Page 61 of The Highlander's Virgin Widow
“Aye.” His response was slow, strained, and incredibly hesitant.
“That was always the plan, was it nae?”
Evander turned around without saying a word, the shadows immediately enveloping his figure. He headed toward the bed, and Keira watched his silhouette rummage beneath the covers.
“What—what is it?”
He grabbed his clothes and pulled them on, Keira’s eyes following him the entire time.
“Ye’re right. The plan was always for ye to find a husband.”
“So why did yer expression change at the mention of that?” she questioned, the tension in her voice causing the words to tumble out of her mouth.
“Me expression didnae change.”
“Ye’re nae talking to Tommy here, Evander.”
Evander swallowed. “Perhaps I am nae comfortable with the idea of ye marrying another man.”
Keira scoffed. This must be a joke. One she was finding anything but hilarious.
“Do ye want to marry me, then? Ye need to make up yer mind.”
He moved closer to her. “I dinnae. But that doesnae mean I can imagine ye belonging to someone else.”
Belonging to someone else.
Who the devil did he think he was, thinking he had control of her life because he couldn’t decide on what he wanted and didn’t want?
“If I could marry anyone…” he whispered, reaching for her chin. He tilted her face up to his, and she saw the earnestness in his eyes as they searched hers. “It would be ye, Keira.”
“And what exactly is stopping ye?” Keira asked, her voice thick with tension.
She could reach for him and pull him closer, crush her lips to his, and she wouldn’t have to think about any of this anymore. At least not for the next few hours.
Evander dropped his hand. “I just… I just cannae.”
“Ye dinnae want to marry me, and yet ye cannae stand the thought of me with someone else?”
“Nae as long as ye stay here,” Evander responded, the helplessness in his voice palpable.
“Well, ‘tis a good thing I’m leaving as soon as possible then, is it nae?” she hissed, unable to hide the hot anger in her voice.
She did not wait for him to say anything or call her back. She just turned around and headed straight to the bathing chamber.
When he was done, he could let himself out.
21
Evander stormed into his room, slamming the door shut behind him with no regard as to who could have heard him or not. What was supposed to be a good time with Keira had suddenly transformed into something unexplainable. Something he couldn’t put his finger on. Something that tugged greatly at his heartstrings more than it should.
That was the last thing he had expected when he had stormed into her room. He only wanted to confront her about the tapestries, but somehow he managed to come out with even more heartache and the fact that the woman he had admired for a while would not be his.
He sat on one of the chairs in his room, sleep evading him. Why? Why did she manage to keep him awake with these confessions and thoughts about the reality they needed to face?
He looked out his window. The moon was beginning to disappear, which meant in a few moments, it would be dawn.The last thing he needed was to get caught up in thoughts like this. He couldn’t do it. Not here, and not now. He had a cèilidh to plan.
But why wouldn’t thoughts of Keira cease tormenting him? Why was he still thinking abouther? What had she managed to do to him in the few days they had gotten closer? Why did the mere thought of a man being with her send him into such a blind rage, when that had always been the plan?
