Page 41 of The Icy Highlander's Bride
Lana felt like nothing but a ball of nerves, all energy gathering, and then, with an urgency that surprised her, she crashed over the edge. She cried out, louder than she had before, and her whole body shook with ripples of pleasure. Daniel's fingers settled into a lazy pace, bringing her down from her high, and his mouth reclaimed her lips, kissing her deeply.
"Good girl," he growled.
Daniel took Lana in his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as she recovered. He still felt his desire raging through him, desperate for release, but he knew he couldn't push things too far. Not without her permission.
"Have ye reconsidered?" he whispered. "Would ye like to change the rules?"
Lana jerked her head up, a look of angry confusion on her face. "Can ye offer me love?" she asked. "Will ye give me the thing I've always longed for?"
He took in the firm set of her jaw and the flash of anger in her eyes. He wanted to tell her what would make her feel better. He even wondered if he should lie to her. But Daniel knew he could never let himself love someone. Especially not Lana. It was too dangerous… And he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her.
"I told ye," Daniel said, sitting up in a way he hoped looked nonchalant. "I daenae believe in love."
"Thought so," Lana scoffed. "Very well."
She started pulling at her dress, trying to cover herself. Something about the gesture made Daniel mad, and he turned back to her.
"So ye willnae lie with me?" he asked. "Even after we are wed?"
"Nay," Lana answered. She threw her skirts back around her feet. "I willnae lie with ye unless I'm in love with ye. And if ye keep acting like this, I'd say yer chances are quite low."
Daniel scrambled to his feet and strode off toward the lake, needing to put distance between them. He paced angrily along the shoreline, letting his anger and the physical activity cool his desire, not stopping to tell her where he was going.
Daniel was frustrated with the situation, but he was even more angry with himself. He had set out to find a wife who would care for his daughter. He had never intended to care about bedding the woman. But now it was all he could think about. He couldn't understand how he had found himself here, suddenly beholden to Lana and desperate to have her in his arms.
He walked for a long time until he noticed the sun beginning to dip lower in the sky. The air around him grew cold, and he set off to where he had left Lana fighting to get back into her dress.
"Ye returned," Lana said evenly, pushing herself to her feet. His horse was standing next to her, happily munching on grass.
"Aye," Daniel uttered, struggling to keep his tone cool. "Let's go home."
Lana nodded and allowed him to help her onto the horse. He jumped up behind her and urged the horse forward, content to journey home in silence.
Lana didn't understand the brooding, grumpy man behind her. She thought they had a nice day in town with the brief exception of Skye's tantrum in the store.
And then Daniel had sent Cameron and Skye away so they could be alone together. She wanted to be happy about the turn of events. She was certainly happy about what Daniel had shown her at the lake.
But instead of enjoying the nice day, he seemed to begrudge it. Moments after bringing her such pleasure, he had simply stormed away. And why? All because she decided to hold fast to her rule?
"I was thinking," Lana began when she couldn't handle the silence anymore. "About me rule."
"Enough about the rules," Daniel said, clearly trying to shut down the conversation, but Lana pushed forward. From her position on the horse, she could speak without looking at him, and it made her feel empowered.
"Nay, let me speak," she insisted. "I willnae lie with ye."
"Aye, so ye have said."
"Yes, but I was thinking… If ye want to repeat what we did by the loch, that might be alright with me."
She expected him to be pleased, but instead, she heard him scoff at the words.
"Och, nay, lass. I willnae touch ye again. Nae unless I can claim ye properly as me wife. All ye have to do is give up this silly idea of love. Do ye nae see we could have a very successful marriage?"
"Successful?" Lana echoed. "I daenae want successful. That is the most unromantic word I've ever heard."
"Then what is it ye want?" Daniel asked.
The horse stiffened a bit below her, and she knew Daniel was growing upset. Animals had a way of sensing these things long before humans ever could.
