She screamed again as she felt her climax rip through her, the white-hot pleasure racking her body as his release filled her up, even as he shouted aloud and collapsed on top of her.
They lay like that in the grass for some time as they came down from their climax.
Leah had never felt so complete or at peace with the world as she did at that moment. She never wanted them to be apart again—she wanted to keep him inside her for eternity.
But, eventually, Magnus pulled out of her, finding her mouth as he did so and kissing her in a leisurely way that made her moan again.
He looked down at her, his eye twinkling. “More, lass? I believe I could have ye for the entire night if I chose.”
But he moved back despite his words, pulling himself up gently and holding out a hand to pull her up. As she stood on shaky legs, he dutifully collected her ruined dress, doing the best he could to cover her after their time together.
He pulled his léine and kilt on hurriedly, and Leah looked around her with trepidation. She realized she would have to walk back through the corridors of the castle looking in quite a state. He chuckled.
“Being the Laird, I ken a few routes back to our rooms where we willnae be seen by anyone,” he said happily and took her hand, leading her round the corner of the castle to a wall covered with ivy.
Without hesitation, he reached through the lattice of roots and leaves. She heard a click as a door opened, and a dark passage appeared behind the vines. Delighted, she grinned at him, and he took her into his arms.
“I believe there are a few passages I shall show ye in the next few days,” he murmured. “I shall take ye in every one of them and show ye the meanin’ of love as ye’ve never kenned it before.”
Leah wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. “Lead the way, My Laird.”
EPILOGUE
One Month Later
Leah leanedback in her chair and stretched, looking at the large pile of papers on the floor beside her desk.
A letter from her mother lay beside her, and she smiled at the neat, looping hand. Her mother always sounded far more like herself in her letters, and Leah was excited for them to visit later in the year. She could not wait to show Timothy the otters and deer that lived around the castle.
She sighed, looking out over the beautiful views, and felt a contented smile tug at her lips.
She loved this room. She had taken to writing in it most mornings. The ‘turret,’ as Magnus affectionately called it, was undoubtedly her domain, and he often came to sit with her as she wrote while he read a book.
They had fallen into a happy pattern of sorts, with Leah coming up to write most mornings while Magnus took care of clan business or went hunting with Kenneth.
She had managed to coax one of the cats inside with some rabbit meat, as Magnus had suggested. Sometimes, it came upstairs with her to her room and lay before the fire while she was writing.
It was an idyllic life, and Leah found that she relished every day when she could look out the high windows and see her estate.
Becoming the lady of such a large castle had been an adjustment, but the staff and servants had been very welcoming and accommodating, considering her abrupt arrival.
Shuffling the papers together, she read over the final paragraph of her book. She was incredibly proud of it and had taken time over the last few weeks to get to know some members of Magnus’s clan and understand the work that the villagers and people that he governed did.
The book was complete, and she had never felt so fulfilled and happy in all of her life. She placed the pages under a paperweight to prevent them from flying about in the wind and was just about to leave the room when a soft knock sounded at the door.
The servant girl who had become Leah’s maid entered. “Yer guests have arrived, M’Lady,” she announced.
Leah gave her a grateful nod and then made her way downstairs to greet her guests.
She felt a little nervous as she emerged from the tower and made her way to the main hall. And well she might be.
“I shall never forgive you, Leah Anderson,” came Daphne’s voice as Leah opened the door to the room.
Oskar winced as Leah closed it behind her, just as Daphne handed a fussing Evander to him and stalked toward her, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
“I cannot believe you got married and I wasn’t even here!” she said angrily. But her actions belied her words, as she pulled Leah into a fierce hug as she reached her. “I have never been more furious with anyone. How are you?” she asked.
Leah could not help but laugh. “I am sorry, Daphne, I sent you a letter explaining everything.”
