“I’m not sure,” he replied, honestly.She deserved the truth.“There’s so much static in my head that I can’t seem to settle on any one thought, but I have to be honest with you.I’m not free, even if I did want a fated mate.You see, I’m a married man, although it’s not a marriage I want.Regardless, I can’t disrespect her.”
Her eyes widened.“It sounds like you revere her.”
“’Tis a matter of my own integrity.”He ran a hand through his hair.“Maybe after I obtain my divorce, we can meet again.I can come here or you can come to Scotland.”
She was silent for a long moment, assessing with those somber eyes.
“I don’t think that’s going to work,” she finally said.“Things aren’t always black and white.Or what they seem.I, too, have a commitment I need to end.”
Jealousy hit hard and fast.Even his wolf snarled.When she turned, as if to walk away, his wolf pounced to the forefront and it took almost all his strength to wrangle him under control.
“Wait,” he said, some growl leaking into his voice.
She turned back, with one eyebrow raised.
“May I have your name?”
“If we know each other’s names, it’ll be that much harder to forget one another.”
He had to admit, the words kicked him right in his heart.In a short amount of time, his entire world seemed to have upended, and this added one morefuck youto his evolving universe.
“Why is this happening now?”he muttered under his breath.“I had all this mapped out.I would come to get my wife’s signature on the divorce agreement, return to Scotland, and resume my life.I didn’t expect you.I’m not even sure I want you.Is this real?Can you feel me?”
He touched his sternum where acid burned inside.A recent, unwanted pain.
“Yes, I feel it,” she replied softly.“But it means nothing when someone isn’t free.You’ll go home soon enough.”
He took a deep disappointed breath and gave his acknowledgment.She was right, of course.He had no intention of staying in America.His wolf, however, wasnothappy about that decision and kept trying to paw his way forward.
“You could come with me,” he said softly.“Instead of two ships passing in the night.”
She raised a hand, then hesitated for a moment.“May I touch you?”
“Please,” he whispered.
She stepped up to him and laid her hand upon his cheek.The feel of her skin against his sent pure electricity through his body, and he closed his eyes against the magical onslaught.He’d never felt anything so sensual, so sexual.Barely a touch and his wolf slid into nirvana from the caress.
With a little pressure, she brought his face down to hers, which wasn’t far because she was tall for a woman.Their lips met with tender exploration.Soft.Heartfelt.Soon transitioning into something more.Something deep and fierce.When her tongue swiped across his lips, he opened for her.His heart pounded because he’d never had a kiss like this before.As cliché as it sounded, stars lit up behind his closed eyelids.His world rocked down to its foundation.When they broke apart, dragging in a breath, he stared at her in wonder.
“I thought mates were a myth,” he whispered, leaning into her aura.“Or, at least something blown out of proportion, but it’s taking a lot of strength to hold back my wolf.He wants to claim you.”
“And you?”she asked breathlessly as she nuzzled against his chest.Clearly as affected as he was by their explosive attraction.“Do you want to claim me?”
He didn’t answer.He simply wrapped his arms around her, and when she went to move away, he tightened his hold.“Not yet.Please.”
Stolen moments.Minutes ticking by without mercy.He knew, once he let her go, that would be it.At least, until he cleared up the mess of his arranged marriage, and then come hell or high water, he would find her again, learn who she was, and in return, let her get to know him.
Then, she pulled away and he reluctantly released her.His heart thundered in his chest when she gave him a melancholic half-smile.
“I guess it’s best we continue as we were before discovering each other.Two ships, who are indeed passing in the night.”
He wanted to say nae, that wasn’t what he wanted, but he knew he wasn’t thinking rationally.He needed space to deconstruct everything.To determine if this wasn’t some hallucination.Or a heat-of-the-moment kind of thing.His wolf gave a sorrow-filled howl in his head, and fell silent.
“I know you want me to say aye, but that’s not something I can do,” he admitted.“Now that I know you’re out there, I will never say goodbye.You asked if I would claim you, and I have two answers.One is yes, and my wolf would happily do it immediately.The other is my human side understanding that we need time to learn about one another.There are issues I must contend with, but know this—Iwillcome back for you.As many times as needed.”
“Are you saying you would keep flying back and forth from Scotland, just to date me?”
“Aye,” he replied.
