Page 26 of An English Rose for the Highlander
“See.” She moved a bit more of the surface grime out of the way, thinking fondly of a bath. “There’s more behind the layers.”
“Ha!” Dominik clapped his knee, smiling from ear to ear as he probed the rocks more and more. “Ye’ve made such a find!”
“I have?” She raised her brows, not understanding.
“That, lass, is copper. And one of the only remaining untapped sources in the Highlands.”
A second passed, and then realization hit. Her land possessed undisturbed copper deposits. Rose knew how valuable the mineral could be with sources dwindling, and her land—her dowry that she’d managed to cling to—was rich in the versatile mineral.
Her hands flew up to her mouth as her jaw dropped. “Heavens! A copper mine could stand to make so much. And this, on top of access to a port?” She chuckled. “It appears my inheritance was quite valuable indeed!”
Excitement boiled over, and before Rose could think straight, Dominik had scooped her up into his arms and spun her around in a circle. They laughed like fools, this fortunate twist of luckgranting them the possibility of long-lasting financial stability for the clan and their families.
“It was, lass!” Dominik grinned so brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He was a sight to see like this, and the overwhelming joy made any remaining aches and pains of the journey disappear in an instant.
Landing on her feet, Rose realized how close they were. Dominik’s rough hands held her sides, and their faces were just breaths apart. She was lost to the verdant green of his eyes, her heart pounding against her ribs. The heat of his palms seeped through the fabric of her dress, and that swelling need for something she couldn’t name returned.
Rose’s husband did not back away, his eyes flicking to her lips and back up to her wide stare. She couldn’t help but glance at him, craning backward slightly as Dominik towered over her.
“Something remarkable indeed.”
She couldn’t tell what Dominik meant exactly. He fixed his gaze upon her, and her alone. The weight of it was all over her, the firm pressure of his very presence, and at that moment, Rose never wanted it to end.
“I—”
But her words were cut off when Dominik’s lips crashed down on hers. Rose froze, utterly shocked, before the heat, the taste ofhim melted into her, making her spine go slack. Dominik held Rose pressed to his chest, his hand firm on the middle of her back while the other cupped her face.
The kiss was searing, surprise still zinging through her as she blinked to see him mirroring the same expression. It appearedneitherof them expected that.
Dominik claimed her mouth so completely, his tongue sweeping over the seam of her lips before darting inside. She moaned against his mouth, the kiss deepening until she was utterly breathless and had to step back.
They both stared at each other for a moment while Rose fought to catch her breath. Rose could sense the blush in her cheeks, and her husband’s lips were red from their caressing. But then, Dominik dropped his chin, clearing his throat as he took several steps away from her.
“It has been a tiring day on the road, and it will be dark before long.” Dominik nodded, more to himself than for Rose’s benefit. “We should make haste to the keep.”
Still in a daze, Rose offered a single nod, her stare on the ground. “Of course.”
“Allow me to help ye up the hill.” Dominik held out his hand, and Rose smiled, small and sheepish, then accepted his gesture.
They started up the incline when Rose noticed how her husband looked back over his shoulder several times, his brows furrowed.
“What is it?”
Dominik shook his head, facing forward. “Och, it’s nothing. I thought…Well, I thought I saw something, but I’m sure it’s only the excitement. We must be getting back before it is too dark to travel.”
“All right.” Rose tried to keep her expression light, her lips still thrumming. “We shall have some wonderful news to tell everyone.”
Grinning more genuinely, Dominik gestured up the hill, allowing Rose to go in front of him.
“That we will, lass. That we will.”
13
The moment they arrived back at the keep, Dominik knew something was afoot. The clansfolk rushed this way and that, coming from the fields around the castle, and the small paddock of sheep near the back. He hurried out of the carriage, Rose on his tail, and Oskar met them both at the front entrance, his expression grim.
“Me laird,” he bowed his head quickly before meeting Dominik’s eyes as he squeezed one of his shoulders, “It’s the livestock, our sheep, and cattle. They’ve collapsed in the fields where they stood, their mouths foaming.”
“What?” Horror struck Dominik’s heart, and he rushed with Oskar to the paddock where several sheep lay on the ground, sick and stinking.
