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In his strong arms, and under his sweet assaults, Kate was unraveling, being peeled open to the very core of her soul. Their eyes were locked. He looked at her as though he’d die if he didn’t.
The orgasm took her like a hurricane, and as she tightened and convulsed around him, he stiffened, his hands digging into the flesh of her hips to pin her to him with every thrust he made.
She tightened and released, wave after wave in an eternity of world-shattering pleasure. The orgasm cascaded through her in a burning surge, and when it was over, she fell on top of him, into his arms. She hid her face in his neck, inhaling his delicious masculine scent.
As the aftershocks of their lovemaking were calming down, she stiffened.
She wanted to stay in his arms and have him at her side forever. She was falling deeper and deeper in love with him.
Loving him meant pain. Loving him meant her heart would be crushed. Because no matter how much she wanted to stay with him, there could be no forever for them.
Her sister and her nephew needed her. Without Kate, they’d end up on the streets.
The more she loved him, the more she’d be shattered into pieces when she had to leave. And she loved him more and more every minute.
Chapter 21
Thoroughly cleaned and satisfied, Ian held Kate in his arms. They lay in his bed after having made love two more times. He inhaled the scent of her skin and of her wet hair.
Thank ye, God, Jesu, and Mary for Kate.
Ian had never been so happy in his entire life. His body expanded and light, his blood flowing easily through his veins. The intensity with which she’d given herself to him, the responsiveness of her beautiful body, made him love her even more.
He stroked her arm. “Ye’re a blessing to me, lass,” he said.
She looked up at him. “Me? A blessing?” She snorted.
“Aye. And it pains me that ye doubt it.”
She hid her face against his chest, her hair tickling him slightly. “You just like my cooking.”
“Aye, I do. But ’tisna just that.” He put a finger under her chin and raised her head so that she looked at him. His throat spasmed as he met her eyes, big and blue and so bonnie. “Ye came into my life with nae warning and brightened everything. Like a light in the darkness. I didna have hope before ye. Just desperation. But ye… Just yer presence, just seeing ye walking around my house, doing simple things. Homey things. It cracks my heart open.”
Tears filled her eyes. “No one has ever said that to me before.”
“They’re all pigheads.”
She breathed easily against his skin, her breasts caressing him slightly as her rib cage moved. She traced her finger down his chest.
“Tell me about yer home,” he said. “Tell me about the far away.”
His lungs stopped working as he waited for her answer. This all felt too good to be true. He’d need to take her back to Inverlochy. Destiny wouldn’t let her be his forever. If God was willing, Ian would protect his lands against the Sassenachs. But then she’d be gone, too.
And that would be his punishment for the countless deaths he had caused so that he could live. For keeping the lass here, despite knowing that the enemy was coming. For these selfish acts.
* * *
Kate briefly closed her eyes, gathering her inner strength. She needed to go to save Deli Luck, she needed to go to take care of her sister and her nephew. She needed to take part in that TV show if it wasn’t too late.
Sooner or later, this magical dream where she had fallen in love with a Highlander would be over. And Ian had told her the truth about himself. He’d told her the most difficult thing he’d ever done.
She wanted to tell him the truth, too, no matter how crazy it would sound, no matter if he believed her or not. It was important that she was honest with him.
Because that was what they were. Honest with each other.
Would he believe her? Her purse with the only objects she had from her time was now with the English; otherwise, she could have shown him the date on the bottle, and the money, and the credit cards. He wouldn’t have doubts then.
But he’d asked her, and she’d tell him.
