Page 124 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander

“I was a fool. A bloody, stubborn arse. I asked ye to marry me for convenience—well, I actuallytoldye to marry me, did I nae?”

Lilith laughed and nodded her head.

“Aye, I remember it well. I did that, when ye deserved so much more. Ye deserve love, devotion—everything.”

Her lips parted, trembling. “Damon…”

His forehead dropped to hers, their breaths mingling. “I love ye, Lilith. And nae because it’s sensible or because it eases me burdens. I love ye because I cannae breathe without ye. Because every moment I spend away from ye feels like a war I’m losin’. And I will spend every day of me life provin’ that I’m worthy of ye.”

A strangled sob broke past her lips. Her hands lifted, gripping his tunic, anchoring her to him. “I never truly wanted to leave ye—I just thought ye wanted me gone. Last night, ye never even looked at me… Ye pushed me away this entire last week, and I…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Well, I was afraid. Afraid that what I felt… that it was one-sided.”

Damon let out a low, humorless laugh, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “One-sided? Christ, woman. I’ve been yers since before I even kenned I was.Yeprobably kenned it before!”

A breathless laugh escaped her despite her flowing tears. “Ye were terrible at sittin’ still.”

“Aye,” he murmured. “And terrible at lettin’ ye go.”

He tilted her chin up, his lips brushing over hers—a question, a plea. Lilith answered with a kiss that stole the air from both their lungs, a kiss that melted weeks of tension, stubbornness, and fear.

Damon’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him, and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was home.

“Let me take ye home, lass?”

“Aye,” she said, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Before they could leave, Keegan and Willow intercepted them in the Great Hall, standing with crossed arms and matching grins.

“Ye cannae leave just yet, Braither,” Keegan said, amusement lacing his voice. “Fair is fair—I savedbothof yer lives, after all.”

Lilith arched an eyebrow. “Ye’re demandin’ a meal as payment?”

Keegan smirked. “Aye. Seems only right.”

Damon sighed but smirked. “We’ll stay for supper, then.”

Willow clapped her hands together. “Perfect. I’ll make sure the cooks prepare something special.”

The meal was set up without much of a delay, and the real purpose behind it finally came to light right as Damon and Lilith took their first bite.

“So…” Willow started, trying to affect an air of nonchalance. “Ye’rebothhere, suddenly. What, pray tell, brings ye to Brahanne?”

“Other than the fact that I havenae seen me sister in three—four months?”

“Has it truly been four months?” Willow gasped and then counted on her fingers to verify.

“Four, Wil. I havenae seen ye or heard much from ye in that amount of time.”

“I’m sorry, Lil,” Willow said, reaching across the table and squeezing her twin’s hand. “Time sort of…” She started giggling. “Well, ye ken bein’ married and all… time sort of… flies?”

Lilith flushed a furious color, and she knew very well that Damon was watching. As was Willow.

Ye havenae?

Lilith heard her twin’s question as if Willow had said it out loud.

Nay. Now, shut it!she conveyed back.

The message was received, though the topic was not dropped.