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G unn heard the women approach before he actually saw them. Loud giggles filled the air. He couldn’t help but smile. He was right when he thought Lizzie would do Jocelyn good.

He hadn’t seen Jocelyn since his impromptu kiss on the cheek the night before. He still couldn’t believe what had overcome him. For whatever reason, it had just seemed like the natural thing to do.

Did he regret it? Not one wee bit.

The door opened, and the two women swept inside, smelling like fresh air and the perfume that he could only assume the modiste used in her shop.

Jocelyn stopped short when she saw him, biting her lip nervously, as she shifted from foot to foot.

Lizzie looked between them and got that glint in her eye that Gunn had begun to realize was trouble.

“I will leave ye two alone. There is something I must attend to after being away all afternoon.” Faster than he’d ever seen her move before, she disappeared, leaving just him and Jocelyn in the inn reception area.

“Did ye have a fun afternoon at the modiste?” he asked, not wanting to bring up the awkwardness of the night before.

“Very much so. Once again, I must say thank you,” she said shyly. “I know you do not have the funds for such an extravagant outing and—”

Gunn held his hand up, stopping her midsentence. “Dinna mention it. Ye deserve it. Ye’ve done much for me since ye’ve arrived.”

Time seemed to stand still, the air thick with tension.

He would in no way admit to her that he’d taken the last of his available funds to fund her afternoon outing.

He had until the end of the month, the middle of next month at the very latest, to turn things around.

After that? Well, he would accept defeat and sell. As much as it pained him to do so.

“Are ye hungry?”

“No,” she shook her head emphatically. “We actually had snacks at the modiste.”

“Tea then?”

He hadn’t the slightest idea why he always offered the lass tea. Aye, it was what she drank, but usually he would leave the tea offers to Flora. But it was as if he needed a reason for her not to leave his side. He took a tentative step toward her.

Paused.

Waited to see if she backed away from him.

To his surprise, she took a step forward.

His brows lifted, and he caught his lip between his teeth.

She looked beautiful this afternoon, a healthy glow that he was glad to see warmed her cheeks. Her bruises were all but gone. Unless ye kenned they were there, ye wouldn’t ken.

This time, they both took a step at the same time, and then another, until they were standing so close, he could feel the heat emanating off her body. Her drab gray gown did naught to dwindle her attractiveness.

Taking a dare, he reached out, resting his hands on her hips. He waited a beat. Waited to see if she would push him away. Turn tail and run.

She did none of those things.

Instead, she surprised him and wrapped her hands around his biceps, looking up into his eyes. Her irises the color of the sea, emotion roiling within their depths and he wondered if he was dreaming.

“About last night,” he whispered.

Jocelyn shook her head. “Don’t.”

“Dinna what?”

“Don’t apologize. If that’s what you were going to do, please don’t. I’m not sorry. Surprised? Yes, verra much so. But I didn’t mind.”

His tongue darted out, wetting his lips as her teeth worried her bottom lip, making it plump. Juicy. He wanted to suck it into his mouth. Taste her. Drink her in.

“I want to kiss ye,” he murmured.

She lifted her face to his, meeting his eyes. “What are you waiting for then?”

His body roared to life at the invitation. He pulled her closer, so her body was flush with his. Watching the emotions play on her face for a few long moments, before he finally brought his head down and captured her mouth with his.

With a sigh, she melted into him, her palms sliding up to his shoulders.

He dropped his hands to her buttocks, grinding his hips into her as his tongue sought entry. When she opened her mouth on a gasp, his tongue joined hers, dancing wickedly together to a tune as old as the stars.

She tasted of mint, and he couldn’t get enough. When they broke apart for air, they both were breathing heavily, chests heaving. Her cheeks were flushed, her blue eyes almost the color of midnight now.

Bringing her hands forward, she grasped the lapels of his jacket, tugging him down to her once again. This time, it was she who initiated the joining of their mouths.

Damn. This woman was perfect. Not scared to go after what she wanted. He kenned she could feel his hardened length against her stomach and even that didn’t have her stopping.

Christ. He scooped her up into his arms and pushed through the door that would lead him down the hall to his room. Once inside, he kicked the door shut, reaching back to engage the lock.

Continuing the kiss, he walked to the bed and laid her gently down.

She propped herself up on her elbows, looking at him with a wicked glint in her eyes as she licked her lips.

Hell’s teeth, the lass was insatiable. He tugged at his cravat, untying it. “Anytime ye want me to stop, ye say the word, lass.”

She shook her head, biting the tip of her finger. “I won’t.” She came forward, grabbing the ends of his cravat and pulled him down to her, feathered kisses on his cheeks, before whispering in his ear, “I want this.”

His eyes rounded. “What did that modiste do to ye, lass?” he chuckled.

She laughed. “Is it wrong that I’ve decided to stop fighting the war that has been raging inside of me since I first saw you?”

“Nay,” he said breathlessly, as she kissed his chest, her breath tickling the smattering of hair.

She stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Will you think less of me if I do?”

“Nay.” It was as if she’d stolen all thought from his brain and he couldn’t come up with more than one-word answers.

Snapping out of it, realizing the levity of their current situation, he needed to ensure she was certain.

No matter how much he wanted her, he wasn’t about to ruin her.

“Ye need to be sure ye want this. I’ve wanted ye in my arms since the verra moment ye walked into my pub. ”

She smiled. “I’m glad it was your pub I walked into.”

