Boyd reached into the leather pouch at his belt and produced two gold bands.They gleamed in the candlelight, simple but beautifully crafted.Bella's eyes widened as she stared at them.
"I had them made," Boyd said quietly, his voice rough."Specially."
Something in Bella's chest softened a little.He'd had rings made.For their wedding.The gesture was so at odds with his coldness, that she felt fresh tears prick her eyes.
Boyd handed one of the bands to her, and their fingers brushed."Place it on my finger," he said.
Bella's hands trembled as she took the ring.She looked up at him, searching his face for some explanation, some hint of what this meant.But his expression was unreadable, that mask firmly in place.
With shaking fingers, she slid the ring onto his hand.It fit perfectly.
Then Boyd took her left hand in his, his touch gentle despite the tension in his jaw.He held the second ring poised at the tip of her finger.For a heartbeat, he hesitated, his eyes meeting hers.
"Mine now," he said softly, and slid the ring home.
The cool metal settled against her skin, and Bella stared down at it.A symbol of forever.
The priest cleared his throat."I now pronounce ye man and wife.What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."
Boyd breathed a sigh of relief.It was done.There was no going back now.Bella Sutherland was now Bella MacKinnon.His wife.His revenge.
Boyd turned to face her, his expression unreadable.Then, without warning, he reached up and cupped her cheek, wiping away the traces of tears.The gesture was so unexpectedly gentle that Bella's eyes widened in shock.She couldn't move, couldn't think beyond the feeling of his hand on her skin.
Then Boyd leaned in, and for one heart-stopping moment, Bella thought he was going to kiss her.But he stopped just short, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers.She could feel his minted breath, warm and unsteady, mingling with her own.Could feel the tension radiating off him, the way his muscles were coiled tight, as if he were fighting some internal battle.
"Dinnae mistake this for kindness," he whispered against her mouth, even as his hand remained gentle on her face."I'm not the boy ye once knew."
"And I'm not the lass ye think I am," Bella replied, her voice stronger than she felt.
Something flickered in his eyes but then it was gone before he moved away and said, "We will leave within the hour.Have someone gather yer things."
Bella replied, "I dinnae have much.I can fetch them myself."
Boyd's gaze snapped back to her, a strange expression crossing his features before he snapped, "Then be quick about it.I shall meet ye in the bailey."
With those words he stormed away.
Bella clutched her belly to finally take a breath as she shook her head, knowing this marriage was going to be a veritable nightmare.She looked down at the ring on her finger, the ring he'd had specially made, and felt her heart twist with confusion and pain.
***
BOYD CURSED HIMSELFsilently as he strode down the cloister of the abbey towards the main entrance.He knew his tone was cold and harsh but there was a war raging inside him and he could not control it.He could not believe how much Bella rattled his senses.And damn it, he had to admit Bella was even more beautiful now.There was a maturity, a quiet dignity about her that he found so damned appealing.And damn her plump lips—he wanted to taste them again, see if she still tasted the same after all these years.He'd been so close in the chapel.Another inch and he would have claimed her mouth, would have given in to the hunger that had been clawing at him from the moment he saw her again.
He told himself this was a marriage of convenience, a cold arrangement made purely for revenge.He needed to remember that.
***
