,” he said, pulling her back into his arms once more. He held her against him for a moment, kissing the top of her head lightly. “Go see yer maither, I’ll get the carriage ready again.”
At the mention of the carriage, Ciara shuddered a little, and his hands itched to inflict further damage on his former man-at-arms again.
“I’ll see if we can borrow some horses from yer faither’s stables,” he corrected himself.
Ciara nodded against his chest. “Thank ye.”
“Of course, lass. Ye dinnae even need to thank me.”
If he had to ensure she never took another carriage ride in her life, he would do it. He would design a new type of vehicle just for her, if that’s what she needed. Maybe something more open, so she’d never have to feel trapped again.
Slowly, she stepped away from him and headed towards the door. At the threshold, she turned back and smiled at him. “I look forward to finally gettin’ that lesson of yers.”
“Shite,” Magnus muttered to himself because his minx of a wife was already out the door. He rubbed a hand down his face before shaking himself into action. “Horses first.”
He made quick work of preparing the borrowed horses and was waiting with them by the front when Ciara stepped out of the castle.
“Everythin’ all right, lass?” he asked.
“Aye, me faither woke up again. He seems better.”
She was smiling again, and his heart soared. “I’m so glad,” he told her.
“Me, too,” she replied, her beautiful smile lighting up her face. “I still want to come back tomorrow—or today, I suppose,” she added, nodding to the brightening sky.
“Of course,” he promised.
She stepped towards him, and he pulled her into his embrace. He couldn’t help it, when his wife was near, he wanted her in his arms. She sighed deeply, and they stood like that for a few blissful moments.
“Let’s go home, lass,” he finally said, pulling back from her.
“Aye, take me home.”
It felt like a race after that. The two of them rode back to MacLeon Castle as fast as the horses would carry them.
The sun started to peak through the horizon on their ride back, their long night turning into just another day. When they made it back to the castle, Magnus paused at the threshold of his chambers.
“We’ve both had a long night, lass. We should take a bath first, wash all this away,” he said quietly.
“Together?” she asked, with a smirk.
