Page 96 of When the Laird Conquers

“Love. Why do you keep calling me that?”

A soft, sad smile curved his mouth. “Because I love ye, ye goose. I love ye, and… I’m sorry for hurtin’ ye. I’m sorry I rejected ye the other night. I’m sorry I wasnae with ye when ye needed me, and I’m sorry I’ve been such an arse. I was afraid, that’s all. Afraid of lovin’ ye and losin’ ye, but… an old friend told me I should be happy no matter what and that I should have a horde of bairns with the lass I love.”

“What?” she rasped, unable to believe her ears.

He was saying everything she had hoped he would say, his apology a balm to her wounded heart, his words stoking up the little flame of hope that she had thought might sputter out.

“I love ye, Sunshine, and I want to spend every night and every day with ye from now on. I want to be a faither to Lizzy, and though a horde is probably too many, I do want to be a faither to any other bairns we might have. I want a family with ye, whatever that looks like. I’m nae afraid anymore, love.”

Time seemed to slow down as Agnes sat there staring at him, her hands cradled in his, rocked to her core that her husband was finally saying such things to her. It was almost more arousing than that thing he did with his tongue, to hear him promise to be a true husband and father, to hear that he was no longer standing in his own way.

She threw herself at him, looping her arms around his neck and hugging him with all of her might.

“I love you too,” she croaked, her heart so full. “My goodness, I love you too. And… I am grateful to your friend for knocking some sense into you.”

He chuckled, a hearty, rich sound that rumbled through his chest and vibrated into hers. “As am I.” He pulled back for a moment. “Now, if ye’ll just excuse me, I’m goin’ to put Snout in the nursery. I daenae want him disturbin’ what I have planned for our belated weddin’ night.”

She flushed with happiness, her stomach fluttering with anticipation as he got down off the bed and swept the cub into the crook of his arm.

She watched him, admiring the ripple of his back and the shapely muscles of his calves as he walked to the nursery, set the cub down, and closed the adjoining door.

It was a pleasant view, but she rather preferred this one: the view of the man she loved, and who loved her in return, walking back toward her with a sly smile on his lips and hunger in his eyes.

37

She looked so beautiful, sitting there on the bed with a nervous, hopeful expression on her face. Her green eyes shone in the low light of the bedchamber, and she pressed her lips together as if to plump them for a kiss.

It was perhaps the first time in his life that Gordon felt the faintest tremor of nerves. Not for himself, but for her, hoping that she would not feel too much pain or discomfort.

“I love ye,” he told her, still reveling in the joy of being able to say those words at last.

She smiled up at him. “I love you too.”

Coming around to her side of the bed, he sat down and reached for her, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her in. She laughed as she was swept across the bed and into his arms, and as he bent his head to kiss her, he felt her smile against his lips.

He kissed her slowly at first, not wanting to rush it. Agnes melted into his embrace, kissing him back in kind, her fingertips trailing lazily through his hair.

They kissed as if they had forever, taking their time, wrapped up in each other’s arms. Feeling she wasn’t close enough, he lifted her into his lap so that she sat astride him. A delicious torment, to feel the heat of her but to bide his time.

“I truly am sorry,” he murmured, kissing away from her lips, along her jaw, and down the curve of her neck.

“I forgive you,” she whispered, her neck arching.

He kissed his way up the column of her throat and caught her mouth with his once more, harder this time, loosening the leash on the feral passion that prowled within him.

She smiled and kissed him fiercely, her hips subtly rocking back and forth, stirring his loins until there was no hiding her effect on him. His cock ached to feel her hot, silken depths, straining toward satisfaction.

Nae yet.

As their tongues danced together and her hands smoothed up his chest and over his shoulders, exploring the muscles of his arms and back, he slowly began to unwrap her.

He unfastened the buttons at the back of her dress and lifted it over her head, pausing the kiss only when the fabric briefly covered her face. When she was revealed to him again, he kissed her all the harder for the fleeting absence while he dropped the dress to the floor.

Her stays and her shift followed soon after as her hands moved to pull his shirt off him. Next, she unbuckled his belt, her breath hitching into a gasp as she tentatively pulled the tartan apart.

“Oh…” she murmured, her eyes wide.

He cradled her cheek in his hand, tilting her head slightly until she met his gaze. “There might be some pain, love, but all ye need to do is say stop and I will.”