Page 71 of The Laird's Wicked Game
Ducking into the lady’s solar, she put away the healing basket before returning to the landing. She then crossed it, Storm padding after her, knocked on Rae’s door, and waited.
27: IN EARNEST
“AYE,” A GRUFF male voice answered.
“Rae … it’s me … Kylie.”
A heavy pause followed before he spoke once more. “Enter.”
Pushing open the door, she slid inside and closed it behind her. Storm was eager to follow her, but she wouldn’t let him in just yet. She needed to speak to Rae first and didn’t wish to be interrupted by the needy collie.
The laird was standing by the window—his back to her, and his arms clasped behind him— hands resting in the small of his back. His stance, with his legs apart and his shoulders tense, made him appear as if he was bracing himself for something.
“I was expecting a visit from ye,” he said softly.
Awkwardness filtered through Kylie then. She wanted him to turn and face her, so she might meet his eye, but he didn’t. Earlier, on the wall, she’d felt close to him, but now thereseemed a gulf between them. “I would have come to see ye earlier … but I’ve been busy helping Tara tend to the wounded.”
“And how are the men faring?”
“Three have serious wounds, and will take time to recover … but with care, they’ll all live.”
He released a deep sigh. “Good.” He paused then before clearing his throat. “I’m sorry ye missed the ferry.”
Kylie snorted. “I don’t care about that.”
His strong body jerked at her response, and he finally turned to face her. “Ye don’t?”
“No.”
Across the room, their gazes fused. “There’s another boat, the day after tomorrow,” he said after a brief pause. His face was stern, his green eyes veiled. “I will take ye to Craignure myself, if ye wish?”
Kylie’s pulse fluttered. Time rolled back then, and she was standing on the walls looking east, waiting for dawn. In the past hours, she hadn’t had much time to think about the decision she’d made—she’d been too busy staying alive and then helping deal with the aftermath of the attack. But now, she let her choice settle.
It felt like stepping over the brink.
She was tumbling. She’d side-stepped fear and thrown herself into the unknown and strangely, she’d never felt freer.
“I don’t want to leave, Rae,” she said huskily, her gaze never leaving his. “Instead, I wish to remain here … to become yer wife.” She broke off then, her confidence suddenly faltering. “If ye will still have me.”
The laird’s lips parted.
For a moment, he merely stared at her. And then his throat bobbed, and the grim expression that had etched itself upon hisfeatures dissolved, revealing the sensitive man beneath. Hope flared in his eyes, yet she sensed his wariness.
Kylie’s breathing hitched, even as her chest started to ache. He didn’t trust her words, so she would have to make herself plainer. “Iloveye,” she said, her voice catching. “I have for months now … but when ye were honest about how ye felt about me, I let foolish fears overrule my heart.” Her voice faltered then. “And in doing so, I nearly lost ye.”
A pause followed this admission. Rae’s chest rose and fell sharply now, his gaze never leaving her face. He moved toward her then, drawing to an abrupt halt when they were around four feet apart. “Ye are in earnest?”
Kylie gave a soft laugh, which to her ears sounded more like a choked sob. “Aye … I’ve never been so sure about anything. I want to become yer wife. I want yer face to be the first thing I see every morning and the last thing I see every night. I want to grow old with ye, Rae Maclean … is thatearnestenough for ye?”
Joy ignited in the depths of his eyes. An instant later, he bridged the final gap between them and hauled Kylie into his arms.
They clung together then, in a crushing hug that made it impossible to breathe.
She didn’t care. All that mattered was that Rae understood how much she loved him.
And then suddenly, they weren’t just hugging each other but kissing. Fierce, hot kisses that she felt right down to her toes. Desperate for him, she went up on tiptoe, her arms linking around his neck. She had to be closer to Rae. If she could, she’d have crawled inside him.
Even before the attack, she’d been certain, but now it was written in the marrow of her bones. Her place was here. With this man.