Page 95 of When the Laird Conquers

“I have to stay with Snout,” she said, writhing so that he would set her down.

But he continued toward the bed and lowered her onto the blankets. “Snout is fine,” he assured her with a smile. “He woke up while ye were asleep.”

“I don’t believe you.” She sat up, ready to scramble off the bed, when she heard a tiny yip and watched as the furry cub came bounding through the adjoining door as if nothing had been wrong with him.

“I wouldnae lie to ye, lass,” Gordon said with a raised eyebrow, a note of hurt in his voice. “I would have woken ye when he started bitin’ the hem of me kilt and goin’ after me boots, but ye looked like ye needed rest.”

He bent to scoop the fox up and dropped him gently on the bed.

“I told ye he was strong.” He smiled as the cub jumped into Agnes’s lap.

Agnes stroked the animal’s fuzzy head and bent down to kiss him. “You made it through,” she murmured. “Oh, thank goodness, you made it through.”

“Aye, so ye can cease yer frettin’.”

She held the cub to her chest, hugging him. “You had me so scared, Snout. Don’t you ever do that again.”

The cub licked her face, bringing a laugh to her lips.

It was at that moment that she noticed that Gordon was lounging on the bed, lying sideways, watching them.

“Clearly, you have forgotten what I said,” she remarked. “You should not be in my bed.”

“I am on yer bed,” he corrected. “And I’m nae leavin’ ye tonight.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Pardon?”

“Well, Snout cannae protect ye when he’s been unwell, so I’ll have to take his place,” he explained.

“You can’t. I will not allow it.”

He shrugged. “I’m yer husband; I have a duty to make sure ye’re safe and well. A duty that supersedes yer forbiddin’.”

“You have no right to go against my wishes,” she insisted, her anger rising.

Did he think she had been joking when she had sent him out of her room? Did he think she had forgotten his rejection so quickly? She would not sleep beside him, even if she had to sleep on the floor.

“Daenae be stubborn, lass,” he sighed.

“I am not the stubborn one,” she shot back. “You are the one who is so determined to punish yourself and make yourself miserable that you keep hurting me, too. I have never, ever thought of you as a monster, Gordon, but you came rather close to being one when you rejected me the other night. A night when I needed your comfort and your closeness more than I ever have.”

His brow creased, and he sat up, his eyes clouding with hurt. “Ye sent me away, love. I did as ye wanted.”

Love?

She blinked, wondering if she had misheard.

“No, you didn’t. If you had done as I wanted, you would have spent the entire night, and every night since, with me,” she pointed out, her cheeks flaming. “I only sent you away because you pushed me away first.”

“Why did ye nae say that ye needed me to stay with ye?” He shuffled closer to her.

“I did! It was right there, when I said you could not stay in my bed unless to consummate our marriage.” Her voice cracked. “I gave you a choice, and you did not choose me, Gordon. You did not choose me because… because you do not want what I want, and… honestly, I do not know how we will manage a future together. What future can we possibly have?”

He took the cub from her and placed him on the floor before taking hold of her hands. “Daenae say that, love.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” she blurted out.

“What?”