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He didn’t mind dying for his family and for what he believed in. But could he die without telling Amber how he really felt?

Could he die peacefully after he’d hurt her so much? He’d seen the pain he inflicted on her by saying nae. He’d hurt her so much he wanted to punch himself in the face.

But it was better this way, wasn’t it? He’d promised he wouldn’t get distracted, and this was him keeping his promise.

What he wanted most was to take her in his arms, lay her on his bed, and show her exactly how much he loved her. He wanted to scream, “Stay with me. Marry me. Be with me. Be mine. Forever.”

Instead, he sat in the great hall, holding himself back with all the willpower he had. He hated himself for hurting her. She didn’t deserve the pain he’d inflicted on her.

He needed to tell her. He needed to explain. If she was leaving soon, and he never saw her again, he needed to tell her he couldn’t be with anyone.

Not just her.

Owen climbed off the bench and rushed out of the great hall into the stormy, flashing darkness outside. The wind hit him hard with a freezing wave of heavy rain. Thunder rolled over his head as he ran through the muddy courtyard into the donjon. He climbed up the stairs, jumping over two at a time. He opened the door without bothering to knock and stood still, rooted to the spot.

Amber was naked from the waist up. She leaned over a basin, frozen with an ewer in one hand, water still pouring over her arm. Her skin glowed in the light of the fireplace, golden-brown against the white cloth.

So smooth, so inviting, so beautiful.

He was hard in an instant, pulled towards her as if she’d put a charm on him. Their eyes locked. Her sweet, full lips parted. Fire played in her dark eyes.

She loved him. He was going to battle. He needed to explain to her why he couldn’t be with her.

Only he couldn’t think of a single reason.

Lightning flashed outside and brought him out of his stupor. He crossed the space between them and stood in front of her in a moment. She dropped the ewer and it splashed water on them both.

He didn’t care. He took in every detail of her pretty face. Her long eyelashes, the thin scar above her eyebrow, lips so full and so desirable, he didn’t think he’d seen anything more beautiful.

“God, help me,” he whispered.

Forgetting everything, he plunged his hands into her hair and kissed her. The moment their lips touched, thunder cracked the sky above them in a deafening roll. Owen’s blood turned to fire. She gave out a small, feminine whimper, a mixture of surprise and pleasure, and wrapped her arms around his back, pressing herself to him.

He kissed her with more vigor, only now realizing how starved he was for her. How much his soul, his body, and his heart had been deprived of her this whole time.

She melted against him, arching her back into him, one hand burying into his hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer to her.

He wanted her so badly, he was ready to go fight the whole world to have her. Her mouth was delicious and wanton, responding to his kisses with the same passion as his. His hands shook, and he could barely breathe.

He wanted to take her like an animal. Make her his. He picked her up and carried her to his bed. He laid her down and stretched beside her.

Eyeing him from under her eyelashes, she asked, “What about you not being the man for me? That you can never be—”

“All lies. All I can think of is ye. I burn for ye. I live for ye. I havena really lived before ye. I’m only starting to live now.”

He moved his mouth to her neck and started kissing her there, inhaling the clean, feminine scent of her skin. He gently nibbled his way down her neck, and she rewarded him with a throaty moan that made him all but burst into flames.

Down he went, brushing his lips over her silky, perfect skin. When he reached her breasts, he had to stop himself to admire the dark nipples, the round, full, beautiful hemispheres. He reached down and bit her nipple.

“Ohhhh…” she cried.

“Sorry, lass, was that too much?”

“No. Oh, no. Do it again.”

He obliged, taking the whole nipple into his mouth and sucking. She arched her back into him, her eyes rolling into her head. He covered her other breast with the palm of his hand and began gently twisting the nub between his fingers.

“Owen…” she whimpered breathlessly.