“Whynot?”
Sorchacried out in shock and surprise when Ruari picked her up and flung her over hisshoulder. She could hear the roars of laughter from their kinsmen and guests aswell as several bellowed crudities as he ran, but she was too concerned aboutthe way she was bouncing around on his shoulder to care. He was halfway up thestairs to their room before she gathered the voice to complain and was able topound her fists against his broad back a few times to get his attention. Heonly slowed his pace a little, however.
Whenhe strode into their bedchamber and dropped her onto the bed, she could notscold him right away because she needed to catch her breath. A moment later shenoticed that she was lying on rose petals that had been sprinkled freely overthe bed, and she cried out in delight. She sat up, picked up a handful andstarted to smile up at Ruari only to gape, the rose petals fluttering from herhand. In the short time since he had dropped her onto the bed, he had shed allof his clothes.
Shestared at him as he began to tug off her clothing, jokingly chiding her forbeing so slow. He was tall, strong, and breath-stealingly handsome, she decided.He had a number of battle scars, but they did not really mar the tautsmoothness of his dark skin. She thought about his qualities, his humor, skillin battle, and concern for all the people of Gartmhor as well as his pride,arrogance, and temper, and she decided that he was perfectly imperfect. When hetossed aside the last of her wedding clothes and settled his long, hard body ontop of hers, she wrapped her limbs around him and smiled.
“Yehavenae said a word,” Ruari murmured against her cheek as he trailed soft,gentle kisses over her flushed face. “Ye have just stared at me and now smile.It causes me to wonder just what ye may be thinking.”
“Areye wondering?” she asked idly as she smoothed her hands down his sides.
“Aye,I am. Ye have an odd air about you. Just what are ye thinking about?”
“Iwas merely pondering how verra much I love ye,” she replied in a voice barelyabove a whisper. “Probably far more than is wise.”
Shebegan to wonder if she had erred when he tensed in her arms. A gleam she couldnot understand flared in his fine green eyes and the lines of his facetautened. Just as she opened her mouth to try to explain away her abruptdeclaration of love, he gave her a fierce kiss. His lovemaking proceeded withan equal ferocity, and Sorcha quickly realized that, whatever had produced theconfusing expressions upon his face, he was neither angry nor disgusted. Herlast clear thought as she succumbed to the passion he stirred within her wasthat, even if Ruari did not yet return her love, he clearly appreciated thefact that she was in love with him. It was a start.
Ruaricautiously eyed the small, slender Sorcha as he settled her lax body morecomfortably in his arms. She looked exhausted, and there were a few reddishmarks on her body as a result of his uncontrolled lovemaking. He felt a pang ofembarrassment and, if he had hurt her in any way, he knew he would feel thekeen bite of shame. When she had softly spoken of her love for him, he had notbeen able to think straight. All he had known was that he needed to make loveto her, to be one with her. Hearing those words had given him such intensepleasure he had lost all restraint on his passion.
Althoughhe dreaded her reply, he finally asked, “Are ye all right? Did I hurt ye,dearling?”
Sorchahalf opened her eyes, stretched languorously, and smiled. “Nay. I can see,howsoever, that it may not be wise to let ye sleep too long alone. ‘Tis clearthat ye can store aside a mighty appetite.”
Hegrinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “It wasnae being alone in my bed forthree weeks with but one afternoon of loving to feed the hunger that made mejust act like some crazed mon.”
“Itwasnae?” She idly smoothed her hands over his broad back.
“Nay.‘Twas what ye said before I lost all restraint.”
Whenshe just stared at him for a moment, saying nothing, he began to grow uneasy.Since the moment he had realized that he loved her, he had ached to hear hersay that she returned his feelings. He started to fear that he had misheardher, that she had not just confessed to loving him.
“Whatdid I say?” she asked, stroking his abdomen.
Herlook was suspiciously innocent and Ruari began to think that she was playing agame with him. For a moment he considered lying about what he had heard,especially since his confidence about the exact words was now shaken, but thenhe decided it was time to take some risks. Sorcha had taken one when she hadbecome his lover. He inwardly cursed, deciding that love was a troublesome,complicated, and irritating emotion.
Hecleared his throat, watching her through narrowed eyes, as he replied, “Yesaid, ‘I love ye. Probably more than is wise.’”
“Isaid that?”
“Sorcha.”
Shebit back a grin. Ruari looked both irritated and uncertain. It was a strangemixture of expressions. His confession that his wild lovemaking had beeninspired by her declaration of love gave her hope as did his continuing intenseinterest in how she felt about him. He had to feel some depth of emotion forher if the state of her heart was of such importance to him.
“Aye,I did say that and I was right—‘tis not wise.” She released a soft cry ofsurprise when he held her close, almost too tightly. “Those words become riskyto say,” she murmured when he eased his hold a little. “First ye ravish me thenye try to squeeze all the breath from my body.”
“Iask your pardon. ‘Tis just that I find your words of love verra moving.”
“Why?”She watched him closely, not sure what a discussion would gain her, yet feelingcompelled to have one.
“Why?‘Tis a strange question. Why would any mon wish to hear that he is loved?”
“Tofeed his pride. To ken that more than passion and vows mumbled before a priestbinds his wife to his side.” She shrugged. “There are a lot of reasons. I ampleased that ye dinnae find it awkward or feel it is a burden ye dinnae wish totrouble yourself with.” She found it interesting that he should look sostunned.
“Ifye think like that, why did ye even say it?”
“Ifelt it was something ye ought to be told although I have held my tongue formany a month now. After Dougal and Neil spoke to me, I realized that keepingsuch feelings to myself and fearing how ye may accept them was a far worsetorment than I could suffer if I just spoke my heart and finally learned whatye thought of it.”
Ruarirolled onto his back, rubbed his temples for a moment, then turned his head tolook at her. “Ye are the most peculiar lass.”
