Love in the Time of a Highland Laird (A Laird for All Time Book 3), Angeline Fortin [top ten ebook reader txt] 📗

“You sure do know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”

It sounded quite complimentary but he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of her comment. “I dinnae mean tae overwhelm ye, lass. I only meant tae speak of what is in my heart ‘ere ye put yerself in harm’s way.”

She leaned back in his arms and eyed him seriously. “To keep me from putting myself in harm’s way, you mean.” Her wide gray eyes narrowed. “You said that to keep me from going.”

Unwilling to let her go, he sat in one of the chairs by the table, keeping her in his lap. “I will admit I hope tae talk ye oot of taking part in our ooting, but I dinnae say what I did merely tae convince ye.”

“Then why?”

“Because I dinnae want tae go tae my death wi’oot saying it aloud.”

Uncomfortable now, perhaps the heat of the moment had passed. She was staring at him so oddly, he might have thought he’d grown another limb. He lifted her off his lap and stood.

Pacing the small room, he felt a hint of uncertainty. True, he thought he knew her well already despite their short affair. Could he have been wrong all along? Perhaps she did not reciprocate his feelings with the same depth. Or perhaps, not at all? He knew she was fascinated by him, attracted to him. Was he some novelty to her? A man beyond her time?

Keir ran his hands through his hair, fisting his fingers around the wild locks. Tugging as if he might be able to draw the answers from his head. Or restore his confidence. He’d never been so impotent in all his days.

Och, what this wee lass had done to him. “Mayhap, I dinnae want tae go tae my death wi’oot hearing the words from yer lips. Alas, I cannae force from yer lips what ye dinnae feel, can I?”

Deafening silence. Then…

“Oh, my God, is that what you think?” Her high-pitched disbelief rang from the rafters of the small room. In a heartbeat, she was out of her chair, her hands wrapped around his arm, tugging until he looked down at her. Gone was the panic darkening her eyes. They shined like silver coins. “Do you really think…? Can you possibly be so…? Are men idiots in every century, or is it just me?”

“I dinnae ken what ye…”

He could say no more as she dragged him down and stole his words with her kiss. Hot, open-mouthed. Fervid. She’d never approached the task with such… enthusiasm.

“Does this mean?”

“Shut up for a minute.”

*

The minute spun into many but Al couldn’t stop herself. It had taken awhile, probably too long, but she finally realized he meant it. It wasn’t just words spouted off to coerce her into doing what he wanted. Drivel to get his own way.

He meant it, heart and soul.

And her brawny, burly, gorgeous… brilliant Highland laird was stupid enough to think she wasn’t in love with him?

What a topsy-turvy past she was living in!

Draping her arms around his neck, she lifted herself against him, wrapping her leg around his thigh. He’d recovered from his surprise and was hungrily kissing her back, plunging his tongue past her lips to parry hotly with her own. Desire heated her flesh, the humidity rose. Panting against his mouth, she caught his bottom lip between her teeth, drawing on it until she felt the quiver of his chest and his arms banded so tightly around her waist, her breath was again taken away.

Tilting his head, he took his turn sucking on her top lip then the bottom. Running his tongue along her lips before kissing her roughly. When he pulled away, she was left breathing hard, dizzy. Panting.

He held her snugly to him until she could feel every hard plane, every bulge, every ripple she pressed against. Lifting her, he turned, backing her to the wall with a thud that stole her breath even more. Gasping, she threw back her head. The raspy burn of his whiskers trailed down her neck along with his lips. She cried out as his teeth nipped the curve of her shoulder. In pain. In wanton craving, she wrapped her legs around his hips. His huge erection was throbbing, burning through the layers between them.

“Keir!’ she cried out, desperation igniting every pore of her body.

“Aye, mo ghrá,” he growled in his deep brogue and fumbled at the buttons of his trousers.

“God, I like kilts so much better than pants,” she breathed, loving the heave of his chest and shoulders as he silently laughed.

Then the laughter was gone. He drove into her, slamming her against the wall, their cries of passion and joy intermingling.

A fist banged on the door. “Children, there’s a rescue waiting to be had,” Mathilde called. “We don’t have time for this.”

“Aye, we do,” Keir whispered, grinning down at her with love in his eyes. He kissed her answering smile away and began to move.

With a sniff, Mathilde turned away from the door. “If the rest of the night is this explosive, we’ll be assured of our success.”

Chapter 36

“You fret too much.”

“And you’re surprisingly calm for a woman who just got groped by a complete stranger, Tildy,” Al muttered under her breath while Mathilde just laughed.

“You think that was groping?” she scoffed. “My cousin must not be doing a respectable job of it. Och, Al lass, I should think you’d be far more relaxed now that you…”

Her wicked grin had Al blushing even more than she had been when she and Keir had left the inn to find his men, Artair, and Mathilde waiting on them, each with a knowing smirk on their faces.

Well, except Artair.

She’d never been so embarrassed in her life, but she wouldn’t have traded it for the world. She was loved. Thoroughly completely. Heart and soul.

She’d felt like she could conquer the world.

Unfortunately, that feel-good moment had only lasted until Keir was out of sight, parting from them at the edge