Page 76 of Taken By the Vicious Highlander

“Nae typically from these parts.”

Confused, Lilith pressed him further, “Did ye plant it?”

“Nay, I found it after the attack.” His voice was quiet. “I thought of ye when I saw it.”

“Which one?”

Damon grimaced. “The most recent one, lass.”

Something warm and unfamiliar spread through her chest. She looked up at him, her heart thudding against her ribs. Without thinking, she leaned in, balancing her body weight on his thighs, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

He stilled, his eyes darkening, and before she could second-guess herself, he captured her lips with his own.

This kiss was different. It wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a moment of fleeting passion. It was deliberate, controlled, yet filled with a hunger that made her knees tremble.

When they finally pulled apart, his breath was warm against her lips. “Come.” He smiled subtly. “Come look.”

He led her further into the clearing until they reached a small cavern. Inside, the ground was blanketed with a bed of flowers, their petals glowing softly under the setting sun. Lilith turned in slow circles, drinking in the sight, the scent, the feeling of being somewhere untouched by the outside world.

She turned to him, breathless. “Have ye been here before?”

He shook his head. “Nay. I just saw this when we climbed up and wanted to explore. This is me first time here. With ye.”

Something about that made her pulse stutter. “Explore?”

“Aye, Night Five was meant for exploration. I wanted to start with the Twinflower and go from there. I didnae think many kenned this area, as it seemed untouched.” Damon playfully batted at a hanging, flowered vine.

This night was meant for exploration…

Lilith’s mind wandered to the notion of exploring him. What it would be like to touch him without hesitation, to feel the warmth of his skin against hers.

Her face flushed, and when she met his gaze, his eyes were nearly black with unspoken desire. Her breath caught, but instead of acting on it, he pulled her into his arms.

The hug was tighter, more intimate than any touch they had shared before. She melted into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his tunic. He held her like she was something precious, something worth keeping.

She was losing herself in him. And it terrified her.

The walk back was quiet at first, both of them lost in thought. Damon stole glances at her, at the way her lips still looked slightly swollen from the kiss he had stolen from her earlier, at the way she carried herself with a newfound softness.

Ye werenae supposed to kiss her at all tonight, ye daft cad…

He mentally kicked himself for letting himself lose control, even for an innocent moment.

How to get me mind off her body, her lips, her?—

He cleared his throat. “Tell me more about the festival. What decorations would ye like?”

She brightened at the question. “Lanterns. We could hang them from the trees or keep them down on the ground, like Fairy Foxgloves.”

“Aye, and where did ye have in mind? The forest?”

“What if we held it on the glen on Robin Hill? The one almost right between Kiel and Branloch?”

“That’s a fine thought, lass. What else, then?”

“Ribbons. Something to make the place feel alive. They’ll catch in the wind like lovely, little bog cotton or even harebell!”

Damon listened as she spoke, her voice light, her hands moving animatedly. He watched the way her eyes sparkled when she likened everything she talked about to flowers.