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“Ian,” she whispered. “You stopped. I saw that it was the darkness that sucked you in, but you found it in yourself to see the light.”

“Because of ye, Kate. Everything good in my life is happening because of ye.”

She cupped his jaw, and he turned and kissed her palm.

“No one has ever done anything to save me,” she said. “What you did for me… No one has ever protected me like that.”

“I’ll protect ye until my last breath.”

And he’d love her even longer.

Their eyes locked, and he got lost in Kate’s gaze. She stood up and came to sit on his lap, enveloping him in her delicious smell. Without another word, she kissed him. Her warm, soft mouth tasted delicious and felt like heaven. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her against himself, her body pliable and responsive under his palms.

He wanted her whole, body and soul. He wanted to show her how much her acceptance meant to him. How much he wanted her. How much he needed her.

His heart expanded, his body light, his skin tingling as he picked her up and carried her to his bedchamber.

Chapter 20

In Ian’s arms, Kate felt like a warrior’s prize. Like she weighed nothing with her 170 pounds. Like he’d fight the whole world for her.

Surely this was just her wishful thinking. A dream or something.

If it was, she didn’t want to wake up. Ian climbed one flight of stairs and pushed the door to his bedroom with his back. He laid Kate on a massive wooden bed. It smelled like him—leather and steel and woodsmoke.

The fire was already playing in the fireplace. Besides that, there were several chests and a table with a slanting top. A giant barrel stood by the fireplace. It looked like an oversize whiskey barrel with straight walls, and was big enough to fit two or three people.

Ian’s arms pressed into the bed on each side of Kate’s shoulders. He kissed her deeply, sending an electric current of pleasure right into her groin.

“I am going to wash ye,” he purred when he stopped the kiss. “Then ye’re going to wash me, and then I’m going to make love to ye.”

The promise in his voice was heavy and intoxicating, and filled Kate’s whole body with bubbly anticipation.

“Aye?” he said.

Oh God, how did one construct words? “Yes, please.”

He nodded, male satisfaction on his face. “I will bring hot water. Dinna go anywhere.”

Her legs were like jelly, so she couldn’t have moved even if he’d tried to chase her out with a stick.

Ian brought two steaming buckets of water and poured them into the barrel.

“Come,” he said.

The prospect of undressing in front of him heated Kate’s cheeks and neck, but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was ashamed of being naked in front of him or because he stood by the barrel and looked at her with dark, hungry eyes.

In either case, she wouldn’t back out now.

She stood up from the bed and walked to him on weak legs.

“Turn around,” she said.

“Nae.” He chuckled.

Oh Jesus. He’d see her naked and run away. “Turn around!”

“Nae.”