“Bullshit!” Her rage shot the word down the length of the hall. “You are mine, Colum Garrison, and I will always be yours.”
Colum didn’t respond. Nor did he turn to face her. All he did was lift his chin, square his shoulders, and stride from the room.
Kenna gathered up her skirts and ran for the stairs leading to her chambers. Enough of this. Time to settle this damn battle.
CHAPTER37
Colum stirred the glowing red coals of the brazier, but even the fire’s radiating heat did little to purge the chill from his bones. Tomorrow, he would leave and seek the blessed solitude of the wildest parts of the Highlands. It was well past time that he be on his way to a solitary life. His duty was done here. He had saved Lady Kenna and ousted Sutherland’s darkness. A snort escaped him as he shook his head. Damn, he wished he had killed the bastard.
He palmed the cool weight of a swollen skin in his hands, then uncorked it and pressed it to his lips. The welcome burn of a well-aged batch of MacKenna whisky seared a fiery trail to his gut. He forced the memory of Kenna’s shouted oath to the back of his mind and sucked down another long draw of the spirits. A few more swallows and perhaps he would be blessed with dreamless sleep in preparation for his travels. It was time for both of them to move on and put aside all that had come to pass.
The outer door to the stables rattled a quiet thud. Colum ignored the sound and settled more comfortably on the bench lining the meager confines of the tack master’s room. Old Roarke had shaken his head and clapped a hand on Colum’s shoulder when he offered Colum his room in the stable for the night. The man did not agree that Colum should go. In but a few words, he had made it quite clear that Colum should pull his head out of his arse and take that fine woman to be his. Colum took another drink and rested his head back against the wall.
Unwanted opinion or not, Colum was thankful Roarke had offered his room. He would be damned if he stayed in the keep this last night and tolerated the stares and whispers of the nosy servants.
Footsteps rustled through the scattered leavings of hay tossed across the hard dirt floor of the stable. He took another deep draw of the whisky, held the liquid fire in his mouth, then let the burn trickle down to his stomach. He wiped the back of his hand across his lips and leaned forward to call over the half door leading out to the main aisle. “Roarke! Come. Share a drink with me. Toast my safe travels.”
The half door creaked open. A cloaked figure, face hidden in the darkness of a hood, stood in the doorway.
Colum smacked his lips and peered closer at the mysterious visitor. Either he had already had a bit too much whisky or the spirit of death was a great deal shorter than legend would have had him believe. He belched an eye-watering vapor and sat a bit straighter on the bench. “If ye have come to gather me to the other side, ’tis about damn time ye got here.”
The hooded figure didn’t say a word, just firmly closed the door.
“Would ye like a drink?” Colum belched again and proffered the gleaming skin of whisky.
“Maybe later,” Kenna replied as she yanked loose the ties of the cloak and shrugged the wrap to a velvety pile at her feet.
The skin of whisky slid out of Colum’s fingers and splatted on the floor. Kenna patiently stood before him in all her naked glory.
Her ivory skin flushed a tempting shade of pink in all the right places. She lifted her chin and her full round breasts tightened beneath his stare. The tempting rose of her nipples darkened into excited peaks straining toward him.
His gaze slid lower, down the alabaster silk of her stomach to the delightful dark vee between her thighs.Take her.His bollocks tightened with the primal command.Take her now.His cock echoed with a hardening roar.
“I have come to claim my rights as your wife. I demand you fulfill my needs.” The tip of her tongue raced across her upper lip and she clasped her hands behind her back.
His heart pounded, drowning out all other sound as her words pushed him to his feet. A weakening shred of reason pinched him. His waning conscience struggled against the raw, burning need triggered by the temptation before him. “Ye deserve—”
“I deserve to be loved—to be satisfied.” She closed the distance between them and slid her palms up his bare chest. The coolness of her silky skin burned into his flesh. “I deserve to be taken—to finally be sated by the only man I have ever loved.”
He ran his hands up the luscious curves of her tempting backside and pressed against the small of her back, crushing her beauty against him. Her scent set his mind to reeling as he claimed the sweetness of her mouth.
Mine.His body roared into the softness of her curves.Mine alone.He groaned as he hefted her into the crook of his arm and lowered her to the pallet.
Her dark eyes flashed and she wet her lips as he sat back on one heel and stared down at her. So much beauty. All his. How could it possibly be so?
“What?” she whispered as she squirmed beneath his gaze.
“Are . . . ye . . . certain?” he choked out. “Once I start—” He swallowed hard as he trailed a fingertip along the curve of her breast and down the silk of her stomach. “I will never be able to stop.”
“I’m counting on that.” She smiled as she pulled him down to her.
“I ache for ye,” he whispered, groaning as he nuzzled the sweetness of the tender skin just beneath her ear.
“And I you,” she said as he hungrily nibbled his way lower and found her nipple.
“Lore, lass. Ye will surely kill me with the wanting of ye.” He bit back a guttural moan as she arched her back and ground her enticing softness against him.
“Then take me and keep us both from dying.” She tightened her legs around his hips and urged him forward. Sliding her hands down his back, she pulled him to her. “I have waited as long as I can wait, Colum. Please . . . take me. Now”
