Halvard’s jaw clenched so hard it hurt. How could he resist her when she was speaking to him like that? How could he control himself when all he wanted was to pull her close, to plunge himself into her depths and claim her as his own?
But it was far from wise to follow his baser instincts. He was not a simple man; he was the laird, and though he had lied to everyone about him and Elsie, that didn’t make their wedding any less of a sham. They were not married, no matter what they had told everyone else. He was not her husband, and he could not touch her.
“If we cross this line,” he warned, “there’ll be consequences.”
“I don’t care.” Her voice was fierce, breathless. “You’re acting as though the world might end. And perhaps it will, so let me have this.”
“Ye dinnae understand,” Halvard insisted. “I’ve taken lovers afore, but never… never a lass who could be hurt by it, ruined. Never someone who?—”
“Someone you care for?” she whispered.
He squeezed his eyes shut, the ache threatening to choke him. “Aye.”
Her thumb brushed his cheek, the touch feather-light, more tender than anything he had ever experienced before. “Then show me.”
He caught her wrist gently but firmly. “Lass, if I take ye tae me bed, ye’ll nae be able tae forget it come morn. An’ I’ll nae be able tae let ye go. I’d ruin every bit o’ sense we’re tryin’ tae keep.”
But Elsie leaned in, her lips a breath from his. “Then ruin it.”
Halvard swore, a vicious, torn sound. She was more convincing than Halvard wanted to admit. He was close to snapping, close to giving her exactly what she wanted, what she was asking for, but he tried to force himself to remain steadfast. There was no good that could come out of that—only more heartache, more complications.
“I cannae dae this tae ye,” he rasped. “Ye deserve more than a stolen moment offered because fear lit a fire under us both.”
She stared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, softly, with an edge of challenge that nearly undid him, she whispered, “Then let it be my wish, Halvard. My reward, for my race win.”
His breath hitched, despite it all. Elsie affected him more than he wanted to admit, more than he had ever thought possible.
“Elsie…”
“I choose this,” she said. “I choose you.”
Halvard’s heart slammed against his ribs. Fire licked through his veins. And for the first time in his life, Halvard wasn’t strong enough to walk away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Iwant you, Halvard.”
The words were whispered against his lips, soft and sweet. Already, need coursed through Elsie’s body—a need she could no longer ignore. It had been throbbing through her for days, demanding, never once fading, and now that there was an outlet for it, she wasn’t going to give up her chance.
The fire crackled softly behind them, painting the room gold and shadow. Halvard reached for her, pulling her into another kiss, one that was heated, filled with their shared passion. Her breath caught. His lips were soft against hers, wind-chapped, pressing closer and closer until she had no air left in her lungs.
When they pulled apart, they only did so enough to look at each other, to press their foreheads together.
“Elsie,” he murmured, her name slipping from him like an admission.
She looked up at him, and the moment their eyes met, the tension snapped taut.
Something pulled them together, something inevitable, magnetic, dangerous. He leaned in slowly, almost painfully restrained, giving her every chance to step back.
Elsie didn’t.
Their lips brushed again—barely, softly—and the world narrowed to that single point of contact. Elsie’s hand rose to his chest without conscious thought. The heat of him poured through her palm, steady and solid, making her knees weaken. Halvard inhaled sharply when she clutched the fabric of his tunic, and his other hand came up to her jaw, his thumb grazing her cheek.
This time, he kissed her fully, and there was nothing gentle. It was controlled, yes—but it was deep, consuming, as though he had been holding himself for too long and finally allowed himself to break.
Elsie melted against him, her fingers curling in his tunic, her breath trembling when his hand slid to the back of her neck. The kiss deepened until her thoughts dissolved into heat and sensation—his scent, the strength of his arms, the low growl in his throat when she pressed closer.
He pulled back only long enough to whisper against her lips, “Tell me tae stop, lass.”