“As am I. But I mean it. I willna be the cause of your downfall. Or ruin.”

“You needn’t worry about such things. I’m a grown woman, able to make my own decisions about what I want.” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “And right now, I want you. If you’ll have me.”

He groaned, his head craning back. “Seriously, lass, ye must ask?” He grasped her hand and flattened her palm against his cock, hard and straining for release.

Eyes wide, she smiled. “I have something to confess. I don’t think it would be right to continue without you knowing.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Ye can tell me aught and it willna sway me from my wants and thoughts right now.”

Suddenly, she looked nervous. He felt her hands ball into fists behind him and her face take on a pained look.

“I’m married.”

*

Had she really just announced that right as they were getting ready to lay together? Yes, she had. She felt that it was necessary. She wanted him to know exactly what he was getting into with her before diving in headfirst. Deceit wasn’t in her blood, and she couldn’t do that to him.

“Come again?” he asked in disbelief, pulling away from her.

Immediately, she missed the heat of his body.

She sighed and sank down onto the soft mattress, her fists bunching the fabric of the gray duvet. “I am married. I’m so sorry. I’m not with my husband. I, he’s not a nice man.”

His eyes narrowed. He pushed his hands through his hair, scrubbing his face with his palms. “How long?” he asked, his voice clipped.

“How long for what?”

He let out a long breath and backed away from the bed. Walking over to the sideboard, he poured himself a glass of what she assumed was whisky. “Have ye been married?”

“Six years,” she answered quietly.

“Jesus.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Does he ken ye are here? Ye shouldna be here.”

“No! I made sure I ran to a place he wouldn’t expect. I don’t want him to find me.”

Confusion drew his brows down, as he frowned. “I, all right.” He sat in a chair in front of the small fireplace, his head in his hands. “I cannot be so close to you right now.”

She swallowed down the hurt that his words caused, but she understood. And it just confirmed that she’d done the right thing when she did. “I understand. I’ve been dishonest.”

“Nay. I dinna believe ye have. Ye just havena been forthright.”

“That either.”

“Tell me,” he ground out.

She could tell he was angry. And that he was barely containing it. Knowing she was the cause of his anger made her upset. But she could understand why. She had just confessed to something that held a huge weight.

“I was married six years ago. Not my choice, really. It was arranged by my parents. Victor, my husband, was very charming in the beginning, until we were married, then it all changed. He was not a nice man. Cruel.”

“Your bruises,” he said quietly. “He beat ye?”

It was embarrassing to admit. But she needed to tell him the truth. She didn’t love Victor. Hadn’t in a very long time, if ever.

“He did. Often. With his fists and his feet. It didn’t matter what I did. It angered him. Everything I did was wrong. Or not good enough. Or not fast enough. There was always a reason.”

“The bastard. What of your parents? Did they ken?”

She shrugged, wringing her hands together. “Maybe, but they passed shortly after we married.”

“I’m sorry, lass. Were ye close?”

She pressed her lips together, wondering how she could put their relationship into words. “Not overly, but we loved each other very much, if that makes sense. I have great memories from my childhood, but they weren’t very emotional.”

“Did they see how ye were being mistreated?”

She shook her head. “No. After I was married, Victor made sure that he was my focus. There were no trips to visit them. I could no longer speak to my friends. He got very angry when I did, and I found it easier to just let them go instead of angering him about it.”

“This last beating. It had to have been bad for ye to still have the bruises after journeying all this way.”

Thinking back to that night, she squeezed her eyes shut. The anger blazing in Victor’s eyes as he reigned down punch after punch. She shielded her stomach, not wanting any harm to come to the babe. When he’d finally exhausted himself, he’d shut himself in his study.

She nodded. Memories flooded her and she fought back tears. She wouldn’t cry in front of Gunn. She didn’t want his pity.

“I had been planning to leave for some time before that. But that night, it was just so bad. I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Gunn pushed off from the chair and came to sit next to her on the bed.

She welcomed his closeness.

“Ye made the trip alone?”

“Yes, with money I had stashed away over time.” She laughed nervously. “Money, that as you know, ran out when I got here.”

“Ye are a strong woman.”

“I don’t know about that. I stayed for six years.”

“But ye kenned to leave before it was too late.”

She had to tell him the rest. But the words hung heavy in her throat, cutting off her air.

But she was all about honesty on this night.

If they wanted to pursue a relationship, lord, is this what they were doing?

She didn’t even know. One thing she did know was that if there was any chance for them, any at all, she needed to speak the truth. All of it. As ugly as it may be.

Even if it meant that he put her out on the street as he soon as he learned her secret. It was the only way she would be able to live with herself.

She was tired of hiding.

“There is one more thing. And it was the catalyst for me running that night and why I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Gunn studied her face as if he was trying to read what it was through her expression. He clasped her hand in his, his thumb stroking over her skin in a gesture that offered her comfort.

“Whate’er ’tis, I’m here. Ye are the strongest woman I have e’er kenned. To do what ye did, ye are amazing.”

She bit her lip, worried that he would want to take that back when he heard what she had to say.

He must have sensed that she was holding back. He squeezed her hand. “I’m no’ going anywhere, lass. Well, I may go down to Rochester and kill your husband, but other than that, I’m no’ going anywhere.”

She smiled, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. Though she had no doubt that he could easily handle Victor.

She inhaled a shuddering breath and let it out slowly. Gunn was looking at her intently, urging her on.

Finally, she met his eyes, and blurted, “I’m with child.”